The New Trier High School Wind Ensemble was invited to perform at the 2012 Midwest Clinic.

*Earlier than usual 9AM start time due to the Met’s live presentation of Wagner’s Götterdämerung at 10AM

The New Trier wind ensembles consist of 225 students in four curricular bands, including the Freshman Concert Band, Varsity Wind Ensemble, Concert Wind Ensemble, and Symphonic Wind Ensemble. The wind ensembles present four formal concerts each year and perform at various non-competitive music festivals throughout the year.

The New Trier Symphonic Wind Ensemble was selected to perform at the 2012 Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Previous performances have included the 2010 Western Illinois University Showcase of Bands, the 2009 Music for All National Concert Band Festival, the 2008 and 2009 University of Illinois Superstate Festivals, the 2008 Chicagoland “Invitational” Band Festival, and as a demonstration band for the 2008 Midwest Clinic. In 2007, New Trier was named the National Grammy Signature School, signifying it as having the best high school music department in the nation.

Music from the CYSO Encore Chamber Orchestra’s March, 2013 concert.

Music from their March, 2013 concert from Harold Washington Library’s Cindy Pritzker Auditorium. Music by Walton and more.

18 year old mezzo-soprano Bethany Crosby is currently a Senior at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, Illinois.

Natalie Richardson is a junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School in Oak Park, IL. She is coached by Peter Kahn at her school’s Spoken Word program; this is her second year participating. In her spare time (besides writing poetry), Natalie enjoys drawing, painting, scuba diving, taking pictures, and eating good food! She hopes to someday scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef and thinks that more public high schools should invest in spoken word programs, as poetry has and continues to be a great source of strength and community in her life.

Soprano Olivia Boen is a 17-year-old senior at Oak Park River Forest High School in Oak Park, IL. A student of Elizabeth Gottlieb, Olivia was a semi-finalist at the 2012 Classical Singer Competition, has placed second and third in NATS competitions, and is a Bel Canto Contest award winner. As a member of the Chicago Children’s Choir, she has been a featured soloist with the prestigious Concert Choir, Madrigals, and Voice of Chicago groups. Olivia has attended summer programs at Interlochen, Lamont School of Music, University of Michigan MPulse, and Oberlin Vocal Academy for High School Singers. In 2012, she also participated in the Illinois All-State Honors Chorus.

As the daughter of two members of the Lyric Opera of Chicago orchestra, Olivia looks forward to continuing the family musical tradition in the fall, when she will begin studying as a Vocal Performance major at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Bethany Crosby, 18, mezzo-soprano, is currently a Senior at Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream, Illinois. She has studied voice with Antonio Quaranta for four years and also works under the direction of AJ Wester through Chicago’s Merit School of Music, where she has participated in the Renee Fleming Initiative Solo Voice Program and the Merit Opera and Music Theater Ensemble for the past two years. Bethany has been a member of her high school’s premier mixed a capella ensemble since her freshman year and has also had the honor of attending the District IX IMEA Festival since her Sophomore year, receiving the distinction of highest ranked Alto I this year. She was named to the IMEA All-State Choir in 2012 and the All-State Honors Choir in 2013. She has also participated in numerous vocal competitions and was awarded Second Place at the Northern Illinois Chapter of NATS Audition in 2011 as well as named a Semi-Finalist in the 2010 Elgin Opera Vocal Competition.

Photo by Mike Canale

*Early 9AM start

In 2011, Andrew’s original composition “Hercules” was heard on Introductions as part of the Generation Next Young Composers Competition. He performed it himself at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston: http://blogs.wfmt.com/introductions/2011/03/29/music-institute-of-chicagos-generation-next-composers/

Andrew Guo, 13, started piano lesson at age 4 and had his first solo recital at 6. Andrew is currently a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program where he studies piano and composition with MIC artist faculties Alan Chow and Matthew Hagle respectively. Andrew was a first place winner of Steinway Young Artist Competition, Society of American Musicians Competition, and Confucius Music Festival Competition.

Andrew began making music as soon as he started playing piano. The 5-year-old Andrew’s gift for his mother’s birthday was a piece of music he improvised at the piano. In 2011 at age 12, Andrew won the first prize of Generation Next Young Composer’s Competition. His winning piece, “Hercules”, a quartet for flute, viola, bass, and piano, was on WFMT’s Introductions with Andrew playing at the piano.

As a frequent concert performer Andrew has performed at Grand Park Music Festival, Ravinia Music Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, and among others.

Andrew is a member of The Study of Exceptional Talent in Johns Hopkins University.

Become a member: wfmt.com/support

Please support WFMT and Introductions at this time by joining the Fine Arts Circle. Call 773-279-2100 or visit wfmt.com/support.

The Metropolitan Opera’s Live presentation of Wagner’s Die Walküre will begin at 11AM.

Become a member: wfmt.com/support

Please support WFMT and Introductions at this time by joining the Fine Arts Circle. Call 773-279-2100 or visit wfmt.com/support.

The Metroplitan Opera’s presentation of Wagner’s Das Rheingold will begin at noon.

The Illinois Music Educators Association is the largest fine arts education organization in Illinois.

Highlights from performances of the Illinois Music Educator’s Association All-State Honors ensembles: from their January, 2013 concerts in Peoria at the annual IMEA conference.

The Illinois Music Educators Association is the largest fine arts education organization in Illinois.

Highlights from performances of the Illinois Music Educator’s Association All-State Honors ensembles: from their January, 2013 concerts in Peoria at the annual IMEA conference.

18 year old violinist Alexandra Switala has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra and others.

Violinist Alexandra Alvarado Switala is a graduated senior in high school and is a student of Roland and Almita Vamos. She began her musical journey at the age of four in Texas, where she studied with Jan Mark Sloman, and has since studied privately with renowned musicians from across the nation, including Catherine Cho at the Juilliard School. This fall she will continue her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music studying with Ida Kavafian.

Since the age of 13, Alexandra has had prestigious performance opportunities, including as a soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony, the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra. As the winner of the Sphinx Competition, she has performed with the Florida Orchestra, the New World Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra. In the past, Alexandra has been a featured artist on the nationally syndicated PBS television show “From the Top at Carnegie Hall” as well as on NPR radio shows such as “From the Top” and “Performance Today.”

Alexandra has had great success in competitions, taking top prizes at the Cooper International, Sphinx, Blount-Slawson, and Klein competitions. At the Klein competition she received an award for the commissioned work as well as for her interpretation of Bach. A born-and-raised Texan, she is a recipient of the Bayard H. Friedman award for Outstanding Student in the Performing Arts in Fort Worth and the Texas Commission on the Arts Young Master Award.

Program:

Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major, Mvt. 1

Bach Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Mvt. 2 – Fugue

Prokofiev: Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Movements 2 and 3

17 year old percussionist Eric Goldberg is a member of the CSO Institute’s Percussion Scholarship Group.

Eric Goldberg, 17, is a senior at Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago, IL. He has studied percussion with Doug Waddell (Lyric Opera of Chicago) and Patsy Dash (Chicago Symphony Orchestra) for the past nine years as a member of the Percussion Scholarship Group (PSG), a program of the CSO’s Institute for Learning, Access and Training.

Since his joining the group, Eric has received many honors and a wide range of performance experience. In 2009, as a member of the PSG, he was featured on the NPR radio show From the Top at a taping in Dallas, TX. He was also featured on the show in 2012 at a taping in Kalamazoo, MI as a member of a duo with fellow PSG member Shuya Gong, and will appear on the show again as a soloist on March 8 in New Albany, OH. He has been a featured soloist with the CSO as a winner of the Fidelity Young Artists Competition in 2011 and 2012, working under conductors Mei-Ann Chen and Edwin Outwater. He was also featured with the Chicago Sinfonietta on their opening night concerts this season by the invitation of their new music director Mei-Ann Chen.

In 2012, Eric performed as a member of the All-State Honors Orchestra at the Illinois Music Education Conference, where he was named principal percussionist, and received the same position in the All-State Honors Band at the 2013 Conference. He was named an Emerson Scholar at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, where he studied this past summer. As a member of the PSG, Eric was featured with the CSO this season on their performances of Welcome, Yule!, their annual Christmas concert, and worked under the direction of Chicago Symphony Chorus director Duain Wolfe. He was a member of the 2013 Chicago Youth in Music Festival Orchestra, where he worked with conductors Cliff Colnot, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and Carlos Prieto. Recently, he has been named a 2013 YoungArts Merit Award Winner, a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist, and has been admitted to the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, which he will tour with this summer.

Eric plans to study music in college and pursue a career as a professional musician. Apart from playing music, Eric has great passions for photography and theater. He has acted in many theatrical productions and has also helped compose music for several plays at his school.

The 2012-13 EYSO Maud Powell String Quartet. Photo credit: David Moller.

Now in it’s sixth season, the Maud Powell String Quartet is the premiere string quartet of the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Institute, selected by competitive audition in June, and offered on full scholarship. It provides a chance to
study and perform significant chamber music literature at the highest level and to work with some of the finest artist teachers and chamber music coaches in the Chicago area. The Quartet works with coach Brant Taylor and regular guest coaches Rachel Barton Pine, Charlie Pikler, Isabella Lippi, Roland Vamos, Jaime Laredo, Matt Agnew, and members of the Pacifica Quartet.

The group is named after acclaimed Maud Powell (1867-1920), the first American violin superstar to achieve international fame. Maud Powell gave the American premieres of the violin concertos of Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and Sibelius, and was the first violinist to make best-selling recordings. Maud grew up in Aurora, Illinois in the Fox River Valley, and her career included playing under Gustav Mahler with the New York Philharmonic, and touring with the John Phillip Sousa band. Her career and dedication to music education inspired thousands of young people to take up the violin in the early 20th century.

Members:
Katie Gallagher
Calvin Kuntz
Hallie Gaitsch
Tolya Kuznetsov

17 year old percussionist Dakota Smith

17 year old percussionist Dakota Smith is a senior at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, IL. In 2011, he was named Percussion Member of the Year by the Legends Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as Outstanding Soloist Award on Drumset at the Evanston Jazz Festiva and was a runner up in the Lyons Township HS Concerto Competition.

Program:

Velocities – Joseph Schwantner

Gigue from Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Violin

From 9-11:30am, WFMT presents a live broadcast from the Merit School of Music in Chicago’s West Loop.

This morning we bring you a live broadcast from the Merit School of Music‘s annual Performathon music festival. Performathon features advanced students from the school’s Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-Free Conservatory. The free, 31st annual event is a fundraiser that allows students—who attend the Conservatory at no charge—to perform before a live audience and raise crucial funds for the non-profit community music school. Introductions will return next week.

Live from the Metropolitan Opera will begin at 11:30am with Bizet’s Carmen.

18 year old pianist James Stinehart.

James G. Stinehart, age 18, is a senior at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.

James’s debut as a pianist was at age 9, when he played a Haydn piano concerto in two concerts in Indiana with the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra. As a junior, he won the New Trier High School concerto competition, and performed Prokofieff piano concerto No. 2 with the New Trier Symphony Orchestra. He won first place in the senior division of the Steinway piano competition. He also was selected to play in the Young Steinway Concert
Series, and performed a piano recital at Skokie Library.

As a sophomore, James took first place in the North Shore Music Teacher’s Association Piano Competition, and placed second in the state of Illinois in the senior division of the Illinois State Music Teacher’s Association finals. James has won the MYA piano division of the Walgreen’s concerto competition three times. His piano teacher is Brenda Huang.

James is principal cellist in the New Trier Symphony Orchestra, which is taking a tour to Sidney, Australia over spring break. James is playing in the Illinois All-State Orchestra concert in Peoria later this month. James also plays cello with the Midwest Young Artists (MYA) Symphony Orchestra, which has toured Germany and China. His chamber ensemble made it to the semi-finals in the Fischoff national competition held at Notre Dame. Two of James’s string ensembles have performed on WFMT radio, including playing several of his original compositions. As a composer, he won first place in the Music Institute of Chicago’s music composition competition in the spring of 2010.

James frequently volunteers and loves to play piano and cello at retirement homes, as well as other social service functions. As for non-musical interests, James is fluent in Chinese and is learning German, and he is on the New Trier varsity volleyball team.

Program:

Nico Muhly: Quiet Music

Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No. 2
Allegro agitato
Non allegro

Liszt: Waldesrauschen (“Forest Murmurs”)

Debussy: Images Book 1 –Reflets dans l’eau (“Reflections in the Water”)

Debussy: L’isle Joyeuse (“The Island of Pleasure”)

17 year old violinist Joshua Burca

Joshua Burca is a 18-year-old violinist studying with Mr.Cyrus Forough.His past teachers include Roxana Pavel- Goldstein, Elias Goldstein, and Julie Fischer.He was also previously a participating member the past 5 years of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program where he was a Colburn scholarship recipient. Mr Burca has performed for many distinguished artists including Stephen Sondheim, Mark Zinger, Mathias Tacke, Riccardo Muti,  Duain Wolfe, Rachel Barton-Pine, Bonnie Keyes, Ilya Kaler, Laurie Carney, and the Orion String Quartet. Joshua has won first prize at the Society of American Musicians competition, honorable mention at the Walgreen’s National Concerto COmpetition,and was a semifinalist at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in the years of 2009,2010,and 2012. He was also principal 2nd violinist of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra.He spends his summers studying and performing at the Bowdoin International Music Festival. Aside from practicing, Joshua studies academics at home, likes to spend time with friends, and to compose his own music.

16 year old guitarist Jason Lewis

Born and raised in Glencoe, Illinois; Jason Lewis has never known a world without classical guitar. At just three years old, closely following his older brother and musical mentor, Aaron, he began lessons at the Music Institute Of Chicago. This was the only school that would take him so young. There, teacher Dr. Julia Miller fostered his early development. Jason performed his first concert at 4 years old in Chicago, and by 9 had begun his duo career with his older brother.

As a soloist, Jason has participated in the GFA for 5 years, and received second in the Society of American Musicians competition. Jason has received master classes from world renowned guitarists such as William Kanengiser, Scott Tennant, Elena Papandreou, Jason Vieux, Stefan Jovic, and Andrew York.

As a duo the two were selected to play for a McDonalds Corporation promotional video, performed for the Music Teachers Association in Governor’s State College. More recently they performed a full concert on WFMT Introductions, were featured in the Skokie Segovia Concert Series, and were asked to play at the Austin Texas International Guitar Competition and Convention in 2011. The duo has split as Aaron left for Yale University, and Jason for Interlochen Arts Academy, but they are hopeful to reunite in the future.

At Interlochen as a guitar major under the teaching of Dr. Michael Kudirka, Jason is continuing to hone his love for music.

Music from the CYSO Encore Chamber Orchestra’s Fall 2013 concert

Highlights from their December, 2012 concert at the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts at the University of Chicago.

Program:

Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 8
II. Scherzo
Conducted by Donald DeRoche

Haydn: Concerto for Cello #2 featuring 15 year old Lucy Ticho
II.
III.
Conducted by Allen Tinkham

Schoenberg: Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
Conducted by Allen Tinkham

Claire Bourg was the first prize winner of the 2012 Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, among many other accomplishments.

Claire Bourg, 17, is a senior at Metea Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois.  She studies violin privately with Cyrus Forough.
Claire began studying the violin at age five and has received many awards and accolades for her playing including first prize winner of the 2012 Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, first prize winner of the 2012 Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition, second prize winner of the 2012 Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, third prize winner of the 2012 Blount-Slawson Young Artist Competition, and winner of the Farwell Trust Award presented by the Musicians Club of Women, among others.

Claire has appeared on National Public Radio’s From the Top radio program and has performed as a featured soloist with several orchestras including the Northbrook Symphony Orchestra and Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra.  In February, 2013, she will perform the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2 in G Minor with the Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra and on May 19, 2013, she will perform Khachaturian’s Violin Concerto in D Minor at Orchestra Hall with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Claire is an active chamber musician and has been a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and Encore Chamber Orchestra for many years.  In 2012, her Music Institute of Chicago string ensemble—Quartet al Dente–was a semi-finalist at the Fischoff Competition.  In 2011, Claire was selected to perform with the Chicago Youth in Music Festival orchestra under the direction of Riccardo Muti and her string ensemble—the Amati Quartet–was selected to perform onstage with Yo-Yo Ma at Orchestra Hall.

Claire has performed as a featured soloist and chamber musician in many camps and festivals including the Bowdoin International Music Festival and the Indiana University Summer String Academy.  She has participated in master classes led by Yo-Yo Ma, James Ehnes, Vadim Gluzman, Phillip Ying of the Ying Quartet and the Beethoven Project Trio.

In her spare time, Claire enjoys playing golf, traveling, teaching violin, and performing in community outreach concerts.

17 year old percussionist Dakota Smith

17 year old percussionist Dakota Smith is a senior at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, IL. In 2011, he was named Percussion Member of the Year by the Legends Drum and Bugle Corps, as well as Outstanding Soloist Award on Drumset at the Evanston Jazz Festiva and was a runner up in the Lyons Township HS Concerto Competition.

Program:

Velocities – Joseph Schwantner

Gigue from Bach’s Partita No. 2 in D Minor for Violin

Gray was the 1st place winner of the 2011 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions.

*Earlier than usual 10AM start due to the Metropolitan Opera’s live presentation of Berlioz’s Les Troyens at 11AM

15-year-old cellist Johannes Gray debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at 14, soloing four times as 1st place winner of the 2011 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions. Johannes was formerly an active member of the Music Institute of Chicago for 11 years. He studies with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Gilda Barston. With dazzling technical ability, compelling musicality and magical presentation, Johannes strives to stir the emotions of his audiences by communicating through his music.

Johannes, starting cello at age two, has performed extensively throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany and Switzerland. He has performed in many venues including Symphony Center’s Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis’ Orchestra Hall, Ravinia’s Pavilion Stage and Martin Theatre, the Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, the Kirche von Ligertz, and Ganz Hall, among many others. As well as performing in traditional venues, Johannes aspires to share his love of music with public schools, senior centers, community libraries, and events for good causes, including performing a concert for an owl at a zoo. In February of 2012, Johannes was featured on NPR’s From the Top radio program, the nation’s most popular young artist classical music radio program.

He performs repertoire ranging from Beethoven, Brahms, and Dvorak, as well as lesser-known pieces by Victor Herbert, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Pablo Casals. As well as soloing with the Chicago Symphony, Johannes performed as guest artist with the Elmurst Symphony Orchestra, the Highland Park Strings, the Skokie Valley Symphony, the Oistrak Symphony Orchestra, and the Midwest Young Artist’s Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to the 2011 Crain-Maling Youth Auditions, Johannes has been awarded first place in many other competitions such as the Walgreens National Concerto Competition, the Sejong Music Competition where he received a special award for Best Interpretation of the Korean Piece, all four age divisions of the Chinese Fine Arts Society Music Competition in Honor of Confucius, as well as its Amei Hu Lin Scholarship Duet Competition, with pianist Ryan Jannak-Huang, the DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers, and the Society of American Musicians Competition.

As a chamber musician, Johannes performs with two highly acclaimed string quartets, Quartet Stracciatella and Quartet Ventoso. Johannes with Quartet Stracciatella won the Gold Medal at the 2012 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, held in South Bend, Indiana on May 11th-13th. As winner, Stracciatella will perform on NPR’s From the Top program. In the community, Stracciatella has performed at the Ryerson Woods and at a benefit concert to raise money for, and raise awareness of, the rare disease histiocytosis. Johannes with Quartet Ventoso won the Audience Choice Award and the prestigious Haydn Award at the 2012 St Paul String Quartet Competition in St Paul, Minnesota. In February, Quartet Ventoso won first place in the Society of American Musician’s Jules M. Laser chamber music competition, and as a result performed in March on the Music in the Loft concert series in Chicago and will perform live on WFMT’s Introductions radio show. Quartet Ventoso has also performed as guest artists for organizations such as: the Music In The Loft Gala, performing alongside world famous chamber groups, such as the Ying Quartet and the Lincoln Trio, as well as additional programs such as the MIC pre-gala kick-off event, Lively Arts of Chicago, Cedille Records gala (introduced by Henry Fogel), McGraw Wildlife Foundation, and Ravinia Festival’s Kraft Kids for Kids Program. Also, Johannes performs chamber music with his family string quartet and clarinet quintet the Shades of Gray. Johannes and his family have presented a biannual ‘family concert’ at their home since May of 2000, when he had just turned three.

Johannes has played for many of today’s leading cellists including Aldo Parisot, Amit Peled, Anthony Elliot, David Finckel, Janos Starker, Laurence Lesser, Lynn Harrell, Ralph Kirshbaum, Robert Nagy, Timothy Eddy, Wendy Warner, and Yo-Yo Ma. In addition to playing for Yo-Yo Ma, Johannes had a chance to collaborate with him in chamber music. For the last two summers, Johannes participated in the Young Performers Program at Music@Menlo in Menlo Park, California under the direction of David Finckel and Wu Han. This summer, Johannes attended Ivan Galamian’s Meadowmount School of Music located in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.

Outside of music, Johannes loves birds and is an avid reader. His favorite author is Michael Crichton, because of the scientific aspect of his fiction books, as well as his compelling writing. He practices his cello every day under the watchful eyes of his cat, Athena. Currently, Johannes is a sophomore at New Trier High School, where he enjoys his academic classes and friends.
Johannes performs on a Montagnana model cello designed and crafted specially for him by Lawrence Wilke.

Program:

Foss: Capriccio
Valentini: Sonata in E Major
Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen
Dvorak: Silent Woods
Villa-Lobos: Song of the Black Swan

Music from the CYSO's November 2012 concert will feature works by Debussy and Messiaen.

Music from the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s November concert at Orchestra Hall.

Program: Conducted by Music Director Allen Tinkham

Messiaen: Éclairs sur l’au-delà

Debussy:  La Mer

I.     De l’aube à midi sur la mer
II.    Jeux de vagues
III.  Dialogue du vent et de la mer

Deerfield High School

The Deerfield High School Symphony Orchestra in music by Tchaikovsky, Barber and Prokofiev.

The Deerfield High School orchestra program directed by Ron Velleuer consists
of the Concert Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra. There are
a total of 80 students involved in the program. Each year all of the students in the
orchestra program collaborate to perform 4-5 public concerts at DHS, along with various community performances. Other opportunities for students include participation in musical productions and performance tours.

In February 2013, the orchestra will travel to Arizona to perform public concerts, participate in clinics, and visit national landmarks. Other recent tour destinations have included, New York 2011, Indianapolis 2010, Orlando 2009, San Francisco 2008, and Eastern Europe 2006.

As a result of participating in the School Artslink program, in 2011 and 2012 the
DHS Symphony along with other participating schools had the wonderful opportunity to perform on the stage at the Chicago Symphony Center. In 2013 the DHS Symphony will have the privilege of working with renowned composer, Eric Ewazen for a commissioned work that will premiere in November.

Program:

Tchaikovsky: Suite from Swan Lake
I.
III.

Barber: Concerto for Violin, op. 14

Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf, op. 67

11 year old violinist Masha Lakisova

As the daughter of two professional musicians who have both loved and appreciated music since their childhoods, Masha Lakisova began her musical journey with the piano at age four. About a year after her first formal introduction to music, Masha began taking violin lessons with Larisa Zhizhin. Today she studies with Drew Lecher of Naperville, Illinois.

Surrounded by music connoisseurs, Masha is often asked to perform, especially at her local church in Long Grove. In addition to piano and violin, Masha also enjoys playing harp and guitar, as well as singing. In 2011 the young artist has been involved in a production of “Cinderella” at a local Park District in Vernon Hills Illinois, where she played the lead role of Cinderella. Masha enjoys playing in Philharmonia Orchestra at MYA in Highwood, Illinois (Midwest Young Artists), where is a concertmaster.
As well as singing in Voices Rising and playing in the piano trio (both are MYA based).

Masha appeared with Tutti Chamber Orchestra on February 20th of 2011. At that time she played first movement of Vivaldi Concerto for violin in A minor Op. 3, no. 6. On May 1st of 2011, she had an opportunity to perform an entire concerto by Vivaldi with Tutti Chamber Orchestra.

Masha is home schooled by her mom, and is in 5th grade.

In 2011 she won 1st prize at Illinois Music Association competition. Also, she participated in National Walgreens Competition, where she became a Winner in Early Music Category, as well as she received Honoroble Mention in her age division. In 2012, she received “Outstanding Awards” for Bach double and Nigun by Bloch at a National Granquist Geneva Days Music Competition. In the fall of 2012 Masha won 1st place in The 28th Annual Music Festival in Honor of Confusius. She will perform Bach double violin concerto on December the 9th at Northbrook Library with Tutti Chamber Orchestra. Masha also will appear on “Introductions” (WFMT 98.7) with David Polk on December 15th of 2012.

She would like to thank her parents, Lyudmila Lakisova and Arkady Peck, her wonderful teacher Drew Lecher for his coaching and encouragement, Dr. Dennis and MYA staff for a great opportunity to grow as a young musician, and all of her friends and family for their continuous support and encouragement. Above all, she would like to thank God who gave her the gift of music!

Program:

E. Bloch:  Baal Shem Suite, Three Pictures of Chassidic Life
Nigun

Mendelssohn: Concerto for Violin in E minor, Op. 64
I.

J.S. Bach:  Partita No. 3 in E Major, BWV 1006
Loure
Gavotte and Rondeau

J.Massenet: “Meditation” from the opera Thais

Prokofiev:  March from Love of Three Oranges

S. Gardner: “From the Canebrake” Op.5 no 1

The John Hersey High School Symphonic Band was named Honor Band at the 2012 Illinois Superstate Band Festival.

The Symphonic Band of John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. The band was recently named the Illinois Superstate Honor Band (one of the highest band honors in the state) and performed in Carnegie Hall on a recent tour to New York City.

The John Hersey High School Bands have been selected to perform at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic (jazz and concert), 13 consecutive Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festivals (Honor Band 2008 and 2012) and two National Concert Band Festivals. In 2007, the John Hersey band program was awarded the prestigious Sudler Flag of Honor from the John Philip Sousa Foundation.  John Hersey High School ensembles have also performed at the Chicago Jazz Festival, French Reeds Festival in the French Riviera, at Orchestra Hall in the Chicago Symphony Center (twice), at Carnegie Hall in NYC and throughout Europe (two tours).  In addition, ensembles have been Grand Champions at the Jazz in the Meadows Jazz Festival (twice), and Honor Band at the Purdue Jazz Festival (8 times).  Marching Bands under his direction have been the Governors Cup winner of the University of Illinois Marching Illini Festival and have won or placed near the top of all competitions entered since 2000.  Most of the graduating seniors in the Hersey band program continue to perform in college and many Hersey graduates are successful professional musicians and music teachers.

Program: Conducted by Scott Casagrande

Scott Boerma: Cityscape Fanfare

Donald Grantham: Starry Crown

Arnold Schoenberg: Theme and Variations

Leonard Bernstein: Slava! (A Political Overture)

C.L. Barnhouse: Battle of Shiloh March

15 year old pianist Natalie Vargas Nedvetsky

Natalie Nedvetsky, 15, is a piano student at the Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago where she studies with Elaine Felder.
Natalie is a laureate of numerous local and international piano competitions. She made her concerto debut at the age of 11 with the American Music festivals Orchestra conducted by Maestro Philip Simmons. At age 13 Natalie was recognized as a Citizen Musician by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and participated in a community outreach program with Mr. Yo Yo Ma.

In 2011 and 2012 Natalie performed in an international chamber music festival Musica Mundi in Waterloo, Belgium. In the past season Natalie became a laureate in the Crain-Maling Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions and performed as a soloist in a master class with Menahem Pressler, in the Rising Stars series at the Harris Theater in Chicago and in the “Keys to the City” festival hosted by Emmanuel Ax in the Chicago Orchestra Hall Armour stage.

In November 2012 Natalie won first place in a senior division of Music Teachers National Association piano competition and will be advancing to a regional competition in January 2013. Her most recent concert appearances were in master classes with pianists Joyce Yang and HJ Lim and in an International Beethoven Project Festival in Chicago. Natalie has been awarded Merit Scholarship at the Music Institute of Chicago since 2010. Natalie attends Chicagoland Jewish High School in Deerfield, IL where she is enrolled in a dual curriculum advanced academic and Jewish studies program.

In her free time Natalie enjoys reading historical fiction and writing poetry.

Program:

J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue No. 16 in G Minor,WTC, Bk. 1.

Beethoven:  Sonata in F Minor No. 23, Op.57
I. Allegro Assai

Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G Minor

Chopin: Etude in A flat major No. 1, Op.25

Debussy: Selections from Preludes Book 1:
Des pas sur la neige: Triste et lent
(Footsteps in the Snow)

This Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra concert will feature Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony.

Today on Introductions, we’ll hear the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra perform Tchaikovsky’s exciting 5th symphony from Orchestra Hall in Symphony Center. Recorded at their May 13th concert, which marked the end of their 65th season.

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Ryan Jannak-Huang was a finalist of the 2012 Crain-Mailing Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Audition.

Ryan Jannak-Huang, 14, is a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program. He has studied piano with Brenda Huang for 9 years. He was the second place winner in the 2012 MTNA National Piano Competition and a finalist in the 2012 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions. He won the first prize at the Awards competition in 2010.

He was also the winner of the 2010 Virginia Geyser Behrendt Piano Solo Scholarship and The Amei Hu Lin Scholarship Duet Competition with cellist Johannes Gray. Ryan was awarded the first place at the Society of American Musicians Competition for the Primary and Junior divisions. Ryan has also won the first place at the Confucius Music Festival in all piano divisions: Youth, Junior I, Junior II and Senior. He performed in the Young Steinway Concert Series at Skokie Library in 2011. Ryan played with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra as a selected winner in the Fifth Annual DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers. He also played with the Academy Strings of the Music Institute of Chicago as a soloist. For fun, Ryan likes to play piano duet and tennis with his twin brother, Kyle. He also likes paintball and snowboards.

Program:

Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G minor, (WTC, Book II, no.16), BWV 885
Liszt: Transcendental Étude No. 5 in B-flat Major “Feux follets”
Scriabin: Sonata No.4 in F sharp Major Op. 30
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit
III. Scarbo
Balakirev: Islamey Fantasy (Oriental Fantasy), Op.18

Become a member: wfmt.com/support

We’ll air highlights from the last six months of Introductions as we ask you to join WFMT’s Fine Arts Circle. This station exists because over 50% of its income comes from listeners like you. During the membership drive, call 773-279-2100 to speak with a volunteer. Or pledge online at any time.

Kyle is the winner of the 2012 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Audition.

Kyle Jannak-Huang, 14, is a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program. He has studied piano with Brenda Huang for 9 years. Kyle was named the winner of the 2012 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions, and he will perform with the Chicago Symphony during 2012/2013 season.

He played with the Lake Forest Symphony under the baton of Alan Heatherington in March, 2011 as the winner of the Steinway Concerto Competition. He was the Silver Medalist in the 2011 Seattle International Piano Competition. Kyle was the winner of 2011 Walgreens National Concerto Competition Open Senior Piano Division. He was the first place winner of 2011 NWSMTA Awards Competition in Senior Division.  Kyle was the first place winner in all divisions at the Society of American Musicians Competition that includes the Primary, Junior, Intermediate and Senior divisions. He was the Illinois state winner of the ISMTA competition junior division in 2009.  Kyle has won first place at the Confucius Music Festival for the Primary, Junior I, and Junior II divisions. He performed in the Young Steinway Concert Series at Skokie Library in 2010.  In 2009, Kyle played with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra as a selected winner of the Sixth Annual DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers.

Program:

Ravel: Miroirs
II. Oiseaux Tristes
III.  Une Barque sur l’ocean
IV.  Alborada del Gracioso
V.  La Vallée Des Cloches

Stravinsky:  Petrouchka
I. Danse russe (Russian Dance)
II. Chez  Petrouchka (Petrushka’s Room)
III. La semaine  grasse (The Shrovetide Fair)

Become a member: wfmt.com/support

We’ll air highlights from the last six months of Introductions as we ask you to join WFMT’s Fine Arts Circle. This station exists because over 50% of its income comes from listeners like you. During the membership drive, call 773-279-2100 to speak with a volunteer. Or pledge online at any time.

Opened in 2009, ChiArts is the first publc high school for the arts in Chicago.

A WFMT debut for students from the relatively new Chicago High School for the Arts (chiarts), we welcome the chiarts Guitar Trio.

The Cathedral Guitars has enjoyed playing a great variety of music together for the past four years. This energetic trio consists of seniors at the Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts). Cuixi Aguilar-Arriagada, 17, Cesar Martinez, 17, and Justus Richardson, 17, started playing guitar together their freshman year at ChiArts. In their sophomore year, they formed Cathedral Guitars and have been steadily playing together ever since.

Cuixi and Cesar have both been seriously playing for the past five years, and Justus for the past seven. In their time playing together they’ve received a variety of individual accolades and have been invited as an ensemble to play at events at Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre and the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance.

While they grew up studying a variety of musical genres—from traditional Spanish guitar to metal—their studies and sound have shifted to a more unified focus in classical and jazz guitar under their current coach and instructor, Tom Clippert.

The Cathedral Guitars looks forward to playing together in the coming year and then pursuing careers in guitar (Cesar), composition (Justus) and cinematography (Cuixi) as the three head off to college next year.

Program:

Kemp’s Jig, Anonymous
Canzonet, Thomas Morley
Bouree, Henry Purcell

Nocturne Op 4 No 2, Johann Kaspar Mertz
Solo: Cesar
The Rose in the Garden, Carlo Domeniconi
Solo: Justus
Etude no. 1, Heitor Villa-Lobos
Solo: Cuixi

El Vito, trad. Arr Carlos Bonell

Musha Study for Ensemble, John Williams
Vonetta, Earl Klugh
Trio plus Rodolpho Teliz and Fernando Lopez

***

Contrapunctus is a string quartet formed through Midwest Young Artists made up of 4 high school seniors from the Chicagoland area: violinist Alan Snow, 17, John Hersey High School, violinist James Hanford, 18, Evanston Township High School, violist Andrea Ferguson, 18, home schooled, and cellist Miles Link, 18, New Trier High School.

Contrapunctus is coached by Robert Bassill  in Highwood, Illinois where Midwest Young Artists is based. Contrapunctus has been together for two years, with an exception to Andrea who replaced Nicholas Mowry who graduated last year. Contrapunctus was very active during the 2011-2012 year, receiving the Gold Medal at the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, held in St. Paul, Minnesota, First Place in the National Discover Chamber Music Competition, held in Highland Park, Illinois, Second Place at the Rembrandt Chamber Players Chamber Music Competition, held at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and Honorable Mention at the highly acclaimed Fischoff National Chamber Competition, held at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. Honors of the 2010-2011 year for Contrapunctus include Honorable Mention in the National Discover Chamber Music Competition and a quarter finalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

This upcoming fall Alan Snow will be attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana majoring in violin performance studying under Sibbi Bernhardsson of the Pacifica Quartet, James Hanford will be attending Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in New York majoring in physics, Andrea Ferguson will be attending DePaul University in Chicago majoring in violin peformance under Ilya Kaler, and Miles Link will be attending Lawrence University in Wisconsin double majoring in biology and cello performance. Contrapunctus owes its success to Midwest Young Artists, specifically Dr. Allan Dennis, Robert Bassill, and Mandy Dennis.

Program:

Chris Rogerson: String Quartet
III. Dance

Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird”
IV. Finale: Presto

Mozart: String Quartet No. 19, K. 465 “Dissonance”
I. Adagio, Allegro

Bartok: String Quartet No. 4
V. Allegro Molto

Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6, Op. 80
I. Allegro Vivace assai

Introductions will return next week.

WFMT donates its airwaves today in support of Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Fascinating interviews with major stars and Lyric insiders plus music from your favorite operas. Lyric’s annual on-air fundraiser is a project of the Lyric Opera Chapters. The 16-hour marathon proceeds benefit Lyric’s education and community-engagement programs.

In addition to the star studded broadcast, you also have an opportunity to buy unique Lyric Opera merchandise plus premiums and restaurant certificates: http://www.lyricopera.org/about/operathon.aspx

17 year old violinist Giancarlo Latta is a student at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy

Violinist Giancarlo Latta studies with Almita Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy for pre-college musicians, where he is an Academy Special Merit Scholar, a distinction awarded to students demonstrating an “unusually elevated level of proficiency and musicianship.”

Giancarlo has performed with the Toledo Symphony and the Dexter Community Orchestra as a winner of their concerto competitions in 2011 and 2012, respectively. He has also performed with the Oistrach Symphony as a winner of the Eighth Annual DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers, and has won prizes in the Birmingham Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra Young Artist and the Society of American Musicians competitions.

A passionate chamber musician, Giancarlo is a member of Quartet Enigma at the Music Institute of Chicago, and has studied chamber music with members of the Cleveland and Cavani quartets and the Lincoln Trio. As a member of the Calliope Quartet, Giancarlo won the SHAR String Quartet Competition in 2012 and 2010. He is the founder and leader of the Pioneer Chamber Orchestra, a conductorless string ensemble based at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he is a student.

Giancarlo has performed in master classes with Joel Smirnoff, Milan Vitek, John Kendall, Jacques Israelievitch, and David Taylor, and has attended the Chautauqua Music Festival, the Meadowmount School of Music, and the Ithaca Suzuki Institute’s Preludio Violin Program. He was concertmaster of the Pioneer High School Symphony Orchestra for performances in Vienna, Salzburg, and Munich in April 2011, and was previously concertmaster of the Ann Arbor Youth Symphony Orchestra. Also in 2011, Giancarlo played in the Chicago Youth in Music Festival Orchestra, where he worked with Riccardo Muti and performed side-by-side with the Carlos Chavez Youth Orchestra of Mexico.

Giancarlo began his violin studies at age six with Anna Bittar Weller. He enjoys biking, reading, and listening to music in his free time.

Program:

Ludwig van Beethoven: Sonata for Violin and Piano in A Major, Op. 12 No. 2
I. Allegro vivace
II. Andante, più tosto allegretto
III. Allegro piacevole

Augusta Read Thomas: Incantation

William Bolcom: Graceful Ghost Rag

Johannes Brahms: Sonatensatz, WoO 2

The Okemo String Quartet

(Rebroadcast from October, 2011)

The Okemo String Quartet is named after an idyllic Vermont mountain where the group found its collective voice, practicing and rehearsing tirelessly at the rigorous Okemo Young Artists Festival in the summer of 2010. Violinists Adé Williams (homeschooled) and Hansuh Rhee (Springman Middle School), violist Mira Williams (Kenwood Academy), and cellist Josiah Yoo (Northbrook Junior High) are a passionate bunch of 13-year-olds with an impressive list of accomplishments. Hansuh and Adé share first and second violin positions for the quartet.

Individually, all of the members have won numerous awards, scholarships, top competition prizes, and prestigious solo opportunities. As an ensemble, they have now won their first competition: the 2011 Jules M. Laser Chamber Music Competition, presented by the Society of American Musicians and Music in the Loft. Because of this win, they have played two concerts at Music in the Loft and look forward to their radio debut on WFMT 98.7. Okemo was named semi-finalist in the 2011 St. Paul String Quartet Competition and in the 2011 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. They were Fischoff’s youngest ever semi-finalists (2011) and quarter-finalists (2010).

The Okemo String Quartet has played together since late 2009. Their high honors to date include being selected to play at MIC’s 80th and 81st Galas honoring Yo-Yo Ma (2010) and Maestro Riccardo Muti (2011), WFMT’s annual fundraiser (2011), the Fortnightly of Chicago (2010), the annual birthday memorial/Fourth of July celebration at President Calvin Coolidge’s homestead (2010).

As scholarship recipients, Okemo was assembled within the Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) Academy, a program for gifted pre-college musicians, by their coach, artist faculty member Marko Dreher. Quartet members study privately with artist faculty Almita Vamos (Adé), Almita and Roland Vamos (Hansuh), Marko Dreher (Mira), Gilda Barston (Josiah), and Hans Jørgen Jensen (Josiah). Adé performs on a violin by Jan van Rooyen, 2008, after the “Comte de Villares” Stradivarius, 1720, on generous loan from the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation. Hansuh performs with a sponsored Prfetzschner bow. Mira performs on a Bronek Cison violin, 2006, on generous loan from William Harris Lee.

Program:

Beethoven:  String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Opus 18

Haydn:  String Quartet No. 3 in G Minor, Opus 74
Finale: Allegro Con Brio

Dvorak: “American” String Quartet No. 12 in F, Opus 96
II: Lento

Shostakovich:  Polka

Debussy:  Quartet in G Minor, Opus 10

Shostakovich:  Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Opus 110

Gray was the 1st place winner of the 2011 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions.

15-year-old cellist Johannes Gray debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at 14, soloing four times as 1st place winner of the 2011 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions. Johannes was formerly an active member of the Music Institute of Chicago for 11 years. He studies with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Gilda Barston. With dazzling technical ability, compelling musicality and magical presentation, Johannes strives to stir the emotions of his audiences by communicating through his music.

Johannes, starting cello at age two, has performed extensively throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany and Switzerland. He has performed in many venues including Symphony Center’s Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis’ Orchestra Hall, Ravinia’s Pavilion Stage and Martin Theatre, the Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, the Kirche von Ligertz, and Ganz Hall, among many others. As well as performing in traditional venues, Johannes aspires to share his love of music with public schools, senior centers, community libraries, and events for good causes, including performing a concert for an owl at a zoo. In February of 2012, Johannes was featured on NPR’s From the Top radio program, the nation’s most popular young artist classical music radio program.

He performs repertoire ranging from Beethoven, Brahms, and Dvorak, as well as lesser-known pieces by Victor Herbert, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Pablo Casals. As well as soloing with the Chicago Symphony, Johannes performed as guest artist with the Elmurst Symphony Orchestra, the Highland Park Strings, the Skokie Valley Symphony, the Oistrak Symphony Orchestra, and the Midwest Young Artist’s Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to the 2011 Crain-Maling Youth Auditions, Johannes has been awarded first place in many other competitions such as the Walgreens National Concerto Competition, the Sejong Music Competition where he received a special award for Best Interpretation of the Korean Piece, all four age divisions of the Chinese Fine Arts Society Music Competition in Honor of Confucius, as well as its Amei Hu Lin Scholarship Duet Competition, with pianist Ryan Jannak-Huang, the DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers, and the Society of American Musicians Competition.

As a chamber musician, Johannes performs with two highly acclaimed string quartets, Quartet Stracciatella and Quartet Ventoso. Johannes with Quartet Stracciatella won the Gold Medal at the 2012 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, held in South Bend, Indiana on May 11th-13th. As winner, Stracciatella will perform on NPR’s From the Top program. In the community, Stracciatella has performed at the Ryerson Woods and at a benefit concert to raise money for, and raise awareness of, the rare disease histiocytosis. Johannes with Quartet Ventoso won the Audience Choice Award and the prestigious Haydn Award at the 2012 St Paul String Quartet Competition in St Paul, Minnesota. In February, Quartet Ventoso won first place in the Society of American Musician’s Jules M. Laser chamber music competition, and as a result performed in March on the Music in the Loft concert series in Chicago and will perform live on WFMT’s Introductions radio show. Quartet Ventoso has also performed as guest artists for organizations such as: the Music In The Loft Gala, performing alongside world famous chamber groups, such as the Ying Quartet and the Lincoln Trio, as well as additional programs such as the MIC pre-gala kick-off event, Lively Arts of Chicago, Cedille Records gala (introduced by Henry Fogel), McGraw Wildlife Foundation, and Ravinia Festival’s Kraft Kids for Kids Program. Also, Johannes performs chamber music with his family string quartet and clarinet quintet the Shades of Gray. Johannes and his family have presented a biannual ‘family concert’ at their home since May of 2000, when he had just turned three.

Johannes has played for many of today’s leading cellists including Aldo Parisot, Amit Peled, Anthony Elliot, David Finckel, Janos Starker, Laurence Lesser, Lynn Harrell, Ralph Kirshbaum, Robert Nagy, Timothy Eddy, Wendy Warner, and Yo-Yo Ma. In addition to playing for Yo-Yo Ma, Johannes had a chance to collaborate with him in chamber music. For the last two summers, Johannes participated in the Young Performers Program at Music@Menlo in Menlo Park, California under the direction of David Finckel and Wu Han. This summer, Johannes attended Ivan Galamian’s Meadowmount School of Music located in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.

Outside of music, Johannes loves birds and is an avid reader. His favorite author is Michael Crichton, because of the scientific aspect of his fiction books, as well as his compelling writing. He practices his cello every day under the watchful eyes of his cat, Athena. Currently, Johannes is a sophomore at New Trier High School, where he enjoys his academic classes and friends.
Johannes performs on a Montagnana model cello designed and crafted specially for him by Lawrence Wilke.

Program:

Foss: Capriccio
Valentini: Sonata in E Major
Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen
Dvorak: Silent Woods
Villa-Lobos: Song of the Black Swan

The Jacobs HS Goldenaires were one of four selected nationwide invited to perform at the National School Board Association’s annual conference in San Diego.

Today on Introductions, our guests are the members of the Goldenaires Chamber Choir of Harry D. Jacobs High School in Algonquin. In 2009, the group was one of four selected nationwide invited to perform at the National School Board Association’s annual conference in San Diego…and they were also the grand champions at two choral invitationals they attended that school year and have performed at the Illinois Music Educators All State conference in Peoria.

Directed by Jake Stouffer
with pianist Beverly Tipps

Set #1:
Fiddler of Dooney by Daniel J. Hall
Prayer of the Children by Kurt Bestor
What Child Is This? Arr. Lindsay Goodson

Set #2:
Early Bird by Rene Clausen
Autumn by Joshua Shank
Little Man in A Hurry by Eric Whitacre

Set #3:
Keramos by Stephen Schwartz
Cry out and Shout by Knut Nystedt

17 year old pianist Hannah Kay of Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL.

(Rebroadcast from July)

Hannah is 17 years old and a senior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL. Since commencing her study of piano with Brenda Huang ten years ago, she has won numerous awards from the Society of American Musicians (most recently, 2010 Senior Division 1st place) and the Chinese Fine Arts Society (2009 Senior Division 2nd place),  She received an Honorable Mention in the 2010 Emilio de Rosario Concerto Competition, Senior Division. With Andrew Ly, she placed first in the 2010 Chicago Piano-Duo Festival Competition.  Hannah was honored as a 2009 Finalist at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Auditions and performed at The Symphony Center. In October 2009, she was a guest soloist in the Skokie Library Young Artists Series. Her other interests include following the Yankees and playing volleyball.

Hannah, as pianist for The Midwest Young Artists’ (MYA) Trio Bravo, has performed at The Symphony Center, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Skokie Library Young Artists Series. Trio Bravo was a Quarter Finalist in 2011 and a Semi-Finalist in 2010 at the Fischoff National Chamber Competition, an Honorable Mention at the 2010 MYA Chamber Competition and was awarded the 2008 Virginia G. Behrendt Scholarship through CFAS.

Program:

Bach: Prelude and Fugue XV
Beethoven: Sonata No 30, Opus 109
Barber: Sonata Op 26, IV Fuga
Ravel: Sonatine, I, II, and III
Chopin: Fantaisie Impromptu
Liszt: La Campanella

The Hinsdale Center HS Chamber Choir is directed by Jennifer Burkemper.

Our guests today on Introductions are the members of the Hindsdale Central High School Chamber Choir, who were selected to perform at the 2012 Illinois “All-State” Music Educators Conference in Peoria. They are the most select ensemble at Hinsdale Central, and have prepared for us a wide range of music including songs in Russian, Latin and French, some Beatles and more. Directed by Jennifer Burkemper.

Set #1: Introduced by Taylor Rasmussen

Consecrate the Place and Day by Lloyd Pfautsch

I Will Sing With the Spirit by John Rutter

Solovyom Zaliotnim arr. Alexander Sveshnikov
Tyler Leahy, soloist

Set #2: Introduced by Dan Cassin

Domine, Ad Adjuvandum Me Festina by Padre Martini
Taylor Bright, Achilles Bezanis, Chris Anderson, soloists

The Lady in the Water by Eric Barnum

In My Life by The Beatles arr. Steve Zegree

Set #3: Introduced by Maddy Oleszkiewicz

Sing Me a Song of a Lad That is Gone by Sherri Porterfield

Chanson D’Amour by Matthew Armstrong

The Boy Who Picked Up His Feet to Fly by Joshua Shank

Soon-ah Will Be Done by William L. Dawson
Chris Anderson, soloist

18 year old guitarist Owen Burton. Photo by Jenny Fontaine.

Owen Burton (www.owenburton.com) is a classical guitarist who recently graduated from Lyons Township High School. He began playing guitar at age 9 and primarily taught himself, developing a foundation by playing along with blues and rock and roll recordings on a hand-me-down guitar.

Not until high school did he begin to dabble in the classical technique. The Lyons Township band director, Huei-Yuan Pan, introduced him to classical guitar instructor Jason Deroche, and he has studied with Deroche ever since. In the last year he also began studying piano with Chris Garofalo. Owen also participated in the high school jazz ensemble and is lead guitar in the rock band The Big Whigs.

Owen just completed a week-long guitar program at Northwestern University, where he studied under Anne Waller, Mark Maxwell and Oscar Ghiglia. Next year he will be studying classical guitar performance at DePaul University under Maxwell.

We’ll also hear an original composition by 18 year old David Jin, who just graduated from Stevenson High School and the Merit School of Music. The piece, inspired by Chinese Opera, was performed by the Merit School of Music Symphony Orchestra.

Program:
Agustin Barrios: Choro Da Saudade
Fransisco Tarrega: Capricho Arabe
Leo Brouwer: Berceuse (Cancion de Cuna)
Above performed by 18 year old guitarist Owen Burton

Dance and Chorale for Orchestra by David Jin

18 year old composer David Jin will attend MIT in the fall.

Merit Symphony Orchestra
Robert Hasty, Conductor

Final two pieces are from the Introductions Archive:

La Catedral by Agustin Barrios
I. Andante Religioso 2:02
II. Allegro Solemne 3:34
III. Preludio Saudade 2:15
18 year old guitarist Molly May Manarchy
www.mollymanarchy.com

Chopin’s Ballade No. 4 in Fm, Op. 52
14 year old pianist Yoan Ganev

The Grayslake North High School Treble Choir stopped by our studio in May.

The Grayslake North Honors Treble choir, led by Paul Nielsen, is one of 3 curricular choirs at Grayslake North HS, and in the school’s short 8 year history the choir has consistently scored Division I ratings at the annual Illinois High School Association contest, and have performed in Williamsburg, VA, Disneyworld and at Symphony Center in Chicago.  The choir also performs around the community for civic events as well as concerts that are held at the school.

We’ll also hear a performance by 17 year old clarinetist Ryan Toher, a recent graduate of Buffalo Grove High School who also performed with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Ryan will attend Oberlin Conservatory in the fall to pursue a degree in Clarinet Performance under the tutelage of Professor Richard Hawkins. He is currently studying with Sergey Gutorov.

Ryan is the principal clarinetist of both the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and CYSO’s Encore Chamber Orchestra.  In addition, Ryan is a member of the CYSO chamber ensemble program as part of the Primavera Quintet which performed on WFMT Introductions in May.

At the state level, Ryan was the principal clarinetist of the Illinois Music Educators Association Honors All-State Orchestra and the District VII Orchestra.  As a soloist, Ryan was a finalist in his high school District 214 Concerto Competition and won Honorable Mention at the Midwest Young Artists Walgreens Concerto Competition.

Over the past few summers, Ryan has participated in some of the nation’s top music programs.  This past summer, Ryan was a member of the Young Artists Orchestra at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute where he was also a member of the clarinet workshop under BU Professor Ethan Sloane and worked with Boston Symphony Orchestra clarinetists.  Prior to his experience at BUTI, Ryan attended Interlochen Center for the Arts for three summers.  Here, Ryan was principal of the Interlochen Philharmonic and a member of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra.  Ryan is looking forward to going back to Interlochen this summer as an Emerson Scholar.

Program:

Passereau, ed. Greyson: Il Est Bel et Bon
Brahms: Ave Maria

Jeffrey Ames: Holy Is the Lord
arr. Susan Brumfield: No Time

***

Mozart: Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K. 622 movement 1

Stravinsky: 3 Pieces for Solo Clarinet

Recent Buffalo Grove HS and CYSO Clarinettist Ryan Toher

18 year old violinist Alexandra Switala has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra and others.

Violinist Alexandra Alvarado Switala is a graduated senior in high school and is a student of Roland and Almita Vamos. She began her musical journey at the age of four in Texas, where she studied with Jan Mark Sloman, and has since studied privately with renowned musicians from across the nation, including Catherine Cho at the Juilliard School. This fall she will continue her studies at the Curtis Institute of Music studying with Ida Kavafian.

Since the age of 13, Alexandra has had prestigious performance opportunities, including as a soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony, the Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra, and the Cleveland Orchestra. As the winner of the Sphinx Competition, she has performed with the Florida Orchestra, the New World Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the Buffalo Philharmonic and the Cleveland Orchestra. In the past, Alexandra has been a featured artist on the nationally syndicated PBS television show “From the Top at Carnegie Hall” as well as on NPR radio shows such as “From the Top” and “Performance Today.”

Alexandra has had great success in competitions, taking top prizes at the Cooper International, Sphinx, Blount-Slawson, and Klein competitions. At the Klein competition she received an award for the commissioned work as well as for her interpretation of Bach. A born-and-raised Texan, she is a recipient of the Bayard H. Friedman award for Outstanding Student in the Performing Arts in Fort Worth and the Texas Commission on the Arts Young Master Award.

Program:

Beethoven: Violin Sonata No. 1 in D major, Mvt. 1

Bach Sonata No. 2 in A minor, Mvt. 2 – Fugue

Prokofiev: Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Movements 2 and 3

The Contrapunctus Quartet of the Midwest Young Artists Chamber Music Program (Highwood, IL)

Contrapunctus is a string quartet formed through Midwest Young Artists made up of 4 high school seniors from the Chicagoland area: violinist Alan Snow, 17, John Hersey High School, violinist James Hanford, 18, Evanston Township High School, violist Andrea Ferguson, 18, home schooled, and cellist Miles Link, 18, New Trier High School.

Contrapunctus is coached by Robert Bassill  in Highwood, Illinois where Midwest Young Artists is based. Contrapunctus has been together for two years, with an exception to Andrea who replaced Nicholas Mowry who graduated last year. Contrapunctus was very active during the 2011-2012 year, receiving the Gold Medal at the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, held in St. Paul, Minnesota, First Place in the National Discover Chamber Music Competition, held in Highland Park, Illinois, Second Place at the Rembrandt Chamber Players Chamber Music Competition, held at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and Honorable Mention at the highly acclaimed Fischoff National Chamber Competition, held at Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. Honors of the 2010-2011 year for Contrapunctus include Honorable Mention in the National Discover Chamber Music Competition and a quarter finalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

This upcoming fall Alan Snow will be attending Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana majoring in violin performance studying under Sibbi Bernhardsson of the Pacifica Quartet, James Hanford will be attending Rensselear Polytechnic Institute in New York majoring in physics, Andrea Ferguson will be attending DePaul University in Chicago majoring in violin peformance under Ilya Kaler, and Miles Link will be attending Lawrence University in Wisconsin double majoring in biology and cello performance. Contrapunctus owes its success to Midwest Young Artists, specifically Dr. Allan Dennis, Robert Bassill, and Mandy Dennis.

Program:

Chris Rogerson: String Quartet
III. Dance

Haydn: String Quartet Op. 33 No. 3 “The Bird”
IV. Finale: Presto

Mozart: String Quartet No. 19, K. 465 “Dissonance”
I. Adagio, Allegro

Bartok: String Quartet No. 4
V. Allegro Molto

Mendelssohn: String Quartet No. 6, Op. 80
I. Allegro Vivace assai

Violinist Robin Lawler won the Southwest Symphony Orchestra’s concerto competition at the age of thirteen.

Today, we’ll hear performance from 17 year old violinist Robin Lawler and also continue last week’s program with a couple more performances from the 2012 DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers.

***

Robin Lawler, a twelfth grader at Morgan Park Academy, began violin studies at the age of six. She has studied with Janet Kuester, Carl Johnston, Florentina Ramniceanu, and Maja Vukovic.  She won the Southwest Symphony Orchestra’s concerto competition at the age of thirteen, performing Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen.  At the age of seventeen, she won the Northwest Indiana Symphony Youth Orchestra’s concerto competition.  She won recognition at the Music Festival in Honor of Confucius, where violinist Rachel Barton Pine served as a judge.  She has been selected to perform in a master class for Robert Hanford, concertmaster of the Lyric Opera.  At the age of twelve, she took first place in the virtuoso category of the Illinois Music Association competition.  She has performed at the Friends of the Illinois Philharmonic Rising Star Showcase at Prairie State College. For four years, she attended the OPUS Chamber Music Camp, earning recognition for Outstanding Solo Performer, Outstanding Musicianship, and Outstanding Chamber Ensemble. Twice, she was selected as a finalist in the West Suburban Symphony concerto competition.  She has also been recognized in the Musichorale scholarship competition.

Lawler has organized benefit concerts for the Episcopal Relief and Development fund and the Public Action to Deliver Shelter.  She has been a member of the Northwest Indiana Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Southwest Symphony Orchestra, and the Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra.  She excels academically, and is a member of her school’s WYSE team, where she twice placed first in state for Engineering Graphics at the University of Illinois in Urbana.

Program:

Sibelius: Violin Concerto in D minor, Opus 47
Mvt. 1
with pianist Shirley Trissell

Paganini: Caprice No. 13

Haydn: Concerto No. 4 in G Major
Mvt. 1
with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Mina Zikri

Mendelssohn: Concerto in Dm, Op. 64
Mvt. 3
17 year old violinist Hanna Bingham
with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra
Conductor Mina Zikri

DePaul Concert Hall

Selected winners of the 2012 DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers perform a movement of a concerto with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra in DePaul Concert Hall. Recorded in January, 2012.

Each year, traditional and Suzuki students in piano, violin, viola, cello, flute and clarinet have the opportunity to audition for the Annual Concerto Festival held during Winter Quarter. Winners perform a movement of a concerto with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra.

The DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers was started in 2003 to provide an opportunity for intermediate level pianists in the Community Music Division to perform with an orchestra. Repertoire was selected from sonatina movements and short piano pieces for which string accompaniments were available. Auditions were held and eight winners were selected to perform with the DePaul Youth String Orchestra. In 2004, the Festival was expanded to include violin students and a wider choice of repertoire was offered to pianists. In 2006, cello and flute were added to the roster of instruments. This year, clarinet has been included in the festival. In addition, the difficulty of repertoire was increased and thirteen winners had the privilege of performing with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Mina Zikri.

In 2007, a portion of the Festival was opened to students outside of the Community Music program. We invite and encourage young musicians in the Chicago area to audition for an opportunity to participate in the Concerto Festival.

Program:

Bruch:  Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 26
I.
13 year old violinist Serena Harnack

Weber:  Concertino Op. 26
14 year old clarinettist Torin Bakke

Mozart:  Concerto for Violin in G Major, K216
17 year old violinist Jisun Lee

Kabalevsky:  Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 49
15 year old cellist Nathan Walhut

Introductions presented a live broadcast from Ravinia's Martin Theater.

Introductions presented a live broadcast from Ravinia’s Martin Theater in Highland Park as part of the Kraft Great Kids concert series.

Our program featured some of the finest young trombone players from the Merit School of Music in music you never thought possible for this instrument!

Musicians:

Jacob Mezera
Kevin Dombrowski
Douglas Meng
Paul Grankowski
Matt Kowalski
George Samaan
Tanner Jackson
Matthew Wolford

Program:

“Heffalumps and Woozles” from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, “Higitus Figitus” from The Sword in the Stone, and “Pink Elephants on Parade” from Dumbo arr. T. Jackson

Tower Music by V. Nelhybel

Cogent Caprice by T. Pederson

Passacaglia in Cm by J.S. Bach/arr. D. Hunsberger

Movie Medley by J. Williams/arr. T. Jackson

Chorale from Prince Igor by A. Borodin/arr. A. Yankelvich

“Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid arr. T. Jackson

17 year old pianist Hannah Kay of Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL.

Hannah is 17 years old and a senior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL. Since commencing her study of piano with Brenda Huang ten years ago, she has won numerous awards from the Society of American Musicians (most recently, 2010 Senior Division 1st place) and the Chinese Fine Arts Society (2009 Senior Division 2nd place),  She received an Honorable Mention in the 2010 Emilio de Rosario Concerto Competition, Senior Division. With Andrew Ly, she placed first in the 2010 Chicago Piano-Duo Festival Competition.  Hannah was honored as a 2009 Finalist at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Auditions and performed at The Symphony Center. In October 2009, she was a guest soloist in the Skokie Library Young Artists Series. Her other interests include following the Yankees and playing volleyball.

Hannah, as pianist for The Midwest Young Artists’ (MYA) Trio Bravo, has performed at The Symphony Center, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Skokie Library Young Artists Series. Trio Bravo was a Quarter Finalist in 2011 and a Semi-Finalist in 2010 at the Fischoff National Chamber Competition, an Honorable Mention at the 2010 MYA Chamber Competition and was awarded the 2008 Virginia G. Behrendt Scholarship through CFAS.

Program:

Bach: Prelude and Fugue XV
Beethoven: Sonata No 30, Opus 109
Barber: Sonata Op 26, IV Fuga
Ravel: Sonatine, I, II, and III
Chopin: Fantaisie Impromptu
Liszt: La Campanella

18 year old flutist Sorcha Barr in the studio with host David Polk.

Sorcha Barr is a senior at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville where she performs with the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. Sorcha began Flute after moving to the United States from Ireland in 2000. Originally taught by Dr. Cate Hummel, Sorcha has studied with Hideko Amano for the past five years. Sorcha performed as featured soloist in concertos with the Neuqua Valley Symphony Orchestra in 2011 and the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra in 2012, as well as placing in the Chicago Flute Club student competitions and the Society of American Musicians competitions. Sorcha has received Honorable Mention in both the CSO Crain-Maling Auditions and the Walgreens Concerto Competition. An All-State Musician, Sorcha has performed in the IMEA All-State Honors Band (2011, 2012), as well as the IMEA District 9 band (2009, 2010, 2012).

Sorcha was a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Music programs for three years, and first performed on WFMT’s Introductions two years ago with the Adelphi Flute Quartet. Sorcha teaches young students to play flute and plays at her church in Naperville accompanying various choirs.

Sorcha will be attending the University of Colorado at Boulder as a Flute Performance Major, studying under Professor Christina Jennings.

Program:

Carl Reinecke: Concerto in D Major, Mvt III – Finale

Cesar Ciardi: Le Carnaval Russe

Mozart: Concerto in D Major, Mvt I – Allegro aperto

Jacques Ibert: Concerto, Mvt III – Allegro scherzando

Ryan Jannak-Huang was a finalist of the 2012 Crain-Mailing Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Audition.

Ryan Jannak-Huang, 14, is a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program. He has studied piano with Brenda Huang for 9 years. He was the second place winner in the 2012 MTNA National Piano Competition and a finalist in the 2012 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions. He won the first prize at the Awards competition in 2010.

He was also the winner of the 2010 Virginia Geyser Behrendt Piano Solo Scholarship and The Amei Hu Lin Scholarship Duet Competition with cellist Johannes Gray. Ryan was awarded the first place at the Society of American Musicians Competition for the Primary and Junior divisions. Ryan has also won the first place at the Confucius Music Festival in all piano divisions: Youth, Junior I, Junior II and Senior. He performed in the Young Steinway Concert Series at Skokie Library in 2011. Ryan played with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra as a selected winner in the Fifth Annual DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers. He also played with the Academy Strings of the Music Institute of Chicago as a soloist. For fun, Ryan likes to play piano duet and tennis with his twin brother, Kyle. He also likes paintball and snowboards.

Program:

Bach: Prelude and Fugue in G minor, (WTC, Book II, no.16), BWV 885
Liszt: Transcendental Étude No. 5 in B-flat Major “Feux follets”
Scriabin: Sonata No.4 in F sharp Major Op. 30
Ravel: Gaspard de la Nuit
III. Scarbo
Balakirev: Islamey Fantasy (Oriental Fantasy), Op.18

Kyle is the winner of the 2012 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Audition.

Kyle Jannak-Huang, 14, is a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program. He has studied piano with Brenda Huang for 9 years. Kyle was named the winner of the 2012 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions, and he will perform with the Chicago Symphony during 2012/2013 season.

He played with the Lake Forest Symphony under the baton of Alan Heatherington in March, 2011 as the winner of the Steinway Concerto Competition. He was the Silver Medalist in the 2011 Seattle International Piano Competition. Kyle was the winner of 2011 Walgreens National Concerto Competition Open Senior Piano Division. He was the first place winner of 2011 NWSMTA Awards Competition in Senior Division.  Kyle was the first place winner in all divisions at the Society of American Musicians Competition that includes the Primary, Junior, Intermediate and Senior divisions. He was the Illinois state winner of the ISMTA competition junior division in 2009.  Kyle has won first place at the Confucius Music Festival for the Primary, Junior I, and Junior II divisions. He performed in the Young Steinway Concert Series at Skokie Library in 2010.  In 2009, Kyle played with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra as a selected winner of the Sixth Annual DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers.

Program:

Ravel: Miroirs
II. Oiseaux Tristes
III.  Une Barque sur l’ocean
IV.  Alborada del Gracioso
V.  La Vallée Des Cloches

Stravinsky:  Petrouchka
I. Danse russe (Russian Dance)
II. Chez  Petrouchka (Petrushka’s Room)
III. La semaine  grasse (The Shrovetide Fair)

Gracie Stone has performed with the CYSO and Merit Wind Ensemble and will be attending Princeton University in the fall.

Gracie Stone has been playing the flute since the age of eight. A private student of Susan Levitin, Gracie also plays with the Chicago Youth Symphony Concert Orchestra. This will be Gracie’s 4th performance on WFMT. She performed with her Flute Quartet in the spring of 2011, and with the Merit School of Music’s Wind Ensemble in 2009 and 2010. She is preparing some of her favorite works for her upcoming Introductions performance, varying from a flute duet version of Czardas to the Carmen Fantasie.

Gracie lives in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, where she has been homeschooled on the campus of the University of Chicago for the past 12 years. In addition to the flute, Gracie enjoys studying foreign languages, in particular Ancient Greek, Latin, and Arabic. She also is an accomplished sabre fencer, currently ranked #7 among all women in the U.S. Gracie represented the United States at recent World Cups in Italy and London, and she has amassed over 50 national and international fencing
awards.

Gracie will be attending Princeton University in the fall, where she hopes to major in Near Eastern Studies or Political Science, minor in flute, and fence with the varsity team.

This Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra concert will feature part of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5

Highlights from the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s May 13, 2012 concert recorded at Symphony Center in downtown Chicago, including two world-premieres.

Program:

Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)
Má vlast
i. Vltava (The Moldau)
Performed by CYSO’s Concert Orchestra
Terrance Malone Gray, conductor

Jonathan Newman (b. 1972)
Blow It Up, Start Again
World Premiere
Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra
Allen Tinkham, conductor

Joel Pucket (b. 1977)
Concerto Duo for Flute, Clarinet and Orchestra
i. The Great American Scream Machine (The Tallest Wooden Roller Coaster in the World) (for Roya)
ii. Mama Dee’s Song for Joel (for little A)
iii. for Audrey
World Premiere
Demarre McGill, flute
Anthony McGill, clarinet
Allen Tinkham, conductor

This concert also featured Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony, which we will broadcast this fall.

The Anima Young Singers of Greater Chicago

Anima’s mission is to transform young lives through excellence in music education and choral singing. Predicated on the principle that all children are inherently musical and that music vitally enriches the quality of life, Anima strives to discover, nurture and develop the “artist in every child.”

The six core ensembles serve approximately 250 children from Kindergarten through twelfth grade each week: Treble, Concert and Touring ensembles range from third through twelfth grades and Anima Kid Singers includes Kindergarten/first grade and Prep Choir is a once a week program for second and third graders. Chamber Ensemble is chosen from the Touring group.

Program:
Emily Ellsworth, Artistic Director and Conductor
William Buhr, pianist

I will not dance, O Lord — Steven Sametz, b. 1954
Illumina le tenebre — Joan Szymko, b. 1957
Laudate pueri Dominum — Felix Mendelssohn, 1809-1847

5 Hebrew Love Songs — Eric Whitacre, b. 1970
Texts: Hila Plitmann

Under the Baltic Sun — Imant Raminsh, b. 1943
III.  Ej, Saulite, Driz Pie Dieva (The lament of an oppressed people, Latvian)
IV.  Kai Muistat and Coda (The sailboat called ‘Love,’ Finnish)

Living in the Holy City — Stephen Hatfield, b. 1956

Elizabeth Pilon graduated from high school early in order to attend the Eastman School of Music.

Part 1:  Soprano Elizabeth Pilon, 18, who began studying voice in 2007 at North Central College with Ms. Ogden. Elizabeth has been awarded First Place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) Competition in 2010 and 2011. Elizabeth also received First Place in the Regional Round of the Classical Singer Competition in 2010 and was awarded First Place in the Elgin Opera Teen Artists Division and Most Promising Performer Overall.  Elizabeth was a finalist in the YoungArts Competition and received Second Place at YoungArts Week in Miami, Florida in 2011. Elizabeth has also participated in the summer programs at the Interlochen Arts Camp, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and the Elgin Opera Summer Festival.

Upon recommendation from several music instructors, Elizabeth graduated from Naperville North High School after her junior year in order to pursue music in a conservatory environment. Elizabeth Pilon is now a freshman undergraduate student studying vocal performance and opera at Eastman School of Music. Elizabeth is thrilled to be a part of life at Eastman and to study with her wonderful professor, Ms. Cowdrick.

Le Charme by Ernest Chausson
Vedrai Carino from Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart
Come you not from Newcastle? by Benjamin Britten
The Ash Grove by Britten
The Salley Gardens by Britten
Il giglio e la rosa by Donizetti
O you whom I often and silently come by Ned Rorem

Part 2: Primavera Woodwind Quintet of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Music Program

18 year old flutist Christine Murphy of Maine South HS
18 year old oboist Christine Lin of  Stevenson High School
17 year old clarinettist Ryan Toher of Buffalo Grove HS
18 year old bassoonist Luke Fieweger of St. Ignatius High School
16 year old french hornist Paige Kibbler of Vernon Hills HS
Donald DeRoche, coach

Paul Hindemith: Kleine Kammermusik, “Small Chamber Music”  Op. 24, No. 2
Lustig (Merry)
Walzer
Ruhig und einfach (quiet and easy)
Schnell (quickly)
Sehr lebhaft (very lively)

Giulio Briccialdi
Quintet, Op. 124
Allegro

The Primavera Quintet with their coach Donald DeRoche

Carl Grapentine will host a live broadcast from Ravinia's annual Customer Appreciation Day.

Introductions takes a break this week as Carl Grapentine hosts a live broadcast from the Ravinia Festival in celebration of their Customer Appreciation Day.

Photo by Mike Canale.

In 2011, Andrew’s original composition “Hercules” was heard on Introductions as part of the Generation Next Young Composers Competition. He performed it himself at Nichols Concert Hall in Evanston: http://blogs.wfmt.com/introductions/2011/03/29/music-institute-of-chicagos-generation-next-composers/

Andrew Guo, 13, started piano lesson at age 4 and had his first solo recital at 6. Andrew is currently a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program where he studies piano and composition with MIC artist faculties Alan Chow and Matthew Hagle respectively. Andrew was a first place winner of Steinway Young Artist Competition, Society of American Musicians Competition, and Confucius Music Festival Competition.

Andrew began making music as soon as he started playing piano. The 5-year-old Andrew’s gift for his mother’s birthday was a piece of music he improvised at the piano. In 2011 at age 12, Andrew won the first prize of Generation Next Young Composer’s Competition. His winning piece, “Hercules”, a quartet for flute, viola, bass, and piano, was on WFMT’s Introductions with Andrew playing at the piano.

As a frequent concert performer Andrew has performed at Grand Park Music Festival, Ravinia Music Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, and among others.

Andrew is a member of The Study of Exceptional Talent in Johns Hopkins University.

The Campanella Children’s Choir was founded in the spring of 2000, at that time a group of only a couple of children. Since then, the choir has been growing vigorously, having developed into a competitive ensemble that is the core of the entire Campanella Educational Center. The choir sings a diverse repertoire of music in multiple languages and performs in numerous community events throughout the year. Among some of the recent venues are the Chicago Cultural Center, the Museum of Science and Industry, Northbrook Public Library, Wheeling Park District, and Skokie Public Library.

In 2008, Campanella Children’s Choir participated in the Chicago Heritage Festival and received the Outstanding Choral Group award, as well as the Certificate of Excellence; in addition, the choir was invited to take part in the 2009 National Invitational Choral Festival (Festival of Gold), in which it was subsequently a gold medal recipient. Moreover, selected Campanella choristers participated in the Festival’s final concert, held at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Hall.

Kate Lee is a senior at Vernon Hills High School and will attend Northwestern University in the fall for voice and music education.

We’ll start off today’s program with a performance in our Levin Performance Studio and continue with the winner of this year’s Midwest Young Artists Walgreens National Concerto Competition, violinist Gallia Kastner.

Kate Lee, currently a senior at Vernon Hills High School, has been keeping quite busy these past few years.  She is the president of her senior class and is on the leadership team for several clubs.  Kate has performed in six theatrical productions and even directed a one act.  Since she joined choir her freshman year, she has performed with with Treble Choir, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, and the girl’s a cappella group “Lovenotes.”  She has also been in the IMEA District 7 Choir for three years and IMEA All-State Honors Choir for two years. Last May, Kate participated in her first competition held by Classical Singer Magazine in Los Angeles and was honored to be a national semifinalist. She had the opportunity to take two life-changing trips in 2011: a choir tour to Ireland in March, which showed her the beauty of shared music, and a humanitarian trip to Uganda, which showed her the necessity of it.  And so, she hopes to make the world a better place by sharing music, whether it be by performing or teaching.  She is the student director of the Chamber Choir and will be teaching and conducting a piece with the Treble Choir this spring. Next fall she will be attending Northwestern University to study Voice and Music Education.

Links referred to during Kate’s performance:

• www.covealliance.org is the organization in Mundelein that builds schools in Uganda! VHHS teamed up with them to build a primary school in Kapeeka, and I got to visit over the summer.
• www.vhhscougars.org/choir is our choir program.
• Favorite singers:
  -Barbara Bonney singing “Laudate Dominum” by Mozart

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ug0PYot-mE

  -”Ach Ich Fuhl’s” from Die Zauberflote by Mozart

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmHyA4WsJAZ

  -Sylvia McNair singing “Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion” from Messiah by Handel

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGkn91ywbsU

  -Favorite symphony: Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 “Resurrection” Symphony

  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rECVyN5D60I&list=FLTVzvatNVk0Q8DcLwdMROEw&index=1&feature=plpp_video

Program
Kate Lee with pianist Dr. William Crowle:
-”Diaphenia” by Dominick Argento
-”O mio babbino caro” by Puccini
-”O del mio dolce ardor” by Christoph Willibald von Gluck

18 year old violist Ariel Chapman, MYA Senior Division Winner of the Walgreens National Concerto Competition
with the Midwest Young Artists Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Allen Dennis, conductor
Zwischen Berg und tiefem Tal (Between Mountain and Deep Valley) by Paul Hindemith

15 year old violinist Gallia Kastner, Open Division Winner of the Walgreens National Concerto Competition
with the Midwest Young Artists Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Allen Dennis, conductor
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 by Tchaikovsky
First Movement

17 year old cellist Ben Manis

Today we present of a rebroadcast of a program that first aired in December, 2011.

***

Ben Manis is a 17-year-old cellist from Chicago.  He studies with Richard Hirschl of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  Ben is co-principal cellist of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and performs in the Principal Players ensemble of CYSO.  His trio won the Rembrandt Chamber Competition held at Northwestern University in 2011 and also advanced to the semi-final round of the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in 2011.  Ben’s idea of fun is to spend an evening sight-reading music with friends!

Program (listen to individual pieces): Performed with pianist Daniel Schlosberg

Beethoven:  Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 4 in C Major, Op. 102
I.

JS Bach:  Sixth Suite for Solo Cello
1. Prelude

Samuel Barber: Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 22

Tchaikovsky: Pezzo Capriccioso, Op. 62

Become a member: wfmt.com/support

Introductions takes a break today as WFMT continues with its annual spring membership drive. Consider becoming a member today by calling 773-279-2100 to speak with a phone volunteer, or by visiting wfmt.com/support.

18 year old pianist Wonjin Hahn is a senior at Conant High School.

This evening we present a rebroadcast of a program that first aired in December, 2011.

A senior at James B. Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Wonjin Hahn is a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program where he studies piano with MIC artist faculty member Alan Chow. Wonjin has studied in the United States, South Korea, and China during his eleven years as a pianist. His principle teacher during those years was Dr. Haysun Kang at Loyola University Chicago.  In 2011, Wonjin was a winner in the Steinway Young Artists Competition, and he won Second Place in the Music Festival in Honor of Confucius Competition. That same year, he performed with his piano quintet as part of the Gail Borden Library Concert Series in Elgin, Illinois. He attended the Bienen School of Music’s summer pre-collegiate program in 2009, and the summer International Institute for Young Musicians in 2011. Wonjin’s various musical activities have included accompanying choirs and singers, playing in a jazz combo, playing clarinet, and singing in the chamber choir at his high school.

In our interview, Wonjin mentioned his interest in composing pop and rap music and recommends that those interested in learning more about rap begin with Eminem and Twista.

Program:

R. Schumann: Abegg Variations, Op. 1

Beethoven: Sonata No. 21, Op. 53 “Waldstein”
I. Allegro con brio
II. Introduzione: Adagio molto
III. Rondo: Allegretto moderato – Prestissimo

C. Debussy: L’isle Joyeuse

Become a member: wfmt.com/support

WFMT will continue its annual spring membership drive today and we’ll present highlights from the last several months of Introductions. We hope you’ll consider becoming a member of our Fine Arts Circle to help support programming such as Introductions by calling 773-279-2100 or visiting wfmt.com/support.

Music Institute of Chicago

*Broadcast begins at 10AM instead of the usual 11AM due to an early start of today’s live broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera from New York.

While there are abundant performance opportunities and competition for young musicians, there are far fewer opportunities through which young composers can have their talents recognized.  In an effort to stimulate interest in the music of our time and support young composers in their endeavors, the Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) began the Generation Next Young Composer’s Competition in 2006.

Each year, the winning scores from the competition are performed live in concert, by talented young musicians from MIC’s Academy and Community Music School Programs.  The concerts take place at MIC’s Nichols Concert Hall in downtown Evanston, Illinois.  Called a “visual and sonic gem” by Chicago Tribune critic John von Rhein, the hall provides young composers the rare opportunity to hear their works performed by top musicians in an acoustically and visually beautiful concert hall.

We look forward to hearing another year of the best and brightest in new music by aspiring young composers.

Program:

MIC Composer’s Lab Showcase (Students of Mischa Zupko)
Whispering Oaks by David Jin
My Last Farewell by Ben Medina
Rivers by Johny Cruz
Piano Trio No. 1 by David Flowers

Above performed by violinist Lara Madden, cellist Mariel Werner, pianist Mischa Zupko, violinist Jonas Tarm

2012 Generation Next Awards and Concert

First Place: Las Ruinas Circulares by Jonas Tarm, Highland Park, IL
Alexandria Hoffman, flute
Alan Snow, violin
Yong Park, cello
Remington Clark, piano

Second Place: Beatitudes by Robert Didier, St. Charles, IL
Hyun-Jae Lim, piano
Robert Dider, piano

Third Place: Mediterrarabian Pastiche, Op. 10 for Solo Clarinet in B-flat by Chason Goldfinger, Valley Forge, PA
Daniel Mills, clarinet

The Illinois Music Educators Association is the largest fine arts education organization in Illinois.

The 2012 All-State Honors Chorus and Band concert of the Illinois Music Educators Association’s annual conference in Peoria. The IMEA is the largest fine arts education organization in Illinois, and this concert features some of the most advanced high school band and choral students in the state. Students practiced last summer for an audition to participate in the November IMEA District ensembles, and students from each district were then chosen to participate in the All-State Conference in January. Another audition at the conference further narrowed down musicians to participate in the orchestra we’ll listen to today.

From Carver Arena in the Peoria, Illinois Civic Center
January, 28 2012

Honors Chorus conducted by Brad Holmes, Millikin University, East Lansing, Michigan

Honors Band conducted by James Lambrecht, Augustana College, Rock Island, Illinois

Hannah Young is principal harpist of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Hannah Young is a high school senior pursuing a harp performance degree. She is the principal harpist of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra since and 2010 and has performed with the DuPage Symphony Orchestra, the Lake Geneva Symphony Orchestra, Wheaton Conservatory Choir and Harp Ensemble, St. Xavier University Orchestra, the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the West Suburban Youth Orchestra.

She has studied at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute with Ann Hobson-Pilot, retired principal harpist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The preceding summers Hannah studied at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival with Marian Shaffer, principal harpist of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and she attended the Ann Yeung Summer Harp Institute at the University of Illinois. Hannah was selected to perform with both the All-State Honors Band and All-State Orchestra.  She was a member IMEA District Orchestra for four years. Hannah has also performed in master classes with Isabelle Perrin, harpist of the Orchestre National de France, and Faye Seeman, harp professor at Wheaton Conservatory.

Hannah is also principal harpist of the District 99 Symphonic Orchestra and has performed Handel Concerto in B-flat major with that ensemble. She is also a member of her school’s Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Jazz Lab Band, and A Cappella Choir.

18 year old pianist James Stinehart.

James G. Stinehart, age 18, is a senior at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois.

James’s debut as a pianist was at age 9, when he played a Haydn piano concerto in two concerts in Indiana with the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra. As a junior, he won the New Trier High School concerto competition, and performed Prokofieff piano concerto No. 2 with the New Trier Symphony Orchestra. He won first place in the senior division of the Steinway piano competition. He also was selected to play in the Young Steinway Concert
Series, and performed a piano recital at Skokie Library.

As a sophomore, James took first place in the North Shore Music Teacher’s Association Piano Competition, and placed second in the state of Illinois in the senior division of the Illinois State Music Teacher’s Association finals. James has won the MYA piano division of the Walgreen’s concerto competition three times. His piano teacher is Brenda Huang.

James is principal cellist in the New Trier Symphony Orchestra, which is taking a tour to Sidney, Australia over spring break. James is playing in the Illinois All-State Orchestra concert in Peoria later this month. James also plays cello with the Midwest Young Artists (MYA) Symphony Orchestra, which has toured Germany and China. His chamber ensemble made it to the semi-finals in the Fischoff national competition held at Notre Dame. Two of James’s string ensembles have performed on WFMT radio, including playing several of his original compositions. As a composer, he won first place in the Music Institute of Chicago’s music composition competition in the spring of 2010.

James frequently volunteers and loves to play piano and cello at retirement homes, as well as other social service functions. As for non-musical interests, James is fluent in Chinese and is learning German, and he is on the New Trier varsity volleyball team.

Program:

Nico Muhly: Quiet Music

Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No. 2
Allegro agitato
Non allegro

Liszt: Waldesrauschen (“Forest Murmurs”)

Debussy: Images Book 1 –Reflets dans l’eau (“Reflections in the Water”)

Debussy: L’isle Joyeuse (“The Island of Pleasure”)

Highlights from MYA's February concert from Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston.

Highlights from the February Midwest Young Artists Symphony Orchestra concert at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston. Featuring winners of the latest Walgreens Concerto Competition.

Broadcast begins at 10AM (instead of 11AM, due to an early start of Live from the Metropolitan Opera).

Ridgeway will be performing Beethoven's Third Piano Concert with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra, of the southwest suburbs, in May.

Thomas Ridgway is a homeschooled senior from Shorewood, IL. He was chosen as a Rising Star by the Friends of the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and has performed for the organization in a benefit concert. In addition, he recently performed in the “Stairway to the Stars” concert to benefit the Grande Prairie Choral Arts, a Chicago Southland organization.

This past November, he was the winner of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestraʼs (southwest suburbs) concerto competition and will be performing Beethovenʼs Third Piano Concerto in May. He is a two time winner of the American College of Musiciansʼ International Piano Program and a seven time winner of their National Piano Program.

For the past two summers, he has attended the Indiana University Piano Academy where he attended masterclasses by artists such as Karen Shaw, Andre Watts, and Menahem Pressler. Since 2002, he has studied with Mrs. Patricia Windt, a faculty member of Prairie State College.

In addition to piano, Thomas also plays the bassoon. Last year, he was a member of the Joliet Symphony Orchestra, and is now a bassoonist for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra. He studies with Gerik Fon-Revutzky.

Thomas is currently in the audition process at several universities and plans to pursue a
degree in piano performance in the fall.

Program:

Beethoven: Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata”
I. Allegro
II. Andante
III. Allegro ma non troppo

Chopin: Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23

Prokofiev: Sonata No. 7 in Bb major, Op. 83
III. Precipitato

Photo by Mike Canale

**Andrew was not able to join us today due to illness. We will reschedule his performance for later this spring. Instead, today we enjoyed a rebroadcast of a program featuring the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Encore Chamber Orchestra from December, 2011.

Andrew Guo, 13, started piano lesson at age 4 and had his first solo recital at 6. Andrew is currently a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program where he studies piano and composition with MIC artist faculties Alan Chow and Matthew Hagle respectively. Andrew was a first place winner of Steinway Young Artist Competition, Society of American Musicians Competition, and Confucius Music Festival Competition.

Andrew began making music as soon as he started playing piano. The 5-year-old Andrew’s gift for his mother’s birthday was a piece of music he improvised at the piano. In 2011 at age 12, Andrew won the first prize of Generation Next Young Composer’s Competition. His winning piece, “Hercules”, a quartet for flute, viola, bass, and piano, was on WFMT’s Introductions with Andrew playing at the piano.

As a frequent concert performer Andrew has performed at Grand Park Music Festival, Ravinia Music Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, and among others.

Andrew is a member of The Study of Exceptional Talent in Johns Hopkins University.

"Performathon" is Merit's annual weekend-long music festival featured dozens of ensembles and hundreds of performers.

Introductions is on hiatus today as WFMT instead features live coverage of Performathon 2012 from the Merit School of Music from 9AM until 12PM. Hosted by Steve Robinson and David Polk.

Performathon is Merit’s annual showcase of students from its Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-Free Conservatory in 12 hours of non-stop classical, big band, jazz blues and vocal performances.

All proceeds support Merit School of Music’s programming including the Alice S. Pfaelzer Tuition-free Conservatory:

Each year, approximately 350 students, ages 9-18, engage in a rigorous and progressively challenging music education curriculum that runs 26 weeks, on Saturdays, from October through May. The nationally recognized curriculum includes theory, instrumental, vocal techniques and ensemble training, an extensive Honors Program, as well as performance competitions/scholarships and “preparing for college” workshops. Admission to the program is based on audition only, and offers an average of $2,500 of tuition-free music instruction to each student annually. More than half of our students are from low-income families.

A full program is downloadable here: http://www.meritmusic.org/support/fe_performathon.php

Listen to hour 1 of 3:

Listen to hour 2 of 3:

Listen to hour 3 of 3:

Highlights from this years all-state concert in Peoria, Illinois.

The 2012 All-State Honors Orchestra concert of the Illinois Music Educators Association’s annual conference in Peoria. The IMEA is the largest fine arts education organization in Illinois, and this concert features some of the most advanced high school orchestral students in the state. Students practiced last summer for an audition to participate in the November IMEA District ensembles, and students from each district were then chosen to participate in the All-State Conference in January. Another audition at the conference further narrowed down musicians to participate in the orchestra we’ll listen to today.

The IMEA All-State Honors Band and Chorus performances will air Saturday, March 31 at 11AM.

Program:
From Carver Arena in the Peoria, IL Civic Center
Conducted by Kevin Noe, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
January 28, 2012

Berlioz: Roman Carnival Overture

Copland: Billy the Kid

13 year old pianist Roger Shen of Northbrook

Roger Shen, 13, is a 7th grader at Northbrook Junior High in Northbrook, IL. Roger loves classical music and began to learn piano at the turn of age 7. His current teacher is Sueanne Metz. Among the awards, all in Junior Division, he won the 1st prize winner of 2011 Brandshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, the 1st place of the 6th Aloha International Piano Competition in 2011, the 1st place of 2010 Chicago area Steinway Young Artist Competition, the Early Music Category winner of 2010 Walgreens National Concerto Competition, the 2nd place of 2010 Society of American Musicians (SAM) Piano Competition, 2nd place of 2010 and 2011 Sejong Music Competitions, and the first Alternate for 2011 Music Teacher National Association (MTNA) piano competition.

Roger has made frequent public appearances, including performances at Weill Hall of the Carnegie Hall twice, Chicago Cultural Center, the 2010 International Conference on Clinical Excellence as a guest performer (invited to perform and be interviewed for one of the conference events), and Hawaii Convention Center. He attended the International Institute of Young Artists (IIYM) 2011 summer camp, and was selected to perform in two IIYM honor recitals. Roger is also active in his community. He performed several times for the Parisian Salon Concert at Northbrook library, participated in and was selected as one of the three finalists of the Northbrook’s 1st Talent Showdown competition, and performed in 2011 Northbrook’s AutumnFest. He also performed for the seniors at 2011 Northfield Seniors Center Holiday Party.

Program:

Prokofiev: Sonata in D Minor, Op.14, No.2
IV. Vivace

J.S. Bach: Well-Tempered Clavier Book II, Prelude 7 & Fugue 7, E-Flat Major

Mozart: Sonata in B flat Major, K281, No. 17,
III. Allegro

Chopin: Etude in C Major, Op.10, No.1
Chopin: Etude in A Minor, Op.10, No.2

Beethoven, Sonata in C major, Op. 53, No. 21 “Waldstein”
III. Rondo

Chopin, Ballade in A flat Major, Op. 47, No.3

Triumvirate is a chamber ensemble of Midwest Young Artists in Highwood.

The Triumvirate is a piano-viola-clarinet trio of the Midwest Young Artists chamber program, and they have been playing together for one year.

Under the directorship of Dr. Allan Dennis, MYA provides over 900 young artists with music education for jazz, orchestra, chamber, and theory. The group is coached by Dileep Gangolli, former assistant principal clarinetist of the Seattle Symphony Orchestra. He is the founder and current director of the Illinois Woodwind Academy and performs with various orchestras in the Chicago area.

The Triumvirate is named after the alliance between Caesar, Crassus, and Pompey during the fall of the Roman Republic. The members of the trio all enjoy history, and the name just made sense.

Ari Bakke and Kevin Xu are both juniors at Stevenson High School where they participate in the music program, and Torin Bakke is an 8th grader at Twin Groves Middle School. Ari has studied viola for nine years with Sarah Montzka and Lewis Rosove. Kevin has studied piano for eleven years with Carol Honigberg. Torin has studied clarinet for four years with Dileep Gangolli.

Program: (The Triumvirate is Coached by Dileep Gangolli)

Robert Schumann: Fairy Tales (Märchenerzählungen) for clarinet, viola and piano Op. 132
I. Lively, but not fast
II. Fast and very accentuated
III. Calm tempo with delicate expression

Mozart: Trio in E flat major, K. 498, “Kegelstatt” for clarinet, viola and piano
I. Andante
II. Menuetto
III. Rondo: Allegretto

JS Bach: Prelude to the Cello Suite No. 5 in Cm, BWV 1011
16 year old Viola soloist Ari Bakke

This week we feature original award-winning compositions by 17 year old Jonas Tarm. Photo credit: Mike Canale

The second of two programs featuring Highland Park High School senior Jonas Tarm. This week, we’ll hear some of Jonas’s award-winning original compositions. In November, we featured him in a violin recital featuring music by Beethoven, JS Bach, Rachmaninoff and Estonian composer Heino Eller and you can listen to it here.

***

Jonas Tarm, 17, was born and lived in Tallinn, Estonia for ten years and has studied violin starting at the age of seven. Jonas is an active chamber musician, orchestral musician, soloist, composer and arranger in the Chicago area. He currently is a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program where he studies violin with MIC faculty member Gerardo Ribeiro and composition with Matthew Hagle.

Jonas was a highly active member of the Midwest Young Artists program for 4 years; there, he soloed with the I’Solisti Orchestra and was part MYA’s Symphony and intensive chamber music program. Jonas also has soloed with the Highland Park High School Symphony and Chamber orchestras. Summer programs include, MYA Chamber Music Camp, International Haapsalu String Festival, Meadowmount School of Music and more. A senior, Jonas currently serves as concert master of the Highland Park High School Symphony Orchestra and Honors Chamber Orchestra; he also has served as co-principle second in the 2011 IMEA All-State Honors Orchestra.

Currently Jonas is the Illinois State Representative for the 2012 MTNA National Composition Contest. He also at the moment has a merit fellowship, the Kal Novak Musicianship Award, with Mischa Zupko and the MIC Composer’s Lab. As a composer, Jonas has collaborated with musicians and composers from Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNOW, Eight Blackbird, Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, Fulcrum Point New Music, Chicago Lyric Opera and more. Jonas has won an award for arranging in the IMEA composition contest and has been a finalist in the ASCAP Morton Gould prize and BMI Young Composers Competition. He currently is looking forward to record one of his compositions with Grammy winning new music group “Orchestra of Our time”. Jonas’s playing and composition, “Las Ruinas Circulares”, has been previously featured on WFMT Introductions. Jonas is a member of ASCAP.

Jonas is also a current member of the Ravinia Festival Student Marketing Board, part of a mission to promote classical to younger audiences.

Program:

• Las Ruinas Circulares

Jorie Butler-Geyer (violin), Letitia Chim (flute), Yong Park (cello) and Anne McLaughlin (piano)

1st place in the IMEA Composition Contest Instrumental Category, currently the Illinois Representative for the Music Teachers National Association Regional Composition Competition, finalist in BMI Young Composer Competition and won the Orchestra of Our Time Call for Scores.

This work is based on a short story by the celebrated Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges. Since the story is from Argentinean culture, I was also influenced by Latin and Argentinean music, such as the tango, and also by the composer Astor Piazzolla. Borges paints a landscape of a surreal world and he challenges the concept of what is real and what is not. To incorporate this, I decided to put different types of music against each other: tonal, chromatic, atonal, graphic, messianic and more. Each one tries to find the answer to the question – “What is real?” -JT

• World Premiere: “Nachtmusik: Vokalise der Nacht” for High Voice and String Quartet

Henriët Fourie (voice), Zach Spontak and Allie Switala (violins), Devon Naftzger (viola), Ye Young Yoo (Cello)

Finalist in the ASCAP Young Composer’s Competition.

• World Premier: “Two Pieces for Violin and Piano”

Laura Park (violin), Matthew Hagle (piano)
Recorded in WFMT’s Levin Performance Studio for this broadcast.

Music from the CYSO's November, 2011 concert at Orchestra Hall.

Music from the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s November 2011 performance at Orchestra Hall in downtown Chicago, conducted by music director Allen Tinkham.

Program:

Samuel Barber:  Second Essay, op. 17

Richard Strauss:  Don Juan, op. 20

Alexander Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy, op. 54

The Maud Powell String Quartet of the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra's Chamber Music Institute

The Maud Powell String Quartet is the premiere string quartet of the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra Chamber Music Institute, selected by competitive audition in June, and offered on full scholarship.  It provides a chance to study and perform significant chamber music literature at the highest level and to work with some of the finest artist teachers and chamber music coaches in the Chicago area.  The Quartet works with coach Ray Ostwald and regular guest coaches Rachel Barton Pine, Isabella Lippi, Roland Vamos, Matthew Agnew, and members of the Pacifica Quartet.

The group is named after acclaimed Maud Powell (1867-1920), the first American violin superstar to achieve international fame.  Maud Powell gave the American premieres of the violin concertos of Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, and Sibelius, and was the first violinist to make best-selling recordings.  Maud grew up in Aurora, Illinois in the Fox River Valley, and her career included playing under Gustav Mahler with the New York Philharmonic, and touring with the John Phillip Sousa band.  Her career and dedication to music education inspired thousands of young people to take up the violin in the early 20th century.

Members:

Patrick Connolly, 18, Conant High School, violin
Katie Gallagher, 15, Saint Francis High School, violin
Bradi Pirtle, 16, College of DuPage, viola
Christopher Mendez, 17, Dundee Crown High School, cello

Program:

Cappricco in E Minor, Op. 81
Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Crisantemi
Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924)

Quartet in G Major, Op. 18, No. 2
Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770-1827)
I. Allegro
II. Adagio cantabile
III. Scherzo: Allegro
IV. Allegro molto quasi presto

Gray was the 1st place winner of the 2011 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions.

15-year-old cellist Johannes Gray debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at 14, soloing four times as 1st place winner of the 2011 Crain-Maling Foundation Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions. Johannes was formerly an active member of the Music Institute of Chicago for 11 years. He studies with Hans Jørgen Jensen and Gilda Barston. With dazzling technical ability, compelling musicality and magical presentation, Johannes strives to stir the emotions of his audiences by communicating through his music.

Johannes, starting cello at age two, has performed extensively throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany and Switzerland. He has performed in many venues including Symphony Center’s Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis’ Orchestra Hall, Ravinia’s Pavilion Stage and Martin Theatre, the Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center, Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, the Kirche von Ligertz, and Ganz Hall, among many others. As well as performing in traditional venues, Johannes aspires to share his love of music with public schools, senior centers, community libraries, and events for good causes, including performing a concert for an owl at a zoo. In February of 2012, Johannes was featured on NPR’s From the Top radio program, the nation’s most popular young artist classical music radio program.

He performs repertoire ranging from Beethoven, Brahms, and Dvorak, as well as lesser-known pieces by Victor Herbert, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Pablo Casals. As well as soloing with the Chicago Symphony, Johannes performed as guest artist with the Elmurst Symphony Orchestra, the Highland Park Strings, the Skokie Valley Symphony, the Oistrak Symphony Orchestra, and the Midwest Young Artist’s Symphony Orchestra.

In addition to the 2011 Crain-Maling Youth Auditions, Johannes has been awarded first place in many other competitions such as the Walgreens National Concerto Competition, the Sejong Music Competition where he received a special award for Best Interpretation of the Korean Piece, all four age divisions of the Chinese Fine Arts Society Music Competition in Honor of Confucius, as well as its Amei Hu Lin Scholarship Duet Competition, with pianist Ryan Jannak-Huang, the DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers, and the Society of American Musicians Competition.

As a chamber musician, Johannes performs with two highly acclaimed string quartets, Quartet Stracciatella and Quartet Ventoso. Johannes with Quartet Stracciatella won the Gold Medal at the 2012 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, held in South Bend, Indiana on May 11th-13th. As winner, Stracciatella will perform on NPR’s From the Top program. In the community, Stracciatella has performed at the Ryerson Woods and at a benefit concert to raise money for, and raise awareness of, the rare disease histiocytosis. Johannes with Quartet Ventoso won the Audience Choice Award and the prestigious Haydn Award at the 2012 St Paul String Quartet Competition in St Paul, Minnesota. In February, Quartet Ventoso won first place in the Society of American Musician’s Jules M. Laser chamber music competition, and as a result performed in March on the Music in the Loft concert series in Chicago and will perform live on WFMT’s Introductions radio show. Quartet Ventoso has also performed as guest artists for organizations such as: the Music In The Loft Gala, performing alongside world famous chamber groups, such as the Ying Quartet and the Lincoln Trio, as well as additional programs such as the MIC pre-gala kick-off event, Lively Arts of Chicago, Cedille Records gala (introduced by Henry Fogel), McGraw Wildlife Foundation, and Ravinia Festival’s Kraft Kids for Kids Program. Also, Johannes performs chamber music with his family string quartet and clarinet quintet the Shades of Gray. Johannes and his family have presented a biannual ‘family concert’ at their home since May of 2000, when he had just turned three.

Johannes has played for many of today’s leading cellists including Aldo Parisot, Amit Peled, Anthony Elliot, David Finckel, Janos Starker, Laurence Lesser, Lynn Harrell, Ralph Kirshbaum, Robert Nagy, Timothy Eddy, Wendy Warner, and Yo-Yo Ma. In addition to playing for Yo-Yo Ma, Johannes had a chance to collaborate with him in chamber music. For the last two summers, Johannes participated in the Young Performers Program at Music@Menlo in Menlo Park, California under the direction of David Finckel and Wu Han. This summer, Johannes attended Ivan Galamian’s Meadowmount School of Music located in the Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York.

Outside of music, Johannes loves birds and is an avid reader. His favorite author is Michael Crichton, because of the scientific aspect of his fiction books, as well as his compelling writing. He practices his cello every day under the watchful eyes of his cat, Athena. Currently, Johannes is a sophomore at New Trier High School, where he enjoys his academic classes and friends.
Johannes performs on a Montagnana model cello designed and crafted specially for him by Lawrence Wilke.

Program:

Foss: Capriccio
Valentini: Sonata in E Major
Sarasate: Zigeunerweisen
Dvorak: Silent Woods
Villa-Lobos: Song of the Black Swan

Music from the Encore Chamber Orchestra's October, 2011 concert at the Harold Washington Library Center in Chicago.

Music performed by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Encore Chamber Orchestra from their October, 2011 concert given at the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium at the Harold Washington Library Center in downtown Chicago. Conducted by music director Allen Tinkham.

Program:

Pablo de Sarasate:  Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs), Op. 20
featuring violinist Tabitha Oh

Sergei Prokofiev:  Sinfonia Concertante, op. 125
I. Andante
II. Allegro
featuring cellist Austin Huntington

Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 36
IV. Allegro molto

We’ll listen to a sampling of some of the many holiday albums that youth ensembles from the Chicago area have released over the last several years.

18 year old pianist Wonjin Hahn is a senior at Conant High School.

A senior at James B. Conant High School in Hoffman Estates, Wonjin Hahn is a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program where he studies piano with MIC artist faculty member Alan Chow. Wonjin has studied in the United States, South Korea, and China during his eleven years as a pianist. His principle teacher during those years was Dr. Haysun Kang at Loyola University Chicago.  In 2011, Wonjin was a winner in the Steinway Young Artists Competition, and he won Second Place in the Music Festival in Honor of Confucius Competition. That same year, he performed with his piano quintet as part of the Gail Borden Library Concert Series in Elgin, Illinois. He attended the Bienen School of Music’s summer pre-collegiate program in 2009, and the summer International Institute for Young Musicians in 2011. Wonjin’s various musical activities have included accompanying choirs and singers, playing in a jazz combo, playing clarinet, and singing in the chamber choir at his high school.

In our interview, Wonjin mentioned his interest in composing pop and rap music and recommends that those interested in learning more about rap begin with Eminem and Twista.

Program:

R. Schumann: Abegg Variations, Op. 1

Beethoven: Sonata No. 21, Op. 53 “Waldstein”
I. Allegro con brio
II. Introduzione: Adagio molto
III. Rondo: Allegretto moderato – Prestissimo

C. Debussy: L’isle Joyeuse

17 year old violinist Jorie Butler-Geyer is a senior at Stevenson High School and concertmaster of the Midwest Young Artists Symphony Orchestra

Winner 2010 DePaul University Concerto Festival competition, winner Music Festival in Honor of Confucius VGB Scholarship, winner Charles Pikler Merit Scholarship with Midwest Young Artists, finalist with Glacking and West Suburban Symphony Young Artists competitions, honorable mention wins with Chicago Symphony, Walgreens and Confucius competitions.

Soloist with Oistrach Symphony, Bach and Beyond Orchestra, Kankakee Symphony, iSolisti Chamber Orchestra.  Featured artist with Young Steinway Concert series, WFMT Introductions (with Trio Bravo), Millenium Park, Symphony Center and Art  Institute concert series.  Semi-Finalist Fischoff National Chamber Music competition with Trio Bravo.  2nd place winner Jules M. Laser chamber music competition.

Concertmaster of Midwest Young Artists Symphony Orchestra.  Toured China, Korea, Germany and upcoming tour of Prague, Vienna and Krakow.  Performed with Gustavo Dudamel and Ricardo Muti.  Attended Aspen Music Festival summers of 2010 and 2011.

Member Young Music Scholars program, teaching music to underprivileged youth.  National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Freshmen Mentor leader, AP Scholar with Honor.

Program: Performed with pianist Milana Pavchinskaya

Beethoven: “Spring” Sonata for Violin and Piano, No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24
I. Allegro

Samuel Barber:  Violin Concerto in G Major, Op. 14
I. Allegro

JS Bach: Partita in G Minor
Adagio
Presto

Ravel:  Tzigane, Concert Rhapsody

17 year old cellist Ben Manis

Ben Manis is a 17-year-old cellist from Chicago.  He studies with Richard Hirschl of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.  Ben is co-principal cellist of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and performs in the Principal Players ensemble of CYSO.  His trio won the Rembrandt Chamber Competition held at Northwestern University in 2011 and also advanced to the semi-final round of the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in 2011.  Ben’s idea of fun is to spend an evening sight-reading music with friends!

Program (listen to individual pieces): Performed with pianist Daniel Schlosberg

Beethoven:  Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 4 in C Major, Op. 102
I.

JS Bach:  Sixth Suite for Solo Cello
1. Prelude

Samuel Barber: Cello Concerto in A Minor, Op. 22

Tchaikovsky: Pezzo Capriccioso, Op. 62

Highland Park High School senior Jonas Tarm is looking forward to recording one of his compositions with Grammy winning new music group “Orchestra of Our time.” Photo credit: Mike Canale

The first of two programs featuring Highland Park High School senior Jonas Tarm. This week, we’ll hear Jonas in music for violin. In January, we’ll spend an hour listening to some of Tarm’s award-winning original compositions.

***

Jonas Tarm, 17, was born and lived in Tallinn, Estonia for ten years and has studied violin starting at the age of seven. Jonas is an active chamber musician, orchestral musician, soloist, composer and arranger in the Chicago area. He currently is a scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program where he studies violin with MIC faculty member Gerardo Ribeiro and composition with Matthew Hagle.

Jonas was a highly active member of the Midwest Young Artists program for 4 years; there, he soloed with the I’Solisti Orchestra and was part MYA’s Symphony and intensive chamber music program. Jonas also has soloed with the Highland Park High School Symphony and Chamber orchestras. Summer programs include, MYA Chamber Music Camp, International Haapsalu String Festival, Meadowmount School of Music and more. A senior, Jonas currently serves as concert master of the Highland Park High School Symphony Orchestra and Honors Chamber Orchestra; he also has served as co-principle second in the 2011 IMEA All-State Honors Orchestra.

Currently Jonas is the Illinois State Representative for the 2012 MTNA National Composition Contest. He also at the moment has a merit fellowship, the Kal Novak Musicianship Award, with Mischa Zupko and the MIC Composer’s Lab. As a composer, Jonas has collaborated with musicians and composers from Chicago Symphony Orchestra MusicNOW, Eight Blackbird, Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble, Fulcrum Point New Music, Chicago Lyric Opera and more. Jonas has won an award for arranging in the IMEA composition contest and has been a finalist in the ASCAP Morton Gould prize and BMI Young Composers Competition. He currently is looking forward to record one of his compositions with Grammy winning new music group “Orchestra of Our time”. Jonas’s playing and composition, “Las Ruinas Circulares”, has been previously featured on WFMT Introductions. Jonas is a member of ASCAP.

Jonas is also a current member of the Ravinia Festival Student Marketing Board, part of a mission to promote classical to younger audiences.

Program:

Beethoven: Sonata No. 5, Op. 24 “Spring Sonata”
I. Allegro
II. Adagio molto espressivo

Bach: Partita in B minor
(I.)Allamande
(III.)Sarabande

Rachmaninoff: Vocalise (from 14 Romances for Voice) Op.34 Arranged for Solo Violin

Heino Eller(1887-1970): Fantasy for Solo Violin

Cellist Pierre Viallant is a 9th grader at Central High School in Champaign, IL.

Pierre Viallant has won and/or placed at several competitions including the MTNA Junior Competition, the Gail and Harry Adams Young Artists Concerto Competition, Arcadia Chamber Music Competition, 2009 Baroque Young Artists, DOCHA Chamber Music Competition and the IHSA Solo Competition where he was awarded “Best of Day”. He was also a finalist of the Delta Symphony Young Artists Concerto Competition and the Paducah Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition.

Pierre was a scholarship recipient of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program for gifted pre-college musicians and the Meadowmount School of Music. Currently he studies privately with Hans Joergen Jensen and Brandon Vamos. Pierre is a member of the ECIYO Youth Orchestra and the Urbana Pops Orchestra, where he is assistant principal.

Pierre plays on a modern instrument made by Gary Garavaglia.

Pierre is in the 9th grade at Central High School in Champaign, Illinois. His hobbies are playing basketball and skateboarding.

Today, we were also thrilled to have in our studio audience guests from the Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra: syso.net

Program:
Performed with pianist Ann Newton Vaughen

Beethoven: Sonata No. 2 in G minor, Op. 5 No. 1
Adagio
Rondo

Georg Goltermann: Etude-Caprice

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Vocalise

Become a member: wfmt.com/support

Today we’ll listen to highlights from the past several months of Introductions and hope that you’ll call 773-279-2100 or visit wfmt.com/support to become a member of WFMT.

Tonight’s rebroadcast is at 11PM instead of 10PM due to last night’s live broadcast from Roosevelt University. Preceding the program will be two editions of Exploring Music instead of one.

This week we bring you a performance by the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra from Orchestra hall in Chicago.

The CYSOis almost in its 65th year and serves 450 young Chicago-area musicians aged 7-18 through six orchestras, a chamber music program and composition and theory classes.

This hour, we’ll hear their top Symphony Orchestra in part of Shostakovich’s 10th symhony Lowell Leibermann’s fun Concerto for Flute and Orchestra featuring CYSO Concerto Competition Winner Christine Murphy…but we start with the orchestra now in Samuel Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal, op 5…music director Allen Tinkham conducts.

Program:

Overture to The School for Scandal
Samuel Barber

Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, Op. 39
Lowell Liebermann
Christine Murphy, Flute

Symphony No. 10 in E minor, Op. 93, mvt 4
Dmitri Shostakovich

Listen to full audio

Become a member: wfmt.com/support

Today we’ll listen to highlights from the past several months of Introductions and hope that you’ll call 773-279-2100 or visit wfmt.com/support to become a member of WFMT.

17 year old pianist Kathy Qiu

A senior at University Laboratory High School in Champaign-Urbana, Kathy Qiu began playing piano at the age of five and a half. She was the Piano Category Winner of the 2010 Walgreens National Concerto Competition, performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1, and the winner of the 2009 Gail & Harry Adams Young Artists Competition. Kathy’s other major awards include 3rd place in the 2011 American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, 1st place in the 2010 Music Festival in Honor of Confucius, 2nd place in the 2010 ISMTA State Competition, 1st place in the 2011 Young Baroque Artists Competition, and 2nd place in the Olympic Division of the 2010 Granquist Music Competition. Furthermore, Kathy’s trio won 1st place in the 2011 DoCha Young Artists Chamber Music Competition and was featured in a master class with the Grammy-winning Pacifica Quartet. In 2009, Kathy performed Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Danville Symphony Orchestra.

Kathy’s current teacher is Professor Christos Tsitsaros. She has also studied with Brenda Huang.

In addition to piano, she plays violin in the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra and the IMEA All-District Orchestra. Also, Kathy enjoys competing in math, tennis, chess, writing, and science contests. In her spare time, she loves to draw and watch reality TV.

Program:

Chopin:  Scherzo No. 2
Ravel:  Oiseaux Tristes
Beethoven:  Sonata Pathetique
Chen Peixun:  Thinking of Spring
Liszt:  Hungarian Rhapsody No. 8

Violist Stephanie Block

Seventeen year old Stephanie Block began studying violin at age four through the Suzuki Music School of Barrington and moved to the Music Institute of Chicago in 2006 to study with Desiree Ruhstrat. She began studying viola with Ms. Ruhstrat in 2007, and is currently principal viola with the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and the CYSO Encore Orchestra.

She has been performing with the award winning CYSO “Principal Players” chamber group (S*M*A*K* in 2009-2010 and Schroeder Trio in 2010-2011). Stephanie was selected as a winner in the DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers in January, 2011; was a finalist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth auditions, February, 2011; and was a finalist in the CYSO concerto competition in March 2010 and 2011. She was also a top prizewinner in the Society of American Musicians viola competition in 2008 and 2010 and in the James Glacking Young Musicians competition in November, 2010.

She has toured and played in Germany with the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp International Symphony Orchestra, performed in Argentina and Uruguay with the CYSO, and studied in Italy in connection with the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival. Stephanie is a senior at Barrington High School and plays viola in the Barrington HS Chamber Orchestra. She also enjoys competing in triathlons, running, swimming, dancing and playing the piano.

Program: (performed with pianist Mary Drews)

William Walton: Viola Concerto
I. Andante comodo

JS Bach:  Cello Suite No. 3
Prelude
Sarabande
Bourrée
Gigue

Carl Stamitz: Viola Concerto
I.
II.

Alan Hovhaness: Chahagir for solo viola, op. 56

Paul Hindemith: Sonata for viola, op. 25, no. 1

No Introductions due to Operathon. Introductions will return next week.

WFMT devotes the programming day to the annual Lyric Opera of Chicago Operathon.

Fascinating interviews with major stars and Lyric insiders plus music from your favorite operas. Lyric’s annual on-air fundraiser is a project of the Lyric Opera Chapters. The 16-hour marathon proceeds benefit Lyric’s education and community-engagement programs.

In addition to the star studded broadcast, you also have an opportunity to buy unique Lyric Opera merchandise plus premiums and restaurant certificates.

The Okemo String Quartet

The Okemo String Quartet is named after an idyllic Vermont mountain where the group found its collective voice, practicing and rehearsing tirelessly at the rigorous Okemo Young Artists Festival in the summer of 2010. Violinists Adé Williams (homeschooled) and Hansuh Rhee (Springman Middle School), violist Mira Williams (Kenwood Academy), and cellist Josiah Yoo (Northbrook Junior High) are a passionate bunch of 13-year-olds with an impressive list of accomplishments. Hansuh and Adé share first and second violin positions for the quartet.

Individually, all of the members have won numerous awards, scholarships, top competition prizes, and prestigious solo opportunities. As an ensemble, they have now won their first competition: the 2011 Jules M. Laser Chamber Music Competition, presented by the Society of American Musicians and Music in the Loft. Because of this win, they have played two concerts at Music in the Loft and look forward to their radio debut on WFMT 98.7. Okemo was named semi-finalist in the 2011 St. Paul String Quartet Competition and in the 2011 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. They were Fischoff’s youngest ever semi-finalists (2011) and quarter-finalists (2010).

The Okemo String Quartet has played together since late 2009. Their high honors to date include being selected to play at MIC’s 80th and 81st Galas honoring Yo-Yo Ma (2010) and Maestro Riccardo Muti (2011), WFMT’s annual fundraiser (2011), the Fortnightly of Chicago (2010), the annual birthday memorial/Fourth of July celebration at President Calvin Coolidge’s homestead (2010).

As scholarship recipients, Okemo was assembled within the Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) Academy, a program for gifted pre-college musicians, by their coach, artist faculty member Marko Dreher. Quartet members study privately with artist faculty Almita Vamos (Adé), Almita and Roland Vamos (Hansuh), Marko Dreher (Mira), Gilda Barston (Josiah), and Hans Jørgen Jensen (Josiah). Adé performs on a violin by Jan van Rooyen, 2008, after the “Comte de Villares” Stradivarius, 1720, on generous loan from the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation. Hansuh performs with a sponsored Prfetzschner bow. Mira performs on a Bronek Cison violin, 2006, on generous loan from William Harris Lee.

Program:

Beethoven:  String Quartet No. 4 in C minor, Opus 18

Haydn:  String Quartet No. 3 in G Minor, Opus 74
Finale: Allegro Con Brio

Dvorak: “American” String Quartet No. 12 in F, Opus 96
II: Lento

Shostakovich:  Polka

Debussy:  Quartet in G Minor, Opus 10

Shostakovich:  Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Opus 110

DePaul Concert Hall

Each year, traditional and Suzuki students in piano, violin, viola, cello and flute have the opportunity to audition for the Annual DePaul Concerto Festival for Young Performers held by DePaul’s Community Music Division in January. Winners perform a movement of a concerto with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra, led by Mina Zikri. The orchestra is made up of recent grads and young professionals from the Chicago Area.

This is the second of two programs in 2011 featuring winners from the competition. You can listen to the first program, featuring music by Shostakovitch, JS Bach, Saint-Saens and more by clicking here.

Program:

Elgar:  Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85
I. Adagio-Moderato
II. Lento-Allegro molto
Christopher Gao, cello, 14

Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major, K. 216
I. Allegro
Giancarlo Latta, violin, 16

Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major, K. 488
I. Allegro
Colin Choi, piano, 10

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64
III. Allegretto non troppo-Allegro molto vivace
Michaela Wellems, violin, 14

Rebroadcast from July, 2011

In the first half of today’s program, we featured 18 year old soprano Michelle Boggess of Mt. Prospect High School, who will be attending DePaul University in the fall.  In the second half, we featured members of the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Music Institute, including their Sterling Brass Quintet and the Maud Powell String Quartet.  Both ensembles are the most advanced of their kind in the institute.  We ended with a waltz performed by the entire orchestra.

Tune in again Saturday, August 27th at 11AM when we feature the entire Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra in a separate program.

Program:

Widmung by Robert Schumann
Le Berceaux by Gabriel Fauré
Sure on this shining night by Samuel Barber
Amorosi Miei Giorni by Stefano Donaudy
Au bord de l’eau by Gabriel Fauré
Michelle Bogess, 18, soprano

Students of the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra:
Quintet No. 3, Op. 7, mvt 1, by Victor Ewald
Sterling Brass Quintet
Mitch Kleban and Ethan Woyach, trumpets; Amanda-Rose Deligiannis, horn; Joseph Wais, trombone; Tyler Zeman, tuba

“American” String Quartet No. 12 in F, mvt 1, Antonin Dvorak
Maud Powell String Quartet
Patrick Connolly and Jonathan Lee, violins; Bobby Pirtle, viola; Christopher Mendez, cello

Emporer Waltz by Johann Strauss, Jr.
Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra
Randall Swiggem, conductor and music director

Michelle’s Complete Bio:

Michelle is a 2011 graduate of Prospect High School, and will attend DePaul University in the fall
majoring in vocal performance and music education. She has privately studied voice and piano for seven
years, and she currently studies with Tamaron Conseur at Prospect High School, and Tracy Watson in
Evanston, IL. She performed with Honors Chorus, Madrigal Singers and Vocal Jazz Ensemble at Prospect
High School, and was honored to be awarded the “Best of District 214” by Prospect Administration.
Michelle has also been a chorister for four years with Anima Young Singers of Greater Chicago (formerly
the Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus). There, she has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
in Orchestra Hall, and the Grant Park Symphony at Millennium Park. Singing with Anima, she was a
featured soloist in Mendelssohn’s A Midsummer Night ‘s Dream, and was a soloist with ANIMA at the
ACDA convention in March, 2011. She participated in a two week tour to Spain and Morocco with
Anima in the summer of 2010. Michelle has competed in three National Association of Singers of
Teachers competitions in two years, most recently placing in the top five in the High School division.
She was also a semi-finalist in the Classical Singer Magazine vocal competition in May, 2010 held in New
York City. She has participated in Illinois Music Educators Association District 7 chorus for 3 years and All
State Chorus for two years.

Alan Snow, 17, has won multiple concerto competitions throughout the Chicago area.

Alan Snow was born in 1994 into a family of musicians.  He is 17 years old and a senior at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights. Alan started playing violin at age 8 and currently studies with Gerardo Ribeiro in Highland Park.

"Performathon" is Merit's annual weekend-long music festival featured dozens of ensembles and hundreds of performers.

This past February, WFMT broadcast part of the Merit School of Music‘s annual “Performathon” music festival, which features hours of music performed by dozens and ensembles and hundreds of students from the Merit School of Music.

Today, we’ll hear some music we didn’t get to feature in winter.

Program:

Bruckner/arr. Ralph Sauer:  Vexilla Regis
Merit Trombone Choir; Timothy Riordan, Director

Nigel Coombes: Trumpet Salutation
Honors Trumpet Ensemble; Paul Lowry (The Tom and Sue Pick Trumpet Chair), Director

D. McCarthy:  Children of the Corn
Jan Koetsier: Sonata da Chiesa, Op. 146
I. Variations on a Song by Karl Lowe (1827)
Merit Brass Ensemble; Timothy Riordan, Director

Smetana: Piano Trio in G Minor, Op. 15
III. Finale-Presto
Ann R. Monaco Honors Piano Trio: Lara Madden, violin; Jacqueline Robertson, cello; Mimi Liu, piano; Ann Birman (The Alice S. Pfaelzer Piano Chair) & Paula Kosower (The Alice and Ellard Pfaelzer Jr. Cello Chair), Directors

Percy Grainger/arr. S. Knight: Molly on the Shore
Merit Clarinet Choir; Bonnie Campbell (The Ruth and Clarence Heagy Woodwind Chair), Director

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
I. The Sea and Sinbad’s Ship
Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake
I. Scène
III. Danses des cygnes
V. Danse hongroise (Czardas)
Merit Symphony Orchestra; Robert Hasty, Director

Highlights from the EYSO's spring 2011 concert

We’ll hear highlights from the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra’s spring 2011 concert at the Blizzard Theatre at Elgin Community College.  The EYSO just celebrated its 35th concert season.

Program: Conducted by Music Director Randal Swiggum

Mozart: Concerto for Oboe in C major, K. 314
I.
Emily Fagan, soloist

Ravel:  Jardin Féerique

Rachmaninoff:  Symphony No. 2 in E minor
Guest conducted by Daniel Boico, former assistant conductor of the NY Philharmonic

I.  Largo — allegro moderato
IV.  Allegro vivace

MIC's "Academy" is an advanced program for gifted pre-college classical musicians who aspire to professional performance careers.

Highlights from the Music Institute of Chicago‘s Academy Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Roland Vamos, performed at Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University this past May.  The Academy prepares gifted pre-college classical musicians who aspire to have professional careers.

Program

Academy Strings, Jim Setapen, conductor:
Mozart: Piano Concerto #14, K. 449
III.
Ryan Jannak-Huang, soloist

Ben Fried (MIC Alum): Rambunctious Rabbit

Sibelius: Andante Festivo

Haydn, arr. Merle J. Isaac: Symphony #88
IV.

Academy Chamber Orchestra, Roland Vamos, conductor:
Michael McLean: Elements for Violin and String Orchestra
Fire
Zachary Spontak, soloist

Dvorak: Serenade for Strings, op. 22
I.
II.
V.

Recorded at Ganz Hall in the Auditorium Building of Roosevelt University in downtown Chicago, May 2011 by Eric Arunas.

The Encore Chamber Orchestra is one of many ensembles at the CYSO.

Today we bring you highlights from a concert given by the CYSO’s Encore Chamber Orchestra in March in the Cindy Pritzker Auditorium at the Harold Washington Library.

“CYSO” has become an umbrella term for an organization that not only offers several orchestra programs (including the namesake and most advanced “Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra”), but chamber ensembles and an orchestra, too.  On this program we’ll hear the chamber orchestra in music by local composer Brian Baxter, part of the percussion concerto by Joseph Schwantner performed by CYSO concerto competition winner Isaac Stevenson and the Symphony No. 1 by Samuel Barber.

Program: Conducted by CYSO Music Director Allen Tinkham

Brian Baxter (b. 1985):  Symphony in Movement

Joseph Schwantner (b. 1943):  Concerto for Percussion and Orchestra, movement 1
Isaac Stevenson, percussion

Samuel Barber (1910 – 1981):  Symphony No. 1, Op. 9 (In One Movement)