competition for young musicians
Student winners for Feb. 2010 announced:
Cellist-Curtis Kim to play Dvorak's First Mvt. Concerto No. 1 Opus 104
Clarinetist -Frank Shin to play the First Mvt. of Concerto in E flat- Weber
The Livermore-Amador Symphony conducted its 37th Competition for Young Musicians in October. The winners will perform as soloists with the Symphony on February 13, 2010 and be awarded $250.00. The competition is open to instrumentalists and vocalists who reside, or attend school, in Livermore, Pleasanton, Sunol, Dublin or San Ramon, CA . Students are eligible through grade 12. If not enrolled in high school, the maximum age is 17. All instruments will be considered.
Applicants must submit a completed application form, a non-refundable fee of $5.00 and, for preliminary screening, a cassette tape or CD of their playing. The deadline was Sunday, October 4, 2009. Music should be chosen from the standard repertoire for orchestra. The selection, one movement of a concerto or a comparable work, should be at least 10 minutes in length. For the preliminary screenings, recordings for non-pianists should have piano accompaniment. For piano recordings, accompaniment is not essential. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of the preliminary screening and all recordings will be returned.
Those accepted to compete will be expected to perform in person on Sunday afternoon, October 25, 2009, before the conductor of the Symphony and one other judge from outside the area. It is strongly recommended that the music be memorized by this time. Contestants must provide their own accompanists. Each student will receive a written evaluation. Taken into consideration are tone quality, technique, intonation, style and interpretation. The judges will be instructed to select two winners, and the two selected are not to be competing on the same instrument. If, in the opinion of the judges, none of those competing is qualified, a winner will not be selected.
Winners, as solists, will perform the same music with which they competed. Previous winners may re-apply after an intervening year. However, any applicant who has performed two times as a soloist with the Symphony cannot be considered as a contestant, but will be eligible for adjudication only.
If you have any questions you may phone (925) 447-1947.
Application form in Microsoft Word format.
If you cannot read either version, you may phone (925) 447-1947
The support that the Livermore-Amador Symphony has given young musicians is greatly appreciated by the community.
Some past winners of the competition, and some of their subsequent musical activities:
- Michael Fennelly, piano: Performing professionally
- Dale Wolford, saxophone: Professor of Music, Cal State Stanislaus and U.O.P.
- Mark Anderson, piano: Fulbright Scholar and internationally known Pianist
- Laurie Hamilton: 1st Chair Violin, Metropolitan Opera
- Allison Dibley, flute: M.A. in Music, University of Texas
- Greg Pierce, clarinet: Minneapolis Chamber Orchestra
- Eric Jacobson, cello: New Haven Symphony
- Carl Condit, cello: Asst. to the Director, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival
- Jennifer Frey: Graduate Student in Voice, University of Texas
- Steven Charnow, clarinet: Music Teacher
- Daniel McDougall, string bass: Delaware Symphony
- Diana Charnow, clarinet: Music Teacher
- Raymond Wang: Piano Soloist
- Katie Buckley, harp: student, Eastman School of Music
- Michael Nguyen, piano: student, University of the Pacific
Other local muscians who performed with the symphony as youths include the following::
- Tom Darter, former Professor of Music and editor of Keyboard Magazine
- Matt Finders, trombonist in the Tonight Show Band of Jay Leno’s Tonight Show
- Paul Linnes, conductor and singer in Seattle
- Danny Masluk, pianist, graduate of U.C.L.A., now a physician
- Jennifer Culp, Cellist for the Kronos Quartet
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