2010 JSS2 Concerto Competition Winners

Violinist Sofya Norman has been named winner of the 2010 Junior Student Session 2 (JSS2) Concerto Competition held August 10.  Sofya, a 13 year old student of Ruth Engle Larner of Fort Collins, Colorado, gave a winning performance of Concerto in A minor, op. 104 no. 9, by De Beriot. This is Sofya's first year at Rocky Ridge, where she studies with Philip Wharton.

Two students received honorable mentions for their inspired performances: 13 year old pianist Antonia Rohlfing for her performance of Concerto no. 2 in F Major by Shostakovich, and 13 year old violinist Alexi Whitsel of Longmont, Colorado, for his performance of Mendelssohn's Concerto in E minor, op. 64. Antonia studies piano with Karen Boe and Gloria Chuang and cello with Lawrence Levinton in Madison, Wisconsin, and Alexi studies violin with Catherine Limon in Longmont, Colorado.

Sofya was one of fourteen outstanding contestants to sustain the high artistic standards of Rocky Ridge. Accompanied by James Welch, the young musicians performed before fellow students and all Rocky Ridge faculty.

Sofya will perform with an orchestra comprised of faculty, staff, and top students conducted by maestro Amir Kats during the JSS2 Final Concert, Sunday August 15 at 10:30 a.m. The concert, held at the picturesque Rocky Ridge campus, will be free and open to the public and will include the Rocky Ridge wind ensemble conducted by Claudia Anderson, student choir conducted by Helen Ihasz, and the student orchestra conducted by Maestro Kats. Along with other traditional works, Kats will also conduct a prize-winning work by 16-year-old Minneapolis composer Chris Neiner, and the world premiere of a group composition project by all the students currently in JSS2.

 

2010 YAS Concerto Competition Winners

Winners of the 2010 YAS Concerto Competition are: (from left to right), Luke Swanger, Carol Tsai, Simon Berry, Minda Cowen, Aurora DePaul, Ben Pfeil, and Jason Weisinger.  Primary winners are Jason Weisinger, tenor, with Donizetti's Quanto e bella, quanto e cara/ Una furtiva lagrima; Carol Tsai, cello, with Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations Op 33; Simon Berry, flute, with Ibert's Flute Concerto Mvt 3; and Aurora DePaul, soprano, with Puccini's Si Mi chiamano Mimi and Donde Lieta from La Boheme. 

Honorable mentions went to Luke, Minda, and Ben (unranked). 

Student preformances will be held for Jason and Carol on July 17 @ 3 p.m. and for Aurora and Simon on July 31 @ 3 p.m.

2010 JSS1 Concerto Competition Winners Announced

Rocky Ridge Music Center is proud to announce pianist Jessica Schwartz as the winner of the 2010 Junior Student Session 1 Concerto Competition. Jessica, a 14 year old student of Naoko Takao and Mikhail Volchok of Great Falls, Virginia, gave a winning performance of the first movement of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in c minor, Op. 37.

Four students received honorable mentions for their inspired performances: tied for first honorable mention are Ben Nead (student of Mary Beth Tyndall, Tucson, AZ) and Mary Bleile (student of Beth Root Sandvoss, Calgary, Canada); second honorable mention is Andrew Peeples (student of Richard Slavich, Thornton, CO), and third honorable mention is Danielle Schwartz (student of Irena Orlov, Great Falls, VA).

Jessica was one of twelve outstanding contestants who set a high artistic standard for the summer. Accompanied by James Welch, the young musicians performed before fellow students and all Rocky Ridge Faculty
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Jessica's debut performance as a featured soloist with orchestra will take place Sunday June 27 at 11am. The concert, held at the picturesque Rocky Ridge campus, will be free and open to the public. This is Jessica's fourth year at Rocky Ridge, where she studies with Catherine Herbener.

Concerts featuring both the talented students and faculty of Rocky Ridge take place throughout the summer; a full list of performances can be found online at www.rockyridge.org.

Rocky Ridge Music Center, founded in 1942 by pianist Beth Miller Harrod, is one of the oldest residential summer music programs in the country.  It is located at the scenic foot of Longs Peak (14,256 ft.) in the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park.  The historic Hewes-Kirkwood Inn and cabins, located on a 17 acre campus with a stream, provide a stunning backdrop for performances, practice, lessons, chamber music, reflection, dining, residence and friendships.  Rocky Ridge summer programs for youth (ages 10 and up) and adults are designed to improve and broaden musical skills in areas of strings, woodwinds, brass, piano and voice through solo, chamber, orchestral, theory, and composition studies, all under the guidance of a world-class faculty and guest artists.