Young Artists Competition

February 9, 2020 —Winners’ Recital at 3 p.m. at Seton Hill Performing Arts Center – free and open to the public.

The Young Artists Competition promotes excellence through competition in the field of music performance. The competition is open to classical instrumentalists who are residents of either Westmoreland or Fayette County or take private music lessons in either of those two counties and have not yet graduated from high school. Participants compete for performance opportunities as determined by a three-judge panel. Cash prizes will be awarded as determined by the judges.

Congratulations to all the 2020 Winners
Level I – up to Grade 9
Instrumental 
1st place – Lawrence Liu, flute (Fox Chapel Area High School, teacher – Dan Parasky)
2nd place – Claire Stewart, cello (Indiana Area Junior High School, teacher – Sarah Ferrell)
3rd place – AJ Schmidt, flute (Franklin Regional Middle School, teacher – Dan Parasky)

Piano
1st place – Michelle Yan (Franklin Regional Middle School, teacher Tatyana Gelman)

Level II – Grades 10-12
Instrumental
1st place – Mia Heron, flute (Franklin Regional High School, teacher – Dan Parasky)
2nd place – Evelyn Markle, flute (PA Leadership Charter School, teacher – Michele Boulet)
3rd place – Kaitlyn Dotson, flute (Franklin Regional High School, teacher – Dan Parasky)
Honorable Mention – Audrey Lawrence, flute (Plum High School, teacher – Dan Parasky)

Piano
1st place – Hannah Yan (Franklin Regional High School, teacher – Tatyana Gelman)
2nd place – David An (Greater Latrobe Senior High School, teacher – Edward J. Kuhn)

Requirements

Entrants submit an application and a recording with a minimum of two contrasting pieces from classical repertoire. Preliminary judges listen to the recordings and select finalists for the live auditions.

Winners and those earning an honorable mention will present a recital for family, friends and the public at Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center. Cash prizes are awarded.

Guidelines

• Applicants must perform a minimum of two contrasting pieces representing different periods of classical repertoire, highlighting both lyricism and facility.

• Performing from memory is required for pianists and encouraged for others.

• Contestants choosing to perform accompanied works must provide their own accompanist for the recorded and live auditions. If chosen to perform, winner must use the same accompanist for live audition and recital.*

•  Audition tape/CD/MP3 (no videos allowed) must include the entire program that applicant plans to perform in the live audition.

• Finalists must provide three copies of their music (one for each judge), with measure numbers listed at the beginning of each line. This includes full scores for instrumentalists.

Congrats to the 2019 Winners!

Level I – up to Grade 9
Instrumental –
1st place – Connor Canobbio, tenor sax (Franklin Regional HS, teacher – Jim Sheppard)
2nd place – Lawrence Liu, flute (Dorseyville MS, teacher – Dan Parasky)
3rd place – Ariana Aranovich, violin (Sloan Elementary, teacher – Ramona Coppage)
Honorable Mention – Juliana Matteo, harp (Penn-Trafford MS, teacher – Sara Magill)
Honorable Mention – Megan Shaw, clarinet (Franklin Regional HS, teacher – Lisa Thackrah)
Piano-
1st place – Hannah Zheng (Franklin Regional MS, teacher – Tatyana Gelman)
2nd place – Michael Matthews (Franklin Regional MS, teacher – Jacqueline Herbein)
3rd place – Bryan Li (Franklin Regional MS, teacher – Tatyana Gelman)
Honorable Mention – Michelle Yan (Sloan Elementary, teacher Tatyana Gelman)

Level II – Grades 10-12
Instrumental-
1st place – Gracie Zielinski, violin (Kiski Area High School, teacher – Lorien Hart)
2nd place – Julia Rostcheck, piccolo (Franklin Regional HS, teacher – Dan Parasky)
3rd place – Mia Heron, flute (Franklin Regional HS, teacher – Dan Parasky)
Honorable Mention – Ben Hopkins, violin (Franklin Regional HS, teacher – Doug Bevan)
Honorable Mention – Audrey Lawrence, flute (Plum SHS, teacher – Dan Parasky)

Piano
2nd place – Nathaniel Gaut (Scottdale resident – Wilson Hill (online) Academy, teacher – Levi Graft)

2018 Winners

Young Artists Competition Winners 2018