NINE EXTRAORDINARY MUSICIANS COMPETE IN FINAL ROUND OF VSO’S 24TH ANNUAL YOUNG ARTISTS COMPETITION FEBRUARY 11

WINNERS IN THREE CATEGORIES TO PERFORM WITH MAESTRO BROTONS & ORCHESTRA

(Vancouver, WA) The nine finalists for The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's 24th Annual Young Artists Competition were announced today by VSO Executive Director, Dr. Igor Shakhman. The Final round will take place at 1 pm on Sunday, February 11th at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vancouver. Master of Ceremonies will be Christa Wessel, on-air personality and host on 89.9FM All Classical Portland Radio.

Continuing the exciting competition format, nine of the area’s finest young musicians will compete in three categories: piano, strings and winds/brass. The concert is free and open to the public with no advance ticketing required.

The annual competition's Final Round features students performing their selections in a concert setting before a live audience. The top winners in each of the three categories then perform with The VSO at Skyview Concert Hall under the baton of internationally renowned Maestro Salvador Brotons in concerts at Skyview Concert Hall on June 2nd and 3rd. In addition, students will receive a portion of over $5,000 in cash and prize money.
The nine finalists, by category, are: (High resolution images available upon request)

STRINGS CATEGORY:

• Cammie Lee, violin; Catlin Gabel, Portland, OR
• Evan Llafet, violin; Mountain View High School, Vancouver, WA
• Shania Watts, viola; Clark College-Running Start, Vancouver, WA

PIANO CATEGORY:

• Gabe Reed, piano; Summit High School, Bend, OR
• Christopher Yoon, piano; Westview High School, Portland, OR
• Jenna Tu, piano; Mountain View High School, Vancouver, WA

WINDS/BRASS CATEGORY:

• Riley Lyons, trombone; Hockinson High School, Brush Prairie, WA
• Sara Shin, flute; Union High School, Camas, WA
• Isabel Zheng, flute; Catlin Gabel, Portland, OR

Over 60 young musicians (18 and under) from WA and OR submitted audition recordings to the VSO for a preliminary round. They were judged by a panel of professional musicians with top three finalists chosen in each category. The February 11th competition will be judged by a blue ribbon panel of professional musicians.

Michelle’s Pianos has generously provided two grand pianos for this competition.
Calendar Editors, please note:
24th Annual Young Artists Competition Live Final Round
Sunday, February 11th at 1pm
Trinity Lutheran Church, 309 W. 39th St., Vancouver, WA
Master of Ceremonies: 89.9FM All Classical Portland Radio’s Christa Wessel
FREE EVENT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Information about this and all 2016-2017 events at vancouversymphony.org or (360) 735-7278.

About Christa Wessel

Christa started volunteering at a free-format community station in Durham, NC around 1994. She took her first job as a professional classical radio host in 1998 at WCPE in Raleigh, NC. She came aboard at 89.9FM All Classical Portland Radio in the summer of 2007. As the station’s mid-morning host, Christa has brightened up the workdays of many listeners with her distinctively bubbly voice. When she’s not on air, she can usually be found interviewing local artists for Northwest Previews , or busy with production for On Deck with Young Musicians

. About The VSO Now in its 39th season, The VSO has been a cornerstone of Southwest Washington's arts community, providing world-renowned classical music, promoting young musicians, and opening doors to classical music for young audiences through events such as the annual In-School concerts, Young Artists Competition and various family-styled special events and performances. A full-sized professional orchestra of over 70 core members provides performs a multi-concert classical season every year. Symphony performances are at Skyview Concert Hall, 1300 NW 139th Street, Vancouver. About our Sponsors The VSO is generously supported by All Classical Portland, Oregon Public Broadcasting, The Community Foundation of SW Washington, The Firstenburg Foundation, The Columbian, and Michelle’s Pianos. THE VANCOUVER SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PO Box 525 Vancouver, WA 98666-0525 Phone (360) 735-7278 Fax: (360) 906-0355 www.vancouversymphony.org