In an undertaking to capture the imagination of young and aspiring local musicians, the Seven Hills Symphony at UMass Medical School has sponsored a Concerto Competition for area students for the last three years. Winners receive a scholarship to fund further musical study, as well as an opportunity to perform at an upcoming concert. On Friday, Feb. 11, Seven Hills will present its annual Young Artists Concert and introduce this year’s winning musicians.
Seohee Min took the top spot this year and will receive a scholarship to further her musical education. A native of South Korea, Min is a senior at St. Mark’s School in Southboro and studies violin with James Buswell of the New England Conservatory. She will perform the first movement from Brahms’ Violin Concerto. Runners up Katie Brvenik and Oleg Vaskevich will also perform. Brvenik, who is a student at E.O. Smith High School, Storrs, Conn., will perform the first movement of Lalo’s Cello Concerto. Vaskevich, a senior at Wachusett Regional High School, will play the first movement of Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2.
In addition to these soloists, there will be a special performance by the Wachusett Regional High School Chamber Orchestra, led by Doug Miller. The program closes with the two orchestras blended together in a “side-by-side” performance (such that a youth and an adult from each orchestra are sitting together and share a stand) of selected movements from Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet Suite.
The concert, which begins at 7:30 p.m., will take place at Wachusett Regional High School in Holden. Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for senior citizens; children under five and Wachusett Regional District students are admitted for free. Proceeds benefit the Seven Hills Symphony Scholarship Fund.
Seven Hills Symphony was founded in 2005, when MD/PhD student Joanna Chaurette expressed an interest in starting a chamber group. She reached out to musicians in the UMass Medical School community, and due to an overwhelming response, the proposed chamber group quickly became an orchestra. The group is dedicated to promoting a lifetime of artistic expression and friendship through music.
For additional information about the concert and the orchestra, visit: http://www.shsymphony.org
Who: Seven Hills Symphony with soloists from the third annual Concerto Competition
What: Young Artists Concert
When: Friday, Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Wachusett Regional High School in Holden
