My, oh my, what a week Orion Kim has had! One week ago, our 14 year old Orion was informed that he had been accepted into the Music@Menlo Chamber Music Institute this summer. It is a highly prestigious program that features some of the world's greatest musicians as performers, teachers, and mentors. After passing a video screening, Orion traveled with his father to New York City where he auditioned live for the admissions committee. Orion was one of just 7 pianists selected, internationally, from age 10 to 19, for this remarkable opportunity. The institute will be an intensive 3 week event beginning in mid-July in California.
This past Saturday, Orion was named the First Place Winner of Thursday Musical's Young Artist Competition, one of the most important solo competitions in the upper mid-west. As the first place winner, he will be performing Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 8, in F-sharp minor at beautiful Antonello Hall of the MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis, Thursday, March 26.
Yesterday, Orion was selected a finalist in the Minnesota Orchestra's Young Peoples' Concerto Competition held at Orchestra Hall. Orion will be performing the first movement of Saint-Saens Concerto No. 2 in G minor from the stage at Orchestra Hall with our accompanist, Kerri LeJeune. The event will take place next Sunday, March 8, for the opportunity of performing with the Minnesota Orchestra. As most of you know, our Nita Qiu won this competition last year, and as a result will be performing Chopin with the Minnesota Orchestra March 18th and 19th. The night before Orion's Minnesota Orchestra Concerto Competition Finals, Nita will be performing with the La Crosse Symphony Orchestra in the Finals of the Rising Stars Competition. Jo Anne and I will be making a mad dash back to the cities to hear Orion the next day. We are so looking forward to this thrilling weekend!!
In additional news, our 14 year old Will Gannon, who very recently joined our Student Roster, was selected as Guest Artist to perform for the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) Annual Convention. Will performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with his Sibley High School Honors Wind Ensemble before 2,000 people at the Minneapolis'Convention Center.
Onward and upward! More later . . .
Yours in Music -
Joe & Jo Anne
