Category: Young Artists

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2025 PTSO Young Artist Competition Participants and Prize Winners!

CONGRATULATIONS! 2025 PTSO Young Artist Competition Participants and Prize Winners!

March 29, 2025 – Port Townsend. Today we had the privilege to hear a dynamic and impressive mix of Jefferson County’s young musical artists in performance at Grace Lutheran Church in Port Townsend. They competed with poise, fantastic preparation and positive sportsmanship. The music was moving and audience members enjoyed every minute of the day’s music. The party atmosphere helped keep nerves calm and laughter was ever present. It was truly a beautiful event both musically and socially.

Our judges, violist Tyrone Beatty, oboist Anne Krabil and cellist Pamela Roberts had a tough time narrowing down the list to choose prize winners. All the musicians were well prepared and each had special elements to their performances. As a result EVERY musician who participated will receive a certificate, financial check and three judging sheets with detailed comments to provide critical feedback and to acknowledge their incredible dedication and hard work!

2025 YAC PARTICIPANTS WERE:

JUNIOR DIVISION: Juniper Fleischer (piano and viola), Charlotte Hines (violin), Annaleigh Harrison (piano), Darius Weinblatt (violin), and William Morgensen (string bass). Awards were as follows:

1st Prize – Juniper Fleischer
2nd Prize – Darius Weinblatt and William Morgensen
3rd Prize – Annaleigh Harrison
Achievement Award – Charlotte Hines

SENIOR DIVISION: Amidah Soong (violin), Marie Morgensen (violin), Kai Anderson (violin), Fiona Skidmore (viola), Leah Ferland (violin), Xavier Cooper (violin), Mikhail Groth (tenor saxophone), Chase Gardner (cello), C.J. Fisher (French horn), Isabella Ferland (string bass), Steven Woolbright (snare drum), Oliver Banks (piano), Hayden Montgomery (percussion). Awards were as follows:

1st Prize – Steven Woolbright
2nd Prize – Hayden Montgomery
3rd Prize – Chase Gardner
Conductor’s Award-Chase Gardner & Steven Woolbright

Achievement Awards – Amidah Soong, Marie Morgensen, Kai Anderson, Fiona Skidmore, Leah Ferland, Xavier Cooper, Mikhail Groth, C.J. Fisher, Isabella Ferland, and Oliver Banks.

Thank you to everyone, who contributed to this successful event, ESPECIALLY PARENTS/GUARDIANS. Thank you to MUSIC TEACHERS, who are doing a great job developing our local talent. Thank you also to Karl Perry (photographer and certificates), Cathi McDade and Nan Tyrrell (hostesses), Lesa Barnes (flowers and award checks), Kristin Smith (planning), Vincent Oneoppo (poster design), and Mike McCleron (planning support). Thank you to Crissy at Grace Lutheran Church for logistics and the church for hosting this important event for our local youth.

A special thanks to our PTSO Conductor Tigran Arakelyan, who inspired this competition and who leads multiple efforts to benefit young musicians.

We hope to see you all again next year. Best wishes and keep playing!

Music can change the world.

Pamela Roberts, Coordinator
PTSO Young Artist Competition
Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra

(Photos by Karl Perry)

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PTSO Young Artists Competition 2024

Winners of the PTSO Young Artists Competition 2024

5th Annual Port Townsend Young Artist Competition
April 20, 2024
Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker St, Port Townsend

YAC Coordinator: Mike McLeron

SENIOR
1 Anabel Moore – Praeludium and Allegro-Fritz Kreisler
2 Amidah Soong – Sonata in D major Op. 1 #13, Affettuoso and Allegro-Handel
3 Bella Ferland – Sonatina 1st Mvt-Arthur Olaf Anderson

JUNIOR
1 Juniper Fleischer – Nocturne op. 55 No. 1-Chopin
2 Annaleigh Harrison – Fur Elise – Beethoven
3 Bodhi Fleischer/Kai Anderson – Concerto for Two Violins Dmin BWV 1043-JS Bach

CONDUCTOR AWARD
Nola Bertucci – 4 Morceaux, Op. 82: No. 1. Les Nymphes: Allegro leggiero – M. Moszkowski

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Young Artist Competition 2023

WINNERS OF THE 2023 YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION

Junior division
First: Violin, Veracini Gigue
Second: Cora Brinton, violin, for her Rieding Concertino in Hungarian Style
Third: Joshua Yearian, piano, for his Beethoven piano Sonata movement
Honorable mention: Kai Andersen, violin, for his Schumann Two Grenadiers

Senior division
First: Zia Magill, violin, for her Mozart A major concerto movement
Second: Anabel Moore, violin, for her Bach A minor concerto movement
Third: Nola Bertucci, violin, for her Schumann Sonata movement

Conductor’s prize, chosen by Nan Toby Tyrrell, goes to Aiden Murney, piano, for his Satie “Gnossienne #1”

4th Annual Port Townsend Young Artist Competition
April 15, 2023
Grace Lutheran Church, 1120 Walker St, Port Townsend
Application Deadline is April 1, 2023

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LEADER: Concert features Maria Powell, saxophonist

James Sloan
jsloan@ptleader.com

After their return from a long, COVID-induced hiatus, the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra will perform their second concert of 2021 this Saturday.

The group first came back to the stage in October after 20 months away, but this concert marks a return to the symphony orchestra’s regular concert venue at Chimacum High School.

“It’s great to be back in our regular space,” said Tigran Arakelyan, the group’s conductor. Arakelyan is excited to return to the concert setting that “the orchestra is used to.”

The performance will feature saxophonist Maria Powell, a junior at Chimacum High, who will perform a solo in one of the symphony orchestra’s pieces. The talented young performer has played the saxophone since fifth grade, earning multiple honors such as the Junior Stars of Tomorrow Champion award, first place in the Jefferson County Young Artist Competition, and performing with various accredited ensembles and orchestras around the region.

Additionally, Powell is the Chimacum drum major for the newly combined East Jefferson High School Band.

“Maria is a super talented player,” Arakelyan said. “Even as a younger artist, she is really able to listen to the orchestra. She’s really aware of what is happening.”

The promising tenor saxophonist participated and finished first in the PT Symphony Orchestra Young Artist competition, where Arakelyan observed her talent and offered her a solo in the symphony orchestra’s next concert.

Although the saxophone is mainly associated with jazz in the United States, the conductor reiterated the instrument’s significance in the classical sphere.

“The saxophone in Europe has a long tradition as classical instrument,” he noted.

The Dec. 4 concert will have four enticing selections for listeners to enjoy and get into the holiday spirit. “Brook Green Suite” by Gustav Holst, “Fantasia for Saxophone and Orchestra” by Heitor Villa-Lobos, “Serenade for Strings” by Mieczyslaw Karlowicz, and a surprise percussion number will line the concert’s program.

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SOLOIST: Kincaid Gould, clarinet

Kincaid Gould won First Prize in the 2019 PTSO Young Artist Competition, which included the option to be featured soloist for the Feb. 23, 2020 concert. Kincaid is a Port Townsend High School student and principal clarinetist of the PTSO.

Born in Port Townsend, he began playing piano in third grade and then clarinet in fifth grade. His clarinet teacher is Miles Vokurka. Kincaid’s achievements include qualification for and superior rating in the Washington Music Educators Association State Solo Contest, as well as acceptance into All-State and All-Northwest Honor Bands for the past five years. This year, he was accepted into the Washington Music Educators Association All-State Chamber Orchestra, with which he will be playing principal clarinet.

At Port Townsend High School, Kincaid is a member of the concert band, marching band, pep band and jazz band. He also plays clarinet with ensembles in the community. He has been a member of the Port Townsend Summer Band for five years, as well as a member of Port Townsend High School’s cross-country team. Kincaid has applied to colleges and following graduation he plans to continue his music studies while also pursuing a degree in a yet-to-be-determined field. He will perform:

Concertino for Clarinet in E Flat Major, Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826). German composer Carl Maria von Weber wrote his “Concertino for Clarinet in E Flat Major” over the course of only three days in 1811. It remains a popular Romantic Period staple in the clarinet repertoire to this day.

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PTSO Young Artist Competition 2019

Aliyah Yearian, Cora Brinton, Zia Magill (violinists) and Kincaid Gould, clarinet.

The inaugural PTSO Young Artist Competition 2019 was held on Saturday, November 23, 2019 at Grace Lutheran Church in Port Townsend. Family members, music teachers and PTSO members formed an appreciative audience.

Each young musician played a solo piece with piano accompaniment. After each performance the judges coached the participants, giving them tips to help improve individual challenges that they faced in their pieces. The coaching included technical tips, phrasing suggestions, music history information and stylistic discussions.

This year’s participants were:

Cora Brinton violin, Lisa Lanza piano – Concerto in A minor, Vivaldi

Kincaid Gould clarinet, Lisa, piano – Concertino in Eb, von Weber

Aliyah Yearian violin, Lisa, piano – Csardas by Monti 

Zia Magill violin, Liz Hopkins, piano – Concerto in A minor by Bach

Judges were Sheila Harwood (pianist), David Krabill (bassoonist) and Pamela Roberts (cellist).