New England String Ensemble Announces Flute Competition Winners
First Place winner Katherine Griffith of Weston performs in December “Sacred & Profane” concerts
Wakefield, MA, November 22, 2007 --(PR.com)-- New England String Ensemble (NESE) is pleased to announce the winners of the Fifth Annual NESE Youth Flute Competition. This competition gives flutists throughout New England, 18 and younger, a place to channel their talents and aspirations by preparing and competing to perform as a soloist with a professional orchestra. The First Place winner will perform with music director Federico Cortese and the orchestra in the “Sacred and Profane” concert program on Saturday, December 1st at 7:30 at the Rogers Center in North Andover and 3pm Sunday, December 2nd at Jordan Hall in Boston.
This year’s Flute Competition drew entrants from all six New England states. A panel of judges whittled down the pool of applicants to 10 finalists for the Open Division and 4 finalists for the Under-14 Division. The final live auditions for the Competition were held November 7th at New England Conservatory.
The first place winner in the Open Division is 16-year old Katherine Griffith of Weston, MA. Katherine won a $500 scholarship and will perform as a soloist with the orchestra in "Concerto in G" by Johann Joachim Quantz. Katherine has studied flute for the past 10-years with instructors; Ethel Farny at Rivers Music School, Nina Barwell of New England Conservatory’s (NEC) Preparatory School and currently with Dan Riley of NEC’s Preparatory School.
Ms. Griffith is no stranger to Competition. This year alone in addition to winning the NESE Flute Competition, in the spring she won the Baroque Chamber Orchestra's Flute Concerto Competition at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and has just been chosen as one of only three flutes across America selected to perform in the National High School Honors Orchestra sponsored by the American String Teachers Association.
Second Place winner is 17-year old Sarah Shin of Natick MA and a senior at the Walnut Hill School for Performing Arts won a $300 scholarship. Sarah studies flute with Judy Grant, faculty member at Boston College, Brookline Music School and the All Newton Music School. Ms. Shen has won competitions including first place in the 2005 Des Moines Symphony Alliance Competition and is currently a member of the Boston Youth Symphony.
Third Place winner is 16-year old Zach Sheets of Norwich, VT and a student at Hanover (NH) High School won a $200 scholarship. Zach has studied flute for seven years and currently studies with Heidi Baxter and Judy Grant and is a member of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his flute studies, Zach has been studying composition for six years with the Vermont MIDI Composition Project.
The Winner in the Under-14-Division Jamie Chong of Concord, MA, a freshman at Concord-Carlisle High School won a $200 savings bond. Jamie has studied flute for six years and is a student of Nina Barwell at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Outside music, Jamie is an intensive program student of Boston Ballet School and has appeared in many Nutcracker performances at the Wang Theatre and The Opera House in Boston.
The NESE Flute Competition has become a motivator to advance the musical studies of previous entrants. Three of the past first-place winners are currently studying at The Julliard School for Dance, Drama and Music in New York. In addition to its Youth Flute Competition and Youth String Competition (currently accepting audition tapes) the orchestra continues in its mission "to Engage, Educate, and Inspire with Passionate Performances and Innovative Community Programs" by supporting music programs in the schools with “String Fever” at the elementary level, “Kids to Concerts” and “The Genius of Youth” for middle-schoolers and “The New England Musical Heritage Initiative” at the high school level.
Details about NESE’s educational offerings and upcoming concert programs are available online at www.newenglandstringensemble.org or for more information call 781-224-1117.
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This year’s Flute Competition drew entrants from all six New England states. A panel of judges whittled down the pool of applicants to 10 finalists for the Open Division and 4 finalists for the Under-14 Division. The final live auditions for the Competition were held November 7th at New England Conservatory.
The first place winner in the Open Division is 16-year old Katherine Griffith of Weston, MA. Katherine won a $500 scholarship and will perform as a soloist with the orchestra in "Concerto in G" by Johann Joachim Quantz. Katherine has studied flute for the past 10-years with instructors; Ethel Farny at Rivers Music School, Nina Barwell of New England Conservatory’s (NEC) Preparatory School and currently with Dan Riley of NEC’s Preparatory School.
Ms. Griffith is no stranger to Competition. This year alone in addition to winning the NESE Flute Competition, in the spring she won the Baroque Chamber Orchestra's Flute Concerto Competition at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School and has just been chosen as one of only three flutes across America selected to perform in the National High School Honors Orchestra sponsored by the American String Teachers Association.
Second Place winner is 17-year old Sarah Shin of Natick MA and a senior at the Walnut Hill School for Performing Arts won a $300 scholarship. Sarah studies flute with Judy Grant, faculty member at Boston College, Brookline Music School and the All Newton Music School. Ms. Shen has won competitions including first place in the 2005 Des Moines Symphony Alliance Competition and is currently a member of the Boston Youth Symphony.
Third Place winner is 16-year old Zach Sheets of Norwich, VT and a student at Hanover (NH) High School won a $200 scholarship. Zach has studied flute for seven years and currently studies with Heidi Baxter and Judy Grant and is a member of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. In addition to his flute studies, Zach has been studying composition for six years with the Vermont MIDI Composition Project.
The Winner in the Under-14-Division Jamie Chong of Concord, MA, a freshman at Concord-Carlisle High School won a $200 savings bond. Jamie has studied flute for six years and is a student of Nina Barwell at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Outside music, Jamie is an intensive program student of Boston Ballet School and has appeared in many Nutcracker performances at the Wang Theatre and The Opera House in Boston.
The NESE Flute Competition has become a motivator to advance the musical studies of previous entrants. Three of the past first-place winners are currently studying at The Julliard School for Dance, Drama and Music in New York. In addition to its Youth Flute Competition and Youth String Competition (currently accepting audition tapes) the orchestra continues in its mission "to Engage, Educate, and Inspire with Passionate Performances and Innovative Community Programs" by supporting music programs in the schools with “String Fever” at the elementary level, “Kids to Concerts” and “The Genius of Youth” for middle-schoolers and “The New England Musical Heritage Initiative” at the high school level.
Details about NESE’s educational offerings and upcoming concert programs are available online at www.newenglandstringensemble.org or for more information call 781-224-1117.
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Contact
New England String Ensemble
Amy Kench
781-224-1117
www.newenglandstringensemble.org
Amy Kench
781-224-1117
www.newenglandstringensemble.org
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