Classical MPR Announces Featured Round Winners for Minnesota Varsity
Feb 6, 2013
Classical MPR has announced the Featured Artists and Composers for "Minnesota Varsity" --a program to showcase the best young Minnesota classical musicians and composers. To participate in Minnesota Varsity, young musicians, ages 14-18, from around the state were asked to submit a recording of themselves performing. Student composers (also ages 14-18) were invited to submit an original score for flute, oboe, and clarinet. The call for compositions was new to the project this year, thanks to a partnership with the American Composers Forum.
Classical MPR staff received more than 85 submissions from across the state. From those, 15 were chosen as Featured Artists and 4 were chosen as Featured Composers.
In this phase of the program, the Featured Artists will be matched with a professional recording engineer from MPR to produce a high-quality recording. These recordings will then be broadcast throughout the month of March on Classical MPR--on air and online. The Featured Composers will be invited to a Mentorship Day with charter ACF member and composer Carol Barnett as mentor, to have their works performed by Mill City Winds (Lexi Zunker, flute, Lindsey Thompson, oboe, and Jennifer Runck, clarinet) and receive assistance in polishing their compositions and presenting them to an audience.
"We continue to be awed by the amazing young musical talent across the state of Minnesota, which you can hear online right now on our website" said Tim Roesler, senior vice president and general manager, Minnesota Public Radio. "We're really excited about this year's Featured Composers and are delighted to invite the Featured Artists to St. Paul for a professional recording experience. We can't wait to hear all of their performances and compositions on Classical MPR's airwaves statewide."
Minnesota Varsity 2013 Featured Artists:
Kristina Butler, voice, Burnsville
Brandon Caplin, marimba, Burnsville
Micah Cheng , cello, Woodbury
Alex Cyert, euphonium , Winona
Michael Davis, piano, Bloomington
Brayden Drevlow, piano, Thief River Falls
Aaron Fagerstrom, piano, Thief River Falls
Hartman-Warren-Doyle Trio , piano/violin/cello trio, New Brighton
Emily Johnson, marimba, Forest Lake
Jeesoo Lee, piano, Eden Prairie
Luna String Quartet , string quartet, Minneapolis
David Nelson, voice, Woodbury
Megan Ruan, piano, Arden Hills
Abram Sanderson, trumpet, Maple Grove
Eric Sargent, voice, Minnetonka
Honorable Mention:
Norah Doyle, cello, Minneapolis
Luther Warren, violin, New Brighton
Minnesota Varsity 2013 Featured Composers:
Judy Jackson, Edina
Austin Kraft, Savage
Spencer Hammersten, Circle Pines
Grant Luhmann, Lino Lakes
The Showcase Round Showcase Artists: Beginning March 18, the general public will be able to choose one of the Showcase Artists from the 15 Featured Artists by participating in the online Audience Vote at classicalmpr.org. Then, at the end of March, a panel of celebrity judges--including Ken Freed, Mankato Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Minnesota Orchestra violist, Doug Nimmo, Professor of Music and Wind Orchestras conductor at Gustavus Adolphus College, Bradley Greenwald, distinguished actor, musician and singer, and Rene Clausen, Professor of Music at Concordia College, Concordia Choir conductor and composer --will choose four performers to be Showcase Artists. All five Showcase Artists will be asked to perform at MPR's Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul on April 28, 2013, for a live theater and radio broadcast--where the audience members will get to vote live for their favorite performer.
Showcase Composers: Two Showcase Composers will be selected by Mill City Winds and the American Composers Forum. The Showcase Composers' works will be premiered at the Fitzgerald Theater as part of the live Showcase concert broadcast.
Minnesota Varsity Showcase Concert Sunday, April 28, 4 p.m. at MPR's The Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul
The 2013 Minnesota Varsity Showcase will include performances by the five finalists During the event, audience members and radio listeners (via web) will have the chance to participate in the "Encore Vote," with the winner performing the encore at the concert. Mill City Winds will perform the premiere of the Showcase Composers' pieces.
Tickets: Admission is free and open to the public but a ticket is required. Tickets can be reserved by calling the Fitzgerald Theater Box Office at 651-290-1200.
TUNE IN: Listen to Featured Artists of Minnesota Varsity on Classical MPR March 4-22. Classical MPR can be heard in the Twin Cities on KSJN 99.5 FM. A complete list of Classical MPR stations can be accessed online: go to ClassicalMPR.org , and click on "stations."
Minnesota Varsity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and by the generosity of these foundations and individuals: The Charles H. Clay Family Charitable Trust; Margaret H. and James E. Kelley Foundation; Andy Kiorpes; Robert Kriel and Linda Krach; Ann Newhall and Rick Schleuss; Steve Otto; Paul and Mary Reyelts; Robin Saunders Ryan; Kay Savik and Joe Tashjian and Irma Wyman.