Young artists concerto competition winners
Eighteen student musicians auditioned for the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra's 43rd annual Richard R. Deas Young Artists Concerto Competition in November of 2019. Applicants performed a 6-12 minute selection by memory in front of a three-panel judge. There is only one winner from each division.
UNCW Division Winner - Sarah Wells, soprano
Wells is a senior at UNCW pursuing a BM in Music Education and is the recipient of the Opera Wilmington’s Honor Student Scholarship. In her time at UNCW, Wells has performed in the UNCW Honors Recital, and is a member of the UNCW Chamber Choir. She has participated in Opera Wilmington’s Exploring Opera symposium in 2018 and 2019 and was the winner of the Caterina Jarboro Masterclass Award. Wells sings at St. Paul’s Episcopal Choir in Wilmington, where she sang the role of Ancilla in Bach’s St. John Passion with the North Carolina Baroque Orchestra.
High School Division Winner - Amelia Smith, violin
Amelia has been studying violin with Anne Stohl since she was 3-year-old and now, as a senior in high school she is planning to go to college next fall to pursue a music major. In the future, Amelia hopes to play violin professionally. Amelia was also the 2015 Richard R. Deas Young Artists Concerto Competition Junior Division winner.
Junior Division Winner - Saybren Long, violin
Saybren, 13, started playing violin in the second grade and cello in the fifth grade. Saybren studied Suzuki violin for two years with Redding Farlow-Soderberg and has been studying classical violin with Danijela Žeželj-Gualdi ever since. He enjoys playing violin in the Wilmington Junior Strings ensemble, under the direction of Lisa Gattuso, where he was concert master this past season.
The UNCW and High School Division winners will perform Masterworks 3: Prokofiev's Cinderella at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8 at CFCC - Wilson Center, accompanied by the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra.
The Junior Division winner will perform Sunday, May 10, at a free family concert at Kenan Auditorium, UNCW, accompanied by the Wilmington Symphony Youth Orchestra.
