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Youth Talent Auditions
 
 

2009-2010 Youth Talent Auditions


On December 12, 2009, the Topeka Symphony held its 57th annual Youth Talent Auditions. Each year the Symphony sponsors this event to give high school students the opportunity to perform a solo with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra. Out of four areas of competition – keyboard, strings, wind and percussion instruments, and voice – one student is chosen to perform with the Topeka Symphony and the first runner up appears at the Topeka Symphony Youth Orchestra concert. The winner in each category is awarded a scholarship by Capitol Federal.

   
 

2009-2010 Youth Talent Winners

Patrick Elisha, Natalie Darst, Abby Lingg, Yeyoung Yoo

The 2009-2010 TSO Youth Talent Competition was held Saturday, December 12 at White Concert Hall on the Washburn University campus. The TSO is pleased to announce the winners:

  • Over-all winner: Yeyoung Yoo, Cello, Sophomore from Manhattan
  • Runner-up and winner of the Strings Division: Natalie Darst, Violin, Freshman from Topeka
  • Winner of the Piano Division: Patrick Elisha, Piano, Sophomore from Topeka
  • Winner of the Wind Division: Abby Lingg, Flute, Junior from Wichita
The Over-all Winner performs with the TSO January 14 and 16, 2010 concert. The Runner-up performs at the TSO Youth Ensembles concert March 7 concert.

 Yeyoung Yoo

The Overall Winner of the 2010 Topeka Symphony Youth Talent Competition is Yeyoung Yoo, cello, daughter of Seokhyun Yoo and Kyungsuk Shin. She is from Manhattan, Kansas and is a Sophomore at Manhattan High School. Yeyoung has studied cello for ten years and currently studies with Ed Laut. She will perform the first two movements of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra at the two School Day concerts on January 14 and at the regular subscription concert January 16. Ms. Yoo performed this same piece at the Artists of Tomorrow concert while attending the Bowdoin International Music Festival in Maine.

 Yeyoung has won many competitions including Strad String competition and Sung-Jung competition in Korea. She was a finalist for the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia for the past two years. Yeyoung also appeared on “Challenge! Old Chum” which was televised on March 13, 2005, PBS with Physically Challenged People and her chamber group members. She performed in a master class with Mr. Daniel Muller-Schott sponsored by the Kansas City Symphony last year and performed at the honor recital in Lawrence in 2007. Yeyoung also enjoys taking pictures, listening to music and watching movies.

 Natalie Darst

Natalie Darst, violin, St. Mary’s, Kansas, is the Runner-up and the winner or the Strings Division of the 2010 Topeka Symphony Youth Talent Competition. She is the daughter of Daniel and Carol Darst and is a home-schooled freshman. She will perform the first movement of the Mendelssohn Violin Concert in E Minor with the Topeka Symphony Youth Orchestra on March 7.

Natalie has been studying violin for 12 years, having begun at age three. When she was nine, her family moved to Northeast Kansas so that she could study with Dr. Larisa Elisha. In 2007, Natalie was selected as Alternate in the Kansas MTNA Junior Strings Division, and in 2008, she won First Place in that division. She then advanced to the MTNA West Central Division Regional where she received Honorable Mention. During the summer of 2007, Natalie participated in the Heartland Chamber Music Academy at UMKC, serving as Principal Second Violin in the Chamber Orchestra.

In 2008-2009, Natalie was named Assistant Concertmaster of both the Topeka Symphony Youth Orchestra and the TSYO Academy conducted by Dr. Steven Elisha. For the 2009-2010 Season, she serves as Co-Concertmaster of the Youth Orchestra. Natalie participated in the 2009 Blanche Bryden Sunflower Summer Institute. In January 2010, Natalie will represent the State of Kansas in the MTNA West Central Senior Strings Division competition.

Natalie also enjoys reading historical novels and English literature and has never met a cat she didn’t love.

 Abby Lingg

Winner of the Wind and Percussion Division of the 2010 Topeka Symphony Youth Talent Competition is Abby Lingg, flute, daughter of Tom and Dianna Lingg. She is from Wichita, Kansas and is a junior at Grace Christian Academy. For her audition, she performed Suite de Trois Morceaux by Benjamin Godard. Abby has played flute for seven years and currently studies with Amy Hoffman.

This is Abby’s fourth year in the Wichita Youth Orchestras and currently is Co-Principal in the Youth Symphony. She is the 2009 Winner of the George B. Tack Award for Excellence. Abby enjoys reading, singing and acting and has played piano for nearly ten years. She also enjoys performing and competing on piano, teaching piano and organizing ensembles and choirs at church. She has five siblings, one of whom is a piano companion and favorite accompanist.

Patrick Elisha

Winner of the Piano Division of the 2010 Topeka Symphony Youth Talent Competition is Patrick Elisha, son of Steven and Larisa Elisha. Patrick is from Topeka and is a sophomore at Washburn Rural High School. For his audition, he performed the third movement of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. Patrick has played piano since age 6 and currently studies with James Rivers. He was winner of the 2006 Kansas Music Teachers Association (KMTA), alternate for the 2008 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Piano Competitions and winner of Second Prize overall in The Kansas City Symphony Young Artists Competition. Patrick participated in Jon Nakamatsu’s Piano Master Class and was invited to perform in John Perry’s Piano Master Class as part of the American Liszt Society’s National Festival.

Patrick also studies cello with his father, Dr. Steven Elisha, and has been a winner and runner-up in KMTA String Competitions. He is the Co-Principal Cello of the Topeka Symphony Youth Orchestra and has attended numerous summer music programs, including the Blanche Bryden Sunflower Chamber Music Institute in Topeka, Heartland Chamber Music Academy at UMKC, Creighton Institute and the Great Plains Orchestral Institute in Omaha, Nebraska. Patrick is actively involved in debate and forensics. He enjoys writing, studying computer technology and art history.

 

  Scholarships and Awards
 		  
 

TSO Performance Scholarships

The Topeka Symphony Orchestra offers scholarships to string students accepted as a member of the Topeka Symphony Orchestra. Acceptance into the orchestra is by audition and scholarships are awarded based on the audition and an application.

Elna Friedstrom Awards

The Topeka Symphony League awards grants to musicians in the Topeka Symphony Youth Orchestra and Philharmonic ensembles. These awards honor the memory of Elna Friedstrom, a long time volunteer and supporter of the Topeka Symphony Youth Ensembles. These grants are awarded in the Spring and are based on applications

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