Classical Minnesota Public Radio Announces Minnesota Varsity Featured Round Semi-Finalists
Jan 14, 2016
(St. Paul, Minn., January 14, 2016)--Classical MPR has announced the Featured Artists and Composers for its sixth annual Minnesota Varsity classical music showcase for instrumentalists, vocalists and composers. To participate in Minnesota Varsity, musicians ages 14-18 from around the region were asked to submit a recording of themselves performing. Student composers (also ages 14-18) were invited to submit an original score for tenor voice and string trio (violin, viola and cello), or any solo or combination of those instruments. For a fourth year, American Composers Forum (ACF) is a partner with MPR in the Composition category.
Classical MPR staff received Varsity submissions from all across its listening region. From those, 10 were chosen as Featured Artists and five 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. Featured Composers will participate in a day-long composer workshop session with musicians Samuel Baker, Philip Ledgerwood, Ernesto Estigarribia and Ben Osterhouse, and mentor Carol Barnett, to be held at American Composer Forum's headquarters at Landmark Center next month. The students also will receive assistance in polishing their compositions and presenting them to an audience.
Minnesota Varsity 2016 Featured Artists: Claire Gunsbury, flute, Nisswa Abigail Hansen, harp, Owatonna Noah Klein, organ, Northfield Jeesoo Lee, piano, Eden Prairie Anders Peterson, clarinet, Northfield Mark Prihodko, cello, Faribault Kimberly Shen, piano, Arden Hills Michael Tang, piano, Edina Vesper String Quartet, W. St. Paul o Vivian Murphy, violin o Addison Nichols, violin o John-Paul Shoemaker, viola o Kajsa Johansson, cello Milo Wittenberg, guitar, St. Paul
Minnesota Varsity 2016 Featured Composers: Shae Alcamo, Golden Valley Seamus Hubbard Flynn, St. Paul Austin Kraft, Savage Matthew Maxam, St. Paul Max Zelle, St. Paul
The Showcase Round Showcase Artists: Beginning March 21, the general public will be able to choose one of the Showcase Artists from the 10 Featured Artists by participating in the online Audience Vote at classicalmpr.org. Then, at the end of March, a panel of celebrity judges will choose four performers to be Showcase Artists. Past Showcase judges have included conductor Nicholas McGegan, Minnesota Orchestra Principal Conductor, Pops and Presentations Sara Hicks, Cantus baritone Aaron Humble, actor Bradley Greenwald and SPCO concertmaster Steven Copes. All five Showcase Artists will be asked to perform at MPR's Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul on Sunday, May 1, 2016, for a live theater and radio broadcast.
Showcase Composers: Two Showcase Composers will be selected by musicians Samuel Baker, Philip Ledgerwood, Ernesto Estigarribia and Ben Osterhouse, Mentor Carol Barnett, 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, May 1, 3 p.m. at MPR's Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul
The 2016 Minnesota Varsity Showcase will include performances by the five finalists. Musicians Samuel Baker, Philip Ledgerwood, Ernesto Estigarribia and Ben Osterhouse 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. Tickets can be reserved beginning March 1.
TUNE IN: Listen to Featured Artists of Minnesota Varsity on Classical MPR March 7-18. 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 supported by the generosity of these foundations and individuals: Kay and Gerry Erickson; Margaret H. and James E. Kelley Foundation; Andy Kiorpes and Farrel Rich; The Newhall Schleuss Family Foundation; Stephen Otto; Ed and Jenni Ryan; Saunders Therapy Centers; Kay Savik and Joe Tashjian; Bob and Jean Spong; and the Irma Wyman Endowment for Classical Education.
Minnesota Public Radio® (MPR) operates a 45-station radio network serving nearly all of Minnesota and parts of surrounding states. Reaching more than 900,000 listeners each week, MPR and its three regional services--MPR News, Classical MPR and The Current--produce programming for radio, online and face-to-face audiences. Programs produced by MPR's parent company, American Public Media, reach 19 million listeners on more than 900 radio stations nationwide each week. A complete list of stations, programs and additional services can be found at minnesotapublicradio.org. MPR meets all 27 of the Charities Review Council (CRC) Accountability Standards. Source: Data are copyright Nielsen Audio. Data are estimates only.
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