Month: February 2012

Youth Competition Winners Announced

The Fox Valley Music Teachers’ Association Young Artist Festival and the Fox Valley Symphony Youth Soloist Competition are pleased to announce winners in their recent events. Both competitions offer young musicians a performance experience, judge’s written comments and an opportunity to compete for cash prizes. Congratulations to all Academy of Music students who participated and to the following award winners:

Fox Valley Symphony Youth Soloist Competition,  January 14, 2012

2nd place:  Alicia Mose, student of Samantha George

Finalist:  Paige Erickson, student of Yuliya Smead

 

Young Artist Festival, February 4, 2012

Junior String Competition

1st place:  Nathan Mose, student of Miyoko Grine

2nd place:  Ana Knighten, student of Janet Bond Sutter

 

Junior Piano Concerto Competition, Grades 6-7

2nd Place:  Samuel Mast, student of Catherine Walby

 

Young Voice Competition, Grades 10-12

1st Place: Claire Powling, student of  Carol Jegen

2nd Place: Emily Ament, student of  Carol Jegen

For Love of Song and Nature

Brenda Rae, accompanied by Academy teacher Anna Reiser on the piano, will perform favorite arias this Sunday, February 12 at 2 p.m. in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Donations accepted at the free concert, For Love of Song and Nature, will benefit the Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust and the Lawrence Academy Girl Choir program.

Brenda Rae (Klinkert), born and raised in Appleton, developed her appreciation and respect for nature here. Her musical sensibilities and talents were richly nurtured in this community, including her experience in the Girl Choir.

Ms. Rae was awarded First Prize honors from the Licia Albanese-Puccini Foundation, the Bel Canto Foundation, and Wisconsin NATS. In New York City, she has presented recitals as a winner of the Juilliard Vocal Arts Honor’s Recital, and at Carnegie Hall under the auspices of the Marilyn Horne Foundation.

Ms. Rae received her training at Juilliard after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Now a soloist at Oper Frankfurt in Germany, she is described as “a young American soprano on the threshold of stardom” (Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine, August 2011). At Oper Frankfurt, Ms. Rae has thrilled audiences with numerous leading roles including Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor, and Olympia in Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Pamina in Die Zauberflöte, and Musetta in La Bohème. Last season, she made her highly successful debut as Konstanze in Die Entführung aus dem Serail. Ms. Rae also made her debuts last season at L’Opéra National de Bordeaux (as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos), and at the Glyndebourne Festival and the BBC Proms (as Armida in Handel’s Rinaldo). In Frankfurt this season, she gave her first, very successful, performances of Violetta in La Traviata. She made her debut at the Bayerische State Opera in Munich in January 2012, singing Konstanze.

A reception will follow the concert.