Appleton student cellists Stephanie Smith and Joe Loehnis placed second and third, respectively, at the Wisconsin Cello Society competition conducted Nov. 6 at UW- Stevens Point.
Smith, a home-schooled 11th grader and a student at the Lawrence Academy of Music, and Loehnis, a Lawrence University senior, both study in the cello studio of Lawrence professor of music Janet Anthony.
Students in the competition performed 15-20 minutes of music of their own choosing. Smith played the first movement of the Shostakovich first concerto, op. 107 and Paganini’s “Variations on one String,” while Loehnis performed the first two movements of the “Cassado Suite for solo cello” and “Lo how a Rose” by Mark Summer, cellist of the Turtle Island quartet.
Monique Ross, a student at the String Academy of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, won the competition, which was open to all Wisconsin students aged 14-22 who have studied privately for more than one year. This year’s competition, the Wisconsin Cello Society’s first, featured 11 cellists from around the state.
Founded in April, 2000, the Wisconsin Cello Society is a state-wide organization that promotes the art and appreciation of cello playing, furthers the musical development of its members and provides performance opportunities for professional, amateur and student cellists.
