Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra Announces 2021 Solo Competition Winners

SAN DIEGO - Nov. 18, 2021 - PRLog -- The Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra (MMYO) announces the winners of the 2021-2022 Solo Competition for young musicians who play string, woodwinds/brass and percussion instruments.

Suzuki Strings:
1^st Place (Tie): Zoe Pernela and Wesley Covell

Beginning Strings:
1^st Place (Tie): Christopher Kim and Nathan Teng
Honorable Mention: Audrey Rademaker

Intermediate Strings:
1^st Place: Audrey Hack
2^nd Place: Mingrui Chen
3^rd Place: Natalie Krause

Intermediate Orchestra Strings:
1^st Place: Ethan Zhou
2^nd Place (Tie): Mila Keres and Benjamin Luo
Honorable Mention: Sophia Farber

Intermediate Orchestra W/B:
1^st Place: Michelle Sun
2^nd Place: Sarah Tsu
Honorable Mention: Zachary Tiep

Advanced Orchestra Strings:
1^st Place: Maria Wang
2^nd Place: Sunny Khurana

Advanced Orchestra W/B:
1^st Place: Justin Luo
2^nd Place: York Bourgeois
3^rd Place: Noah Quessenberry

The competition was open to all members of the Youth Orchestra, regardless of experience. These talented musicians were chosen from over 60 applicants for their remarkable musical ability.

"The artistry on display this year was incredible," says MMYO Music Director Hernan Constantino. "The Solo Competition celebrates these young musicians and the diversity they bring to the art. I can't wait to experience the music this next generation will bring as they further fine tune their craft."

The final round of competition was judged by a distinguished panel of musicians from the San Diego Symphony including:

• Zou Yu, violin
• Theresa ("Terri") Tunnicliff, clarinet
• John MacFerran Wilds, trumpet

The 1^st and 2^nd place winners in each category will perform at the Solo Competition Winners' Recital on Saturday, November 21, 2021 at St. James by-the-Sea Episcopal Church from 12:30pm to 2:30pm in La Jolla, CA. The performance is free and open to the public.

Auditions are still open for the MMYO 2021-2022 season with rehearsals being held every Saturday in Solana Beach, CA at the Calvary Lutheran Church, located at 424 Via De La Valle, Solana Beach, CA 92075.

To learn more about Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra Solo Winners' Recital or MMYO auditions, please contact Joseph Shanks at jshanks@mainlymozart.org or visit mmyo.org.

About Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra

The Mainly Mozart Youth Orchestra has stood for excellence in music-making and education since 1995. Featuring top instructors with decades of experience, MMYO provides its students with solo, chamber, and orchestral performance opportunities all throughout San Diego. MMYO offers unparalleled access to the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra, the largest annual gathering of concertmasters and principal players from major orchestras across the country. MMYO has a core commitment to inclusion and serves as California's only youth orchestra to actively recruit and integrate students with cognitive and physical differences into core ensembles.

For more information, visit https://www.mmyo.org/