The Henderson Symphony Orchestra (HSO) is excited to welcome the 2023 winners of the Young Artists Competition to perform alongside its members during its annual Young Artists Concert. The performance takes place Friday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. at Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon, 675 E. Dale Ave. in Henderson. The event is free to attend.
Every year, the HSO promotes a professional concert experience for emerging talent. It is a unique opportunity for youth musicians to perform with an orchestra, often, for the first time.
The Young Artists Competition winners who will perform are Alexander Vakov, a sophomore at Coronado High School who has been playing the oboe for three years but began music lessons at age of 4; Antonio McDonald, a 17-year-old senior cellist in the top orchestra at Las Vegas Academy of the Arts; Nirav Banerji, a pianist who is meticulous in his practicing, expressing every detail to the fullest extent; Brennan Fischl, a clarinet player who has been playing since September 2020 at Lied STEM Academy and taking lessons with Rayne Ellison since May 2021; Lucas Jiang, an 8-year-old violinist who showed an interest in music when he was a baby and began studying the violin at age 4 under the instruction of Tanya Hambourg; Aspen Stevens, a 14-year-old pianist whose musical career began as a toddler, belting out Barbie songs in the family room. She showed promise in music early on and began piano lessons with her mother at age 5.
“Unlike most competitions, the HSO offers complete freedom of choice of repertoire, which gives young artists the chance to be creative, and allows teachers to work with students in a more didactic way,” said Alexandra Arrieche, music director of the Henderson Symphony Orchestra. “The Young Artists Concert is one of the highlights of the HSO’s season and helps develop amazing local talent.”
The young artists are empowered to develop their own unique, musical voice. Unlike most music competitions for youth, the HSO’s Young Artists Competition does not require applicants to adhere to a list of solo pieces but gives them the opportunity to choose so they may discover their own style and personality as they grow, without limitations.
There will be two more free concerts at The Dollar Loan Center before this season comes to an end in June. For more information on HSO, visit https://www.hendersonsymphonynv.org
