Young musicians vie for the spotlight

BY VICTOR G. MIMONI

Tuesday, May 19, 2009 5:26 PM EDT

It’s been a decade since aspiring classical musicians have had an opportunity to vie for a chance to perform with the Queens Symphony Orchestra – but the Young Soloist Competition is back.

The competition offers young local talent the opportunity to win cash prizes and perform with a professional orchestra. Starting last November, the orchestra began accepting applications and performance CDs in the junior and senior divisions.

“Senior” in this contest means that the applicant would be between 18 and 22 years old on June 30. Junior division musicians have to be under 18 on June 30.

Performances in preliminary and semifinal rounds are scheduled from Tuesday, May 26 through Saturday, May 30.

The final round of this competition will be held as a public recital at the Taiwan Center in Flushing on Sunday, May 31 at 4 p.m., after which the winners will be announced.

First prize for the senior division is a concerto performance with the Queens Symphony Orchestra in a Masterworks Concert and a $1,000 cash prize. Second prize is a performance of a movement of a concerto with the orchestra at a Young People’s Concert and a $750 cash prize. Third prize is a $500 prize.

In the junior division, first prize is performance of a concerto movement with the orchestra at either a Young People’s or a Summer Parks Concert and a $750 cash prize. Second place is a performance at a Queens Symphony Orchestra event and a $500 prize; third place is a $300 cash prize.

Judges will include Constantine Kitsopoulos, the Music Director of the Queens Symphony, and Charlotte Lee, a manager with IMG Artists, a global leader in the arts management business, with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris, Hanover, Lucca and Singapore.

Tickets for the final competition/recital are $10 at the door and can be purchased in advance by calling the orchestra’s box office at 718-326-4455, Ext. 20, or online at www.queenssymphony.org.

The Taiwan Center is located at 137-44 Northern Boulevard, between Main Street and Union Street in Flushing.