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Courtesy photo

Last year’s Division I first‑place winner, Mia Laity, performs in the 2006 Arizona Musicfest Young Artists Concert. Mia has been playing the violin since she was three.
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Young Musicians Competition intense
by Jim Crawford

SCOTTSDALE – The competition is intense and the talent is amazing, and they’re just kids.

The sixth annual Young Musicians Competition sponsored by Arizona Musicfest has come down to the finals.

Each year at this time, promising school‑age musicians battle it out for monetary prizes, bragging rights, and the opportunity to perform at the annual Young Musicians Concert on Nov. 11.

“The level of talent is absolutely amazing,” says Andrea Terhune, chairman of the competition. “Some of these young artists will go on to play professionally.

“We usually have about 50 students enter. That’s about our limit and all of them are good musicians. You’ll hear about some of them later on.”

All contestants are required to perform their pieces from memory except in the ensemble division. They must select their music from standard literature chosen from the baroque, classical, romantic or contemporary period.

“There are usually three finalists in each division,” Terhune says. “A division winner and usually two runners‑up. The judging is very intense. We have some very good, qualified judges.”

This year’s judges include Dumitru Lazarescu of the Phoenix Symphony; Barbara Spoelman, who is on the faculty of Arizona State University in the Piano Prep Program and Conservatory; and Eugene Wade, recently retired from the Detroit Symphony.

Lazarescu is Assistant Principal Second Violin of The Phoenix Symphony. This is his sixth year judging the competition.

Spoelman has been a faculty associate in the ASU Piano Prep Program and Conservatory for the past 17 years. During this time, she has created original curriculum, and taught both group and private lessons to all levels of piano students. This is her first time to judge the competition.

Wade was appointed Principal French Horn of the Detroit Symphony in 1972 where he remained until his retirement from that orchestra in 2000. This is Wade’s first year judging the competition.

The event is free and open to the public and will take place at 2 p.m., March 25, at Desert Foothills Lutheran Church, 29305 N. Scottsdale Rd. in Scottsdale. For more information visit azmusicfest.org or call (480) 488‑0806.

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