2017 Youth Music Competition Student Winners

Elementary School Level: Chloe Song, Piano, Grade 4, Centennial Elementary

Chloe Song is 10 years old and a 4th grader at Centennial Elementary.  Born in Honolulu HI, she spent her early childhood in Seoul, Korea, and then came to Olympia, WA at the age of 6.  She began learning piano and violin at the age of 5.  She is a student of Dr. Ramona Allen.  This year, Chloe was the 1st place winner at the 2016 OMTA Concerto Competition Intermediate Division.  She is also concertmaster and violinist for the Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO, Debut Orchestra).  Chloe contributes musically to her church and church choir at the St. Paul Chong Hasang Catholic Church.  She loves swimming and is in the Silver Swim Club at the Valley Athletic Club.  Other hobbies are art, gymnastics, biking, and skiing

 

 

Middle School Level: Suad Maya Dirar , Violin, Grade 8, Aspire Middle School

Suad Maya Dirar is a 14 year-old eight grade student at Aspire Middle School for the Performing Arts. She has been playing the violin since the fourth grade with her teacher, Mrs. Ludmila Henderson. She participates in her school’s 8^th grade Chamber Orchestra conducted by Mr. Chad Hocutt and is also the youngest member of this year’s GOGO (Students of Greater Olympia) Conservatory Orchestra led by Music Director, Mr. John Welsh.

 

High School Level: Caddie Derby, Violin, Grade 12, Northwest Christian High School

Caddie began learning violin at the age of 7. She has been a member of Student Orchestras of Greater Olympia (SOGO) for eight years where she served as Concertmaster for the Academy Orchestra for two years and rotating Concertmaster for the Conservatory Orchestra for two years. Caddie was the Featured Violin Soloist for their 2016 November Concert, where she performed the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major, by J.S. Bach. She is returning to SOGO this year as a volunteer Teaching Artist.

Caddie enjoys both classical and fiddle music. She has participated twice in the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival and the Kairos Chamber Music Lyceum at CWU in Ellensburg. She also attended Belmont University’s String Crossings Camp in Nashville this past June where she co-wrote, recorded and performed their song called “On My Way.” She is a two time Junior Champion at the Spirit of the West Fiddle Contest in Ellensburg, a Top 5 Champion Division winner at the Northwest Regional Fiddle Contest in Spokane, the Idaho Open Fiddle Contest in Caldwell, ID, and at the Willamette Valley Fiddle Contest in Corvallis, OR. And she is a Top 8 National Grand Champion Division winner at the National Old-Time Fiddle Contest in Weiser, ID. This summer Caddie enjoyed playing violin for “Hairspray” and “The Addams’ Family” put on by Apple Tree Productions’ and performing with the Edgewater Trio. She looks forward to playing 1^st Violin in the String Quartet for the “Beatles vs. Stones – A Musical Showdown” on November 8^th 2017.

Caddie holds the distinct honor of having a Masterworks Choral Ensemble Youth Music Talent Contest Triple Crown, winning the Elementary division in 2009, the Middle School division in 2012, and the High School division in 2017. She was honored to be the MCE Youth Guest Soloist in December 2009, April 2013, and is looking forward to performing in MCE’s “Way Out West” concert on October 14^th 2017.

Caddie is a Senior at Northwest Christian High School where she participates in Cheerleading, Outreach, the Media Team, and Knowledge Bowl. She also loves ballet and is a company member of Ballet Northwest. Caddie plans to Major in Commercial Music, with an emphasis in Performance, and Minor in Dance at Belmont University in Nashville next fall.

This year’s three winners will have special spotlight performances in the below three concerts-

Background

Each Spring, Masterworks’ Youth Music Competition provides an opportunity for area youth to compete in one of three levels: elementary, middle, or high school. Since 2001, this annual event has provided wonderful learning and performance experience for students in our community.

This annual competition is open to all grade 3-12 vocal and instrumental students. The three winners, one from each level, receive a scholarship award and an invitation to perform a solo in a Masterworks Choral Ensemble concert at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts the season following the competition.

 2016 Youth Music Competition Student Winners

2015 Youth Music Competition

Student Winners:

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Past Youth Music Competition Winners

YMC History of winners_rev_2016 <– Click to view a list of past Youth Music Competition winners