Young Artists to compete Saturday in Port Angeles

Published 12:01 am Wednesday, January 21, 2015

PORT ANGELES — The 29th annual Young Artist Competition and the ninth annual Junior Young Artist Competition, both open to the public, will converge on Holy Trinity Lutheran Church this Saturday, bringing together 26 musicians from across the North Olympic Peninsula.

Admission is free to the competitions, which will start at 9:30 a.m. and wrap up around 3 p.m. The junior event comes first, with competitors playing until about noon; after a half-hour break the senior event will begin at about 12:30 p.m.

This is a rare chance to hear many of the region’s outstanding young players, said Mark Wendeborn, executive director of the Port Angeles Symphony, which sponsors the contests.

As in past years, listeners can feel free to come and go any time during the events at Holy Trinity, 301 Lopez Ave., to see the performances and hear comments on each of them from the judges, who include Port Angeles Symphony violist and teacher Phil Morgan-Ellis, bassoonist and teacher Beatrice Kaufman, pianist and retired professor Loran Olsen and Seattle Youth Orchestra conductor Mark Adamo.

In the Junior Young Artist Competition, open to musicians in ninth grade or under, competitors will vie for a top prize of $250, second prize of $125 and third prize of $75.

Registered this year are:

— Pianists Elizabeth Watkins, Emily Bundy, Keon Deng and Lum Fu of Port Angeles;

— Violinists Adam Weller, Sienna Porter and Meiqi Liang of Port Angeles;

— Pianists Erin Dwyer and Keith Wilwert of Sequim;

— Cellist Adlai Erickson of Port Townsend;

— Flutist Gracie Kennedy of Port Angeles;

— Violist Lauren Waldron of Port Angeles.

The senior Young Artists Competition, for musicians up to age 22, comes with prizes of $500 for first place, $250 for second and $100 for third place. 2015’s competitors are:

— Violinist Marley Erickson of Port Townsend;

— Double-bassist Michael Helwick of Port Angeles;

— Pianists Katharyn Rivers and Scott Anders of Port Angeles;

— Violists Leah Haworth and Calista Mordecai-Smith of Port Angeles;

— Pianists Trent Lacour and Shannon Gordon of Sequim;

— Violinists Leah Marsh and Michael Lee of Port Angeles;

— Cellist Madelyn Kowalski of Nordland;

— Flutist Joshua Gershon of Port Angeles;

— Violinist Kate Powers of Sequim;

— Clarinetist Jeffrey Mordecai-Smith of Port Angeles.

The prize money is sponsored by the Port Angeles Garden Club and two anonymous donors.

For more information about this year’s events, contact Young Artists Competition chairwoman Robbin Eaves at rceaves@centurylink.net, phone the Port Angeles Symphony office at 360-457-5579 or visit portangelessymphony.org.