“Quincy Symphony to Host 53nd Annual Young Artists Competition”

 Area instrumentalists and vocalists in grades 10 through 12 are invited to participate in the 53rd Annual Young Artists Competition on Saturday, December 8, 2007.  The winner(s) of this regional contest will have the opportunity to perform as a guest soloist with the Quincy Symphony Orchestra on Sunday, February 10, 2008, at 3:00pm in the QJHS Morrison Theater.

The purpose of the competition is to give outstanding high school musicians the opportunity to perform as a concert soloist, accompanied by a symphony orchestra.  Such a performance can be a springboard for a young person to choose a lifelong commitment to the arts.  The contest winners receive special publicity which can improve their scholarship opportunities as they move on to higher education.   The annual Young Artists Concert rewards excellence in musicianship and enriches not just the performer, but also the audience and orchestra members.

“There are so many wonderful young musicians in the area who should take advantage of this competition.  Often, musicians do not enter because of the many other priorities and activities in their busy lives as teenagers,” says Jane Polett, general manager of the Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association.  “It is important for them to realize that the opportunity to be a soloist with a symphony orchestra is extremely uncommon.  Any former winner would tell them that the hard work and time commitment to prepare the concert piece was well worth it.”

The competition is open to current 10^th-12^th graders who attend school within a 70 mile radius of Quincy.  The deadline for applications is Friday, November 16, 2007.  Application forms and competition rules and procedures are available by calling the Symphony Office at 217/222-2856.

The Young Artists Concert is partially supported by Encore! Volunteer Council and also by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency.