Norwalk Symphony to host First Annual Young Artists' Festival in February, 2013

The Norwalk Symphony Orchestra will host  it's first ever Young Artists’ Festival on Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 1-4  in  Norwalk City Hall, 125 East Avenue in Norwalk.  Open to string students who have at least two years of study and have not yet graduated high school, this festival offers four different events which will serve to encourage and recognize the talented young musicians in Fairfield County. Additionally, the festival will host a Concerto Competition which is open to all instrumentalists through high school. Festival registrar and NSO Board Member Becki Christopherson observes, "The primary purpose of this festival is to give young musicians the opportunity to perform in the context of the greater Fairfield County musical community. Opportunities like this do not exist in Fairfield County but are common throughout the country. This year, all levels except the Concerto Competition are open only to string students. The Concerto Competition is open to any instrument. We hope to expand in future years." 

Younger students with at least two years of study are invited to perform for judges and receive constructive feedback and recognition. Older string students with at least four years of study can perform longer pieces and receive adjudicated feedback. These two levels are non-competitive but provide valuable training to prepare students for future competitions. The Junior and Senior Competitions, for more serious students, presents those winners with cash prizes of $150 and $300, respectively.

The Concerto Competition is open to students of all ages who reside in Fairfield County. In order to be eligible to compete in the Concerto Competition, these students must submit a DVD of their playing.  NSO Maestro Jonathan Yates and other judges will select a winner who will then be invited to perform their concerto with the orchestra at the subscription Family Concert on March 10, 2013! This concert, which will start at 3pm, is especially geared towards the youthful audience and  includes Prokofiev’s children’s classic Peter and the Wolf. Members of the Norwalk Youth Symphony will perform “Side by Side” with the members of the NSO. The symphony's Executive Director Jane Shelly remarked, " The NSO is pleased to launch this first annual Festival because it is a perfect reflection of Maestro Yates’ vision that the NSO will be meaningfully integrated into the lives of all the communities we serve."  The deadlines have been extended to December 22 for registration and January 11 for video submissions. For more information, please call the symphony at 203.956.6771.