The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra will conduct its Third Annual Concerto Competition the first weekend in February at a private residence at Makalei Estates in Kona. Young string instrument players from around the state will be eligible for the competition this year, and woodwind, brass, percussion and keyboard players next year. During the competition, contestants will perform by memory one movement of a piece chosen from standard orchestral repertoire with piano accompaniment.
The Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra will conduct its Third Annual Concerto Competition the first weekend in February at a private residence at Makalei Estates in Kona. Young string instrument players from around the state will be eligible for the competition this year, and woodwind, brass, percussion and keyboard players next year. During the competition, contestants will perform by memory one movement of a piece chosen from standard orchestral repertoire with piano accompaniment.
The preliminary round of the contest will be Saturday, Feb. 1, and two contestants from each age category — 12 years and under, 13-15 years and 16-18 years — will advance to the final round on Sunday, Feb. 2. The winners of each age group chosen during the final round will perform at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, accompanied by the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra, on Sunday, March 30, as part of the orchestra’s spring concert. Winning contestants will also receive cash rewards.
String players interested in entering the competition should visit the orchestra’s website kamuelaphil.org for further details on the approved repertoire, and specific procedures for entry.
Applications for the event, which are due to Kamuela Philharmonic Music Director Madeline Schatz no later than Jan. 2, can also be obtained from the website.
As a long-time teacher, Schatz is aware of and pleased with the talent exhibited by many young music students in Hawaii, and she came up with the idea of holding the concerto competition as a showcase for some of that talent. Since the Kamuela Philharmonic Orchestra is a charitable organization as described in Section 501(c)3, and part of its mission statement is furthering the musical knowledge of local young people, sponsoring this competition is one way of working to accomplish that goal. Those who wish to contribute to this endeavor, either financially or in other ways, are encouraged to contact the orchestra either through the website or at P.O. Box 2597, Kamuela, HI 96743.