YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION
ABOUT THE YAC
The opportunity for a young musician to appear in concert as a soloist with a symphony orchestra is both extremely valuable and quite rare.
The Meridian Symphony is proud to sponsor an annual Young Artist’s Competition, open to students through grade 12 from Southwest Idaho.
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Top winners in both junior and senior categories will perform with the Meridian Symphony during its spring concert. Always an audience favorite, the concert showcases some of the amazing young talent in our area, is highly entertaining, and serves as an inspiration to other young musicians.
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Young Artists Competition dates are soon to be announced for the 2023/2024 season.
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SOLOIST AWARDS
2023
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Hayoon Lee
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Darren Liu
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2022
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Paige Malan
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Adelyn Bendorf
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2021
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Julia Erway
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Truman Walker
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Zachary Cheng
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2020
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Christian Nielsen
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Benjamin Gallafent
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2019
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Alec Tzeng
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Gigi Finn
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2018
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Reiko Tachibana
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Jake Curtis
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2017
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Julia Caven
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Minjun Kwak
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Anthony Luo
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Christian Nielsen
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2016
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Anna Black
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Fernando Perez
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2015
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Aubrie Church
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Elizabeth Lee
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Anthony Luo
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2014
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Anna Black
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John Shieh
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Lauren Vandervelden
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2013
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Jacqueline Audas
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Noah Samuel Jessee
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2012
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Anna Black
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Christa Cole
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Ethan Davis
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2011
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Michelle Hembree
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Nolan Nguyen
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2010
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Jacqueline Audas
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Jiwon Kim
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2009
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Katherine Audas
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Stephanie L’Heureux
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Lisa Montierth
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2008
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Nicole Oswald
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Sophie Petroski
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2007
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Katherine Audas
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Kate Jarvis
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Jaymeson Pon
SPONSORS
Dunkley Music
Meridian Arts Commission
FEEDBACK
The Meridian Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition is an immeasurable motivation for advanced junior high and high school students. Students who participated prepare with such diligence that their technical and interpretive insights develop considerably. Students who are selected to solo with the orchestra invariably mature musically as they acquire performance skills with a greater sense of artistry. I strongly urge all serious young musicians to participate and reap the benefits from this remarkable opportunity!
— Craig Purdy
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The Meridian Symphony Young Artist Competition provided our daughter with an exceptional opportunity to debut her musical skills. The competition itself was rewarding for all participants, who received constructive and insightful feedback from the distinguished panel of judges. The Meridian Symphony is the only organization in the Treasure Valley offering young artists this kind of supportive audition process and potential subsequent performance with a professional orchestra. Our daughter will always be grateful to the Meridian Symphony, its wonderful conductors and musicians, and its appreciative audience.
— Michael Vandervelden, parent of YAC participant