May 23, 2010
Spring Concert

"A Concerto Extravaganza"

Featuring
3rd Young Artist Concerto Competition Winners

Sophia Bacelar, 13-year-old Cellist
Katelyn Tran, 15-year-old Pianist
Nathan Watts, 17-year-old Cellist

Program
Mendelssohn Hebrides Overture, "Fingals Cave"
Haydn Cello Concerto in D Major
Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major
Lalo Cello Concerto

Return to 2009-10 Season

Fourteen-year-old Sophia Bacelar began studying cello at the age of three. In 2006, she was accepted into the Pre-College Division of The Juilliard School, where she studies with Clara Kim. Sophia has won top prizes in several competitions, including first prize at the New York Young Musicians Competition, the American String Teacher Association/NJ Solo Competition, the Exceptional Young Musicians Competition of New Jersey, first prize in the Dvorak Silent Woods and Rondo Competition at The Juilliard School in 2008, first prize in the 27th Annual Goldblatt Music Scholarship Competition, and grand prize in the 2010 Young Artists Concerto Competition of the Bravura Philhamonic Orchestra, New Jersey. Invited by the International Tchaikovsky Committee, Sophia participated in the 6th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians held in Suwon, South Korea in 2009. She attended the MusicAlp summer festival in France, where she studied with Clara Kim, and Sung Won Yang, and she will be returning there this summer. Sophia has played for Bernard Greenhouse and Lawrence Lesser, and has performed at Weill Recital Hall, Paul Recital Hall, Morse Hall, and the Peter Jay Sharp Theater in New York City

Sixteen year-old Katelyn Tran has been studying piano since the age of four. She has been praised for her “brilliant facility” and “sheer elegance and grace.” Katelyn’s innate gift for piano was nurtured by Professor Veda Zuponcic . She has been furthering her studies with Dr. Ronn Yedidia. Katelyn’s talent, hard work, and devotion to music have been acknowledged in numerous piano competitions as well as critical acclaim abroad, where she has received praise for her “excellent artistry and technique,” “maturity, sensitivity, and passion exceeding her years,” and cited for her “exciting performances - brimming with spirit and fire !” Katelyn’s success in piano competitions over the years has led to major solo performances at such venues as Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall & Steinway Hall in New York City, as well as Philadelphia's Verizon Hall at Kimmel Center. She has also performed in Canada, France, and Spain as a Grand Prize competition winner. She has been featured as a soloist with multiple symphonic orchestras since the age of 8. Katelyn is a sophomore at the Jackson Memorial High School of New Jersey. She is the soloist in her school jazz band, and was awarded “The Best Overall Soloist Award” this year. She believes that music is the language of the heart, and this spirit continues to motivate her toward her artistic goals.

Nathan Watts began studying cello at the age of 7. He currently studies with Gloria dePasquale of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He has been a member of the Temple Music Prep Orchestras and chamber ensembles for several years. For the past two years, Nathan has been in the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and this year, he was awarded the Settlement Advanced Study Scholarship to be a part of the Gray’s Charitable Trust Piano Trio under the direction of Diane Monroe. This past summer, Nathan attended the Robert McDuffie and Friends Labor Day Festival for Strings at Mercer University in Georgia. He has also participated in the Aspen Music Festival and School, where he studied with Bill Grubb. This year has been an exciting year for Nathan, as he was awarded first prize at the Kennett Square Concerto Competition, and will perform Bruch Adagio on Celtic Themes this August. Nathan is finishing his senior year at Collingswood High School where he is an honors student.  He has spent his senior year auditioning at conservatories across the United States, and has decided to continue his cello studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He will begin his studies with Stephen Geber, formerly the principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra, in September 2010.