WESTFIELD, NJ – Three talented teenage musicians vied for the grand prize winning spot in the Westfield Symphony Orchestra’s first Stars of Tomorrow Concerto Competition, a Youth in the Arts initiative, on Saturday, May 2 at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway.

The top three who competed were chosen from a select group of musicians ages 18 and under (the youngest applicant was 8 years old). Initially, there were 65 applicants, a group which was whittled down to 40 semi-finalists from the tri-state area, who auditioned for judges in New York City. Those chosen from the semi-finalists were: Andrew Sun, age 17, a pianist from Princeton, New Jersey; flutist Jared Harrison, age 16 of West Cobleskill, New York; and Matthew Kimura, a violinist from Syosset, New York, age 15.

"We have three extraordinary young musicians who will be performing the first movement of famous concertos," said David Wroe, Westfield Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor. "Each has already achieved an extraordinary place in their instrumental categories, and this will be a lifetime opportunity performing with a better professional symphony orchestra."

Each contestant accompanied the orchestra. Sun performed Ludwig Van Beethoven’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No 5, E-Flat Major, op. 73 ("Emperor), Harrison performed the Concerto for Flute and Orchestra by Carl Nielsen and Felix Mendelssohn’s Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, E minor, op. 64 was Kimura’s selection.

During intermission, judges met to choose the grand prize winner. Judges included the Westfield Symphony Orchestra’s own percussionist Barry Centanni, violinist Anton Miller and clarinetist Meighan Stoops, along with Wroe and composer Jeffery Briggs. Briggs’ song, Celebration, which was sponsored by the PG Foundation, made its debut after the intermission, and was followed by Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A major, Opus 92.

The approximately 400 audience members were given an opportunity to vote, which would swing the results should there be a deadlock amongst the judges. This turned out to be the case and the audience vote was the deciding factor, in what Wroe described as a "terribly hard decision." Kimura walked away with the $3,000 grand prize, with Harrison and Sun each receiving a $500 prize.

Helene and Jerry Dreskin who underwrote the performance, presented the awards. Wroe gave the Dreskins a special thank you, indicating the event could not have happened without them.

Kimura, who admitted he was not really nervous during his performance said, "It was a lot of work leading up to it, but the reward in the end was a great experience, having a chance to play with the orchestra and conductor, and I guess my hard work paid off."

Following his performance, Kimura and his family celebrated at his uncle’s home. "This was beyond our expectations," his mother Bo Young Kimura commented on behalf of the family. "We were so happy he’d come this far as a finalist. Getting to be the grand prize winner was the icing on the cake."

Kimura said her son’s teacher, Elizabeth Chang, also attended and was very emotional. Overall, she said the family, including his grandmother, was shaking and crying with joy at her son’s achievement.

Just prior to the decision, Sun told The Alternative Press he was nervous, but once he felt the energy from the conductor and the orchestra, he was "feeling at home, right where he was supposed to be." "We really appreciate the Westfield Symphony Orchestra that they could do this," his mother, Emily Sun, said. "We went to New York for the audition and all the youngsters were really serious. All were competitive but enjoying themselves." About the piano her son played on during the competition she said, "The piano itself was grand, very formal, not just ordinary. And the King’s entrance is a wonderful piece which is also very grand."

Harrison and his father, grandmother and sister headed home to Upstate New York following the performance. "It’s been a lot of fun and a great experience," said Harrison, "I was a little nervous. This was my first experience playing with a professional symphony orchestra." "We are very proud, and really felt it was flawless," said Aaron Harrison. "I purchased him his first flute, it was a wooden one," said grandmother Sarah Harrison. Harrison also said she was impressed with her grandson and the other young men and how they were able to express themselves creatively.

"The competition format was important," said Wroe, who explained how it provided variety by dividing competitors into 3 to 4 instrument categories. From there, the winner was chosen from each category and then the finalists were placed together onstage. Wroe said this "guaranteed variety."

Anton Miller, who has appeared as a violin soloist nationwide and abroad including in Beijing, China, and is a violin and chamber music faculty member at New York University said, "I’ve judged a lot of competitions and this one was interesting and different."

Briggs, who traveled from Baltimore with his wife and one of his daughters to the competition and to be present at the debut of his piece said, "It was a great evening, and the concerto competition was delightful." He added with a laugh, "It was nice to be on the same program as Beethoven."

The Westfield Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1983 and is in its 26th season. They are New Jersey’s second largest orchestra and leading freelance orchestra in the state. A Tour of Notable Homes in Westfield on May 16 will benefit the orchestra. Their upcoming performance on May 30 at The Presbyterian Church in Westfield, SOUNDPartnerships Verdi Requiem, is an international collaboration with the Liverpool Welsh Choral Union and the Pro Arte Chorale. For tickets, contact The Westfield Symphony Orchestra at: 908-232-9400.

More information about the upcoming events and about The Westfield Symphony Orchestra can also be found on their website: http://www.westfieldsymphony.org/  

Music Director and Conductor David Wroe leads the Westfield Symphony Orchestra while contestant Jared Harrison, age 16, accompanies the selection on his flute. Photo by Jennifer Jean Miller

Matthew Kimura, age 15, was the grand prize winner of the concerto competition. Photo by Jennifer Jean Miller

David Wroe, Music Director and Conductor, leads the Westfield Symphony Orchestra. Photo by Jennifer Jean Miller

The Westfield Symphony Orchestra performs Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 Photo by Jennifer Jean Miller