Senior Symphony

Winner: Valerie Sanders, violin

Valerie Clare Sanders, a 17 year-old junior at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, has played violin for more than 14 years.  She studied for ten years with Mary Ellen Meyer, four years with Jeanyi Kim and currently with Eugene Purdue.  Inspired by them, Valerie hopes to become a violin professor some day.  Valerie has won various honors for her violin work, including Honorable Mention and Finalist status in the 2008 and 2010 Milwaukee Symphony Young Artist Auditions, respectively.  In January she served as Concertmaster for the MSO ‘Stars of Tomorrow’ concert.  She was one the eight semi-finalists for the Madison Symphony 2010 Bolz Young Artist Competition and a winner of the Civic Music Association High School Showcase.  In 2008, Valerie was Concertmaster for the Wisconsin State Honors Orchestra.  A member of MYSO for six years, she received Honorable Mention designation twice in Senior Symphony Concerto competitions and was the winner of both the Sinfonia (2006) and the Philharmonia (2007) Concerto competitions.  Valerie has been Concertmaster for Sinfonia and Philharmonia and currently sits as Co-Concertmaster for Senior Symphony.  In addition to her work on violin, Valerie has also studied piano for six years with Stefanie Jacob and is the pianist in a piano trio at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.  Besides her music, Valerie enjoys writing, reading, running, collecting and dressing in elaborate costumes and spending time with her dear friends.  Equally comfortable in the ridiculously funny and the deeply spiritual, Valerie views all aspects of life as lessons from God and uses those lessons as fuel for her art.
 

Runner-Up: Isaac Young, violin

Honorable Mention:

• Stacey Bjorgaard, violin
• Kristian Brusubardis, violin
• Cassandra Chiao, violin
• Laurin Friedland, marimba
• Matthew Griffith, clarinet
• Holly Spangenberg, violin
• Elliot Yang, cello

Hear the excellent runner-up and honorable mention performers at the MYSO Honor Recital, Sunday, April 18, 5:00 p.m.

Philharmonia

Winner: Tarryck Kalishek, Violin

Tarryck Kalishek, 15, is a sophomore at West Bend East High School.  He has been playing the violin for five years and piano for nine years.  He started violin lessons in 6th grade with Chris Kraly, the high school's orchestra director, and is now studying with Darcy Drexler, director of the String Academy of Wisconsin.  Tarryck is currently concertmaster of MYSO's Philharmonia and also enjoys  playing with the MYSO Chamber Orchestra.  He has been with MYSO for three years.  Along with the Philharmonia Concerto Competition, he has also recently won the Kettle Moraine Symphony Concerto Competition and the String Academy's Concerto Competition.  He also participated in the MSO Young Artist Auditions for the first time this year, receiving an Honorable Mention, and performed with the MSO for this year’s Stars of Tomorrow Concert.  He has received gold medal honors for the high school's Solo and Ensemble event for the past three years and was awarded the West Bend High School Orchestra's Outstanding Musicianship Award in 2008.  For the past three years, Tarryck has studied violin-making and repair with local luthiers and has traveled to Cremona, Italy, to receive additional guidance from native, world-renowned luthiers; Tarryck has built four violins.  He enjoys reading and films and this year participated in a nationwide after-school engineering competition involving remote operated submersible vehicles, placing second in the state.

Runner-Up: Chloe Tula, Harp

Honorable Mention:

• Brandon Kreuder, Violin
• Ryan Krofta, Trombone

Sinfonia

Winner: Julian Rhee, violin

Nine-year-old violinist Julian Rhee, of Brookfield, is a 4th grader at Brookfield Academy.  He began his violin studies at age 4.  The 2009-10 season was his first year participating in MYSO and he will be a member of Philharmonia for 2010-11.  Julian is a two-time winner of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Bach Double Violin Competition, and performed that piece with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.  His favorite subject in school is gym, and when he has free time he loves to play with his Legos, Transformers, video games and basketball.  Julian would love to someday join his older sister Tabby who plays in MYSO’s Senior Symphony.  When he grows up he wants to be a doctor, violinist and a professional basketball player (all at the same time).

Runner-Up: Mara Bajic, violin

Honorable Mention:

• Christian Anderson, cello
• Sebastian Chou, violin
• Malina Olsen, violin
• Abigail Schneider, violin
• Linzheng Shi, violin
• Brian Zhu, violin

String Orchestra

Winners:
Hannah White, Violin, SO/W
Malik Johnson, Cello, SO/C

Hannah Lan White, age 10, has been playing the violin for three years.  She has played with the Waukesha Area Youth Orchestra Sinfonietta (for three years) and Chamber Orchestra (for two years).  A member of MYSO for one year, she will be a member of MYSO’s Philharmonia in 2010-11.  Hannah has studied with Karla Siegler since she started playing the violin and currently studies with Pamela Simmons.  In 2009 Hannah was awarded with a gold plaque from the Kettle Moraine Musicians Festival for achieving the highest possible rating for three consecutive years.  She has received recognition in both the Lake Country Baroque Festival Competition as well as the Milwaukee Symphony Bach Double Competition for which she received the honor of performing with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.  Hannah has performed at several Milwaukee area corporations and businesses to benefit the United Performing Arts Fund and volunteers her time performing at various senior residences.  Hannah enjoys being home schooled along with her two brothers.  In her spare time, she enjoys practicing her violin, composing music, reading the bible, painting, baking, biking, fishing and golfing.


Cellist Malik Johnson is 11 years old and will be entering the 6th grade at Milwaukee College Preparatory School.  A student of Ravenna Helson, Malik got his start on cello in MYSO’s Progressions program, and has been a member of MYSO for three years; he will be a member of Sinfonia in the fall of 2010.  Malik recently completed a week at the Wisconsin String Teachers Association Camp.  In his spare time, he enjoys playing guitar and piano.

Runners-Up:
Samantha Carter, Violin, SO/C
Hannah Ulatowski, Violin, SO/W

Honorable Mention:

• Mikaela Bolker, Violin, SO/N
• Xander Braun, Violin, SO/W
• Audra Goelz, Violin, SO/W
• Garrison Keller, Cello, SO/N
• Stephen Simuncak, Cello, SO/S
• Henry Cloran, Bass, SO/C

Chamber Flute Ensemble

Winner: Jenifer Minor

Flutist Jenifer Minor, of Hartland, is a junior at Arrowhead High School. She started her musical studies at age 5, playing piano.  After playing piano for five years, she began playing flute and has now played for six years.  Jenifer plays in MYSO’s Senior Symphony, Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Flute Ensemble.  She has been involved in many other musical activities, as well, such as Arrowhead High School’s nationally-ranked Broadway Company, in their annual Music Theatre Nights show, and in the pit orchestra for the school play Pride and Prejudice.  Jenifer has recently been awarded the Dorothy Goff Frisch Scholarship for 2010.  She has attended Prelude Music Academy in Madison, the UW-Whitewater flute camp and many others.  She has had the privilege of working with accomplished flutists Caen Thomason-Redus, Robin Fellows, Patricia George and Teri Forscher.  Jenifer now studies with Linda Nielsen and hopes to attend the Cleveland Institute of Music where she plans to pursue music performance as a career.  She also enjoys knitting, sailing, dancing in the rain and all things purple.

Runner-Up: Heather Jost

Honorable Mention:

• Joohee Son

Flute Chorale

Winner: Sabrina Raber

Sabrina Raber has been playing the flute for four years.  The 2009-10 season was her first year with MYSO.  She also plays with the Junior Wind Ensemble.  In addition to playing flute, she also has been playing the piano for seven years, taking lessons at the Wisconsin Conservatory.  Outside of the music world, Sabrina loves to swim on her team and play softball.  She also loves reading, writing and travelling.  In her free time, she likes to hang out with friends and write music.  Sabrina hopes to pursue both the flute and piano, and loves being a part of MYSO.

Runner-Up: Max Lin

Honorable Mention:

• Manasi Mohan
• Kirsten Meier