Solo Competition
Congratulations to the 2010 New York Solo Competition Winners. Please visit astaweb.com to find out more information about the deadlines and requirements for the 2012 solo competition or contact solochair@nyasta.com
Andrea Jarrett, violinist
Named a 2009 Presidential Scholar in the Arts by the U.S. Department of Education, sophomore Andrea Jarrett is pursuing her Bachelor of Music Degree at The Juilliard School, where she studies with David Chan. In May of 2010 she performed the Mendel
ssohn Octet in the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Meet the Music! Concert Series. Last October, she performed at the 2009 National Arts Awards in New York City, where Robert Redford was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. During her high school years, Andrea was a member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program, where she studied with Almita and Roland Vamos. Andrea received the Silver Award in Music/Violin from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts during her senior year of high school. In April of 2009, Andrea performed at Carnegie Hall as a member of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra under the musical direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. She received the Shar Music Award for being named the Grand Prize Winner, Junior Division, of the 2008 Michigan String Teachers Association Solo Competition. Andrea has performed as a soloist with the Dearborn (MI), Birmingham-Bloomfield (MI), Toledo, and Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestras. She was a member of Quartet Polaris, Gold Medal Winners of the 2008 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Junior Division, and performed with them on NPR’s “From the Top.” The quartet also performed in The Kennedy Center and Carnegie Weill Hall as part of an east-coast tour through the Music Institute of Chicago. She has attended Music Academy of the West, Astona International Summer Music Academy, Aspen Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute, and Interlochen Arts Camp.
Kevin Sherwin, classical guitarist
Kevin Sherwin is a 16 year old classical guitarist, living in Roslyn Heights, New York. He is an 11th grade student attending Roslyn High School, and studying at The Juilliard School in the Pre-College division with Tali Roth, classical guitar faculty. Over the past four summers, Kevin attended the New England Music Camp (NEMC) in Maine and studied under Christopher Ladd, a faculty member at The Hartt School. In 2008, he was a finalist and top prize winner in the prestigious Guitar Foundation of America International Youth Competition, garnering Fourth Prize. As a competitor in concerto competitions in 2009, Kevin made history for the classical guitar in two competitions. He was the first guitarist to be named a finalist in the Juilliard Pre-College Open Concerto Competition, and was the first of his instrument to be awarded First Prize in the NEMC Concerto Competition. As the NEMC winner, Kevin was given the opportunity to perform with a professional orchestra in concert with conductor, Maestro Leon Gregorian. In 2009, Kevin was selected to work with the New York- based foundation, Midori and Friends, to inspire inner-city children through music. He has performed several concerts for this organization, including GuitarFest, which was held in the Manhattan Sony Wonder Technology Lab. Kevin performs and studies a wide selection of repertoire, spanning from J.S. Bach to Leo Brouwer. Additionally, as an active chamber musician, Kevin currently performs with a flutist as a part of the Juilliard Pre-College chamber music program.
