Area Youth to be Spotlighted in Symphony Concert

Four accomplished young musicians from southwest Riverside County and San Diego will take center stage during Inland Valley Symphony's upcoming "Young People's Concert."

The concert, conducted by Maestro Anthony Parnther, will take place at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Gershwin Performing Arts Center at

In February, the symphony hosted a Young Artist Competition and selected four winners who were invited to perform in the concert, said Alana Joos, president of the Inland Valley Symphony board of directors.

Elias Butterfield took first place playing Concerto No. 3 by Beethoven, first movement on the piano.

Clara Truong earned second place playing Concerto No. 2 by Beethoven, third movement on the piano.

Derrick Tiu came in third place playing Ziguenerweisen, Op. 20 by Sarasate on the violin.

Bret Paddock came in fourth place playing Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin on the piano.

(Bios of the four young musicians are attached to this article in PDF format.)

In addition to the four competition winners, the Inland Valley Youth Symphony, conducted by Karen Thurman-Palmer, will also be featured performing "Nimrod" from "Enigma Variations" by Elgar. 

They will then join the Inland Valley Symphony for a concert finale of "Phantom of the Opera" by Webber, conducted by Maestro Parnther.

The program will also feature the organization’s two youngest ensembles:  Prelude—for beginning strings—and Attacca—an intermediate orchestra—both conducted by Thurman-Palmer.

"This will be their first appearance at one of the symphony’s season concerts," Joos said.

Tickets for Saturday's concert are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, military and students 18 and younger, and $8 for children 12 and younger. Tickets may be purchased online InlandValleySymphony.org.

"This season the symphony's concert attendance has skyrocketed so advance ticket purchases are highly recommended," Joos said.

In addition to the three ensembles invited to play in this concert, Murrieta Mesa High School Music Director Thomas Garvin conducts the fourth group, a Wind Symphony that focuses on rehearsing and performing advanced symphonic band repertoire. 

All four of the youth groups will present a joint spring concert at 7 p.m. May 14, also in the performing arts center at Murrieta Mesa High School.

The Inland Valley Symphony is a 55-member nonprofit organization in its 17th year. Supporting these four ensembles is part of the group's educational outreach, Joos said.

Read more about the Symphony's partnership with Murrieta Mesa High School