Congratulations to Violist Abigail Elder

Congratulations to Violist Abigail Elder for winning the Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra's Young Artist String Competition!

From the press release:

Birmingham, MI – March 22, 2011 – BIRMINGHAM-BLOOMFIELD SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA named Abigail Elder as the 2011 Young Artist String Competition Winner for her performance of Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, Mvt. 1 by William Walton.

Abigail Elder is a 16 year old junior at Cranbrook Kingswood School in Bloomfield Hills where she is a Slotkin Scholar in music and is on the Dean’s List. She currently studies viola under DSO violist Caroline Coade. Ms. Elder is a three year member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Civic Youth Orchestra where she has served as principal violist. Ms. Elder has been a three year participant in The Perlman Music Program under the direction of Itzhak Perlman and Toby Perlman. She has won prizes for viola performance and music composition from the American String Teachers Association Soloist Competition, Ohio Viola Society Youth Competition, and the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Composers Contest, among others. In addition to serving as principal violist of the Cranbrook Orchestra and as a member of the Cranbrook Quartet, Ms. Elder is a member of Cranbrook’s Madrigals Women’s Choir and President and Co-Founder of the Cranbrook Chamber Club. Ms. Elder is also active in her community, studies voice and music theory, and runs on the Cranbrook cross country team.

Ms. Elder will perform her competition piece, Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, Mvt. 1 by William Walton, with the BBSO on April 17, 2011 at From the New World – the BBSO’s final concert of 2010-2011 Season.

The Young Artist String Competition took place March 9 & 10, 2011 at Wilson Fine Violins in Birmingham. From the twenty-eight students who competed, a total of five students were honored. Violinist Davis West was named the runner up for his performance of Violin Concerto No. 2, Mvt. 1 by Béla Bartók. Mr. West is a senior at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor. The judges also named three honorable mentions: Grace Mieczkowski (violin, 12th grade), Melody Mieczkowski (cello, 11th grade), and Giancarlo Latta (violin, 10th grade). All five winners will be recognized at the April 17 th concert.

There is also an optional benefit being held before the concert at Scavolini by Cucina Moda, where the runners-up from the Young String Artist Competition will be playing: http://bbso.org/events.html. 

Performance
From the New World
Birmingham Groves High School Auditorium – 20500 West 13 Mile Road, Beverly Hills, MI 48025-3830
Auditorium parking entrance is off Evergreen Road.

Sunday, April 17, 2011
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Concert at 7:00 p.m.

Concert Repertoire
Aaron Copland: Fanfare for the Common Man
Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 2, Op. 132, Mysterious Mountain
William Walton: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, Mvt. 1 (performed by Young Artist Abigail Elder)
Anton Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World

Tickets are $27 for adults and children 18 and under are free. They may be purchased at the door or in advance by calling (248) 352- BBSO or visiting www.bbso.org. For children’s tickets, please stop at the will call table prior to the performance.