The concert includes performances by the three grand prize winners of the 2023 Collin County Young Artist Competition and concludes with Berlioz’s romantic work.
PLANO, TX (March 1, 2023): The Plano Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is proud to celebrate the grand prize winners of the Collin County Young Artist Competition when the three young musicians Melody Guo, Nicole Johnson, and Elim Wong open the March 18 concert with their winning concertos. Following their performances, the orchestra will close the evening with Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, one of the most imaginative symphonies ever written.
The Young Artists and Symphonie Fantastique concert will be performed at Christ United Methodist Church (3101 Coit Road, Plano)at 8 PMon Saturday, March 18, 2023. Tickets can be purchased through the Plano Symphony Orchestra Box Office (972-473-7262/planosymphony.org). Tickets will range in price from $23-$78 and $15 for student tickets.
“Every year, this concert reminds us that the future of orchestra music shines brighter than ever!” commented PSO Executive Director Gregory Patterson. “We love seeing these young musicians and the joy in their performances. It’s even more rewarding to hear from past participants about how the experience positively affected them even many years later.”
The 2023 Grand Prize Winners of this year’s Young Artist Competition are:
Melody Guo, piano: At 15 years of age, Ms. Guo is a sophomore at Townview School for the Talented and Gifted in Dallas. She has been playing the piano for 10 years and currently studies with Dr. Alex McDonald. Her previous teacher was Mr. Yi-Fan Liu. Melody has won several awards at the Dallas Symphonic Festival and Dallas Solo Competition from 2016 to 2023. In addition to the piano, she has played the violin for nine years.
Nicole Johnson, clarinet: At age 17, Ms. Johnson is a junior at Liberty High School in Frisco. She has been playing the clarinet for five years. Her teacher, Deborah Fabian, is the principal clarinetist of the PSO and Principal Lecturer of Clarinet at UNT. In addition to clarinet, Nicole has played the violin for 14 years. She has been in the GDYO (Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra) for nine years.
Elim Wong, violin: Ms. Wong is a 12-year-old sixth grader at Schimelpfenig Middle School in Plano. She started learning the violin when she was 4 years old and has been a student of the late Jan Mark Sloman and Ms. Eun-song Koh for the past four years. Singing is another one of Elim’s many talents. As part of the Dallas Symphony’s Children’s Chorus, she was chosen to sing the child solo part at the Dallas Symphony and EarthX film concert – The Way of the Rain – Hope for Earth.
To learn more about The Young Artists and Symphonie Fantastique concert and other PSO events including the concerts recently announced as part of next year’s 41st season, visit planosymphony.org.