Carmel Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition

December 6, 2015

Lydia Rhea, Academy cello student of Hans Jorgen Jensen, was named first place winner of the Carmel Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition. Lydia will perform Kabalevsky's Second Cello Concerto, Mvts 1 & 2, with the orchestra on January 31, 2016.

Lydia is a Merit Scholarship Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, a training center for gifted pre-college musicians.

Lydia made her debut at the age of nine with the New World Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and the Fishers (Indiana) Chamber Players. She was also the first prize winner at the Indiana University David Popper Competition and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Young Artist Competition Young Artist Division.  In the 2014-2015 season, Lydia placed second in the Carmel and New World Symphonies Young Artist Competitions. She also served as principal cellist in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra’s Side-by-Side program.

For the past two summers, Lydia studied at the Meadowmount School of Music; prior to that she studied at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival and the Indiana University String Academy. She served as principal cellist of the Indianapolis-based New World Youth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Susan Kitterman. Lydia has participated in master classes with Sharon Robinson, Daniel Morgenstern, Peter Stumpf, Paul York, Anthony Kitai, Peter Opie, Amir Eldan, Richard Hirschl, and Richard Aaron. Lydia is a homeschooled junior; in addition to cello, she has been dancing since the age of four. She also enjoys reading, playing with her dogs, and spending time with her younger sister.