The FRIENDS of the Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition
February 4th, 2017
February 4, 2017
The FRIENDS of the Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition has been rewarding and encouraging the talents of young musicians since 1956. Competitors, up to the age of 25, are judged and critiqued by professional orchestra musicians through the preliminary and semi-final rounds. The Final round is judged by Maestro Osmo Vanska, Music Director of the Minnesota Orchestra. As a finalist in the Friends of Minnesota String Competition, Academy violinist Zachary Brandon, 18, student of Almita Vamos and Hye-Sun Lee, was awarded a full scholarship to Aspen Music Festival and School this summer as well as the Elaine Lagerstrom Memorial Award for best string player. Zachary was the only high school string player to advance to the final round, all the other finalists were in graduate school or professional performing artists. Former Academy violist Matthew Lipman won the competition in 2012.