William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition
March 12th, 2020
Saturday, March 7, 2020
Flint, Michigan
Academy Program violinist Noelle Naito was awarded first place in the William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition, an international competition held annually at the Flint Institute of Music in Flint, MI. Noelle is the first Academy student to win this competition that rotates strings, voice, piano, winds and brass each year. Five finalists performed after being selected from applicants throughout the world. Contestants were judged on musicianship, technique and overall stature as a potential performing artist with a symphony orchestra. The finalists competed for a grand prize of $6,000 and the opportunity to perform with the Flint Symphony Orchestra and Enrique Diemecke, Conductor and Music Director. Noelle will perform Paganini Violin Concerto with the Flint Symphony Orchestra next year.
William C. Byrd was the director of the Flint Institute of Music and conductor of the Flint Symphony Orchestra from 1966 to 1974. He was devoted to the artistic growth of young musicians and had a dream of bringing some of the world’s finest young talent to Flint with the intent of showcasing virtually unknown rising young artists with the Flint Symphony Orchestra.