Local musicians highlighted at Concerto Winners Concert
FOR RELEASE: Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Huntington, Ind. " The fourth annual Concerto Winners Concert will feature the winners of the Huntington College Concerto Competition, which was held last October. The concert will showcase talented instrumentalists and vocalists including three Huntington College students and three local home school students. They will perform in the Friday, April 23 concert at 7:30 p.m., in the Zurcher Auditrium of the Merillat Centre for the Arts. Drew Wutke, a junior choral music education major from Girard, Kan., will perform Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2 in C# min. Wutke is a member of the concert choir, Kappa Delta Education Honors Society, and was featured in last year's Concerto Winners Concert. He has also been showcased in the Longaker Honors Recital two of his three years at HC.
Leah Coon, a senior from Sand Creek, Mich., will perform Sergey Prokofiev's Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26, Movement I. Coon is a Presidential Scholar and will graduate in 2005 with a B.S. in English Education, a B.A. in Music, and a Math minor. As a pianist, she performed in the 2001, 2002, and 2003 Longaker Honors Recitals, and won the HC Concerto Competition both in 2001 and 2003. In 2003, she received 1st-runner-up honors at the Grace College Concerto Competition.
Julie Porter, a junior choral music education major from Addison, Mich., will perform Samuel Barber's Knoxville, Summer of 1915. Porter has been studying voice for eight years and has performed in choral ensembles including the University of Michigan's Chamber Honors Choir, as well as Huntington College's Preeminence, Women's Chorale and Concert Choir. Porter also performed as a soloist in the 2002 Longaker Honors Recital.
Aaron Mossburg and his sister, Rachel, will showcase their talents on the violin, playing Bach's Concerto for Two violins in D minor. They both began playing violin at the age of five. Aaron, age 13, has been playing violin for eight years. He is concertmaster of the Indianapolis Youth Symphony, and in 2001, he was the runner up of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic's concerto competition. He serves as assistant principal violist for the Fort Wayne Youth Symphony. Rachel, age 12, has been playing violin for seven years. She serves as principal second in the Indianapolis Youth Symphony. Both Aaron and Rachel are members of the Huntington College Orchestra will perform the Bach movement with the Indianapolis Youth Symphony after winning its concerto competition. Aaron and Rachel perform frequently with their six other siblings. As a group, the Mossburg children were grand champions (2001) and runners-up (2002) at the Indiana State Fair.
Alicia Pyle, age 17, will perform Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto #1 in b-flat minor. She is the daughter of Mark and Sherie Pyle is currently a home-schooled junior in high school. Pyle has been taking private piano lessons since she was eight years old. She has been the pianist for the Fort Wayne Youth Symphony Orchestra starting with the 2001-2002 season, and will audition for her fourth season this spring. Pyle was the winner of the District H division of the Indiana Music Teacher's Association Hoosier Auditions in 2003 and again in 2004, and will compete at the state level again this year.
To reserve tickets for the Concerto Winners Concert, contact the Merillat Centre for the Arts Box Office at (260) 359-4261. Admission is $5 for the general public, $3 for students and seniors.
Huntington College is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 60 academic concentrations. USNews & World Report ranks Huntington among the top comprehensive colleges in the Midwest. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington College is located on a contemporary, lakeside campus in Huntington, Indiana. The College is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU).
