Pyle to be featured pianist in Philharmonic gala
FOR RELEASE: Sunday, February 26, 2006
Huntington, Ind. "Huntington University sophomore Alicia Pyle has been selected as the featured pianist for the 2006 Fort Wayne Philharmonic Gala: A Grand Night for Music. Alicia Pyle
I was very surprised and excited to be invited as the featured guest performer with the orchestra in a concert added this year after the evening's dinner and auction festivities, she said. This is truly a blessing for me to work toward and anticipate.
In addition to playing with the orchestra, Pyle will perform under the leadership of Bradley Thachuk, associate conductor of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Her performance will include movements from concertos by Mozart, Tchaikovsky, and Rachmaninoff.
Pyle, a piano performance major from Fort Wayne, Ind., was invited to be a part of the event by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Friends. Her initial involvement with the organization was with the Fort Wayne Youth Symphony Orchestra. She was a member of the group during her high school years and did a solo performance with the orchestra during the spring of 2004.
Pyle also has volunteered and played for several Fort Wayne Philharmonic fundraising events. She has won concerto competitions, including the Fort Wayne Young Artists Competition in the fall of 2005, hosted and organized by the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Friends. Pyle received scholarships for her 2005 acknowledgement as well as for earning runner-up honors in the previous year's Young Artists Competition.
She earned the Outstanding Senior Award from the Fort Wayne Youth Symphony in 2005.
The 2006 Fort Wayne Philharmonic Gala: A Grand Night for Music will be held on April 28, 2006, at the Grand Wayne Center in downtown Fort Wayne. For ticket information, contact Linda Moyer at (260) 747-4510 or e-mail her at lgmoyer@comcast.net. Tickets for the concert alone are $30, or $175 for the concert, dinner, and auction.
As another honor for winning their Young Artists Competition in 2005, Pyle will perform with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic in May for the Young People's Concert Series.
Pyle was a long-time student of Dawn Hopkins of Fort Wayne and presently studies with Dr. Patricia Spedden, professor of music at Huntington University.
Alicia Pyle is a gem of a student, Spedden said. Her work ethic, commitment to her craft, and first-rate talent place her among the best pianists to come to Huntington University. We want to see her participate in numerous competitions, and we have plans to feature her talent on behalf of the University.
Pyle's career goals include finishing college, and continuing to build her private teaching studio, where she teaches 25 students weekly. She also would like to record CDs, and continue working on her compositions which now include worship songs and classical style pieces. Someday, she would like to become the pianist for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic.
