Youth Symphony Names 2018-19 Concerto Competition Winners

Each year the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony holds a concerto competition for its members; winners of the competition perform one movement of a solo work for their instrument with accompaniment from Youth Symphony on their Spring Concert. This competition is separate from the Idaho Falls Symphony Young Artists Competition in that applicants must be active members of the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony, and their performance takes place with the IFYS instead of the adult symphony.

The 2018-2019 winners are Isaac Lee, a senior from Rigby High School, who will perform the Adagio from the Grieg Piano Concerto, and Claire Yoo, an eighth-grader from Taylorview Junior High School, who will perform Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso. Isaac studies piano with Lisa Hardyman, and Claire is a private student of IFS concertmaster Emma Rubinstein.

“There were many good performances in this year’s competition, but Claire and Isaac stood out,” comments Diane Soelberg, director of the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony. Diane is in her second year in this role and is also on the faculty at BYU-Idaho. The Idaho Falls Youth Symphony will present two concerts this year: Dances from Around the World on December 6th, and a spring program that will feature Isaac and Claire’s pieces on May 1, 2019. Both performances are free and open to the public and will take place at the Idaho Falls Civic Center for the Performing Arts.

The Idaho Falls Youth Symphony was founded in 1989 by Eric Wenstrom as the Eastern Idaho Youth Symphony and was later incorporated into the Idaho Falls Symphony Society. The purpose of the Youth Symphony is to provide young musicians a positive, education, and fulfilling experience as members of a full orchestra. The Youth Symphony also seeks to enhance area school music programs by providing an experience that will challenge the students’ developing musical skills. Auditions for the 2019-2020 Youth Symphony will be held in May of 2019.

For more information about the Idaho Falls Youth Symphony.