70th ANNUAL YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION
Sponsored by Capitol Federal®
Sunday, September 10th, 2023
White Concert Hall, Garvey Fine Arts Center, Washburn University – Topeka, Kansas
The Topeka Symphony again offers a special opportunity to talented young musicians. The overall winner of the Young Artist Competition will perform with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra at the concert on Saturday, November 4th, 2023. Winners must perform the selection(s) performed at the competition.
GENERAL REGULATIONS – READ CAREFULLY
1. Contestants must be enrolled in the 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades in one of the following Kansas counties: Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Lyon, Marshall, Miami, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Wabaunsee and Wyandotte.
2. The competition will be conducted in four divisions: vocal; piano; wind and percussion instruments; and string instruments. Impartial judges will select the winners in each division. If, in the opinion of the judges, there is not a qualified entrant in a division, no winner will be declared.
3. An overall winner may enter the following year in a different division only. A runner-up is eligible to enter his or her same division, but must perform different repertoire.
4. Competition performances are anonymous. Each contestant will be assigned a number.
5. Contestants in the instrumental divisions may play one or more movements of any concerto or standard work for solo and orchestra which has a readily available orchestral accompaniment and which lasts from a minimum of 7 to a maximum of 15 minutes total performance time.
6. Contestants in the vocal division may sing any combination of arias or compositions from the classical or standard vocal repertoire which have readily available orchestral accompaniments and which last from a minimum of 7 to a maximum of 15 minutes total performance time. Selections should be contrasting in style.
7. Competition performances are limited to ten (10) minutes and composition(s) must be performed from memory. Judges have the option to ask a contestant to perform any section of the selected composition(s).
8. Each contestant must furnish: A) his or her own accompanist for the competition; B) four (4) copies of the composition(s) for the judges.
9. Each contestant MUST be recommended by her/his music supervisor or private teacher. Repertoire MUST be at performance level at the time of the competition and performed from memory.
10. The competition will be held in Topeka, Sunday, September 10th, 2023, at White Concert Hall, Garvey Fine Arts Center, on the Washburn University campus. The competition is open to the public.
11. Each contestant must complete the Entry Form found here: ENTRY FORM
12. Please pay the $35 NON-REFUNDABLE ENTRY FEE here: PAY FEE
13. Cash awards given by Capitol Federal® will be presented to the overall winner and the division winners at the November 4th, 2023, TSO concert.
14. DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES is midnight, Friday, August 25th, 2023. Contestants will be advised of an assigned competition time soon after the deadline. Contestants MUST appear 30 minutes prior to their assigned time and must be backstage and prepared to perform at least 10 minutes prior to their assigned time.
2023 – 2024 Young Artist Competition Winners
Fritz Volini
Overall and Piano Division Winner
Fritz Volini began formal keyboard studies at the age of 7 with his longtime teacher, Jennifer Lacy. Guided by an intense passion for music, Fritz has gone on to witness much competitive success and have many notable performances. In 2020, Fritz performed as the pre-show for the Portland Piano International Virtual Extravaganza. In 2022, Fritz was an MTNA regional finalist after winning the Kansas MTNA State Senior Solo Piano Competition. He is a three-time Mid-America Music Association 1st place winner in the piano competitive division. In 2022, Fritz made his concerto debut with the St. Louis Gateway Festival Orchestra, performing the third movement of Beethoven’s first piano concerto with a cadenza which he composed.
Fritz, seventeen years old, attends the Pembroke Hill School in Kansas City, Missouri, where he served as junior class president. In addition, Fritz is an avid golfer and leader of Pembroke Hill’s state championship team.
Fritz performed Edward MacDowell’s Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 23, on our November 4th, 2023, concert.
Julian Ramcharan
Winds Division Winner
Julian Ramcharan has played trumpet for six years but has been involved in music since he was very young. He has been in band since 5th grade. Since his freshman year he has been a member of concert wind ensemble and jazz band. He has been selected as a member of the All-State Band every year since his freshman year. Julian is a junior at Topeka West High School and is the son of Rudranath and Karen Ramcharan. His trumpet teachers are Barry Evans and Bryce Call. He performed the Artunian Trumpet Concerto by Alexander Artunian in the Young Artist competition. In addition to music, Julian participates in basketball, tennis and math club at Topeka West.
Andrew Anderson
Strings Division Winner
Andrew Anderson, 17, has studied cello for three years under the direction of Erinn Renyer, cello professor at Washburn University. Andrew has been selected for Northeast Kansas District and All-State orchestras and has received perfect scores at regional and state solo and small ensemble festivals. He has been recognized as strings division winner at Washburn University Concerto Competition, strings division winner of the Topeka Symphony Young Artist Competition, third place in the Mid America Performing Arts Alliance Strings Competition, and first place and audience favorite in the Kansas City Symphony Young Artist Competition, In May of 2023, Andrew performed twice with the Kansas City Symphony under the baton of Michael Stern at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. In June 2023, Andrew performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City with the Kansas City Youth Symphony. Andrew is the son of Phillip and Gloria Anderson and is a Senior at Topeka High School. He performed the first movement of the Cello Concerto in B Minor by Antonin Dvořák in the Topeka Symphony Young Artist Competition.
