Six talented young musicians – recipients of talent scholarship awarded by the NIU Community School of the Arts – will perform Saturday, Feb. 27, on campus.
The annual Honors Recital begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Music Building at NIU. The concert is free and open to the public, and the auditorium is accessible to all.
Auditions for these six coveted awards are held in January each year, when the young musicians play their pieces from memory before a team of three judges. Each winner receives $250.
The Community School of the Arts has awarded 120 talent scholarships to young musicians in the community since 1996. The money for these awards comes from the community school’s scholarship fund.
Ranging in age from 10 to 16, this year’s winners are from DeKalb, Sycamore, Somonauk and Aurora. They will perform works by Vivaldi, Seitz, Goltermann, Rachmaninoff and Veracini.
Elementary level
- Emma Fredericks (violin) is 10 and attends fifth-grade at North Grove Elementary School in Sycamore. Fredericks, the daughter of Eileen Garvin and Art Fredericks, studies violin with Laurie Rodriguez.
- Vaishnavi Sharma (violin) is 10 and attends fourth-grade at Reba O. Steck Elementary School in Aurora. Sharma, the daughter of Viswanathan and Niranjana Sharma, studies violin with Ann Montzka-Smelser.
Junior level
- Cindy Minju Oh (cello) is 12 and in the sixth-grade at Clinton Rosette Middle School in DeKalb. Oh, the daughter of Jungmi Kang and Chiyong Oh, studies cello with Linc Smelser.
- Erin Templin (violin) is 12 and in the seventh-grade at Sycamore Middle School. Templin, the daughter of Dan and Kristal Templin, studies violin with Ann Montzka-Smelser.
Senior level
- Sophie Kennedy (violin) is 15 and attends homeschool in her freshman year. Kennedy, the daughter of Scott and Anna Kennedy, studies violin with Ann Montzka-Smelser.
- Phebe Palmer (piano) is 16 and a junior at DeKalb High School. Palmer, the daughter of Hyunju and Shawn Palmer, studies piano with Huixin Chen.
In addition to talent scholarships, the CSA also awards need scholarships. Since 1993, more than 756 scholarships have been awarded to area students to pursue their study of the arts with the community school.
For more information, call (815) 753-1450.
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