Winners Of Bolz Young Artist Competition Announced

The Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 Bolz Young Artist Competition. The final round of competition was held last night before a live audience in Overture Hall. Sixteen year-old pianist Kyle Coolidge of Baraboo, WI and 17 year-old violinist Krista Stewart of Middleton, WI took top honors. Kyle performed Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major and Krista performed the first movement of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto.

Each received a $1,000 scholarship and the opportunity to perform as soloists with Music Director John DeMain and the MSO at the Young People's Concert today in Overture Hall. Seventeen year-old cellist Jimmy Kang of Middleton and 17 yearold violinist Sakura Takemitsu of Madison were awarded Honorable Mentions and each received a $500 scholarship.

In a landmark collaboration with public broadcasting, the event was broadcast live on Wisconsin Public Radio and will air on Wisconsin Public Television in a 90-minute program entitled "Wisconsin Young Artists Compete: The Final Forte," marking Wisconsin's first statewide broadcast of a music competition for young people.

Each finalist performed a concerto excerpt from memory for a panel of distinguished judges, including: Wen-lei Gu, Violin Professor at Lawrence University; Howard Karp, Professor Emeritus of Piano at UWMadison; Michael Kim, Piano Professor at Lawrence University; and Benjamin Whitcomb, Cello Professor at UW-Whitewater. After two preliminary rounds of intense statewide competition last December, the pool of 28 candidates was narrowed to the four finalists.

The MSO's Bolz Young Artist Competition (formerly the High School Concerto Competition) is made possible by a gift from the Eugenie Mayer Bolz Foundation. The Bolz Young Artist Competition is a part of the MSO's nationally recognized education and community outreach programs, which touch the lives of more than 18,000 children and adults each year. -- www.madisonsymphony.org