Young Artist Scholarship
The CHORALE promotes continuing education in music and participation in music organizations during and beyond college through our Young Artist Scholarship. Each spring, we award one if not several $1,000 scholarships to outstanding high school seniors, that plan to study music at the college or university level. It is your support and encouragement for this program that allows us to continue to recognize these talented young people.
Applications for the Young Artist Scholarship are available in late January. Please contact us with your mailing address to receive next year's application.
The presentation of the 2009 awards were made during the Young Artist Scholarship concert on May 2nd. In addition to performances by two of the 2009 winners, Molly Netter our 2006 scholarship winner also performed.
2009 Young Artist Scholarship Winners
The CHORALE is very proud of the accomplishments of this group of inspired students. Each year we are impressed with the incredible level of musicianship that these young people have achieved. We sincerely hope the best for them in their musical endeavors.
Two students had been named recipients of the Young Artist Scholarship for 2009. Each will receive a $1,000 check from The CHORALE for their accomplishment.
The Violin Virtuoso
Rachel Koblyakov, one of the 2009 scholarship recipients states, “More than anything, I love to play music for people. I have grown up immersed in music, and I enjoy playing for others.” With 10 years of private study to her credit, Rachel is an accomplished violinist who spends many hours a day to hone her talent. For the last two years, Rachel has studied with Sibbi Bernhardsson of the Pacifica Quartet.
Rachel's musical expertise is evident by her many awards and honors. . . .
- Started violin studies at age 7.
- At age 10
- Entered the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra, becoming the youngest member.
- At age 11
- Premiered Minor for violin solo by Stuart S. Smith, specially written for her.
- At age 12
- Won the Concerto Competition of the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra, and debuted solo with the same orchestra playing Wieniawski Concerto No. 2.
- At age 13
- July 2004, performed onstage as the playing fiddler in Fiddler on the Roof.
- August 2004, admitted to the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra.
- January 2005, won the Gail and Harry Addams Young Artists Competition playing the Alban Berg Violin Concerto
- March 2005, performed solo with the Danville Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Jeremy Swerling.
- At age 14
- March 2006, won the Baroque Young Artists Competition.
- April 2006, performed and was interviewed live on the WILL-FM 90.9 classical music station.
- May 2006, performed a solo recital in historic Springer Cultural Center
- Summer 2007
- Attended Madeline Island Music Camp, on scholarship, directed by Vartan Manoogian.
- Attended the New England Music Camp, on scholarship, and was concertmaster and soloist under conductor Leon Gregorian.
- Awarded the Nina Wiggin Outstanding Musician Award at New England Music Camp
- Summer 2008
- Participated in The Quartet Program at SUNY Fredonia, directed by Charles Castleman, on full scholarship.
- Participated in the Montecito Summer Music Festival, directed by Chan Ho Yun, as a recipient of the Abram Shtern Scholarship.
- Performed in the Ruggeiro Ricci 90th Birthday Tribute Recital and in the Abram Shtern Tribute Recital.
- Joined chamber orchestra, Sinfonia da Camera, directed by Ian Hobson.
- Master classes she has played in include those given by Rachel Barton, Emanuel Borok, Judith Ingolfsson, Time for Three Trio, and the Ying and Arianna String Quartets.
The Fabulous Flute
Eric Kobel, 2009 Young Artist Scholarship Winner
Eric, a senior at Centennial High School in Champaign, is the son of Terri and Randy Kobel. A flute student of Mary Chapman, Eric has won numerous awards including Harry and Gail Adams Young Artist Competition in 2007, the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition in 2008, the C-U Symphony Guild ISYM Scholarship in 2005 and 2008 and the Danville Symphony Orchestra Competition in 2007. Eric has been a member of the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra from 2006 to the present as well as the French Club and French Honor Society at Centennial. Eric is an active member in the Emmanuel Memorial Episcopal Church. Eric plans to attend the University of Illinois.
Eric quotes from his Personal Statement - “I have always been drawn to the arts, and my career goals reflect this attraction. I have been specifically drawn to music performance as an art form because it creates emotions and inspires imaginations. ... As fifth graders we listened to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf in music class. The bird, represented by the flute, was always my favorite character. Not only was the solo virtuosic and pleasing to listen to, but the part was so expressive and life-like that I could imagine the little bird flying around the wolf's mouth. I loved this and it had significant bearing on my decision to begin playing the flute.”
2009 Young Artist Scholarship Honorable Mention
The Triumphant Trumpet
Benjamin King, 2009 Honorable Mention Winner
Ben, son of Richard and Sharon King, is a senior at Urbana High School. Ben is a dedicated trumpet player having played for seven years. Currently he is studying with Rebekka Kaupat. In addition to Ben's dedication to trumpet performance, he is an academic honor student with a strong conviction for academic excellence as well as musical excellence. Ben has competed in the Danville Symphony Orchestra Competition (five years), the Sigma Alpha Iota Solo Contest (three years), the East Central Illinois Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition (two years), and seven years in solo and Ensemble Competition receiving seven Division 1 awards and Best of the Day twice. Ben, an Eagle Scout and active member in his church youth group, enjoys playing soccer, baseball and swimming/diving when he's not studying or practicing his music. Ben plans to attend the University of Illinois in trumpet performance.
Ben has very set goals in mind for his future. “Just like many other musicians, my overall dream and goal is to perform in a major symphony orchestra, more specifically, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. In order to obtain my goal, I must jump through many hoops, and climb the ladder from the bottom. My first step is to study trumpet performance at the University of Illinois. My next goal would be to make the top band or orchestra at the university. After and or during college, I want to help and teach some of the next generation's trumpeter players. Although I am not going into music education, I would love to teach individuals so that I can plant my seeds just as other trumpeters seeds were planted in me. Getting closer to my goal, I want to participate in the local symphony orchestra or one of the many minor orchestras through the states. Finally, I hope that I can make it to the top of the ladder and perform in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.”
The Soaring Soprano
Christina Radi, 2009 Honorable Mention Winner
Christina Radi, a senior at Champaign Central High School, is the daughter of Mark and Maureen Radi. Christina, whose private studies include both piano (with Maria Merkelo) and voice (with Debra Myers-Dobbs) states “it is very important that music is a major part of my life. This way I can share music with others, and spread music to many other people.” Christina received the IHSA Best of the Day in 2007, participated in the Interlochen World Youth Honors Choir in 2007 and was selected for the Honors All-State IHSA choir two years in a row. Demonstrating her avid love of all things musical, Christina has headed for the footlights performing "Cosette" in Les Miserables and "Mimi" in Rent. Christina says “On stage, I also learned much about dance, which I find to be another fantastic way in which to appreciate and enjoy music of all kinds.” But one of Christina's biggest passions is choral music. “I love the harmonies, the unity, the crazy directors, and the dynamics. To me, the sound of a great choir is unlike anything in the world. ... I believe music has amazing power; there is so much one can learn about it, and yet even a music rookie can appreciate it. Music has the ability to be so simple, only requiring your ears and imagination, but it can also be very complex. It can be analyzed and studied for centuries.”
Spotlight on Previous Scholarship Winner
Molly Netter, 2006 Young Artist Scholarship Winner
Soprano Molly Netter specializes in contemporary and Baroque music, and is equally comfortable with modern extended techniques and historically-informed performance practice. She recently appeared as a soloist with the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble under the direction of Tim Weiss, and will perform the lead role of La Musique in Charpentier's Les Arts Florissants at Oberlin in May and at the Boston Early Music Festival in June. This summer, Molly will be performing under Helmuth Rilling at the Musikfest Stuttgart and other music festivals within Germany and Europe. Molly regularly premieres student compositions and performs with the Oberlin Baroque Ensemble. She is in her third year of undergraduate studies at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she is pursuing an individual major in Contemporary Music Studies and a minor in Vocal Performance. A composer as well as a performer, Molly studies composition with Seung-Ah Oh, voice with Gerald Crawford, and piano with Sedmara Z. Rutstein. Molly is the daughter of Mark Netter and Eve Harwood.
| Name | Year of Award |
|---|---|
| Rachel Koblyakov | 2009 |
| Eric Kobel | 2009 |
| Benjamin King* | 2009 |
| Christina Radi* | 2009 |
| Emelinda Escobar | 2008 |
| Derek Maninfior | 2008 |
| Jennifer Roloff | 2008 |
| Peter Deal* | 2008 |
| Bernadette Wagner* | 2008 |
| Alex Chin | 2007 |
| Alex Cahill* | 2007 |
| Molly Netter | 2006 |
| Tyler Rivera Stein | 2005 |
| Andrea Hunsinger* | 2005 |
| Chris Whittaker* | 2005 |
| Davion Williams | 2004 |
| Stephanie Lee* | 2004 |
| Tom Siders | 2003 |
| Katrina Kappas* | 2002 |
| Andreas Stoltzfus | 2002 |
| Adelaide Muir | 2001 |
| Jim Siders | 2000 |
| Hilary Nieman | 2000 |
| Grace Xu | 1999 |
| Leslie Eldridge | 1998 |
| Mark McLane | 1997 |
| Bill Rank | 1996 |
| Julie Buck* | 1996 |
| Amy Treat | 1995 |
| Charles Butts | 1994 |
| Ian Sean Tatum | 1993 |
* indicates an honorable mention.