The concerto competition was held this weekend, September 12 & 13 at Indiana University.  Competition adjudicators Catherine Marchese, Jose Valencia and Alex Kerr are pleased to announce our concerto competition winners for the 2009-2010 season. The committee has selected one winner in each of two divisions - a junior division for candidates in 6-8th grade and a senior division for candidates in 9-12th grade.

SENIOR DIVISION WINNER - Misha Sanderson, Violin
Misha Sanderson is a winner of the 2009 MAYO Symphony Concerto Competition for his violin performance of the piece "Zigeunerweisen" by Pablo de Sarasate.  A native of Brown County, Indiana, Sanderson began playing the violin at age nine with his father and brother and has been participating in MAYO for five years.  He loves the sound of the violin and believes it gives him a sense of "discipline, determination, focus, and inspiration".  The 18-year-old hopes to attend Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music next year.

JUNIOR DIVISION WINNER - JuHyun Lee, Cello
JuHyun, a native of South Korea, is a winner of the 2009 MAYO Symphony Concerto Competition for her cello performance of Elgar's Cello Concerto. She is an 8th grade student at Tri-North Middle School.  As a young child, she often imitated melodies on the piano which led to her 8 years of cello study and the love of classical music.  She credits her music teacher as her great inspiration, "Susan Moses, my cello teacher, always inspires me to bring my experience in my life into my music."  She hopes to study cello and biology.