The Concerto Competition was held on Sunday, January 6, 2019 at Lamar University.
~First Place ($750, play with SOST) Nicholas Pfister, Bridge City, clarinet
~Second Place ($500) Tristen Balsano, Port Neches, flute
~Third Place ($250) Ethan Williamson, Nederland, trumpet
Nicholas Pfister:
My name is Nicholas Pfister, and I’m a senior from Bridge City High School. I began playing clarinet 6 years ago in middle school. I have studied clarinet privately for 5 years under the instruction of Dr. Scott Deppe. Over the past four years of high school, I have been extremely fortunate to earn a spot in the TMEA 5A Symphonic Band three years in a row. At school, I am very involved and participate in a plethora of extra curricular activities. Some of these extra curricular activities include Spelling UIL, Interact Club, Academic Team, Spanish Club, and National Honor Society. In my high school Wind Ensemble, I play Bb clarinet, and I also play the contrabass clarinet in our Symphonic Band. I also served as one of the four drum majors this past marching season. This past February, I was very fortunate to have been chosen as the sole recipient of the TMEA Bill Cormack Scholarship. In the fall, I plan on pursuing an undergraduate degree in music education. I aspire to instill a passion for music in my students like my past music teachers and mentors have instilled in me.
Tristen Balsano:
My name is Tristen Balsano and I am 14 years old. I am a Freshman and first chair flute in the Wind Ensemble band at Port Neches-Groves High School. I have been playing the flute since I was 11 years old. I have made all-region every year that I have auditioned; in 7th grade I made the top band, 8th chair, in 8th grade I made the top band, 1st chair. This year, I made top band, 3rd chair – which qualified me for Area. At Area, I made 3rd chair – one chair away from being a qualifier for state. Every year that I have competed in solo & ensemble, I have made a 1. I currently receive lessons from Jennifer Shannon and am very thankful for the opportunity to study with her. I have competed two years in a row at the Concerto Competition; my first year I did not place, but this year I received second.
Ethan Williamson
2018 Concerto Competition winner: Camden Brown, Bay City, TX
2017 Concerto Competition winner: Rachel Clark, Lumberton, TX
See below for information about the 2019 Concerto Competition!
Click on the links below to see the Concerto Competition Rules and Application Form. The competition is open to all Region 5 middle and high school students. The deadline to apply is Friday, December 14, 2018 at 5:00 pm.
Winner will perform solo at SOST’s Youth Education Concerts on March 26, 2019 at the Julie Rogers Theatre at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m.
