Concerts Competition winners from HVA perform with KSYO
Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra will present a winter concert beginning at 7 p.m., Monday, Feb. 24, in Tennessee Theatre along Gay Street in downtown Knoxville, featuring five youth orchestras and the winners of the 2019-20 Concerto Competition.
The KSYO, conducted by James Fellenbaum, will feature Concerto Competition winners Miriam Ahrens, a sophomore student at Hardin Valley Academy, and Trey Barrett, a junior at HVA.
These concerts are free to attend for students kindergarten through high school senior, and $5 at the door for adults. Tickets may be purchased at the door. Before each performance, patrons can dine at Bistro at the Bjiou (807 S. Gay St.) and a portion of their purchase will be donated to the KSYO. For more information regarding the Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra, visit www.knoxvillesymphony.com/.
Ahrens, viola, will perform a movement from Cecil Forsyth’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra in G Minor, and Barrett, bassoon, will perform Carl Maria von Weber’s Andante and Rondo Ungarese.
Beginning her musical studies at age 4 with Suzuki piano lessons, Ahrens, at the age of 6, started asking to play the viola and began lessons with Connie Stambaugh in Lebanon, Pennsylvania In 2014, her family moved to Knoxville, and for the past three years this HVA sophomore has studied with Megan Kehren. As a member of KSYO, she served as a member of the viola section, as well as principal viola in the 2018-2019 season.
Ahrens has attended the Wintergreen Music Festival in Wintergreen, Virginia, and was honored with a full scholarship to the Masterworks Festival in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Barrett has been a member
of KSYO for the past two years
as principal bassoon. Trey began his bassoon training at the age of 12 with Aaron Apaza,
past principal bassoon with Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and lecturer of bassoon at
UT Knoxville and current principal bassoon with the North Carolina Symphony in Raleigh, North Carolina.
In January, Barrett began studying with Jessica Findley Yang, acting principal bassoon with KSO and lecturer of bassoon at UT Knoxville. As a freshman, he was invited to join the Tennessee Wind Symphony as a high school “Rising Star.”
As a member of the HVA Wind Ensemble, Barrett was selected for All-State as a freshman and sophomore after placing first chair, blue band in the All State East Clinic.
In June 2019, Barrett auditioned for and was selected out of an international candidate pool to attend the Advanced Bassoon Institute at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Interlochen, Michigan.
