Henderson Symphony young artists contest winners set to perform

To most of us -- particularly, obviously, the nonmusically inclined -- just about nothing could sound more frightening.

Play a piece of music. In front of knowledgeable judges. Just to win the prize of then having to play the piece again, this time in front of a few hundred audience members and backed by a full orchestra filled with serious musicians.

Whoa.

Yet, that's exactly the challenge Caolinn Mejza, Sabrina Parry and five other Southern Nevada youths are embracing as winners of this year's Henderson Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition.

At 2 p.m. Sunday , the young musicians will perform with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra in a concert at the Henderson Pavilion. There will be no admission charge, although a $10 per person donation is suggested.

The Young Artists competition has been a Henderson Symphony Orchestra tradition for 17 years. And, said Taras Krysa, the orchestra's conductor, "I think it's a wonderful tradition because it gives opportunities to young, talented students to play with the orchestra, which is invaluable in itself."

This year, 41 young musicians competed, Krysa said, "and I wish we could let them all perform with the orchestra."

In January, each applicant was asked to play a short piece -- no more than 10 minutes long -- before a panel of judges. The top seven instrumentalists then were chosen. And, on Sunday, each winner will perform a featured solo with the orchestra.

It sounds intimidating. But, Krysa said, "being in the arts -- in any of the performing arts -- your life is pretty much auditions. And, yes, it very often is rejection, and it's kind of a difficult thing to cope with when you're young.

"But the people who persevere, if they choose to continue in the fine arts and music performance, they have to pursue it."

Mejza, 16, a junior at Las Vegas Academy, said she has been playing violin since she was 4 years old. Initially, taking lessons was her parents' idea, Mejza said, although, by the time she had turned 12, "I realized I kind of enjoyed it."

This will mark the first time that she has won a competition, "but I auditioned once before for a position," Mejza said.

Auditioning was "as scary as any type of competition," she said. "I guess it's nerve-racking. But it's just a performance. It's what you make it out to be."

Still, she added, Sunday's concert, where she will perform the third movement of Max Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, will mark "the first time I've ever gotten to play in front of an orchestra."

Parry, 16, a junior at Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts in Ivins, Utah, has studied violin for more than nine years.

"I guess I always had a thing for music," she said. "I love dancing and singing, and I played the piano a little bit. But I really liked the sound of the violin, so it was my mom's idea to get me to start violin."

Parry has played with orchestras before and has participated in other competitions. In January, she played with the Las Vegas Philharmonic as a winner of its Young Artists' Concerto Competition.

"I don't really get nervous, which is kind of odd, I guess," said Parry, who is scheduled to perform the first movement of Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 5. "I've just done a lot of musical theater and singing and, just, performing my entire life, so it's made it a lot easier to compete."

Krysa said he has been impressed by the skills applicants have demonstrated during the past several years.

"We have so much talent here," he said. "It's amazing, and I think it's our duty to nurture them as best we can, because it makes their lives so much richer."

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.