NJ Youth Symphony Announces 2016 Concerto Competition Winners
New Jersey Youth Symphony 2016 Concerto Competition First Place Winner violinist Emily Wang, Second Place Winner violinist Sasha Kandybin, and Third Place Winner violinist Rebecca Slater will perform at a Winner’s Recital on Friday, January 29 at 8:00 p.m. at the Wharton Arts Theater, 60 Locust Avenue in Berkeley Heights. Congratulations to these three girls!
First Place Winner Emily Wang, age 16, of Scotch Plains is a junior at Union County Magnet High School and studies violin with Deborah Buck. Emily has been a member of the New Jersey Youth Symphony for six years and is currently a member of Youth Symphony, one of NJYS’s two advanced, full orchestras in the NJYS family of ensembles. Youth Symphony is open to students in grades 9-12. Youth Symphony has appeared at New York City’s Carnegie Hall and the Musikverein in Vienna and will perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, February 14, 2016.
Second Place Winner Sasha Kandybin, age 16, of New Providence is a junior at New Providence High School and studies violin with Wu Jie in the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division. Sasha has been a member of NJYS for seven years and is currently a member of Youth Symphony.
Third Place Winner Rebecca Slater, age 15, of Summit is a tenth grader at Newark Academy and studies violin with Khullip Jeung. Rebecca has been a member of NJYS for seven years and is currently a member of Youth Symphony.
The Wharton Institute for the Performing Arts’ mission is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.
Wharton is New Jersey’s largest independent non-profit community performing arts center serving over 1,400 students through a range of classes and ensembles including the 14 ensembles of the New Jersey Youth Symphony which serve 500 students in grades 3 – 12. Beginning with Early Childhood music classes for infants and toddlers, WIPA offers private lessons, group classes and ensembles for all ages and all abilities. We believe in the positive and unifying influence of music and the performing arts and believe that arts education should be accessible to all people regardless of their ability to pay. We teach all instruments and voice and have a robust musical theatre program.
