Concert Festival Orchestra Conductor Vladimir Polezhayev

Soloists:Grand Prix Winners

ofConcerto Competition 2016

Diana BarbacenaCarrie Chen

Ilana GrossmanTomoka Kawasaki

Alston LeungTom Liu

Elisabeta RacoltaVictoria Wang

Plainview - Old Bethpage Library999 Old Country Road, Plainview, NY

Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 3 p.m.

Concert Festival Orchestra

Violin I Anton Polezhayev, Concertmaster

Catherine Colquhoun Alexandra Calabro

Audrey Hayes Geri Kushner

Michele Ripka

Violin II Anna Heifetz, Principal

Dorothy Shorter Tetyana Barbacena

Hyunju Ji

Viola Sarah Ludwiczak, Principal

Tonya Bibashka

Cello Peter Howard, Principal

Natalia Galebsky

Double Bass James Myer

Flute Leslie Strait

Oboe Jennyfer Hood

Elisabeth Brunbauer

Bassoon Peter Landy

French Horn Megan Bastos

Alexandria Muller

Timpani Steve DeBellis

Cembalo Yelena Polezhayev

The Concert Festival Orchestra consists ofadvanced students and professionals

of exceptional talent.

This volunteer-based orchestra givesstudents the unique educational opportunity to

perform alongside their teachersand other talented musicians.

Auditions are open year round to talentedmusicians interested in an opportunityto be part of an active orchestra with

performances in various venuesthroughout the Tristate area.

For more information, please visitwww.concertfestival.org/orchestra

516.220.7328

Tomoka Kawasaki, piano - J. Haydn - Concerto D major, Mov.III Tomoka was born in Yokohama City in Japan and started piano lesson at age 4. She came to New York in 2013 and is now 10 years old. In 2014, she was a First Place Winner at NYSMTA Competition. In 2015, Tomoka received the Grand Prix of the Concert Festival International Competition, performing at Carnegie Hall. In addition to her piano playing, Tomoka shows her great appreciation for music by singing and playing flute. She is also an avid ice skater.

Ilana Hope Grossman, cello - J. Breval - Concerto D major, Mov. I Ilana is currently in the tenth grade, and enrolled in all Honor classes at Half Hollow Hills High School West in Dix Hills. Ilana began her studies as a cellist at five years of age at the Music Institute of Long Island, (MILI) founded by her mother Carol Kushner and aunt Geri Kushner. Ilana currently studies cello with Greg Hesselink and voice with Susan Hoffman. At MILI Ilana studies chamber music and cello instruction with Valeriya Sholokhova. As a Grand Prix Winner of the Concert Festival Competition and American Fine Arts Competition, Ilana has performed at Carnegie Hall. Ilana is thrilled to be able to perform for you today and thanks Concert Festival for giving her this great opportunity to solo with orchestra.

Diana Barbacena, piano - W.A. Mozart - Concerto #23 A major, Mov. II Diana Barbacena is 14 years old who currently attends Grace Christian Academy. She has been playing piano as well as violin since the age of 5 years old. Diana has had several teachers, her very on mother, Galina Yekelchik, and she currently studies piano with Yelena Polezhayev. Diana's first performance in New York City was in Lincoln Center at the age of 7, and she has been playing in many other venues in Manhattan as well. Although mostly competing in Concert Festival competitions she has also competed in Little Mozart piano competition and New York State Music Teachers Association. Diana also volunteers in the Concert Festival Orchestra as a violinist.

Elisabeta Racolta, voice - F. Durante - Vergine Tutto Amor & P. Bulakhov - Shine, Shine My Star Lisa is 17 year old homeschooler and Harvard Extension School sophomore in Cambridge, MA. She sings and performs with local operas and musical theaters in the greater Boston area since she was 5 years old. She participated in ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’, ‘Kids Court’, ‘Rain Dance’, ‘Robin Hood’, ‘Treasure Island’, ‘Music Man’ and many others greater Boston area productions as a major soloist. Lisa often goes to Open Mics and local events as a solo performer and sings for charities. She performed at Carnegie Hall several times as a winner and finalist of American Protégé International Music and Voice Competitions in 2014-2015. Lisa studies with an acclaimed soprano Jean Danton in Prep NEC in Boston. She plans to continue her music education and become a professional opera singer.

Carrie Chen, piano - L.van Beethoven - Concerto #5 E flat Major, Mov. I Carrie Chen, 13, studies the piano with Michael Thomopoulos at The Palisades School. Carrie is winner of top prizes in many international competitions, including Grand Prix in the Concert Festival Concerto Competition, First Prize in the Concert Festival Solo Recital Competition, GOLD Medal in AADGT Competition and First Prize in the New Jersey Music Teachers Association Competition. Carrie has already concertized in Poland, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Italy and Canada. Locally, she performed in Carnegie Hall, Merkin Hall, Lincoln Center, Engelman Recital Hall in Baruch Performing Arts Center, Steinway Hall NYC, Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport and Bergen Performing Art Center in New Jersey. Carrie has been invited to perform in Omega Ensemble’s seasonal concerts as a “Next Generation Artist”. She appeared as guest soloist with Orquestra Clássica do Centro of Portugal conducted by Maestro David Wyn Lloyd.

Victoria Wang, piano - J.S. Bach - Concerto F minor, Mov. I Victoria is 9 years old from Staten Island, NY. She started taking piano and violin lessons at the age of 4, following in her brother’s footsteps. Her piano teacher is Alla Bell. Victoria performed twice at the Winners’ Recital at Carnegie Hall and once at Lincoln Center. She also plays violin in the Staten Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Victoria is an avid reader and loves writing. She enjoys swimming, biking and badminton as well.

Alston Leung, violin - A. Vivaldi - Concerto A minor, Mov. I Alston is nine years old. He began studying piano and violin at age 3 at Music Institute of Long Island. His violin instructor Carol Kushner and he studies piano with Alla Bell. At five years old, Alston won his first Grand Prix at the Concert Festival Competition on violin and was selected to perform at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. In 2015 he won 1st Prize at the same competition and performed at Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center. Alston also won competitions on piano including American Fine Arts Festival, Crescendo International Competition and Russian Music Festival. He has performed 4 times at Carnegie Weill Recital Hall. Since February 2013, Alston was a part of E.M. Baker School of Great Neck “Advanced Orchestra” and Music Institute of Long Island’s “Young Musicians’ Ensemble” and performed at Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida.

Tom Liu, piano - A. Rowley - Miniature Concerto Tom started piano at the age of 6 with Esther Chung Marks of Port Jefferson Station in 2013. Tom received First Class Honors with Distinction in the Royal Conservatory Music Development Program Level 7. His 15 and 20-piece Piano Guild International programs earned him Superior+ in the “Elementary Special” category. In 2015, Tom performed at Carnegie Hall as a Grand Prix Winner in the Concert Festival Competition and the Russian Music at Carnegie Hall recital. Tom was the First Place winner in the Elementary and Early Intermediate Divisions of the Suffolk Piano Teachers Foundation Piano Competition. He performed in a master class for pianist Tanya Gabrielian. Tom will attend the prestigious Juilliard Pre-College program this fall.

Program

J.S. Bach - Concerto F minor, Mov. I _____________________________________________________ Victoria Wang, piano

A. Vivaldi - Concerto A minor, Mov. I _____________________________________________________ Alston Leung, violin

A. Rowley - Miniature Concerto _____________________________________________________________ Tom Liu, piano

J. Haydn - Concerto D major, Mov.III ________________________________________________ Tomoka Kawasaki, piano

J. Breval - Concerto D major, Mov. I _______________________________________________ Ilana Hope Grossman, cello

W.A. Mozart - Concerto #23 A major, Mov. II ___________________________________________ Diana Barbacena, piano

F. Durante - Vergine Tutto Amor ______________________________________________________ Elisabeta Racolta, voice

P. Bulakhov - Shine, Shine My Star ________________

L.van Beethoven - Concerto #5 E flat Major, Mov. I __________________________________________ Carrie Chen, piano