NSYS Student Concerto Competition Soloists
At most of our concerts we are proud to feature an NSYS member who has won our concerto competition. Our congratulations go to those who have presented outstanding performances in our past concerts and our encouragements go to those who wish to audition for a solo performance.
If you are an NSYS member and would like to be considered as a soloist in a future concert, please talk to Grant Donnellan who will let you know when the current concerto competition tryouts will take place. To be eligible to audition for the concerto competition you must have been a fully participating NSYS member for at least one quarter and are expected to remain an active member for at least a full year.
Former NSYS concerto competition winners:
Winter 2012
Shannon Davies is a sophomore at Sehome High School. She started playing the cello in fifth grade, has played with the North Sound Youth Symphony for two years, and has participated in Western Chamber Days and Marrowstone Summer Music Festival at WWU. She has studied with Coral Marchant for three years.
Currently, Shannon is the principal cellist of the Sehome Chamber Orchestra, and also plays with the Sehome Advanced Orchestra. She will perform with the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra in their February concert. In April, Shannon will compete at the WMEA State competition as both a soloist and with the Sehome Chamber Orchestra. Shannon loves to play the cello because it is such a versatile and expressive instrument. She particularly enjoys the challenge of playing Shostakovich because of the complex, intense emotions evoked throughout the piece.
Shannon enjoys sharing her love of music with her students and peers, and plans to pursue a degree in music therapy and music education in college.
Fall 2011
Cello soloist
Maya Enstad (bio to be posted)
Spring 2011 
Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major by W. A. Mozart
Annie Campbell Vohs has been a member of North Sound Youth Symphony since 5th grade and has held the position of symphony concertmaster for the past 2 years. Annie is a Running Start student at WCC and is a senior at Sehome High School where she plays under the direction of Kirstin Doud in the Advanced Orchestra and is concertmaster for the Chamber Orchestra.
Annie started learning the violin when she was 6 years old and studied for 11 years with Suzuki instructor Elizabeth Stuen-Walker. She now studies violin performance with WWU professor and NSYS conductor Grant Donnellan.
Annie has also participated in the Oregon Suzuki Institute (George Fox U.), Chamber Days (WWU), Icicle Creek Summer Symphony (Leavenworth), WSO’s Chamber Music Now program, and was a member of the pit orchestra for the acclaimed 2008 production of Les Miserables at Bellingham High School.
Annie plays with a vibrant, expressive style and enjoys performing a variety of musical genres including classical, celtic fiddle and jazz improvisation. She is also learning the art of instrument restoration as an apprentice with luthier, Dorothy Smith, at Allegro Strings Violin Shop.
Annie's violin was made in 1991 by local Bellingham luthier, Ray Bastien. One of his last instruments, "No.50" is known for its bold voice, clear tone and characteristic Bastien dark appearance.
Winter 201
1
Horn Concerto No 3 in E-Flat major by W.A. Mozart
Cassandra Eide is a senior at Burlington-Edison High School and has been playing the French Horn for six years. Though she has never had private instruction on Horn she has been taking Piano lessons for nearly eleven years. She is involved in both Wind and Jazz Ensembles as well as Marching/Pep Band at her high school and has been to multiple honor bands including Music in May and Western International Band Clinic. This year she has been accepted for the All State Concert Band and will be making her second WMEA Solo and Ensemble State appearance on French Horn. Cassandra has been a member of NSYS since 2010 and was with Fidalgo Youth Symphony for two years prior. In other musical venues she has performed with the 133rd Army National Guard Band and placed Honorable Mention at last year's WSMTA Conference on Piano. After graduating in June, Cassandra plans to continue her passion for music while working towards a degree in Aerospace Engineering.
Winter 2010
Cello Concerto #1 Op. 147 by Dmitri Shostakovich
Ivan Murphy-Dlouhy is a junior in the Running Start program at Whatcom Community College and is the current youngest member of the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra. He recently graduated from Coral Marchant's cello studio and is now studying in Seattle with Mara Finkelstein. Ivan has been with NSYS for five years and has participated in both Western Chamber Days and Marrowstone Summer Music Festival at WWU. He hopes to study with Stephen Balderston at DePaul University. Ivan is particularly drawn to the works of Shostakovich and is an admirer of the late, great Rostropovich. Ivan looks forward to competing at the WMEA Solo and Ensemble State Competition in April. His performance this evening is dedicated to the wonderful teachers who have given him such fine encouragement: Diana Harrison, Judith Widrig, Bette Ann Schwede, Krissy Snyder and Coral Marchant.
Fall 2009
Mozart's Clarinet Concerto in A major, 2nd movement
David Kappele was born in Loveland, Colorado and is currently a home-schooled Sophomore. He began playing the Clarinet in 5th grade at the studio of Ray Downey, where he continues to study today. He is a member of the North Sound Community Orchestra and the Mount Baker High School band, principle clarinet in both. He attended Washington All-State band in 2008 and looks forward to playing in the wind ensemble in February 2010.
Aside from performance, David also takes great joy in music composition, also with instruction from Ray Downey as well as Doug Sutton from Mount Baker High School. He has written many pieces for chamber ensembles, duets, and is currently writing a Viola Concerto. He looks forward to playing his most recent composition, “Overture to a Siege,” for the Solo/Ensemble contest this January, as well as performing the Mozart Clarinet Quintet with the Cascade Ensemble in early February 2010.
David would especially like to thank Ray Downey, Doug Sutton, Grant Donnellan, and Jake Scherr for their support in his musical growth, as well as his parents for their continuing educational support.
Spring 2009
Cello Concerto in E Minor, Opus 85 by Edward Elgar
Cassie Dickerson, a senior at Bellingham High School has been playing cello for the last eight years and has enjoyed every minute of it. She has studied with private cello instructor Coral Marchant for the last seven years and will be studying with John Michel next year at Central Washington University with the hopes of pursuing a Performance Major on cello.
Cassie has attended both Marrowstone and Chamber Days in the summers of 2006 and 2008 and attended the Meadowmount School of Music in Westport, NY the summer of 2007. For the last three years Cassie has qualified for the WMEA Solo and Ensemble State Competition and has gotten Superior ratings all three years.
Cassie also enjoys skiing and spending time with her friends. She would like to thank her family, and especially her teacher, Coral for their support and encouragement throughout her musical career."
Winter 2009
Violin Concerto in G minor,
1st Movement, Opus 26 by Max Bruch
Carly Gerard, a senior at Bellingham High School, has been playing violin for eight years. Carly has studied privately with Jessica Salerno, Jennifer Sours and Grant Donnellan. Carly received the National Orchestra Award for her performance in the Fairhaven Middle School Orchestra. She has been a member of the Bellingham High School Orchestra for four years and a member of the BHS Honors Chamber Orchestra for three years. She will be representing BHS with Chamber Orchestra at the State Solo and Ensemble Festival in Ellensburg this April, and was chosen as the second alternate for State for her violin solo. Carly has participated in WWU’s Chamber Days for the past three years and was twice awarded a $1000 scholarship by the Bellingham Assistance League for her participation in the Marrowstone Summer Music Festival. Carly has performed with the North Sound Youth Symphony for the past three years, and was honored to be chosen as Concert Master for this season. After high school graduation this June, Carly will be attending Western Washington University in the fall and intends to major in violin performance. Carly would like to thank Grant Donnellan for his musical genius, and her family for their unending support and humor.
Fall 2008
Romance for Viola and Orchestra by Max Bruch
Nicole Parise, a senior at Bellingham High School, has enjoyed seven years of playing the viola. She began taking lessons with Rachel McGuire in 2003, and in 2007 began lessons with Morgan Schwab. Nicole attended Marrowstone Summer Music here in Bellingham, and this last summer traveled to Oberlin, Ohio to attend Credo, a chamber music camp.
Nicole is a member of the Chamber and Concert orchestras at Bellingham High School, as well as the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. For the last two years, Nicole qualified for Washington's All State Orchestra, and in 2007 played in a side by side concert with the Seattle Symphony.
Nicole’s ambition is to be a professional violist, and she is presently seeking a school which will help her to achieve that goal. Aside from music, Nicole enjoys skiing at Mt. Baker, and encouraging everyone to recycle as much as they can.
Spring 2008
Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major, 1st movement
Carrie Sloane is a senior at Sehome High School. When she was in fifth grade, she chose to play the cello because “everyone else wanted to play the violin”. Shortly afterward, Carrie moved to London for three years with her family, where she continued to be involved in orchestra. Carrie is currently co-principal cellist of Sehome’s Advanced Orchestra and principal cellist of Sehome’s Chamber Orchestra. She is also a substitute cellist in the Whatcom Symphony Orchestra. Both her quartet and Sehome’s Chamber Orchestra recently placed third at Washington State’s 2008 Solo and Ensemble Contest. Carrie will be attending Whitman College, where she was awarded a Campbell Music Scholarship. She is very much interested in continuing to pursue music in college; she is also interested in art and English. Carrie has studied cello privately with Coral Marchant for five years, and would like to thank her for the invaluable influence she has provided, both musically and otherwise.
Winter 2008
Horn Concerto No.3 by W. A. Mozart.
Cory Droullard was born in Tokyo, Japan where he spent his first six years immersed in the Japanese culture. He has been strongly influenced and inspired by his older sister, who studied at the Wheaton Conservatory of Music. His family relocated to Lynden, where Cory began the French horn. In eighth grade, he represented Lynden Middle School in the regional Honor Band. Cory is currently a sophomore in high school, and has been a member of the Lynden High School Wind Ensemble since his freshman year. He has participated in the Summer Pops Orchestra and is currently a member of the North Sound Youth Symphony, both under the direction of Grant Donnellan. In 2007, he represented Whatcom County in the State Solo Ensemble, playing the Mozart Horn Concerto No. 3. Cory is very thankful for the instruction and inspiration provided by his private teacher, James Gaudette.
Fall 2007
Violin Concerto in G Minor, by Max Bruch
Yelizaveta (Liza) Varon came to America in 1996. She was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. A family friend gave Liza a gift certificate to take violin lesson when Liza turned seven. After so much listening to others play, Liza was delighted to start playing and continued to make music ever since. She started her orchestra experience in a Summer Pops Orchestra in Ferndale, then she was a member of North Sound Youth Orchestra under the direction of Grant Donellan for six years. For five summers she attended Marrowstone festival of music in Bellingham, and this last summer she went to Interlochen Music Camp in Michigan State. She is a junior at Sehome High School, where she is a member of the Advanced Orchestra which she joined while she was still in Middle School, and Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Kirstin Doud. In 2005 Liza attended All-State Symphony Orchestra, in 2006 she played in All-Northwest honor group, and this February she’ll join All-State Chamber Group in Spokane. The wonderful addition of piano lessons provided by Judy Widrig, helps Liza to receive more rounded music education. Liza would like to thank all the wonderful musicians that influenced her music, in particular her private violin teacher, Walter Schwede.