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Our Young Artist Soloists - 2012-2013



Austin Berman, Violinist

Austin Haley Berman is a 16 year-old honors student in the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, University Scholars Program. He began playing the violin at age 5 and currently studies with Francesca dePasquale. Austin is an Advanced Study Scholarship recipient in the Meyer-Schwartz Piano Trio, coached by Sandra Carlock, at the Settlement Music School. He was also a Dorothy Richard Starling Scholarship recipient at Temple Music Preparatory's Center for Gifted Young Musicians. Austin serves as concertmaster of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, conducted by Louis Scaglione, and concertmaster in the Delaware County Youth Orchestra, conducted by Brad Smith.

In 2012, Austin was awarded first place in the Warminster Symphony Orchestra Competition, the Old York Road Symphony Competition and the Tri - County Youth Festival. He will make solo appearances with the Warminster and Old York Road Symphonies during the 2012/2013 season. Austin has also had the opportunity to solo with the Lansdowne and Ambler Symphony
Orchestras. In 2010, he received first place in the Senior Ensemble division of the Tri County Youth Festival and 2nd place in the junior division of the Kennett Symphony Young Artist Competition. In 2009, he received a Menges Scholarship in the Ambler Symphony competition and won first place in the Lansdowne Symphony Young Artist competition. Austin was also the first place recipient of the Tri County Youth Festival junior strings division in 2008.

This past summer Austin attended the Yellow Barn Young Artists Program in Putney, Vermont. In 2011, he participated in the Center Stage Strings Music Festival in Three Rivers, California. Austin is thrilled to have the oportunity to work with Maestro Yoon Jae Lee and the Old York Road Symphony. When not playing the violin Austin enjoys tennis, juggling, restoring antique cars and chemistry.



Amy Semes, Violinist

Amy Semes is a Distinguished Honors junior at the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School,
University Scholars Program, where she is both President of the Student Council and a member of the National Honor Society. She is currently a student of Naoko Tanaka at Juilliard Pre-College and was previously a student of Daniel Han and Choong-Jin Chang, both of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She was a recipient of a Starling Violin Scholarship at Temple University Music Prep, where she was Concertmaster of the Youth Chamber Orchestra for 2 years. She is a recipient of a Snitzer Advanced Studies Chamber Music Scholarship at the Settlement Music School. As a former member of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, she served as both Concertmaster and Associate Concertmaster.

Amy has won the competitions of the Bucks County Symphony, Ambler Symphony, Delaware County Symphony, Kennett Symphony and the Newark (DE) Symphony and has appeared as soloist with each of those orchestras and several others. She also appeared internationally as soloist with the Shanghai Philharmonic and the Macau Youth Orchestra as part of their 10 Year Anniversary Celebration.

Amy has twice appeared on the popular NPR show "From the Top", first as soloist with the Ocean City Pops in 2011, and again in 2012 as first violinist of the Temple Prep Honors Quartet. She has also appeared as a guest on WRTI's "Crossover", and has also been heard on Shanghai Radio's "The Weekly Radio Broadcast" and on Hong Kong radio RTHK as a guest on "Children's Corner".

A chamber musician in the Temple Prep Piano Trio, she won First Prize in the Tri-County Concerts Association Young Artists Competition. As a member of the Snitzer Quartet, she has appeared in several concerts in the Tri-State area.

Amy has spent the last five summers as a student of Naoko Tanaka at The Aspen Music Festival, and has played in Master Classes for Pamela Frank, Robert Lipsett, Ida Levin, the Johannes Quartet, the Orion Quartet, and the Emerson Quartet.

 

Carolyn Semes, Violinist

Carolyn Semes is 15 years old and a 10th grade distinguished honors student at the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, University Scholars Program. She is a student of Masao Kawasaki at Juilliard's Pre-College Division. She was a student of Choong-Jin Chang, Principal Viola of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She was a recipient of a Starling Violin Scholarship at Temple Music Prep, where she was a member of the Youth Chamber Orchestra. She currently holds a Braverman Advanced Studies Scholarship at Settlement Music School.

In 2011 she won the Temple Music Prep Competition and performed as soloist with the Temple University Orchestra. She has also won the Ambler Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and performed Sarasate's "Carmen Fantasy" with them. In 2009, she was a soloist with the Shanghai Philharmonic at the Shanghai Concert Hall, performing Sarasate's "Zigeunerweisen" and the Bach "Double" Concerto. She has also performed as soloist, along with her three sisters, with the Olney Symphony and the Ocean City Pops. In 2007 they performed with the Macau Youth Symphony for their 10th Anniversary Concert. She has been on "The Weekly Radio Broadcast" in Shanghai, on "Children's Corner" on RTHK in Hong Kong, On WRTI in Philadelphia "live", and on WHYY for their "President's Dinner".

She has spent the last 5 summers at the Aspen Music Festival studying with Masao Kawasaki.