Amadeus Orchestra and NVMTA Concerto Winners 2023

On Sunday, May 14, six students performed their concertos with the Amadeus Orchestra of McLean under the direction of Scott Wood. The audience was extremely impressed and appreciative of the great talent exhibited by these students.

This marks NVMTA’s  third performance year with students chosen from among the winners in the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association Annual Concerto Competitions for piano, strings, and woodwinds.

The students chosen this year were: 

Kevin Shen, student of Silva Blazquez (Piano)

Ethan Chen, student of Patricia Huff-Palumbo (Piano)

Brandon Kim, student of Miron Yampolsky (Cello)

James Post, student of Chris Sanchez (Violin)

Daniel Yeum, student of Trevor Mowry (Oboe)

Angela Shen, student of Albert Hunt (Clarinet)

Prior to the concert, the director met with the students and audience members to give a little background about their pieces and talk with the students about some of their interests in addition to music. The audience enjoyed hearing about their experiences in orchestras and about some of their extra-curricular activities.

Joseph Shen (Kevin’s dad) said, “I wanted to thank you for providing the students with such a wonderful opportunity. It is invaluable for all of them to have real concerto experience with a professional orchestra at such a young age. I believe it will help their growth tremendously as musicians and beyond. They will always remember their debut concerto performance with the Amadeus Orchestra! Also, please extend our deepest appreciation to the Amadeus Orchestra, Mr. Wood, Mr. Brown, the other musicians and the staff !  

Albert Hunt (Angela’s teacher) remarked that, “It’s a memory of a lifetime!” and Silva Blazquez (Kevin’s teacher) said, “My hope is that NVMTA will continue its financial support for this project. I hope that other teachers and parents have expressed their support as well. This concert included all instruments, it was not just a showcase of pianists. It really allows NVMTA to show its presence in the community. Students have enjoyed this experience and will have the most wonderful memories from this evening. 

NVMTA wishes to give a special thank you to those who have contributed financially to make this opportunity possible.