Applications Invited for 17th Annual Young Artist Competition 11/21 At Rollins College

The Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, in partnership with the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, is seeking applicants to compete in the 17th Annual Young Artist Competition on Saturday, November 21, 2009, at Rollins College. This competition annually draws outstanding high school students from all across the state of Florida and produces winners who go on to study at such prestigious schools as The Juilliard School and Northwestern University. Many continue on to lead successful music careers.

This competition, generously sponsored by the Elizabeth Morse Genius Foundation, is open to students in grades 9 through 12 who are Florida residents or attend school in Florida. Students compete in one of four categories: piano, strings, brass/woodwinds, or vocals. Prizes are awarded in both the preliminary and finalist rounds for a total of $5,000, one of the largest combined prize winnings in the state.

Preliminary rounds for all four categories begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 21, in Keene Hall, located on the Rollins College campus. "This competition gives students an exciting opportunity to compete with other musicians in the state before judges who are well known in their field," says Bach Festival Society Executive Director Betsy Gwinn. Each category is judged by professionals who regularly adjudicate competitions, and many are college professors.

Finalists from the competition perform in a recital that is free and open to the public at 3 p.m. in the John M. Tiedtke Concert Hall, within Keene Hall on the Rollins College Campus. "This competition attracts the best student talent from all over the State of Florida. The chance to hear these up-and-coming artists for free is an opportunity not to be missed," says John Sinclair, Artistic Director of the Bach Festival Society.

To submit an application or for more information regarding the Young Artist Competition, download the information and entry forms from www.bachfestivalflorida.org or call the Bach Festival Society at 407.646.2182.

Performance Information
What: Young Artist Competition Finalist Recital
Where: Tiedtke Concert Hall, Rollins College
When: Saturday, November 21, 2009 at 3 p.m.
Tickets: Free and open to the public

About the Bach Festival Society

The Bach Festival Society celebrates its 75th Annual Festival in 2010. Located in Winter Park, Florida, it is one of the longest continuously operating Bach Festivals in the country and among America's great oratorio societies. The Bach Festival Society brings the highest caliber of classical music to Central Florida. Performances are held in the intimate settings of Tiedtke Concert Hall and Knowles Memorial Chapel on the beautiful campus of Rollins College.