South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and Chorus to Welcome 12-Year-Old Cellist

The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra (SDSO) and Chorus will host their annual Holiday Collage concerts this weekend, ushering in the holidays to the Sioux Falls community. Every year the SDSO brings together a variety of musicians, a volunteer chorus, and guest artists to perform an array of holiday music. This year they are welcoming the winner of the 2014 Young Musician Concerto Competition, Maximus Gurath of Sioux Falls.

Twelve-year-old Maximus' focus is the cello, which he began studying at the age of four. He took part in the Young Musician Concerto Competition in March 2014, taking first place and winning the $500 prize. Maximus was invited to perform a solo with the SDSO at their annual Holiday Collage concert and has since been practicing with the SDSO's principal cellist Sharon Rodgers and had the chance to learn from Anthony Ross, principal cellist of the Minnesota Orchestra who was a featured guest soloist with the SDSO in November.

Maximus is the only boy in a family of five children who all play musical instruments. Without his grandparents' support to pay for his cello lessons or his cello, he would not have gotten the opportunity to perform this holiday season with the SDSO. He also won first place in the Lucy Weed Strings competition in August, and was awarded The Henry Charles Smith Award for Spirit and Enthusiasm at the Young Musician Concerto Competition in 2013.

The South Dakota Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will be performing the Holiday Collage concert Friday, December 12th and Saturday, December 13th at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 14th at 2:30 pm at the Washington Pavilion. Tickets can be purchased online at sdsymphony.org or by calling the Washington Pavilion box office at (605) 367 - 6000.