CYM 2015 COMPETITION
WINNER
SAMUEL BARRON, piano
Listen to an excerpt of Samuel's performance
5th Movement - Symphonie- espagnole - Édouard Lalo (1823 - 1892)
SAMUEL BARRON, piano, is 15 years old and a sophomore in the IB program at Coronado High School. He was born in Michigan. However, at the early age of two, his family originally from El Paso, returned to the area. Samuel has been playing the piano for ten years under the instruction of Anna Habicht. He has participated in numerous competitions both at the local and state levels and performs frequently in recitals with the El Paso Music Teachers Association. He enjoys outdoor activities, travelling, sports, and spending time with friends and family. At school, he is a member of the Chess Club, Future Doctors of America Club, and Ultimate Frisbee Club. Samuel hopes to study medicine and to become a doctor, yet, according to Samuel “I will always continue to play the piano.“
2nd PLACE
ORLANDO BARAJAS, viola
ORLANDO JAVIER BARAJAS, viola, was born July 28, 1997 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. As a child, his family lived in Cuernavaca and Mexico City while his father pursued his medical studies. He began attending a music institute with his church to study piano after the family returned to Guadalajara. Piano was not his love. In 2008, the family moved to Ciudad Juárez and, in 2010, Orlando started learning the viola with the Orquesta Sinfónica Esperanza Azteca (OSEA) Cd. Juárez. He studied with Guillermo Quezada and in February 2013 was admitted into the Orquesta Sinfónica Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (OSUACJ). His current teacher is Dr. Stephanie Meyers. Orlando performed with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra in March of 2015 as a result of winning a competition that took place in January of 2015.
3rd PLACE
LEONARD AYALA, baritone
LEONARD AYALA, baritone, was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. He is eighteen years old and a senior at Maxine Silva Health Magnet High School. His family is very musically oriented. As a result, he was constantly surrounded by music. He learned to play guitar and percussion instruments at a young age. However, it was not until he became a member of Elvin Porflit’s Jefferson/Silva High School Chamber Choir his Freshman year that he discovered his talent and passion for classical singing. Since then, he has participated and placed well in numerous competitions and performances including Solo and Ensemble, UIL, a concert with composer Dan Forrest, and the competitions associated with the All-State process. He has honed his vocal abilities through three years of private study with Dan Wright, participated in annual recitals, and has placed first and second in NATS competitions. Leonard was recently awarded the Millennium Gates Scholarship. He seeks to further his education at The University of Texas at Dallas and intends to double major in Political Science and Vocal Performance.
RECOGNITION FOR ACHIEVEMENT
RAÚL DOMÍNGUEZ, viola
RAÚL FERNANDO DOMÍNGUEZ CORTEZ, viola, is a young talented musician from Mexico who began his musical studies in the “Esperanza Azteca" music program in 2010. Raul is studying his bachelor in Music at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez (UACJ), directed by Guillermo Quezada. He is member of the UACJ’s Symphony Orchestra. In 2011 and 2012, he was principal violist at the National Youth Orchestra of Mexico playing at 4 tours around Mexico. Today he is the first viola in the Esperanza Azteca National Orchestra; he has performed with great musicians like Joshua Bell and Placido Domingo. Raúl won the “YOA/Curtis Institute of Music, Scholarship of the Americas”, winning between violists from the whole continent. The Youth Orchestra of the Americas (YOA) awarded him a scholarship to travel to Philadelphia, PA, for the Curtis Summer Fest. He took viola, orchestra and chamber music lessons with Sharon Wei, Brenton Caldwell, Petko Dimitrov, Adam Flatt, Amy Yang, and Rebecca Harris. Raúl won the third place on the Concerto Competition of the Young Artist Program, playing the “Stamitz Viola Concerto”. He played in the masterclass of Mr. Roberto Diaz, President and CEO of the Curtis Institute of Music.
RECOGNITION FOR ACHIEVEMENT
PERLA CARDENAS, cello
PERLA CARDENAS, cello, is a freshman at UTEP majoring in music education and studies with Zuill Bailey. She has played the cello for nine years and is currently a member of the American String Teachers Association Sun City Chapter at UTEP. She graduated in the top ten from El Dorado High School in 2014, received the Presidential Excellence Scholarship, and made it to the TMEA All-State String Orchestra her senior year. She was the section leader in the Varsity orchestra. She received Division 1 ratings in Solo and Ensemble, and received the Outstanding Soloist award in the Texas State Solo and Ensemble Competition. She participated in the All-Region Symphony Orchestra all four years of high school and was in EPSYOs. Perla was in Dual Credit, AP, Academic Decathlon, golf team, book club, sign language club, and won first place in the science fair, literary anthology, and in Social Studies UIL. In high school she tutored students in social studies and gave cello lessons. Perla’s aspiration is to become a music teacher to inspire the community through her love of music.
RECOGNITION FOR ACHIEVEMENT
JEEYOON KIM, violin
JEEYOON KIM, violin, is a sophomore in the IB program at Coronado High School. She started music at the age of six, first with piano, then violin and flute. Jeeyoon has now been playing violin for eight years. She has participated in All Region for the past five years and was in the TMEA All State String Orchestra twice. She hopes to become a four-year all-stater. Jeeyoon is currently vice president of the Coronado Key Club and plays in the Coronado High School Orchestra.
COMPETITION RECITAL: SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2015 - 6:30PM
University Presbyterian Church - 244 N. Resler - El Paso - TX
1st PLACE AWARD: $2000
& Guest Performace at the EPSMF Summer Concert
2nd PLACE AWARD: $500
3rd PLACE AWARD: $200
