U p c o m i n g C o n c e r t s
Saturday October 17, 2020, 7:30PM
Violinist Caroline Smoak
Caroline Smoak, age 16, is a home schooled high school junior. She began playing violin at the age of 5. Currently she studies with Carolyn Huebl at the Blair School of Music, and she also works with Violet Pan of Tega Cay, SC. Caroline has participated in the Indiana University Summer Strings Academy studying with Rebecca Henry and the Heifetz International Music Institute, where she studied with David and Linda Cerone, Daniel Phillips, and Brian Lewis. She spent the last three summers studying with Itzhak Perlman, Catherine Cho, Li Lin, and Sean Lee at the Perlman Music Program in Long Island, NY and will return for her fourth summer in 2020.
Caroline recently won the Nashville Symphony Concerto Competition and wil appear with the Orchestra in May. She received 3rd prize in the 2019 and 2nd prize in the 2020 Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra – Youth Concerto Competition and has won both the junior and senior divisions of the Peter Perret Youth Talent Search She performed with the Winston-Salem Symphony in May 2016 and February 2018. Caroline was invited to perform with the Salisbury Symphony in February 2018. She won both the junior and senior divisions of the Charlotte Symphony’s Young Artist Competition, performing with both the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra in May 2017 and the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra in February 2018. Caroline has been playing with the youth orchestra program in Charlotte since she was 8, and has been the concertmaster of the senior division for about 2 years. In November 2018, she performed the Barber Violin Concerto with the orchestra. .
Caroline has been studying piano since the age of six and now studies with Irena Hramenkova. Caroline has participated in numerous piano competitions, including the North Carolina Music Teachers Association (NCMTA), the Federation Festival, and the Charlotte Piano Teachers Forum (CPTF) where she won 1st prize in the senior division. Caroline enjoys reading, singing, spending time with family, and sharing her gifts in nursing homes, church, and other venues where she gives concerts with her family.
Saturday, January 16, 2021, 7:30PM
Cellist, Joshua Kováč
Thirteen year old cellist, Joshua Kováč is a homeschooled eighth student from Johnson City, Tennessee, who studies with professor Daniel Veis. Joshua began his musical studies at the age of four and has since received numerous honors and awards. At the age of seven, Joshua won first prize at the ProBohemia International Competition in Ostrava, Czech Republic, and second prize at the Heran International Cello Competition in Ústí nad Orlicí, Czech Republic. Other honors include first prizes at the American Protégé Competition and International Grande Music Competition, and second prize at the International Virtuoso Competition. He also placed first Youth Aliyah Concerto Competition and won third prize at the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition.
Joshua has performed as a soloist with the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Kinnor Philharmonic, ETSU Chamber Orchestra, and Scruffy City Orchestra. On February 6, 2020 Joshua appeared on the National Public Radio's From The Top and is a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award.
Joshua has furthered his studies at several summer festivals -- including Music@Menlo, Heartland Chamber Music Festival, ETSU Chamber Music Festival, and the National Cello Institute .He has performed in masterclasses for Gilbert Kalish, Matt Haimovitz, Steven Doane, Keith Robinson, Thomas Landschoot, Ivan Chen, Johannes Moser, and the Parker String Quartet. Joshua is currently a student of ETSU pre-college Chamber Music Program and a member of ETSU Chamber Orchestra. Among other interests, Joshua enjoys solving Rubik’s cubes, playing chess, reading,
skiing, competitive swimming, hiking, and riding his bike.
Saturday May 1, 2021, 7:30PM
Violinist, Luke Henderson
Luke Henderson, 17 years old, from Raleigh, North Carolina, began playing violin at the age of 3. He currently studies with Mr. Paul Biss at the New England Conservatory. Luke attends school at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts where he is concertmaster of the Phillips Academy Symphony and Chamber Orchestras. He plays first violin in the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and has toured with the BPYO in Europe.
Luke made his solo debut as Laurette of the Samuel Fordis Young Artist Competition with the Georgia Philharmonic at age 12, performing Mozart’s fourth violin concerto. He has also soloed with the Winston Salem Symphony and New England Philharmonic Orchestra.
Luke has been awarded prizes at several competitions, including first prizes in the 2020 North Carolina MTNA senior division strings, and Great Composers International Competition. He won the 2018 Peter Perret Youth Talent Search and the Chapel Hill Philharmonic Young Artist Competition. Luke’s piano trio won gold medals at the National Fischoff Chamber Music Competition and the Coltman National Chamber Music Competition.
Luke is a member of the Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School led by Ms. Merry Peckham. He has performed in master classes with James Ehnes , Joseph Lin, Donald Weilerstein, Miriam Fried, Soovin Kim, William Preucil, Robert McDuffie, Stefan Jackiw, David Kim and Paul Kantor. He has attended several summer music festivals, including the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Meadowmount School of Music and the Hilton Head Chamber Music Institute. Luke has been selected to appear on National Public Radio’s From The Top.
Luke teaches violin weekly to school-age children as a volunteer in Phillips Academy’s Andover Lawrence Strings program and also teaches weekly online lessons with Through The Staff. When he is not playing violin, Luke enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with friends.
