(WINSTON-SALEM, NC-January 2003) The future of music in North Carolina is in good hands if the PWS Concerto Competition is any indication. The competition was so strong that the judges ended up awarding a tie for first place. Laura Kruep, a junior at Northwest Guilford High School, and Leah Shaw, a senior at Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem were awarded first place. They will each be presented with a check for $750 from Allegacy Federal Credit Union at the next PWS concert on March 11, 2003 where they will also perform as soloists. The Competition, in its second year, is again sponsored by Allegacy Federal Credit Union. Allegacy is an active sponsor of various community events, especially those that promote the arts in the Winston-Salem area.

Third place and $100 will be awarded to Reid Settle, a senior at Page High School, for his trumpet performance of the Concerto for Trumpet in B-flat by Joseph Hayden. “Nice tone, technique and musicality,” stated the judges after his audition. A Wind Ensemble and Marching Band student of Ed Kimbrough at Page High School and a private student of Tim Hudson, a Carolina Brass member, Reid plans to major in trumpet performance in college. 

“Terrific potential”, “lovely talent”, “impressed by the quality of teaching”, were among the observations from the three judges of this demanding competition. They were Philip Dunigan, retired professor of music at the North Carolina School of the Arts, Robert Listokin and Mark Popkin, both currently teaching music at North Carolina School of the Arts.  All three judged the competition last year, the inaugural year, and were very impressed with the quality of this year’s applicants.   

Philip Dunigan has performed with orchestras such as the Symphony of the Air, the New York City Opera and the New York City Ballet and recently retired from the North Carolina School of the Arts, where he taught flute for 37 years. Robert Listokin has been a frequent clarinet soloist with the Piedmont Chamber Orchestra and the Winston-Salem Symphony as well as a current faculty member at NCSA. Mark Popkin has been a faculty member of the North Carolina School of the Arts since its founding in 1965. He has performed as principal bassoon with the New Jersey Symphony, the New York Pops, the New York Choral Society and the Winston-Salem Symphony, and has played with the Houston Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, the New York City Center and Metropolitan Opera Orchestras, to name just a few.

High school musicians from throughout the Triad were invited to enter the competition, held on November 16^th at Wake Forest University.  Sponsored by Allegacy Federal Credit Union, the competition is the brainchild of Robert Simon, Artistic Director of the Piedmont Wind Symphony.  “Music was an important part of my student life,” commented Simon. “It is essential to provide students with well rounded educational experiences, and we’re grateful that Allegacy Federal Credit Union agreed to support the opportunity for young musicians to experience the achievement of competing in this format and then performing with the Piedmont Wind Symphony in concert.”