Youth Talent Auditions 2011-2012

On December 17, 2011, the Topeka Symphony held its 59th annual Youth Talent Auditions. Each year the Symphony sponsors this event to give high school students the opportunity to perform a solo with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra. Out of four areas of competition – keyboard, strings, wind and percussion instruments, and voice – one student is chosen to perform with the Topeka Symphony and the first runner up appears at the Topeka Symphony Youth Orchestra concert. The winner in each category is awarded a scholarship by Capitol Federal.  These scholarships will be presented at the TSO Concert January 14 at White Concert Hall.  Next season’s Youth Talent Auditions will be held on December 15, 2012.

The TSO is pleased to announce the 2011-2012 Youth Talent Audition winners:

• Over-all winner: Joseph Teeter, cello, Sophomore from Topeka.
• Runner-up and winner of the Wind and Percussion Division: Erin Hansen, harp, Senior from Atchison.
• Winner of the Keyboard Division: Isabel Keleti, piano, Junior from Leawood.

The Over-all Winner performs with the TSO at concerts January 12 and 14, 2012. The Runner-up performs at the TSO Youth Ensembles concert March 4 2012 concert.

Joseph Teeter Overall Topeka Symphony Youth Talent Audition Winner 2011-2012

The overall winner of the 2011-2012 Youth Talent Competition is Joseph Teeter, cello.

Joe Teeter is a sophomore at Topeka High School.  He is the son of Peg McCarthy and Scott Teeter.  Joe began studying the cello at age four with Suzuki instructor Carolyn Sandquist.  At age seven he began studying seriously with former Washburn cello professor Steven Elisha.  He now is a student of Kansas City Symphony musician Lawrence Figg.  Joe has much experience with orchestras, playing with the Topeka Symphony Debut and Youth Philharmonic Orchestras as well as the Kansas City Youth Symphony’s Philharmonic, Academy, and Symphony Orchestras.  Joe was principal of the Topeka Youth Symphony in 2010 and principal of the Kansas City Youth Philharmonic and Academy orchestras from 2008 to 2010.  This year Joe was the youngest ever cellist to be accepted into the Topeka Symphony as a full time member.  He also is an active member of Washburn University’s cello ensemble.

Joe has studied in the summer at the Ottawa Summer Camp, Soundfest Summer Intensive in Falmouth, Ma.; Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Co.; the Kansas City String Quartet Program; and the Blanche Bryden Sunflower Music Festival Institute in Topeka.  Last year, Joe won the Kansas City Youth Symphony’s concerto competition and performed Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme with the Academy Orchestra in Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College.

In Joe’s spare time he enjoys dancing at Topeka Ballet, playing in several chamber ensembles, and teaching cello lessons.

Erin Hansen, Wind and Percussion Instrument Division Winner and Overall Runner-up Topeka Symphony Youth Talent Auditions 2011-2012

Erin Hansen, harp, is the winner of the Wind and Percussion Instrument Division and overall runner-up of the 2011-2012 Youth Talent Competition.  Erin is the daughter of Joseph and Denita Hansen and lives in Atchison, Kansas. She will perform the Rondeau, Third Movement of the Concerto for Harp and Orchestra in C, Op. 77 by Adrien Francois Boieldieu with the Topeka Symphony Youth Orchestra on March 4, 2012. She is a senior at Shemah Christian Academy, a home school in Atchison.

Erin has studied piano since age five and began her study of the harp at age seven, both with Sister Joachim Holthaus.  She has served as church pianist at Carol Baptist Church during much of her musical study time.  When Erin was 12 she began serving as harpist in the Benedictine College Community Orchestra, a position she held for five years.  This last fall she joined the Emporia State Orchestra as harpist and pianist.  Erin has received several levels of awards including a National Second Prize in String Category 2010 in the American Association of Christian Schools (AACS) competition.  In 2011 she received first place Classical Piano in the Mid-American Association of Christian Schools (MAACS) competition.  Erin has also been featured in the Atchison magazine, “Lady A” in the 2011 summer issue.  She plans to major in Harp Performance at Bob Jones University in the fall of 2012.

Isabel Keleti, Keyboard Division Winner Topeka Symphony Youth Talent Awards 2011-2012

Isabel Keleti, piano, is the winner of the Keyboard Division.  She performed the First Movement of the Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16.  Isabel is the daughter of Daniel and Ingrid Keleti and lives in Leawood, Kansas where she attends Blue Valley North High School.

Isabel has studied piano for 10 years, starting lessons at age seven.  She currently studies with David Tauscher.  She serves as the percussion section leader of the Blue Valley North Marching Band and plays viola and violin in the Blue Valley North Symphonic Orchestra.  Every Sunday she plays viola, violin and/or piano with the orchestra at the Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene.

Isabel attended Heartland Chamber Music Academy at UMKC and the International Institute for Young Musicians.  This past year she won first place in the 11-12 grade Plan B Division at the KMTA Piano Competition and second place in the Missouri Western State University Young Artists Piano Competition.  Isabel received highest ratings at the KSHSAA regional and state piano competition and at KCMTA’s Fall Festival for the past three years.  She was also the district winner of the GFWC piano competition in 2010.

In her free time Isabel loves to listen to classical music, play in small ensembles, bake, be with my friends, and travel to new places.

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Scholarships and Awards

TSO Performance Scholarships

The Topeka Symphony Orchestra offers scholarships to string students accepted as a member of the Topeka Symphony Orchestra. Acceptance into the orchestra is by audition and scholarships are awarded based on the audition and an application.

Elna Friedstrom Awards

The Topeka Symphony League awards grants to musicians in the Topeka Symphony Youth Orchestra and Philharmonic ensembles. These awards honor the memory of Elna Friedstrom, a long time volunteer and supporter of the Topeka Symphony Youth Ensembles. These grants are awarded in the Spring and are based on applications

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