MusicTeacherGifts.com Music Competition, Ages 17-18
First Place - Emily Singleton
Second Place - Stefan Aprodu
Third place - Somesh Yatham and Taki Salameh
Honorable Mention - Jack Naglick
Find ages 12 to 14 HERE, and ages 15 to 16 HERE. Except for 1st, 2nd and 3rd Placements, the order of the pieces listed are in no particular order.
Emily Singleton, “Here”, Classical, Full Orchestra
First Place - $100 Cash Prize
Emily Singleton (b. 2002) is a Florida-based violist, composer, and writer. Emily’s recent work explores intersections in poetry, linguistics, visual art, and music centering breath, gesture, and interaction of physical material. Her music has been described as “lovely and intense,” “extremely colorful,” and “incredibly precise” while “thinking outside the box.”
Emily has been commissioned by Camerata String Ensemble and has had her music presented at ShapeShifter Lab, University of Florida, Interlochen Center for the Arts, University of Georgia, Curtis Summerfest, Historic Thomas Center, SUNY at Fredonia, St. Augustine Music Festival, Young Women Composers Camp, and Petaluma Center for the Arts. She has collaborated with artists and ensembles such as flutist Mimi Stillman, Face the Music, mezzo-soprano Elisa Sutherland, Gainesville Civic Chorus, Dolce Suono Ensemble, Alachua County Youth Orchestra, New York Youth Symphony, and World Youth Wind Symphony, as well as been featured by organizations and projects such as New Music Decanted, Para el Pueblo Project, and Fredonia New Music Reading Gathering.
Emily’s work has been recognized by the National Federation of Music Clubs, Florida State Music Teachers Association, Sacred Music Florida, Foundation for the Promotion of Music, Technology In Music Education Foundation, Music Teachers National Association, Music at the Anthology, ASCAP, Luna Lab, and NextNotes. She has also received grants from the Ashley Willwerth Memorial Scholarship Foundation, BRASS Ring Karen B. Boling and Colin Kiely Memorial Scholarship, and New Music USA’s New Music Solidarity Fund. As a 2019 William and Martha Paine Orchestral Scholar and member of the Tomari Quartet she recorded Erwin Schulhoff’s 5 Pieces for String Quartet at IPR in summer 2019.
Emily studies with Paul Richards, Daniel Felsenfeld, Jorge Peña, and Stephen Fine, and has studied creative writing as a dual enrollment student at University of Florida.
Stefan Aprodu, “Prelude & Caprice, Classical, Solo Violin
2nd Place - $50 Gift Certificate for SheetMusicPlus.com
”The fact that he plays his violin in a such effortless and intelligent manner and his natural way of overcoming the traps of any complex work make Stefan Aprodu an amazing violinist.” – RadioClasic.
17-year-old violinist Stefan Aprodu studies violin at "Dinu Lipatti" High School of Arts in Bucharest, Romania, with Magdalena Ursu. He has performed with several philharmonic and symphonic orchestras (David Stern conducting a concert Ad honorem Ivry Gtilis, Gabriel Bebeselea - Junior Orchestra, Sabin Pauta - Camerata Regala, Minami – Takasaki Junior Orchestra in Takasaki, Japan, and so on). He was awarded several international prizes (Remember Enescu - 1st Prize, Grumiaux – 3rd Prize, The Muse – 1st Prize, Dorothy Kitchen & Erich Bergel – Grand Trophy, Lira de Aur – Grand Trophy, The Northern International Competition – 1st Prize, The Violin Doc – Grand Trophy, George Manoliu Master of Strings – Grand Trophy, and so on).
He is also a very promising and awarded young composer, and he has been attending the online composition class of Dasle Vådår at Norges Musikkhøgskole since 2020. One of his awarded compositions – The Concerto for violin and orchestra in B flat minor – is scheduled to be performed next year with Stefan as a soloist. He was also awarded 1st Prize at two other composition competitions. His last composition, Pupil’s Concerto for violin and string orchestra, has been performed recently in Romania with Stefan as conductor.
Taki Salameh, “Reflections “, Classical, Medium Orchestra
3rd Place - $25 Gift Certificate to Performers Music
Taki Salameh is a composer and bassoonist who studies at the Interlochen Arts Academy. He is interested in promoting equity as well as collaborating with other artists through his work. Outside of his studies, Taki has enjoyed numerous chamber music experiences that have led to being a semifinalist in both the M-Prize and Fischoff International Chamber Music Competitions. He recently received Merit in the National Young Arts Foundation competition in classical composition. Taki currently studies with Dr. Eric Stomberg for bassoon and with Nick Diberadino for composition.
Somesh Yatham, “Apollo “, Chamber Quintet, Violin Viola Bass Piano , Percussion
3rd Place - $25 Gift Certificate from Performers Music
Somesh Yatham (b. 2003) is an all-state percussionist and composer attending Round Rock High School. Organizing a concert for his first composition at 14, Somesh, now certified Texas Young Master by the Texas Commission on the Arts , has gone on to have his work performed and/or commissioned by the Walsh Middle School Percussion Ensemble, Round Rock High School Rock Drums section, Tetractys, Panoramic Voices, Austin Soundwaves,and the Austin Symphony Orchestra. His compositional work has now achieved regional-international recognition from 15 different organizations and competitions. In doing so, he has participated in Fear No Music’s, Birmingham Conservatoire, and Golden Hornet’s Young Composers’ Programs, serving as a student board representative for the latter. Currently, he aspires to become a film composer, working on all sorts of media. Mentors include Brian Satterwhite, Keith Allegretti, and Sean Harvey.
Jackson Naglick, “Romance”, Classical: Oboe and Piano
Honorable Mention
Jackson Naglick is 17 years old and plays the piano and the oboe. He studies with Catherine Rollin (piano) and Ann Lemke (oboe). Jackson is proud to have been selected as a YoungArts Award Winner by the National YoungArts Foundation in the Classical Piano category in both 2020 and 2021. Looking to connect with others and spread hope during the pandemic, Jackson started a virtual lecture series, The Meetup w/ Jack Naglick. Jackson interviews musicians and explores musical topics, much to the delight of enthusiastic, international audiences. An avid baseball fan, Jackson admires the mechanics needed to throw a good curveball in much the same way that he admires the harmonies in a Rachmaninoff piano concerto. His physical conditioning pursuits include Peloton Power Zone cycling and table tennis. Jackson also loves to escape into nature by foot or bicycle to experience the tranquility and joy of birdwatching. Jackson was fortunate to perform his composition on piano with Dr. Lemke in February 2020, shortly before the lockdown caused by the global pandemic. If you are interested, here is the YouTube link to that performance: https://youtu.be/nvp2ORKDV9U
Micah Primack, “Four Kings and a Ghost”, String Quartet,
Micah Primack started composing at the age of 12. He plays piano, guitar, mandolin, banjo, and ukulele. He attended the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in the High School Composition Intensive in the summer of 2019. Also, he came in 1st place in Arkansas a state level composition competition hosted by the Music Teachers National Association for “The Golden Dove.” Additionally, “The Golden Dove” won 2nd prize in Music Teacher Gifts’ Youth Composer Competition in 2020. He came in 3rd place in his division in the National Federation of Music Clubs for the state of Pennsylvania for his work “The Adventures of Piccolo Boy.” Finally, he received 2nd place in his division for the composition competition hosted by the Piano Explorer magazine for “Bella and Zoe.” He currently lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas and is in the 11th grade. His compositions can be found at micahprimack.com/music.
Carlene Soderberg, “May”, Classical, 2 Cellos
