Classical Minnesota Public Radio Names Featured Round Musicians for "Minnesota Varsity"

Mar 3, 2011

Recordings of Featured Round musicians will be broadcast on Classical MPR between March 21-25 and will be available online at classicalmpr.org

Showcase Round entrants to be chosen via online voting March 21-25 and by a panel of celebrity judges

(St. Paul, Minn.)--March 2, 2011--Classical MPR announced today the Minnesota Varsity editorial team has named 15 musicians to be in its Featured Round.

Minnesota Varsity is a new Classical MPR initiative to showcase the best young Minnesota classical musicians. From Jan. 3-Feb. 15, the program asked classical music students (ages 14-18) from around the state---vocalists, instrumental soloists and small ensembles---to submit a recording of themselves performing. More than 130 musicians submitted entries during the initial phase of Minnesota Varsity this year.

"We are so impressed by the caliber of talent that submitted music from all parts of Minnesota," says Daniel Gilliam, program director, Classical MPR. "We're glad to be able to share their music with a larger audience and to inspire them to think big and experience professional music recording, broadcast and performance opportunities."

Minnesota Varsity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

The Featured Round

Classical MPR is pleased to announce the following musicians have moved on to the Featured Round:

Karen Baumgartner, Roseville
John Belk, Maple Grove
Brianna Drevlow, Thief River Falls
Valais Duo, Maple Grove
Lauren Eberwein, St. Paul
Xavier Jara, Arlington
Henry Johnston, St. Paul
Matt Lammers, Eden Prairie
Maeve Moynihan, Edina
Ronea String Quartet, St. Paul
Emily Rudquist, Deer River
Austin Wahl, Minneapolis
Joshua Weinberg, St. Peter
Andy Xue, Plymouth
Rebecca Yeh, Brainerd

The Featured Round musicians will be recorded by Classical MPR engineers during the early part of March 2011.

Tune in: The Featured Round musicians' recordings will be broadcast on Classical MPR stations between March 7-25, with John Birge at 7:15 a.m. and Steve Staruch at 4:15 p.m. and will be available on classicalmpr.org.

Showcase Round

Five Showcase Round entrants will be chosen via online voting March 21-25 and by a panel of celebrity judges.

Online voting March 21-25: The public is invited to participate in the online voting by going to classicalmpr.org/varsity between March 21-25. The highest vote getter will be included in the Showcase Round.

The remaining four entrants will be chose from a panel of celebrity judges from the Minnesota classical scene--including frequent Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra collaborator Sir Nicholas McGegan, Minnesota Orchestra's Sarah Hicks, MMEA's Karen Bradley and Steve Boehlke, MPR's John Birge, Brian Newhouse and Steve Staruch, and others.

The five entrants featured in The Showcase Round will be asked to perform in a special live production at MPR's Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul on April 17, 2011.

Minnesota Varsity Showcase Round concert:
Sunday, April 17 2 p.m.
MPR's The Fitzgerald Theater, 10 E. Exchange St., St. Paul
Tickets: $15; $13 for MPR Members. Call The Fitzgerald Theater box office, 651-290-1200 or go to fitzgeraldtheater.org.