12th Annual Rosen-Schaffel Competition for Young and Emerging Artists
July 1 | 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
The festival proudly presents the 12th annual Rosen-Schaffel Concerto Competition for Young & Emerging Artists, known for the pivotal role it has played in launching the careers of some of our region’s most promising young artists. This year’s competition, in partnership with the Hayes School of Music, extends eligibility to undergraduate and graduate collegiate musicians (up to age 26) to 10 states across the southeast: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Florida! In the final live round of the competition, presented during An Appalachian Summer Festival on the campus of Appalachian State University in Boone, NC, a panel of distinguished conductors will choose a First, Second, and Third Place winner from a group of finalists selected via a blind adjudication process by esteemed musicians and collegiate educators during the spring. The competition’s audience will also select an Audience Choice Award winner.
IN PERSON: Rosen Concert Hall, Broyhill Music Center, 813 Rivers St., Boone
LIVESTREAM: Available on the App Summer YouTube channel
DATE/TIME: Saturday, July 1, 2023
2pm-5pm
Event is FREE
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact the Box Office at theschaefercenter@appstate.edu or 800-841-2787 or 828-262-4046.
ACCOMMODATION STATEMENT: Appalachian is committed to providing an inclusive experience for individuals with disabilities. If accommodations are needed in order to fully participate on the basis of a disability, contact the Office of Disability Resources (828.262.3056). It is recommended that accommodation requests be made two weeks prior to the event.
PRIZES
First Place: $2,500*
Second Place: $2,000
Third Place: $1,500
Audience Choice: $1,000
*In addition to a cash prize, the First Place Winner will also receive an invitation to perform during An Appalachian Summer Festival’s 2024 season.
2023 FINALISTS
CARTER DOOLITTLE is a sophomore at University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). Much like many other musicians, he started playing saxophone in middle school. He has been fortunate enough to study briefly with some amazing saxophonists and educators such as Dr. Clifford Leaman (USC), Professor Joe Lulloff (MSU), Professor Matt Olsen (FU), Dr. Karen Hill (Converse College), and Dr. Timothy McAllister (UM). Carter currently studies under Dr. Robert Young at UNCSA in pursuit of a Bachelor’s degree in Saxophone Performance. He has had some great opportunities and achievements along the way, including receiving 1st and 3rd prizes in the 2019-2021 SCBDA Masters Recital Competitions, receiving 1st place in the 2020-2021 SCMTA and NCMTA State Solo Competitions, receiving 1st place in the 2020-2021 MTNA Regional Solo Competitions for SC and NC, receiving 5th and 3rd prizes in the 2021-2022 National MTNA Solo Competitions, placing 2nd in the UNCSA Concerto Competition, winning 1st prize in the Euterpe Solo Competition, making it to finals (thus far) in the Cleveland International Music Competition, and being named a Finalist for the 2021-2022 NASA Saxophone Quartet Competition.
CLARA CAMACHO is a young and brilliant Franco-Venezuelan pianist born in a family of musicians. She started studying the piano at the age of three-and-a-half at the Mozarteum School in Caracas in the class of Carlos Urbaneja. At the age of 10, she was accepted at the CRR of Paris with a unanimous “Mention Très Bien” and the congratulations of the jury. She obtained her DEM diploma in 2019 from the Regional Conservatory of Paris in the class of David Saudubray. During her years of study, she won for two consecutive years the National Piano Competition of Chatou with a unanimous “Mention Très Bien” with congratulations from the jury. Passionate about other musical and artistic genres, Clara pursued piano and singing jazz studies at the Charles Munch Conservatory in Paris. In addition, she studied cello for six years and has been composing since an early age. In the past three years, Clara has been performing several solo piano recitals as well as chamber music concerts in France and the United States, performances she often concludes with an improvisation. In 2020, she received a scholarship to study in the class of the prestigious Ukrainian pianist Volodymyr Vynnytsky at the College of Charleston, in Bachelor’s degree. In her sophomore year, Clara Camacho was awarded the Edwin Davis Peacock Award for excellence in piano, and performed multiple concerts for the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. She is currently pursuing her junior year at the College of Charleston.
LEVI HARDY is from Five Forks, South Carolina. He began on double bass and played for two years, then switched to the euphonium and, soon after, tuba. This is because he moved to a school that didn’t have an orchestra. Levi attended Woodruff High School, then continued his studies as a Music Education major at North Greenville University, studying with Michael Taylor. He continues his studies in a Master’s degree program in Instrumental Performance on euphonium at Oakland University in Rochester, Mich. His teacher at Oakland University will be Dr. Kenneth Kroesche. Mr. Taylor and his accompanist, Fabio Parrini, have been phenomenal support for four years now. Says Hardy, “I wouldn’t be here at this point without their support and efforts to get me to this point!”
GABRIEL LOPEZ is a native of Puerto Rico currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music (Class of ‘24) at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) with a concentration on saxophone performance, under the instruction of Dr. Robert Young. He earned his high school diploma from Clayton High School, where he received the Semper Fidelis Award for Musical Excellence and was named First Chair Alto Saxophonist of the 2020 North Carolina Senior High All-State Honors Band. A multi-faceted musician, he is a member of the UNCSA Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and the Ascend Quartet. He has performed in various masterclasses led by esteemed musicians such as Joseph Lulloff, Owen Broder, and Jon Metzger. Other masterclass attendances include Timothy McAllister, Anthony McGill, Connie Frigo, and Paul Hanson. After completing his undergraduate studies, Gabriel López aspires to pursue master’s and doctorate degrees in music and one day teach saxophone at the collegiate level.
RONI SHITRIT was born in 1999 in Israel. She began her violin studies with Mr. Oscar Shraiberman at the Ramla conservatory when she was five years old. She is currently pursuing her undergraduate studies at University of North Carolina School of the Arts, UNCSA, with Professors Ida Bieler and Janet Orenstein. Roni had her Carnegie Hall debut at the Weill Recital Hall following her winning the second prize in the New York International Artist Association Competition (2022). Roni is the first prize winner in the 2021 MTNA Young Artist National Competition, 1st prize and special prize winner in the Moscow International Online Competition (2021), and the winner of the Bruno Frey Music Prize 2021 in Germany. She is also the 1st prize winner of the IMKA Music Competition (2021), one of the winners in the Master Orchestra International Concerto Competition in Bercia, Italy (2022), second prize winner in the Jefferson Competition, second prize winner of the LaGrange Symphony Concerto Competition, and a second prize winner of a national competition in Israel (2017). In addition, Roni received scholarships with exceptional distinction on her performance from the American-Israel Cultural Foundation (2021), and scholarships from Rotary Club in Ramla, Israel (2015, 2018). She also gave recitals in Israel, Germany, Italy and USA. A committed chamber musician, Roni has collaborated with such outstanding artists as Peter Wiley, Tatjana Masurenko the Verona Quartet, Jan Vogler, Ida Bieler, members of the Faure Quartet and Francois Benda.
ERIC WANG is a rising senior at Wake Forest University, where he currently studies piano with Dr. Larry Weng and is a Nancy Susan Reynolds Scholar and Presidential Scholar in Music. Mr. Wang has been awarded 1st place in multiple editions of the Giles-Harris Piano Competitions, and has appeared in concert twice with the WFU Symphony as a prizewinner in the annual Concerto Competitions. As a prizewinner in the Baltimore Piano Festival Competition, Mr. Wang also debuted a solo program at Weill Recital Hall in 2019. His other honors include awards in the North Carolina MTNA Competitions and top prizes at the ECU Young Artist Competition and UNCSA Classical Sonata Competition. Mr. Wang’s prior teachers include Dr. Peter Kairoff and Mrs. Olga Urick. He has participated in masterclasses with Mr. Jerome Lowenthal (The Juilliard School), Dr. Arthur Greene (University of Michigan), and Dr. Kwan Yi (East Carolina University), among others. Mr. Wang also collaborates in chamber ensembles at Wake Forest and was recently selected as a finalist in the 2023 NC Symphony and Rosen-Schaffel Concerto Competitions.
