2023 was an outstanding year for young composers. Sixteen teachers and 21 students participated in this year’s festival from the following districts: East Portland, Umpqua Valley-South Coast, West Portland, Tualatin-Valley, Linn-Benton, and Umatilla-Morrow.
Below you’ll find just over one hour of outstanding new music featured by these composers. Take a listen, recognize these students’ achievement and consider sharing the art of composition in your own studio.
Honored Composers:
- Josie McCullough, age 8, student of Heidi Evans, Fairies’ Game of Tag (piano solo)
- Ricky Lee, age 9, student of Gary Noland, Rain and Then Sun (piano solo)
- Isaac Pendergrass III, age 10, student of Ruth Sadilek, The Realm House (ensemble)
- Eli Greenshields, age 11, student of Sandra Coolen, The Adventures of Flappy Bird (piano solo)
- Emma Beltran (Sophia Matthews), age 11, student of Phyllis Peterson, Sleeping Tiger (piano solo)
- Shea Noll, age 11, student of Jessica Carnevale, Shea’s Imagination (piano solo)
- Adeline Friberg, age 12, student of Tanya Stojamarie, A Mixolydian Summer (piano solo)
- Emmeline Covert, age 13, student of Phyllis Peterson, Mountain Jaunt (piano solo)
- Ryan Lengkeek, age 13, student of Amie Belisle, Starlight (piano solo)
- Melanie Kitchen, age 13, student of Sarah Milburn, Breeze in the Valley (piano solo)
- Uriah Legutki, age 14, student of Charlotte Pierce, Days Gone By (piano solo)
- A’shariá Pendergrass, age 14, student of Ruth Sadilek, Half Truths Part I, II, III (ensemble)
- Zoey Griffith, age 15, student of Sarah Milburn, Raining in the Olive Grove (piano solo)
- James Lee, age 15, student of Jennifer Wright, Telltale (piano solo)
- Corinna Lobscheid, age 15, student of Rosanne Smith, Andromeda (piano solo)
- Lex Kornelis, age 16, student of Nancy Stone, Carnival (ensemble)
- Adelai Jeffrey, age 16, student of Dianne Davies, Revelation (ensemble)
- Adrian Valenzuela, age 16, student of Ruth Sadilek, An Evening After School (ensemble)
- George R. Miller, age 17, student of Michael Allen Harrison, Symphonic Sketch no. 1 (symphony)
- Charles Martin, age 17, student of Kristy Moore, The Gladiator (piano duet)
- Sarah Craner, age 18, student of Heidi Evans, Mind Palace (piano solo)
The State Composition Book, consisting of all the honored composers’ sheet music will be available for our membership to purchase via hard copy for $16.00. Orders must be placed by June 5. Contact Dianne Davies at 503-998-5220 or diannedavies00@gmail.com for your copy of this stellar new music.