The Texas Tech University Symphony Orchestra will present a special performance featuring winners of the 2018 concerto contest. Meet them on this episode of The Front Row.
We will start with Jorge Ramos, who is a pianist. When did you decide to start playing the piano?
I started my studies in the piano at age 14. My grandmother was a concert pianist, so music has been around the family the whole time. My aunt started teaching me piano, so she encouraged me and gave me this love for music. So that’s how. I started.
Tell us a little bit about the piece that you will play.
I’ll be performing Prokofiev’s third piano concerto, the first movement. It’s an awesome piece. I think it’s a chamber piece. There’s a great involvement between the piano and winds. There’s a lot of sarcasm and humor and darkness in this awesome piece.
Spencer Reese, you’re an expert clarinetist. When did you get involved with the clarinet?
I started playing the clarinet when I was in middle school, sixth grade, usually when people start playing wind instruments.
How did you decide you wanted to play the Debussy Rhapsody?
It’s a great piece. I’ve been wanting to play it for some time. I learned it about a year ago, that’s when our competition was. So, it’s actually been a little bit interesting now, working on it for over a year. It’s like you learn and compete with it, and you put it away for a long time. And so, I’ve been bringing it back recently and it’s always a joy. But the piece itself is a very cool piece, originally written for clarinet and piano and was later arranged by Debussy for orchestra.
Lauren Pokorzynski, tell us a little bit about you and where you’re from.
I am originally from Northern Michigan, from a very small town about 500 people…I started playing violin when I was five. My mom is actually a music teacher and one of my best friends at the time came in for show and tell with her violin and played Twinkle Twinkle Little star, and I thought, I can do that. She doesn’t play the violin anymore, but here I am 20 years later soloing with Korngold.
Hear from the remaining contest winners at the top of the article.
