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The Mukilteo Community Orchestra is partnering with the Snohomish County Music Teachers Association for a special concert Dec. 8. The Young Artists Concert will feature five award-winning students. 

The orchestra will be accompanying these students for an afternoon of music by Haydn, Chopin, Boccherini, Khachaturian, and Tchaikovsky. The free concert starts at 1 p.m. at the Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave, in Mukilteo.  

Trevor Lutzenhiser, the orchestra's conductor and artistic director, will present a free pre-concert lecture at 12:20 p.m. 

"This is the fifth year that the Mukilteo Community Orchestra has partnered with the SCMTA," Lutzenhiser said. "Our orchestra members are delighted to be accompanying them once again this year."

The concert will open with two flute performances. Carson Chadd will play "Concerto in D, Op. 27, Allegro moderato" by Luigi Boccherini and Sandra Hernandez will play "Concerto for Flute, Allegro con fermezza" by Aram Khachaturian. 

Chadd is a junior at Marysville Pilchuck High School, where he has participated in wind ensemble for the past three years. For the past two years, he has played in jazz band and in the orchestra pit for musicals.

In 2019, he was a part of the 2019 Washington All-State Band. His ensemble placed first at a district chamber ensemble competition. Chadd has received superior ratings on his solos and ensembles throughout the last two years. He enjoys participating in many district non-keyboard events and has played flute for a total of six years.  

Sandra Hernandez is a senior at Marysville Pilchuck High School. She has played flute for five years and is involved in her school's marching band, wind ensemble, jazz band, and musical pit orchestra.  

Hernandez has been a member of the Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Seattle Conservatory Chamber music group for two years. She does solo performances at retirement homes as part of the Seattle Conservatory collegiate performance preparation class.  

In 2018, she performed at the Washington State Music Teachers Association honors recital in Vancouver. This year, Sandra was a member of the National Flute Association high school flute choir.

The young artist performers are students of SCMTA members Allan Park and Iris Ingram. The students are all winners of the association's annual concerto competition.

"These students, who range in age from 11 to 17, represent an amazing group of talented young musicians," Lutzenhiser said. "They impress us with their dedication to their music and exceptional performance abilities."

Hernandez and Chadd both study under Ingram. The flute performances will be followed by three piano concertos. Each of the piano students study under Park. 

Seoyoung Trinity Yun will play the first movement of "Piano Concerto No. 11 in D Major, Hob. XVIII: 11" by Franz Joseph Haydn. Hyun Yoon will play the first movement of "Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 16" by Frederic Chopin. John Meneses will play the first movement of "Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor" by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

Seoyoung Trinity Yun is a sixth grader at Tyee Middle School. She was a recipient of the Ford Scholarship at the International Music Academy in Houston. In 2019, Yun earned first place in the HMTA Concerto Competition and performed with Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra. 

Yun has won first prize in several international and local competitions throughout the past two years, in addition to other award recognitions. Besides music, she loves swimming, dancing, and reading. She often applies stories from books to piano play in order to improve her expressiveness. 

Hyun Yoon is the current Russian Chamber Music Foundation Concerto Winner. He recently performed with the Bellevue Symphony and was selected as "best of class" winner at the 2019 Concerto Winners' Concert at Benaroya Hall. 

He also won a gold medal for the piano duet division performing with his sister, DJ Yoon. They have performed at many festivals and competitions, earning a large collection of awards.

In total, he has received top medals at over 37 piano competitions and festivals. He has also served as principal cellist for the Seattle Youth Symphony. Yoon has performed live on Classical KING FM several times. 

Glacier Peak sophomore John Meneses has been playing piano since he was six years old. He has won multiple awards at various competitions and festivals. Meneses also plays the trombone for his high school wind ensemble and jazz band.

Meneses said his skills come from many years of practice and hard work rather than just innate talent. As an athlete, John is a varsity diver at Glacier Peak. Moving towards the future, John intends to study engineering and music while attending college.

"Aristotle's quote certainly applies," said Rachel Dickinson, former SCMTA president. "'Excellence is an art won by training...We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit.'" 

SCMTA is a non-profit organization that strives to uphold musical excellence in the community, Dickerson said. With a goal to further musical culture in every way, the organization offers performance and education opportunities for students, teachers, and the enjoyment of the local community. She said the association is one of the largest music chapters in Washington state.

"The Snohomish County Music Teachers Association is so grateful for the continuous community efforts of the Mukilteo Community Orchestra," Dickinson said. "We have seen time and again how they encourage excellence in our student's personal discipline, artistic quality and give the gift of a dream realized. 

More information about the concert can be found at http://www.mukilteoorchestra.org.