Blair School of Music precollege students were the top three finalists at this year’s Nashville Symphony Curb Concerto Competition, which took place at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center March 14-15.
The grand prize winner was violinist Kaili Wang, a student of Carolyn Huebl, associate professor of violin. Wang is a 15-year-old ninth-grade student at Harpeth Hall School. She will perform the third movement of the violin concerto by Camille Saint-Saëns with the Nashville Symphony and Blair’s Curb Youth Symphony in the Side By Side Concert at 7 p.m. May 21 at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
First runner-up was violinist Maggie Kasinger, also a student of Huebl. Kasinger is a 14-year-old eighth-grade home-schooled student from Springfield, Tennessee. The second runner-up was cellist David Bender, a student of Felix Wang, professor of cello. Bender is a 17-year-old 11th-grade student at the Comenius School in Franklin, Tennessee.
All three students are Myra Jackson Blair Honor Scholars at Blair. As part of their scholarship, they study music theory, music history and play chamber music. Many of the Blair scholars study with faculty who also teach in the collegiate program at Blair.
Every year, the Nashville Symphony hosts the Curb Concerto Competition, a classical, instrumental competition to promote, encourage and support young Tennessee musicians. Open to students ages 14 to 18, musicians compete in five categories: woodwind, brass, string, piano and percussion.