The Program
Gifted young musicians, from age 12 to post-graduate, are invited to participate in the Young Artists program, studying with an illustrious faculty on solo repertoire and chamber music. String participants will perform in two NLMF orchestra concerts; collegiate level participants will also perform in the NLMF Opera orchestra conducted by Maestro Gavriel Heine.
Young Artists are assigned chamber music works to prepare in advance their arrival at the festival, and ensembles are provided ample coaching to bring the works to performance level.
The NLMF is a performance program. Participants will play solo or chamber works multiple times in as many as 10 different cities, including children’s library concerts, and chamber music series in beautiful, historic venues. Professional collaborative pianists will be provided for solo performances, and for the Helen Bradach Zuponcic Concerto Competition. Frequent performances are of special value to young artists who are entering competitions and who will have concert dates to fulfill.
The Helen Bradach Zuponcic Concerto Competition
Held on July 3, all participants in the Young Artists program are invited to compete in the concerto competition, named after Helen Bradach Zuponcic, (b. 1915, d. 2014), piano teacher who taught hundreds of young people in the city of Aurora. She accepted her first student in 1945, and taught for 70 years, until her retirement in 2005 at age 90. Cash prizes of $1,000 will be awarded to each of 3 winners.
Contestants can choose any standard concerti; winners will be chosen from any age category, or any repertoire. A high quality, artistically compelling performance is the primary consideration. The performance for the winners will be held at the iconic Hibbing High School, in Hibbing MN, on Thursday, July 17, 2024.