Young Artists Competition (YAC)
BrieAnne Welch, Soprano, 40th Annual YAC Voice Category Winner
Anne Lee and BrieAnne Welch were the winners of the Rio Hondo Symphony Association's 40th Annual Young Artists Competition held February 2, 2008, in the Whittier College Memorial Chapel.
Placing first in the string category was violinist Anne Lee, a 16-year-old La Canada High School student. Taking top honors in the voice category was BrieAnne Welch, a 26-year-old performer in opera in the Sacramento area.
Both young musicians will have the priceless opportunity of performing as soloists at the orchestra's free "75th Finale" concert on April 13, 2008. They will also each receive a $1,500 cash award.
Runner-up among the strings was James Lee, a 20-year old cellist. In the voice category placing second was Cathleen Candia, a 25-year-old mezzo soprano. Each will receive a $500 cash prize. Honorable mention winners in each category were Jessie Chen, 13-year-old violinist, and Kellee King, 28-year-old soprano.
Winners of the 40th Annual YAC!
Anne Lee, Violinist, 40th Annual YAC Strings Category Winner
Anne Lee, 16-year-old violinist from Taiwan, placed first in the string division of the Young Artists Competition. During her brief career she has won numerous prizes and has performed at important venues.
Last year she was the featured soloist at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center which was broadcast live internationally on CBS. In 2007 she also appeared as soloist at the Amphitheatre at Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota.
The young artist began her musical education on the piano at age five and began studying the violin at seven. She made her orchestral debut at 11 when she played Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra. Recently she was one of the top prize winners at the 2008 Lennox International Competition.
Lee has been a Young Musicians Foundation Scholarship recipient every year since 2004 when she moved to the United States. She also received an award from the Leni Fe.Bland Foundation in 2006 and 2007 and was a finalist at the 2007 Kingsville International Competition Pre-college Division.
Currently Lee is a merit scholarship student at the Colburn School of Performing Arts where she has been studying with USC Professor Alice Schoenfeld for four years. Academically, she is a top student at La Canada High School.
The aspiring violinist also participates in the Young Musicians Foundation Chamber Music Program and performed at LACMA in a concert broadcast live on K-Mozart.
She has been described as “a young artist with a daring, deep tone and wonder technique.” Currently she plays on a violin on loan from the ChiMei Foundation’s collection in Taiwan.
BrieAnne Welch, 26-year-old soprano from Sacramento, placed first among the vocalists in the Young Artists Competition. She is an avid performer in opera in the Sacramento area.
In March Welch will be returning to Italy to debut the role of First Lady in Die Zauberflote under the direction of Maestro Stefano Vegnati at the prestigious International Lyric Academy in Rome.
Last summer she performed in Mozart’s Exsultate and Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. While studying with renowned mezzo soprano Catherine Cook, Welch has sung numerous roles in various operas, including Cosi Fan Tutti, Don Giovanni, Merry Wives of Windsor and Die Fledermaus.
Recently the talented young soprano received her M.M. in vocal performance from Cal State Sacramento. She also holds B.M. degrees in vocal and clarinet performance.
Currently Welch is on the Sierra College faculty in Roseville, where she teaches vocal and performance classes.
She coaches with Timm Rolek of Sacramento Opera, Marcy Stapp of the San Francisco Conservatory, and others.