Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra

Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra 2006 50^th Annual Young Artist Competition Winners

Grand Prize Winner

Seventeen year old Charles Beach is rapidly earning a reputation as one of Indiana's outstanding young pianists. In 2003 he became the youngest person ever to win the Evansville Philharmonic Young Artist Competition, resulting in several solo performances with that orchestra.

More recent awards include second prize and another first prize in the same competition, first prize in the Paducah Symphony/Murray State University Piano Concerto Competition, third prize in the Schmidt Awards in Evansville, and first prizes in IMTA and MTNA local and state competitions. Charles has performed as soloist with the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and in March of 2006 will play with the Paducah Symphony and again with the Evansville Philharmonic.

Charles has played saxophone in the Evansville Honors Jazz Band, was Assistant Concertmaster (violin) in the Evansville Honors Orchestra, and has played violin for six years in the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, where he currently sits third chair.

Charles began piano studies with Hyewon Hemaida, and for the past four years has been studying with Garnet Ungar. He studies violin with Kitty Savia, and attended the Indiana University Piano Academy. Charles follows a rigorous weight training regimen, and is currently a junior at Central High School in Evansville, Indiana. He is the son of Charles Sr. and Insook Beach.

Second Prize Winner: Conductor's Award

Alec Sievern is 11 years old and in the fifth grade at Holy Redeemer School in Evansville, Indiana.  Alec has competed successfully in many local, regional and international piano competitions including a recent first place at the 2006 State IMTA Hoosier Auditions competition and second place in the 2006 Evansville Philharmonic Concerto Competition.  Alec was IMTA Hoosier Auditions district winner in 2005, 2004, and 2003. 

Alec began his study of piano at age 5 and studies piano with Dr. Garnet Ungar of the University of Evansville.  Sports occupy much of Alec's free time as he plays on a select soccer team and also enjoys running cross country, and track.  He is the son of Bill and Luann Sievern of Evansville, IN.  

3^rd Prize Winner: Orchestra Award

Kelsey Tamayo, a Junior with a 4.0 GPA, attends John Hardin High in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Miss Tamayo has been featured on public radio NPR FROM the TOP, Troy State Radio, WULF 98.5, and WUOL 90.5. She has also been featured on Britain's BBC News, SC4 Welsh TV, WLKY 32, and KET television ‘Kentucky Life'. 

Kelsey has won performance prizes/or performed with the Louisville Symphony Orchestra, Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra, Kennett Symphony Orchestra, Bowling Green Chamber Orchestra, Clayton Symphony, 113^th United States Army Dragoons, the University of Louisville, and the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, the Shoals Symphony Orchestra, and twice with the Jackson Mississippi Symphony and Louisville Youth Orchestra.    

Kelsey was recently named the 2006 Grand Prize Winner of the Gaithersburg Young Artist Competition in Gaithersburg, Va. and the Grand Prize Winner of the Eunice Hoffmeister Young Artist Competition in Florence, Alabama. Miss Tamayo was the first prize winner of the 2006 International Eisteddfod Music Competition held in Llangollen, Wales. Kelsey also performed with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra as a soloist at their 2006 Youth Concerts in March. She is the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Federico Tamayo of Radcliff, KY.