A 13-year-old violinist is among the performers taking part in the annual Young Artists Showcase in Newmarket Feb. 26.
Tina Sievers, who has been studying violin since she was just four years old, will be showcased with an array of local talent at the Visual and Performing Arts Newmarket (VPAN) concert that highlights young talent in York Region.
She has already received many awards, including four gold medals from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Sievers is a member of the Toronto Youth Symphony Orchestra and is described as an avid chamber musician with a wide range of orchestral experience.
She is one of four performers in this year's showcase.
Aidan Lao will also be taking to the stage with his award-winning piano playing.
The 17-year-old is currently a student at McMaster University. He has been playing the piano since he was six years old and is a talented improviser.
Lao was featured in CFMTA’s Canada Music Week in 2020 and is ORMTA’s 2022 Young Artist Winner. He is currently touring across Ontario with ORMTA’s 2022-2023 Young Artist Concert.
The Young Artist Showcase will also feature a vocal performance by 18-year-old mezzo-soprano Marie-Raquel Conceição. She first enrolled in musical theatre at age six and is a graduate of the Arts Huron program in Newmarket.
Conceição is currently on a full scholarship at the Glenn Gould School and is a recipient of several local, provincial and national awards.
The final performers in the showcase will be VYS Piano Trio, which is made up of Abigail Sunde on violin, Wendy Yuan on cello and Gregory Vandikas on piano.
The three met at McGill University's Schulich School of Music. While they are experienced in playing chamber music together, all three are also accomplished soloists, garnering awards and accolades in their own music careers so far.
The Young Artists Showcase, directed by George Vandikas, takes place at Newmarket's Old Town Hall on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available online.
