Young Artists: Out of 117, 3 rise to the top
Brit Mott

Three out of a record-breaking 117 students proudly walked away as the grand prize winners of the Collin County Young Artist Competition January 14, sponsored by Topaz Labs and Atmos Energy. The 117 musicians vied for a chance to perform in an upcoming concert with the Plano Symphony Orchestra (PSO). Your winners this year are Gloria Leticia Herrera on marimba, Brian Zhao on cello, and Jason Lin on piano. Each winner will play a concerto with PSO on Saturday, March 19 at St. Andrew United Methodist Church.

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Of the 117 contenders, 65 competed in strings, 22 in winds/percussion, and 30 in piano. To appreciate those numbers, consider that in 1985, when the contest began, only 17 students competed in all. As the contest grows each year, its format evolves. Today, students compete in closed auditions—in strings, winds/percussion, or piano—which run simultaneously until 12 finalists are chosen. Each one then chooses a 5-minute sample of his or her piece to perform before a panel of six judges in open auditions. The public is invited to listen to the finals free of charge.

Gloria Leticia Herrera, a 10th-grader at Williams High School, has been playing the marimba for four years. Similar to the xylophone, the marimba belongs to the percussion family. The 15-year-old plays it with confidence and says she wasn’t a bit nervous at the Young Artist Competition. “I knew I prepared well and that whatever I put in front of the judges was all I could do. I did my best and won!”

Gloria’s mom, Alma Kimberlin, chimes in. “She was very prepared. Plus, she’s the drum captain at her school and has a lot of experience competing. At the PISD solo/ensemble contests, she’s made all-region since seventh grade. Actually, all-region is tonight and we’re leaving straight from here to go to that.”

Gloria’s father, Bryant, was backstage during the competition to help move the marimba on and off the stage. He recalls, “I got a front row seat and after she was done, I gave her a big hug. I was probably more nervous than she was…but the judges loved her confidence.”

Bryant and Alma both went through Plano schools playing percussion, so it was only natural for their daughter to pick up the marimba. All three of them agreed that not many people know about the instrument since the percussion is staged in the back of an orchestra. “The percussion is the unsung hero,” says Bryant, “but it’s important because it brings that swell of music that livens the audience.”

Every section of an orchestra is as important as the conductor himself. PSO Executive Director Alice Hobbs and Finance Director Debbie Watson, who will soon step into the role of executive director, are on a mission to instill this kind of appreciation for music in youth. When they reveal to Gloria that they would like her to visit area schools to inspire students to take up music, Gloria’s face lights up and she gasps with excitement. Debbie turns to Gloria’s mom and says, “These kids work so hard and they are so dedicated, and they have an opportunity to inspire others.”

Brian Zhao’s hard work on the cello has paid off. An eighth grader at Renner Middle School, this was Bryan’s second time to compete in the Young Artist Competition. He sums up the experience as a good one and says, “I was a little nervous but I enjoyed it.”

The 13-year-old has played cello for four years and most recently received an “Exemplary” rating in a PISD solo/ensemble contest. His inspiration is his dad. “My dad has always been interested in classical music and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.”

Bryan’s parents are Jack Zhao and Jane Liu. Mr. Zhao’s eyes shine with pride as he looks upon his son. “I’m proud of him. I wish I had a chance to do this when I was young.”

Jason Lin, a 10-year-old pianist and fifth grader at Mathews Elementary School, is this year’s youngest grand prize winner. Perhaps he’s the shyest, too (pianissimo comes to mind), which makes his piano playing that much more dramatic. Jason began playing around four years ago and says softly, “I enjoy classical music. Mozart is my favorite because it’s not that hard for me.”

Jason practices piano two hours a day. Music is a family tradition. His parents, Steven Lin and Bing Zheng, have a daughter that plays piano, too, but Jason says they don’t play duets yet.

Recalling the competition in January, he smiles and admits, “I was a little nervous. I knew I couldn’t get first place because I had friends competing who are bigger than me. I thought they’d do better, but…” he shrugs his shoulders.

Jason’s dad interjects, “This is our first time to participate in this competition, and there were many students in higher grades, so it was a big surprise.”

 Gladys Chan, chair of the Collin County Young Artist Competition, along with Darlene Morford, says that she can relate to the parents’ anxiety. “I’ve been through what they’re going through and can anticipate many of their questions and concerns.”

In 1992, Gladys’ daughter Angela was named a grand prize winner on the piano, and in 2000, her daughter Melanie won playing the marimba. Because she saw how enjoyable it was for her two daughters, Gladys signed up as chair of the event 14 years ago to keep the contest going. The role requires coordinating the scheduling of the young artists, organizing information packets for the judges, and ordering the awards for the winners, among other duties that lead up to the Big Day—a 14-hour day for Gladys! “It’s a lot of work,” she says, “but it’s worth it.”

Mark your calendar for the March 19 concert featuring the Plano Symphony Orchestra and these talented young artists. It will be a night of standing ovations!