28 young artists to compete online for Music Guild awards

Concerto movements on piano, strings to be performed

The 29th annual Music Guild of New Mexico’s Jackie McGehee Young Artists’ Competition will feature 28 young musicians playing concerto movements on either piano or strings next week, vying virtually for top honors and cash awards.

The livestreamed event, with no in-person audience, will feature four artists in the piano category beginning at 10 a.m. Feb. 12, followed at noon by a group of string competitors. The remaining string artists will perform the following day.

The musicians will perform live at Robertson & Sons Violin Shop, 3201 Carlisle NE, in Albuquerque.

For more information or to sign up for a link to a livestreamed Youtube channel, visit www. musicguildofnewmexico.org.

Performers range in age from 10 to 21 and hail from across the state, including Albuquerque, Farmington, Los Alamos, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe.

The first-place prize in each division is $2,500 in cash and, organizers say, hopefully a postCOVID concerto performance with the New Mexico Philharmonic. Second-place winners will receive $1,500, and third-place winners $1,000. Awards will be announced Saturday.

A panel of out-of-state judges will review the performances virtually, organizers said in a news release.

Co-chairs of the competition are Karla Bressan and Paula Bradley. The artistic director is Jackie McGehee.