On Saturday’s broadcast, we begin by featuring two winners from the Midwest Young Artist’s 2015 Walgreens Concerto Competition: Alice Zhang performing the second movement, Larghetto, from Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in f minor, Op. 21 and Daniel Kaler performing the first movement, Allegro, from Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in b minor, Op. 104.
These selections were performed on Sunday, March 1 at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston, Illinois on the Northwestern University campus.
On the second half of the program, Michael San Gabino, Production Assistant for Introductions, spoke with 17 year old bassoonist Marissa Takaki.
Marissa has been playing the bassoon for 7 years, following 2 years of study on the clarinet. In high school, she studied with Ann Dufek. A graduate of Glenbrook South High School, Marissa is attending the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, and is majoring in bassoon performance. She will study with Gabriel Beavers, and is a part of the Stamps Woodwind Quintet class of 2019.
Takaki accredits many of her musical opportunities to her youth orchestra of 5 years, Midwest Young Artists (MYA), where she has served as principal of their Concert Orchestra, Symphony Orchestra, and Honors Wind Symphony. Takaki has been a part of MYA’s Intensive Woodwind Chamber Music program for a the last 5 years with Matt Oliphant and Naomi
Bensdorf-Frisch as her coaches, and in the Sonata Class with Tatyana Stepanova for the past year. She has served for four years as the principal of her district orchestra, Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra, Glenbrook South Symphonic Winds, and the ILMEA All-State Honors Band in 2014. She was a participant of the Chicago Youth in Music Festival in 2013 and 2015. Her woodwind quintet, Quintet Finale, was accepted to the quarter-finals of the 2015 Fischoff National Chamber Competition. Other competitive achievements include 2014 Discover National Chamber Music Competition Other Instruments Category, 2013 Walgreen’s Concerto Competition Early Music Category, Glenbrook
Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition (Winner, 2014; Honorable Mention, 2013).
Takaki has attended a number of summer festivals including: Brevard Music Institute in 2015, Interlochen Arts Camp Orchestra and Advanced Bassoon Institute programs in 2014 as an Emerson Scholar, and in 2013 under scholarship from the CSO Crain-Maling Foundation Youth Auditions. At Brevard, she studied with Dr. Sue Barber and William Ludwig. At Interlochen, she served as principal of the Interlochen Philharmonic in 2014, and studied primarily with Jeff Keesecker. She has attended the Birch Creek Symphony Session in 2011 and 2012, studying with John Gaudette and Jim Westhoff.
Additionally, Takaki was a member of the MYA Summer Festival Orchestra and Wind Symphony from 2010-2012. She has worked with notable conductors including: Carlos Miguel Prieto, Cliff Colnot, Riccardo Muti, Ken Lam, Keith Lockhart, Dr. Kraig Williams, Dr. Carolyn Watson, Octavio Mas-Arocas, Dr. Allan Dennis, and more.