Solo Concert Winners

Scherzo-Tarantelle Op. 16, by Henryk Wieniawski,
Mary So,violin

Mary So, age 14, has been practicing and playing her violin for 4,502 (and counting) consecutive days! She began her violin studies at the age of two with the Ottawa Suzuki Strings in Ottawa, Kansas and studied with Shirley Star.  She currently studies with Joseph Kaminsky in Kirkwood, Missouri and has been studying with him since 2017.  In 2014, 2016, and 2018 she was selected to be in the Suzuki Association of the Americas Biennial Conference Youth Orchestra in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2020 she was selected to be in Suzuki Association of the Americas Biennial Conference Advanced Violin Ensemble. On March 1, 2020, she was a runner up in the Midwest Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition in Prairie Village, Kansas. Also in March, 2020, Mary was a summer camp scholarship recipient in the Steinway Early Festival for Federation of Music Clubs. 

As a home educated tenth grader at So South Academy, in Kansas City, Missouri, Miss So enjoys playing classical guitar and competes in ATA Martial Arts tournaments as a Third Degree Black Belt. Mary was has been a member of the Metropolitan Orchestra of Saint Louis "Share a Stand Program" since 2019.  She is on the music ministry team at her church, Blue River Bible Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Her goal and dream some day is to be accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music and maybe someday compete in the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition for Young Violinists. Mary’s most memorable experience playing her violin was with Mr. Kaminsky and the Kirkwood School of Music at Disney World on June 17, 2017

Concerto for Double Bass No. 2 in B minor, mov't 1, by Giovanni Bottesini
Ruth Christopher, bass

Ruth Christopher, 18, is a St. Louis native. She comes from a musical family and started playing Suzuki violin at the age of three. When Ruth was 12, she picked up the bass to play in her middle school jazz and concert bands. Ruth studied bass with Charles Clements and played jazz seriously for a few years before falling in love with classical bass playing. She then began studying the George Vance and Francois Rabbath methods for the double bass with teacher and mentor Patrick Jackson.  

Ruth is a senior at McKinley High School where she holds leadership positions in the band program. She has played principal bass in the Young People’s Symphonic Orchestra at Community Music School in Webster Groves for three years, and was principal bass in the Missouri All-State Orchestra in 2019 and 2020. Ruth loves to play chamber music and has participated in the Preparatory Program at Community Music School since the summer of 2017. In her free time, she enjoys playing with her dog, rock climbing, and being a nerd in class at school.  

Ruth would like to thank Eva Kozma, her amazing violin teacher, Bob Dorries, her band director at school, and Vera Parkin, Preparatory Program coordinator and wonderful collaborative pianist for giving her valuable musical and personal skills. She would also love to thank Charles Clements and Patrick Jackson for being fantastic bass teachers and role models both as musicians and as people.  

Rhapsody in Blue, by George Gershwin
Asher Koh,piano

Asher is currently 13 years old and is attending Parkway Central Middle School. He is in 8th grade. His hobbies are playing music, creating with Lego, martial arts, and reading. Asher plays two musical instruments: violin and piano. Violin was his first instrument. He started learning the violin at the age of 3½ under the instruction of Ms. Anita Lin for 6½ years. His current violin teacher is Mrs. Winifred Crock, whom he has studied with for the past 3½ years. At age 5, Asher started learning the piano. He took lessons on and off from Mrs. Lansin Kimler for the first few years.  His second piano teacher was Dr. Dolly Hsu, who was his teacher for two years.  Two years ago, he began studying piano with Mrs. Vera Parkin at the Community Music School. Asher enjoys playing the piano a lot. He loves to arrange, compose, and improvise music.

 Asher has played the violin for around ten years and the piano for eight years. Music has become a big part of his life. His plans for the future are uncertain, but he may want to pursue a career in music.

Concertino for Marimba and Orchestra, mv't 1,by Paul Creston
Kimmi Lin, marimba

Kimmi Lin is a percussionist. She is 13 years old and in seventh grade at Ladue Middle School. She started playing the drum set at 7, and the marimba at 11. She started playing percussion in fifth grade for her school band.  She has participated in the Young People’s Concert Orchestra (YPCO) and Young People’s Symphonic Orchestra (YPSO) in the Community Music School at Webster Groves from 2019-2020. In January 2020, she had the chance to perform with YPSO in the Missouri Music Educators Association annual concert. She has also had the opportunity to rehearse with the String Orchestra in the Community Music School at Webster Groves. In January 2021 her goal is to audition for All Suburban for concert percussion, jazz drum set, and vibraphone. Since she is in seventh grade now, more bands and contests are open to her. The St. Charles Community College Solo Competition is her first competition, and she feels very happy to have won. 

I feel very fortunate to have so many amazing and talented musicians to help me. My percussion teacher is Tim Crockett, my marimba teacher is Kurena Yamaguchi Crockett, my drum set teacher is Chien Lu Lin, my middle school percussion teacher is Erin Elstner, and my piano accompanist is Mrs. Nancy Mayo. Percussion requires many skills; together, these wonderful people have introduced me to the beautiful world of music. 

Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63,mv't 1, by Sergei Prokofiev
Ava Andrews, violin

Ava Andrews was born in Boston, Massachusetts and moved to St. Louis with her family when she was four years old. Currently a senior at Webster Groves High School, Ava is 17 years old, has been playing music for 12 years, and currently studies with Angie Smart of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Ava plays chamber music in the Preparatory Program at the Community Music School of Webster University, and is Assistant Concertmaster of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. She has been in the Missouri All-State Orchestra each of the past 2 years, and has spent summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp and the Jacobs School of Music Summer Strings Academy. She really enjoys playing music and is hoping to study Violin Performance in college! 

Cello Concerto in B minor, mv't 1, by Antonin Dvorak,
Daniel Diringer, cello

Daniel Diringer is 18 years old and in the 12th grade at Ladue High School. He has been studying cello at the Community Music School (CMS) of Webster University for 14 years, initially with Mary Lou Gotman and subsequently Catherine Lehr Ramos. He participated in all levels of CMS orchestras and has been in the CMS Preparatory Program for 5 years. He was principal cellist in the All-Suburban Middle School Honors orchestra, the Ladue Middle School orchestras, and both the Ladue High School Symphonic and Chamber Orchestras. He has been a cellist in the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra since 7th grade and in the Missouri All-State Orchestra since 9th grade. Daniel has received artistic merit scholarships from CMS for the past 8 years. He was awarded first prize in the international Great Composers Competition, Best Brahms Performance last year and won the Artist Presentation Society competition this year. Aside from music, his other passion is baseball—he is a Yankees fan and plays catcher for the Ladue High School Varsity Baseball Team and the Adidas Athletics All-Academic Baseball Team. He plans to study cello performance in college.

Performance Date and Time

The concert will be shared on March 12 via the SCC YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/StCharlesCC .

The Performing Arts Department is located at:

4601 Mid Rivers Mall Drive
Cottleville, Mo.

One mile north of 364/94 and 3 miles south of I-70
Donald D. Shook Fine Arts Building

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