Friday, Nov. 13, 2009

Tuerck concert features top young musicians

Three of the metro-east's top young classical musicians will take center stage Sunday when the Belleville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra presents its 11th annual George N. Tuerck Memorial Concert.

A Belleville native, Tuerck started the junior orchestra in 1962 out of his desire to get young musicians excited about classical music. When he died in 1998 at age 91, the group kept his legacy alive by starting the George Tuerck Concerto Competition, the winners of which would be featured as soloists during the opening concert of each season.

On Sunday, the top two finishers will perform during the free 2:30 p.m. concert at Zion Lutheran Church, 1810 McClintock Ave. in Belleville. The winner, Emily Maxwell, of Waterloo, will play the first movement of Mozart's Violin Concerto No. 3 in G major while runner-up Joshua MacKeen, of Millstadt, will be featured in Correlli's "La Follia."

Also in the spotlight will be flutist Jacquelyn Rogers, of Granite City, who won the Belleville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition for nonstring instruments. She will be featured in a performance of Charles Griffes' "Poem."

Emily, 14, has been playing violin for four years and joined the Belleville Junior Philharmonic three years ago. She picked up the viola last year and is also a percussionist in the marching band at Waterloo High School, where she is a freshman. The daughter of Norman and Barbara Maxwell is also a volunteer at the Christian Activity Center in East St. Louis.

Joshua, a 17-year-old home-schooled high school junior, is also in his third year with the Belleville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. He plays first violin with the group's Musicum Collegium and viola with the Virtuosi -- and is teaching himself tuba, guitar and the didgeridoo. The son of Richard and Mary MacKeen, he is president of the string quintet Quintessence and, along with his younger sister, Nicholle, aided the Stonehaven Ensemble in a charity performance during a family trip to Canada last spring.

Jacquelyn, 17, has a long list of playing credits, including the Granite City Community Band, the Wood River Municipal Band, the Holy Family Church Ensemble and several groups at Granite City High School, where she is a senior. The daughter of Perry and Sandra Rogers has spent the last two summer studying flute and piano at the University of Illinois and is planning a pre-law college curriculum with a minor in music performance.

All three musicians will be toasted during a post-concert reception. The youth orchestra is conducted by Dr. Leon Burke III; for more information, go to www.bellphilyo.org.