Contestants from across Louisiana are competing this weekend in the 2016 Marjorie Stricklin Emerging Artists Competition, for a chance to perform with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra during its next season.
It's an annual event established by the Monroe Symphony League and the Monroe Symphony Orchestra to promote and encourage excellence in musical performance.
"Each year I've been amazed by the talent of almost every entrant," says Mel Mobley, associate professor of music at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. "It's highly competitive and it's always interesting to see who ends up winning."
The performance categories are piano, winds, brass percussion, strings and vocal. Preliminary finalists from each category will compete against each other in the final round. The finalist who wins will have the chance to perform his or her audition piece in concert as part of the orchestra's 2016-2017 season.
The competition takes place on Saturday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Emy-Lou Biedenharn Recital Hall on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Monroe.
Fore more information, visit www.mymso.org, contact Mel Mobley at 318-342-1575 or email him at mobley@ulm.edu.
