L to R, Daniel Volodarsky, Noshi Norris, Lila Bruschi, and Salvatore Buscemi

Young orchestra musicians from around Staten Island traveled to the College of Staten Island (CSI) for the third annual . The only competition of its kind on Staten Island, the event featured the maturing musical talents of two high school and three middle school strings students. This performance opportunity is the concept of Dr. Dan Auerbach who said, “These young people in the CSI competition show just what can happen if we can keep a young person’s dream alive. My goal is to focus much-deserved attention on the wonderful musical talent in Staten Island and also on the hard work of area music teachers.”

The competition celebrates the dedicated efforts of the students and their teachers, and supports middle school and high school strings students who are Staten Island residents.

The adjudicators for this year’s competition were Dr. Dan Auerbach and Professor Edward Brown, both of the CSI Music Program of the Department of Performing and Creative Arts, and Maestro Alex Guzman of the Staten Island Philharmonic.

The talented student-performers included Lila Bruschi, student of Roman Berlinsky; Anthony Tripodi, student of Steven Pepe; Daniel Volodarsky, student of Page Silverman and Michael Kolenisky; Noshi Norris, student of Amadi Azikiwe and David Burnett; and Salvatore Buscemi, student of Prof. Edward Brown from CSI.

Winners in the high school division are as follows:

Lila Bruschi, a 16-year-old violinist at Curtis High School played Violin Concerto No. 2 by Louis Spohr. Anthony Tripodi, a 16-year-old guitarist from New Dorp High School, played “A Million Dreams.”

Winners in the middle school division are as follows:

Noshi Norris, a 14-year-old violinist from Mark Twain IS 239, played Violin Concerto in C by Joseph Haydn; Salvatore Buscemi, a 12-year-old guitarist from MJ Petrides School, played Study in A Minor by Mateo Carcassi; Daniel Volodarsky, a 13-year old violinist from Elias Bernstein, played Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod & The Bee by Francois Schubert.

L to R, Professor Ed Brown, Salvatore Buscemi, Maestro Alex Guzman, Noshi Norris, Dr. Dan Auerbach, Daniel Volodarsky

This year’s competition sponsors were:

The Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation, The Music Program of the CSI Department of Performing and Creative Arts, the CSI Administration, and Strings & Other Things.

The upcoming May 5 orchestra concert at 3:00pm in the Center for the Arts Springer Concert Hall at CSI will feature the middle school winner of the previous year’s competition performing Vivaldi’s A Minor Violin Concerto. In addition, the concert will feature CSI student soloists, as well as various classical favorites. The orchestra will be joined by professional musicians from the Richmond County Orchestra, who have both coached the kids during the semester and will perform with them side-by-side.