By Anne Trelfa
Violins, violas and cellos will star March 5 at the Flint Institute of Music in a day of performance by 26 young musicians that is free and open to the public.
The 45th annual international William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition will run from 8:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., according to an announcement from the St. Cecilia Society of Flint, which sponsors the competition. The annual event rotates among four disciplines: strings, wind and brass, voice, and piano.
Audience members are invited to spend the day listening to the contestants, selected by a preliminary judge, or make an evening of it watching the top five musicians perform in the final round beginning at 7 p.m.
The musicians, all required to be under the age of 31, compete for the first place prize of $6000 and a chance to perform with the Flint Symphony Orchestra and conductor Enrique Diemecke. Second place is granted $2500, and three finalists are each awarded $1000. 
The competition is named after its founder, William C. Byrd, conductor of the Flint Symphony Orchestra from 1966 to 1974. St. Cecilia Society of Flint, an organization focused on supporting music in the Flint area, carries on the competition in his honor.
More information on The St. Cecilia Society or the free monthly performances it hosts from October to May is available on the web at http://stceciliaflint.org or by calling 238-1350. For more on the Flint Institute of Music, go to the web at: http://www.thefim.org or call 238-1350.
Staff writer Anne Trelfa can be reached at anlange@umflint.edu.
You must be logged in to post a comment.