After reviewing a whopping 222 entries, the Hey, Mozart! New Mexico 2011
composers have been selected. We are very pleased that the entries came in
from all over the state, many from communities participating for the first
time this year.
Karl Hinterbichler, Hey, Mozart! New Mexico’s music director and UNM
faculty member, headed the review committee which selected this year’s
composers, honorable mention students, and master class composer. He will
also supervise the process of arranging these pieces for orchestra, band
or chorus. Hinterbichler said, “We had a great time evaluating all
the submissions from around the state of New Mexico. It was quite amazing
to get a glimpse of all the young musical talent. Narrowing it down
to just 16 (plus one master class) was quite difficult. The winners
had that extra spark of creativity and imagination that we were looking for. This
year for the first time the vocal submissions will be arranged for chorus
and the instrumental works for either concert band or orchestra.”
Adriana Arredondo |
I go to Washington Middle School. My favorite subject is chorus. I like songs played by piano and other instruments. I like to talk to my friends and help other students with their work. I like chorus because it involves different types of music and dancing. I am in the dual-language program and my classes are in English and Spanish. I want to keep learning more about music, and I hope to take orchestra or mariachi next year. I have always lived in Albuquerque. |
Bailee Baca |
My name is Bailee Ann Baca. I am seven years old as of March 2011. I play the piano. The title of my piece is Together We Can. I go to SY Jackson Elementary School and I just finished first grade. My favorite subjects are writing and drawing. I like to write and illustrate books. I like the beat of music, smooth or frantic, fast or slow. I like the melody and I love singing. I also like going to the park, going on walks, swimming and lots of other things. |
Katarina Blakeslee |
I go to school at Calvary Christian Academy. My favorite subjects are Latin and English. I like music because it is a different way to express myself, and I feel good whenever I sing. Besides music I raise and show Nigerian Dwarf Goats. I also like to ride my pony, Panda, and see how high we can jump over fences. Painting is also one of my favorite things to do. |
Skyler Boone |
Skyler is 11 and loves to sing and make up her own music. She also likes to read, draw, swimming, watching movies with her family and hang out with her friends. She wants to be a movie star when she grows up and if that doesn't work out she wants to be a veterinarian. She love animals and likes to help in any way she can. Her all time favorite movie and music happens to be The Phantom of the Opera, she knows every word. |
Cate Burnham |
My name is Catherine, but people call me Cate. I’m home schooled, and my favorite subjects are science and reading. I’ve been studying piano for 5 years, most recently with Svetlana Martin. Piano reminds me of baking, which I also love. I get to combine all the musical ingredients of a song to (hopefully) make something beautiful. |
Justine Flores |
I am in the 6th grade and homeschooled. My favorite subjects are geography and Latin. I really enjoy my music. I love tinkering around on my piano and coming up with different songs. It makes me really happy when I come up with a beautiful piece. Besides music, another passion of mine is ballet. I love to dance! I have been taking ballet classes since I was 2 ½. I enjoy performing in ballets. I also enjoy choreographing my own dances. This May in my dance school’s recital, I will be performing for the first time my own choreographed piece with two other dancers. |
Ivory Heister |
I attend Mills Elementary School and my favorite subjects are Reading and Art. The thing I like about music is the way you can sometimes relate to what the song's meaning is. Many songs say the same thing and I like a song that is different from all the others. I really like songs that you can dance to. I enjoy eating popcorn while watching movies, playing soccer, acting, dancing, hanging out with my friends, talking on the phone, getting on the computer, and getting to stay up later on the weekends. |
Uttam Khalsa |
I go to Desert Montessori School. My favorite subject is zoology. Also, Chorus. I think music is fun. The other things I like to do for fun is play in my Grandma's backyard, and do art projects and science experiments. |
Katya Makhnina |
My name is Katya Makhnina. I'm eleven years old and finishing fifth grade. My favorite subject is language arts, and I like to read and write. I have been taking piano lessons for a little over a year and enjoy it very much. |
Emma Mitchell |
Emma Doreen Mitchell has just graduated from the 5th
grade, with Highest Honors, from Central Elementary School in Artesia,
NM. Emma is a voracious reader and has an encyclopedic knowledge of Greek
mythology. She recently read "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" by
Homer. Because of this accomplishment, Emma was honored to meet Governor
Susanna Martinez. As the top reader in her school, she was also awarded
the honor of "Principal-for-a-day". |
Nick Morales |
My name is Nick Morales. I am 9 years. I play the piano for this piece called "Rain." I attend the Guadalupe Montessori School. My favorite subjects are reading, music, martial arts, writing stories and drawing. What I like about music is the harmonic melodies and how I can manipulate so many sounds. Things I do besides music are some things I do in my favorite subjects. I am a blue belt in Karate and I really enjoy creating comic strips. |
Eden Ratigan |
My name is Eden and I live in Taos, New Mexico. I love music because it’s fun to play and people like it. I like to use music to express myself and also to spread messages of peace, hope and love. I love playing the piano, and I also love to sing. I sing all day long, even when I don’t realize I’m doing it, and I seem to always have songs in my head. I take ballet and love to dance in all different ways. I love to read and get lost in my books. I love animals, and I have two cats and two dogs that I play with a lot. I go to Taos Integrated School of the Arts and it is a lot of fun there. I love to spend time with my parents and my brother Ezra, and play with my friends. Where I live the mountains are very nice and it is fun to ski and hike and go camping. |
Nina Rosen |
My name is Nina Rosen. I am a fifth grader at Comanche Elementary and I will be a sixth grader at Madison Middle School in August 2011. My favorite subject is literature. What I do for fun besides music is read and play soccer. I have been playing piano for 2 & 1/2 years now and it is very fun to be able to sit at the piano and just play. What I like about music is that it gets into my head and makes me feel happy. I love music and I never want to stop playing it. |
Indumati Roychowdhury |
Indumati is a seventh grader at Sierra Middle school, Las Cruces. Her favorite subjects are science and language arts. She participates in several science clubs and competitions. She has been taking piano lessons from Mrs. Joanne Kersting for last six years. She also plays both alto and tenor saxophones in her school band. Additionally, she enjoys swimming, painting, gardening, reading, biking, and dancing. As a proud member of Sierra Middle School Honor Society, Indumati volunteers for various community events all year around. |
Mikayla Smelker |
Hello, my name is Mikayla Smelker. I am 12 years old, and will be in the eighth grade at Zia Middle School in Las Cruces, NM. We live out in the country of Mesilla Valley, where I am able to play in many outdoor adventures with my friends. One of my activities is 4-H that allows me to compete in shooting contests, show lambs and rabbits, and complete sewing and cooking projects at the Southern New Mexico Fair, which I was crowned the Southern New Mexico Fair Princess last year. I love to listen to the sounds of the country, while I write music, play the piano, cello and guitar. I want to thank my piano teacher Mrs. Dishroon for helping and encouraging me to continue to play piano, and Mrs. Smith my orchestra teacher for making music so much fun at school. |
Geneva Todd |
My name is Geneva Todd. I live in Albuquerque N.M. I am 9 years old. I play the piano and violin. My piece is the Prancing Dogs. I played it on the piano. I named it the Prancing Dogs because it felt like a dance. My school is Manzano Day School. My favorite subjects are Spanish and typing. I like music because it runs it my family and is a way to show your feelings. Besides music I like to learn and shop and have fun. |
Svetlana Houle, age 11, from Las Cruces
Aracely Oros, age 12, from Albuquerque
Anaira Quezada, age 12, from Las Cruces
Avigail Romo, age 11, from La Union
Jacob Sandoval, age 12, from Albuquerque
Luke Savage, age 12, from Las Cruces
Jocelyn Snodgrass, age 9, from Clovis
Gary Tunnell, age 12, from Clovis
Sophia Tuttle, age 10, from Albuquerque
Sophia Neal |
Sophia is 13 years old. She is going into the 8th grade as a home-schooled student. She plays cello, piano and Irish tin whistle and sings. She's beginning her 5th year of cello study with the Hawn studio, and just got her full sized cello, which she calls Big Bowzo. She played in the Albuquerque Youth Symphony program for 2 years. She got to study step dance and bodhran (Irish drum) in Ireland last summer. She lives in Tijeras and has four siblings and four nieces and nephews. She loves playing and singing, accompanying, composing, acting, soccer, and bible camp. |
Congratulations to all of you, and a very special thanks to each of you for sharing your creativity with us by entering this competition this year, and to your parents and teachers for their encouragement and support.
