Do you like to sing or play an instrument? Would you like to compete before a panel of judges for prize money and the chance to perform this summer at a special concert in Glen Cove’s Morgan Memorial Park? If you have a gift for music and live or go to school on Nassau County’s North Shore, you are eligible to register for the 2016 Marguerite Suozzi Young Performers Talent Competition before the March 17 deadline.
Morgan Park Summer Music Festival is gearing up for the 44th Annual Young Performers Talent Competition. Auditions will be held on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 28 Highland Ave. in Glen Cove.
This year’s competition is open to talented vocalists or instrumentalists between the ages of 10 and 19. Three prizes will be awarded: The Senior Musician Award (ages 15 to 19) for a $1,000 prize; The Junior Musician Award (ages 10 to 14) for a $500 prize; and The Honorable Mention Award (ages 10 to19) for a $500 prize. Winners must be available to perform at Morgan Park Summer Music Festival on Sunday, July 10, at 7:30 p.m. and will receive their prizes at the conclusion of the concert. Selected contestants may also be invited to perform at the July 10 concert.
At the April 16 auditions, applicants are asked to perform two pieces in contrasting styles from classical, jazz, pop, etc., and are expected to bring their own live or recorded accompaniment. A piano will be available for use by contestants.
The Young Performers Talent Competition offers the opportunity for young people interested in pursuing a music career to perform before a select jury and/or on stage before a large audience. Past winners of the competition include Great Neck actress/singer Nikki Blonsky, who starred in Hairspray with John Travolta, Locust Valley resident Alexis Kende, who along with her two sisters, performed for Pope John Paul II at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and many others who went on to have distinguished careers as music educators, composers and performers.
To download an application, visit www.morganparkmusic.org.
