Watertown’s Joe MacDonald, 11, has been chosen to play at Carnegie Hall.
Watertown’s Joe MacDonald, a 11-year-old student at Cambridge Montessori School, has been selected for the 2015 Middle School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall.
He will perform as a violinist at Carnegie Hall in June 2015 with the Honors Junior Orchestra. Participation in one of the three Honors Ensembles is limited to the highest rated middle school performers from across North America and select schools internationally, according to the announcement from The Honors Performance Series.
Joe auditioned this fall for the Honors Performance Series and was accepted after a review by the Honors Selection Board. Acceptance to the elite group is a direct result of the talent, dedication, and achievements demonstrated in his application and audition recording. Joe will join other performers from 49 United States, several provinces in Canada, and several foreign countries for a special performance at world-famous Carnegie Hall.
According to Nancy Richardson, Program Director, “Being selected to the Honors Performance Series is something each Junior Finalist should be extremely proud of accomplishing. We process thousands of nominations annually, selecting only the most talented performers. Working with these conductors and performing at Carnegie Hall is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that these student musicians never forget.”
Joe has studied music for 5 years and is a member of the senior orchestra of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. He recently won 1st Place at the 2014 Roman Totenberg Young String Competition, and was a state alternate for Massachusetts in the 2014 Music Teachers National Association State Competition (Junior Category 11-14 years old).
In response to his selection as a Junior Finalist, Joe said, “It would be a great experience because Carnegie Hall is one of the best concert halls in New York, America, and the world. I really want to go there and play with the orchestra, make new friends, and meet the conductor, making music together to make people happy. I’m also very excited: it will be my first time in New York and I want to see the big city.”
Junior Finalists will come together for five days in June 2015 in New York City to have the opportunity to learn from Charles Peltz, work with other Junior Finalists, and get a taste of New York City. The Saturday, June 27, performance is open to the public. Tickets can be purchased beginning 60 days prior to the performance through the Carnegie Hall box office.
The Honors Performance Series was created to showcase accomplished individual high school and middle school performers on an international level by allowing them to study under master conductors and perform in the celebrated venue, Carnegie Hall. The Honors Performance Series is proudly presented by WorldStrides, the nation’s leading educational travel organization. Learn more by visiting www.honorsperformance.org and www.worldstrides.com.
CONGRATULATIONS!