Young musicians show off talents
Staff Report ~ 01/06/2009

The Young Performers Recital Series concert will take place at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Steinway Hall in Scottsdale.
Presented by Arizona Musicfest in partnership with Steinways & Sons the show features three young musicians in Usha Kapoor, Jessica Zhu and Rahul Mitra.
“The program is one of challenging and evocative pieces,” commented Andrea Terhune, event chairman.
Pianist Rahul Mitra will perform “Drei Klavierstuke D 946, No. 1” by Schubert, and Rachmaninoff’s “Elegie Op. 3, No, 1, E Flat Minor.” Rahul won recognition as a finalist in the Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competition, placing second in 2008, and receiving an Honorable Mention in 2009.
Schubert’s “K576 Sonata in D Major, 2nd Movement (Adagio),” “Pour le Piano Suite (Prelude)” by Debussy, “Prelude No. 3” by Gershwin, and Chopin’s “Etude Op. 10, No. 12,” will be performed by pianist Jessica Zhu. Jessica has won many competitions, including the American Guild of Music Competition. She was a finalist in the 2009 Arizona Musicfest Competition and recently received an Honorable Mention in the Arizona State Music Teacher Association Competition.
Violinist Usha Kapoor, will treat audiences to Saint Saëns’ “Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Allegro non troppo” and “Sonata No. 4 in e Minor, Finale” by Ysaÿe. Usha was a semifinalist in the 2009 International Schmidbauer Competition, a MTNA Arizona state representative for the past three years and the national representative for the Southwest Division in 2008, when she was also the winner of the 2008 ASTA senior division. Usha has performed in the Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competition, the Young Artists Concert and the Young Musicians Showcase.
The Young Performers Recital Series at Steinway Hall concerts are 45 minutes to an hour in length, followed by a Meet the Musicians reception so that fellow music aficionados of all ages will be able to ask questions, discuss the program or chat about their various musical experiences.
The concerts are free and open to the public. Steinway Hall is located at 14418 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 183, Scottsdale, 85254 (on the SW corner of the Scottsdale Road. / Acoma Drive intersection). For information, call Arizona Musicfest at 480-488-0806.