Oboist Julia DeRosa Selected Overall Winner at 2012 Yamaha Young Performing Artist Program

Aug. 17, 2012 - PRLog -- INDIANAPOLIS—Oboist Julia DeRosa took the top prize as Overall Winner at the 2012 Yamaha Young Performing Artists Celebration (YYPA), where she performed with seven other talented musicians selected to participate in the prestigious program. The awards presentation and concert took place on June 25th at Ball State University’s Emens Auditorium, and served as the kick-off concert for the Music For All (MFA) Summer Symposium, presented by Yamaha.
   “We congratulate Julia on her impressive showing at this year’s YYPA event,” said John Wittmann, Director, Artist Relations, Yamaha Artist Services Indianapolis. “YYPA spotlights some of the nation’s best emerging artists and provides a platform on which to build successful musical careers. We wish Julia all the best in her musical future.”
   The 2012 YYPA winners also included Matthew Ross (flute), Connor Mikula (classical saxophone), Kevin Sun (jazz saxophone), Josh Shpak (jazz trumpet), Alex Schomaker (euphonium), Heejeong Shin (marimba) and Chase Morrin (jazz piano).
   These winners received an all-expense paid trip to the YYPA Celebration, where they enjoyed a weekend of rehearsals, social events, a special awards ceremony and workshops focusing on establishing a career in music. They also participated in the prestigious YYPA concert and will receive a recording, photos and video of their performance, along with the benefits of being selected as a Yamaha Young Performing Artist.  
   Entering her fourth year at The Juilliard School of Music, studying with Elaine Douvas, Julia DeRosa contributes her enthusiasm to the many ensembles of the university, including Orchestra, Opera, the New Juilliard Ensemble, Axiom, and the New York Woodwind Quintet Seminar.  
DeRosa was the winner of two exciting competitions in the 2010-11 season:  the Juilliard Oboe Concerto Competition and the Aspen Music Festival Woodwind Concerto Competition.  She performed as a soloist in the Martinu Oboe Concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall, and the Kalliwoda Concertino with the American Academy of Conducting at Aspen.  
A featured soloist on National Public Radio’s “From the Top” program, DeRosa has held the Principal Oboe position of the New York Youth Symphony for two years. She spent four summers as a student at the Aspen Music Festival and School, frequently lending her expertise on solo English horn and oboe d’amore parts in the faculty orchestras.  DeRosa attended the Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division for three years, where she was a student of Richard Dallessio.  She received her diploma with the school’s Achievement Award, given to only ten outstanding graduates.
Every year since 1989, when the YYPA competition began, Yamaha has honored talented young artists under the auspices of the YYPA program, an annual competition for performers between the ages of 16 and 21. Instrument categories include winds, brass, strings, concert percussion, drumset and piano.
More than 100 applicants submit their credentials to Yamaha each year and undergo a rigorous taped audition process judged by a panel of national celebrity musicians. This year, the panel selected 10 winners and 11 honorable mention recipients. Since the program’s inception, many past winners have received scholarships to prestigious universities and conservatories, and/or are playing professionally with major jazz groups and top symphony orchestras.
Former YYPA winners have gone on to highly successful careers, with highlights that include playing with world-renowned musicians, winning international competitions and releasing recordings.  Previous YYPA winners include Ricardo Morales (1990) Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic; Otis Murphy (1994) saxophonist and faculty at Indiana University School of Music; Jasmine Choi (2004) Associate Principal Flute with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra; Aaron Parks (2000) jazz pianist and Blue Note recording artist; Kenneth Tse (1994) saxophonist and faculty at the University of Iowa; and Kevin Bobo (1994) percussionist and faculty at Indiana University School of Music.
For more information about the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Program, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Band & Orchestral Division, 39 West Jackson Place, Suite 150, Indianapolis, IN 46225; call (317) 524-6251; e-mail jvierling@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com/band.

About Yamaha
Yamaha Corporation of America (YCA) is one of the largest subsidiaries of Yamaha Corporation, Japan and offers a full line of award-winning musical instruments, sound reinforcement and home entertainment products to the U.S. market. Products include: Yamaha acoustic, digital and hybrid pianos, portable keyboards, guitars, acoustic and electronic drums, band and orchestral instruments, marching percussion products, synthesizers, professional digital and analog audio equipment, Steinberg recording products and Nexo commercial audio products, as well as AV receivers, amplifiers, Blu-ray/CD players, iPod docking systems, home-theater-in-a-box systems and its exclusive line of Digital Sound Projectors. YCA markets innovative, finely crafted technology and entertainment products and musical instruments targeted to the hobbyist, education, worship, professional music, installation and consumer markets.