By HOLLY WAGNER
Herald-Whig Staff Writer
Music, athletics, academics: The two winners of the 54th Annual Young Artists Competition of the Quincy Symphony Orchestra Association excel at all three.
Emily Hart, a senior at Quincy High School, was chosen to perform on oboe and Kelsey Drea, a senior at Macomb High School, will play the piano during the QSO Young Artists Concert at 3 p.m. Feb. 15 in Quincy Junior High School's Morrison Theater.
Because they are no stranger to displaying their talents before the public, both girls are approaching the concert with aplomb.
"I'm a little nervous, but I think I'll do fine," Hart said. "I just have to keep practicing."
Hart says she tries to fit in at least an hour a day for her oboe, but it isn't always easy with sports practices and studying. "I do the best I can," she said.
Hart is better known as captain of the QHS girls basketball team, having played varsity all four years. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.
Hart will perfrom the first movement of Haydn's Oboe Concerto in C major. She has been playing oboe for nine years, studying with Marianne Peters, Louis Margaglione and Western Illinois University professor Michael Ericson.
Last summer, Hart traveled to France and Germany with the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony Orchestra. She plans to return this year as principal oboe.
She is also a member of the QHS Concert Band, the QU Concert Band and the Quincy Area Youth Orchestra. She is an active member of the youth group at First Union Congregational Church in Quincy. Hart is a daughter of Connie Hook and Rodney Hart.
Drea, a daughter of John and Brenda Drea of Macomb, has been playing piano for 11 years, studying with Jenny Perron of WIU.
"It felt really great" to win the competition after all the hours of practicing, she said. "It felt really good to have that reward."
Drea said this will be her first performance with a symphony. "It hasn't hit me yet but it probably will as it gets closer," she said. "I've been practicing a lot lately to prepare for it."
Drea tries to get in a half-hour to 45 minutes of practice daily, and more when she can.
"It's hard to keep up with it all," she said. "But it will be worth it in the end."
She is on the soccer team and plays intramural basketball. She is involved with National Honor Society, Math Team, SADD, acting in one-act plays, and is class treasurer. She is also active in her church youth group and a running club.
Drea plays percussion in the MHS Wind Symphony and Marching Band and is preparing to return as a member of the Illinois All-State Honors Band this winter. She also plays in the Macomb Municipal Band.
That the winners do very well in several areas was no surprise to QSOA director Jane Polett.
"That seems to be usually the way. They're super-kids who do it all and excel," she said.
"I'm very excited about the calibre of these players," Polett said. "They had to be really good because we had some great players that didn't make it."
The annual competition is open to all area 10th-12th graders living within a 70-mile radius of Quincy. The students played for the judges Dec. 13.
More than 125 student musicians have performed as Young Artists over the 60-year history of the Quincy Symphony Orchestra.
-- hwagner@whig.com/221-3374
