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New Mexico Music Commission’s Student Musician Spotlight

Featured Student: Zea Rose ~ Albuquerque

Zea Rose is a 17 year old senior at Albuquerque High School.  With no prior music experience, she began her study of cello at the age of 11 with Anastasia Nellos.  After only nine months of playing, she auditioned for the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Program and was accepted into the Albuquerque Junior Orchestra.  Since then, she has re-auditioned every year and climbed her way to the top group, the Albuquerque Youth Symphony itself. She has been in this specific ensemble since her sophomore year of high school.  Last year, she auditioned for the Albuquerque Youth Symphony Castro Concerto Competition with the Rondo for Cello in g minor by Dvorak and won second place.  This placement allowed her to play her concerto piece while being accompanied by the Albuquerque Youth Symphony.  Through her performance in the competition, she was recognized by the New Mexico Philharmonic and was given the opportunity to play her concerto piece for one of their Youth Concerts.  For the past three years, Zea has auditioned for and performed in the New Mexico’s Music Educators Association All-State Music Festival. In her sophomore year, she was accepted into the All-State Concert Orchestra, and in her Junior and Senior years she was accepted into the All-State Symphony Orchestra.  Zea has performed multiple paid gigs throughout her musical career, everything from weddings to recordings for short films.

In school, Zea participates in as many music classes as she can.  Currently she is in her school’s top orchestra, Albuquerque High’s Sinfonietta, her school’s choir and Early Music Ensemble after school club.  Additionally, Her favorite subject is math, calculus especially. She loves learning foreign languages such as Japanese, and she spends the majority of her time at school in the orchestra room.  Zea plans to major in mathematics for her undergraduate degree and enter into the field of medicine.

Zea was nominated for the Music Commission’s Student Spotlight by Anastasia Nellos. Stasie says of Zea, “She is a quick learner and a sponge for information. What is most amazing is that she hasn’t always had an easy time with things. Her talent is raw, her understanding and comprehension is instant, but holding her inherent airy nature grounded, and reigning all of her energy into a more workable form has been a challenge sometimes. She never gives up and it showed this year when she was selected as one of two Castro Concerto Competition winners with the Albuquerque Youth Symphony. … Her humble nature and adventurous soul are going to carry her far and into very interesting places. We should be proud that Albuquerque has produced such an amazing local gem. Her path will indeed be one to follow!”

Congratulations, Zea, for being selected as a featured student musician! In addition to being inducted into the Student Spotlight, Zeawill be featured on the Music Commission’s Facebook page and will receive an official certificate of recognition from the State of New Mexico.

Click here for information about the Student Musician Spotlight.

above: Zea Rose, soloist with the Albuquerque Youth Symphony, performing Rondo in g minor, Op. 94 by Antonín Dvořák. The performance was recorded November 11, 2018 at Popejoy Hall on the University of New Mexico campus by Patty Kunning of Real Image Productions, 505-363-8184.

note: Zea’s biographical information, image, and video are used with written permission of her mother, Monica Corica.

New Mexico Music Commission’s Student Musician Spotlight

Featured Student: Wesley Dong ~ Albuquerque

Wesley Dong is a violinist, pianist, and a junior at La Cueva High School in Albuquerque, NM. At the age of 6, Wesley started his music career studying violin with Gail Johansen and piano with James Spontak in the Fairbanks Suzuki Music Program in Fairbanks, Alaska. The Suzuki program gave Wesley the opportunity to participate in the Fairbanks Suzuki Institute each summer, where he was able to play solos at the students’ recitals.

Wesley moved to New Mexico with his family in 2011. He studies piano with Lawrence Blind at New Mexico School of Music and violin with Ruxandra Marquardt. Wesley has won several local piano competitions and state honors for his piano performances. In 2015, Wesley received recognition from the International Rosario Marciano Piano Competition in Vienna, Austria. Wesley was a junior piano finalist in the Southwest Division of Music Teachers National Association MTNA’s, 2017-2018 competition year.

Wesley has been very active in his school orchestras as well. Wesley has been concertmaster of several orchestras in the state and around the community since middle school.  At La Cueva High School Wesley, has the honor of playing violin in the Camerata orchestra.  Wesley is the current concertmaster and has been a soloist with the ensemble twice.  Last year, Wesley was the featured soloist performing Vivaldi’s:Winter.  Wesley impressed judges and audiences alike at the Hollywood Music Festival that the orchestra attended that Spring.   The orchestra won every single award given to orchestra ensembles, and Wesley won a soloist award.   In 2017, La Cueva Camerata was chosen as the New Mexico Music Educators’ Association’s Honor Orchestra. In 2018, the La Cueva Band was in need of a piano player for their New Mexico Activities Association’s state band contest.  Wesley joined the Band and performed at the festival and helped them win a state championship.  Wesley is currently one of the vice-presidents of the La Cueva Orchestra Program. This year, Wesley and Camerata will be competing at the National Orchestra Festival as part of the American String Teachers’ Association’s conference. Wesley is a member of the Albuquerque Youth Symphony program where he plays violin as a section leader.   Wesley has auditioned for and made it into the New Mexico Music Educator’s All-State music festival the last two years as one of the top players in the state.

In addition to music, Wesley loves playing tennis, swimming and soccer. He is also finding opportunities for volunteering in the community as part of key club.  Wesley plans to pursue music as a career. Wesley is extremely humbled by this recognition and is grateful to all those who have supported him throughout the years, particularly his parents, private teachers, and his orchestra director at La Cueva High School, Rebecca Simons, who nominated him for this recognition.

Congratulations, Wesley, for being selected as a featured student musician! In addition to being inducted into the student spotlight, Wesley will be featured on the Music Commission’s Facebook page and will receive an official certificate of recognition from the State.

Click here for information about the Student Musician Spotlight.

above: Wesley Dong performing Three Fantasy Pieces Op. 6 III. Scherzo by Charles Tomlinson Griffes (1884-1920). Griffes was an American composer for piano, chamber ensembles and voice.

note: Wesley’s biographical information, image, and video are used with permission of his parent Xi Wang.

No copyright is claimed in the above creative examples and to the extent that material may appear to be infringed, the New Mexico Music Commission asserts that such alleged infringement is permissible under fair use principles in U.S. copyright laws. If you believe these materials have been used in an unauthorized manner, please contact us.