The NorthWinds Symphonic Band final concert of this season featuring the high school competition winner will be April 29, 2012 beginning at 3 p.m. in the Park Hill South Auditorium. Admission is free.
Each year the NorthWinds Symphonic Band awards a high school band student a $1,000 grant for winning the solo competition. Each high school student applicant goes through a audition process whereas the applicants are judged on their technical and musical skills by a panel of music professionals. From these auditions a winner is chosen.
This year’s winner of the NorthWinds Symphonic Band’s Solo high school competition is Chris Kidwell. Chris is a flutist from Lincoln College Preparatory Academy in Kansas City, Mo. Chris’s band director is Mr. Ron Martz.
Chris has been playing flute for nine years, having studied with James Hall, professor of flute studies at the University of North Colorado. Currently Chris is studying with Jonathan Borja, flutist with the Topeka Symphony.
Chris has been very successful during all four of his high school years receiving the highest of honors in his flute performances. He has also performed with the 2010 Four-State Honor Band. This year, Chris was the first chair flutist in the Missouri All-State Band. He has performed with the National Collegiate Wind Ensemble in 2010 and has performed twice in Carnegie Hall in New York City. He has travelled to China with his LCPA Wind Ensemble to perform as part of the 2011 American Celebration of Music.
Chris plans to major in Music Education next year in college.
