Young Composer Project Alum Featured on NPR’s From the Top

by Tucson Symphony
Young Composer Project Alum Featured on NPR’s From the Top

Young Composers Project alumnus, Levi Powe, was featured on NPR’s From the Top. It was recorded on February 29, 2020. From the Top is a program which celebrates young classically-trained musicians by showcasing their talents on NPR and video broadcasts.

In 2018 Levi won the Junior Division of the Sphinx Competition, which is a classical string competition for Black and Latinx musicians. As the first-place winner, Levi was awarded a cash prize, performances with major orchestras, and this nationally-broadcast appearance on From the Top. Check out Levi perform Poema III by Marlos Nobre, accompanied by Elizabeth Joy Roe on From the Top. Levi’s performance starts at the 31:30 mark, but make sure listen after the performance where he talks about his love of winter sports, including dog sledding.

“My personal experience at From the Top was amazing. I was able to share my experiences there with different people from different music communities, and that’s what really made it exceptional.

“From the Top is all about getting young musicians out there, and I’ve seen that some local programs here in town share that goal as well. I was a member of TSO’s Young Composers Project, and during that time I learned a lot about the community, as well as how to grow in music.

I’m happy to see that young musicians are being encouraged and supported within our community.”

Levi Powe is a graduate TSO Young Composers Project, as well as finalist in ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Competition. He also studied cello with recently retired TSO cellist Mary Beth Tyndall, and is currently a sophomore business major at the University of Arizona, studying cello and music composition with Dr. Theodore Buchholz.

Witness the experience of students learning to compose in Orchestrating the Future: Tucson Symphony’s Young Composers Project, premiering online Tuesday, April 28 at 5 PM. This film follows four students of the Young Composers Project as they work with TSO musicians, prepare their compositions, and Tucson Symphony Orchestra performs the works live at the Young Composers Festival.

Watch the Premiere on YouTubeWatch the Premiere on Facebook

The Tucson Symphony Young Composers Project provides professional composition instruction to students ages 8–18. In its 27th year, this unique program gives young talented students rare access to world-class conductors, composers, and professional musicians. Since its launch in 1993, over 400 pieces by young composers have been created, performed and recorded.

photo credit: Cameron Whitman

Your Tucson Symphony Orchestra is a core cultural pillar in Southern Arizona. Every year the TSO invests up to $600,000 back into the community through seven education programs, serving Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz, and Cochise Counties. These programs include the Young Composers Project.

Learn More About the Young Composers Project

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