Las Vegas Philharmonic Announces Competition Winner

The Las Vegas Philharmonic held its Cox Communications Young Artists' Concerto Competition on Saturday, October 7, 2017 at the College of Southern Nevada, Cheyenne Campus. The competition provides young musicians the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of professional musicians and gain experience performing on stage for a large audience. This year's competition included 17 student musicians from Las Vegas middle and high schools competing in piano, woodwinds, strings and brass. Of the 17 competitors, 6 students made it to the final round where they were coached masterclass-style by our judging panel. The winners and honorable mentions selected were as follows:

• 1st Prize Winner: Philip Kleutgens, alto saxophone

Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Instructor: Mark McArthur

• 2nd Prize Winner: Logan McElroy, horn

Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, Instructor: Doug Beasley

• Honorable Mention: Shlyer Magacci, viola

Green Valley High School, Instructor: Yunior Lopez

• Honorable Mention: Thomas Kyong, violin

Coronado High School, Instructor: Yuri Cho

Philip Kleutgens (17) attends the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts and has been playing classical saxophone for three years, studying currently with Mark McArthur. He has performed in numerous ensembles and was awarded a solo command performance at the Nevada Music Educator's Association All-State Competition. Kleutgens plans to further his studies with a degree in saxophone performance and use the prize money provided by Cox Communications to purchase a new saxophone. Kleutgens will perform the third movement of Ibert's Concertino de Camera as soloist during the Las Vegas Philharmonic's Youth Concert Series in Reynolds Hall at The Smith Center on October 31 - November 3, 2017 and again January 9 - 12, 2018.

Logan Tyler McElroy (16) attends the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts and has been playing horn for six years in multiple orchestras and wind ensembles, including the prestigious UNLV Wind Orchestra and The Desert Winds, a community based wind ensemble. After high school, McElroy plans to pursue a career in music, using his prize money to invest in music and future college expenses.

Cox's support of The Las Vegas Philharmonic is part of the Company's longstanding support of the arts - in particular, art education for youth - and is part of the Cox Hearts for Arts program. This is year three of a five-year pledge by Cox Communications to support the program.

About the Las Vegas Philharmonic
The Las Vegas Philharmonic, led by Music Director, Donato Cabrera, established its presence in Southern Nevada in 1998. The mission of the organization is to perform music that enriches and educates, helping to build a vibrant, culturally rich community. The resident symphony orchestra of The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Las Vegas Philharmonic brings a valued and vibrant cultural dimension to the city, providing more than 23,000 children this year with vital access to a music education program and showcasing local talents alongside stellar nationally and internationally known guest artists on the magnificent Reynolds Hall stage. At the orchestra's core are 76 contracted professional musicians, many of whom are esteemed educators who also perform in other professional productions in Las Vegas, bringing depth and variety to the organization.

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