Competition Showcases Loudoun's Young Musical Talent

Somok Yoo, a 17-year-old student at Freedom High School, hadn’t considered majoring in music when she starts college in the fall—until now.  This year she began thinking about the possibility of studying cello at the collegiate level and after being named the 2011 Winner of Loudoun’s Got Talent she may decide to turn her hobby into her craft. 

Loudoun’s Got Talent celebrated its third annual competition on Sunday at the Franklin Park Arts Center.  Conceived to further the mission of the Loudoun Symphony Association and extend its educational outreach the contest celebrates the musical talent of Loudoun’s youth.  Weeks ago, dozens of high school students auditioned for the competition and ten gifted musicians were chosen by a panel of judges to compete in Sunday’s finals.    

“These students are the future of our entertainment, arts and culture—hopefully they will continue their music education and fine tuning of their craft,” said Ara Bagdasarian, President of Loudoun Symphony Association.

The top three finishers were awarded with $1,000, $500 and $250 scholarships, respectively.  The first place winner was also awarded a spot in an upcoming Loudoun Symphony Orchestra performance.

The first place winner, Somok Yoo, who performed a moving piece on the cello, was shocked to have won the competition.

“I’m really surprised,” she said of winning.  Humbly, she added, “I didn’t expect to win; I made mistakes.”

In a decision that was left to three judges and an audience vote, the mistakes that Yoo spoke of may have gone unnoticed to the untrained ear or were overshadowed by her vivid display of skill, heart and soul.

The second place finisher, Ryan Anderson who is a 17 year old from Dominion High School, showcased his versatility on the piano.  This was his second appearance in the Loudoun’s Got Talent competition.  The third place finisher, Christi McCarthy from Heritage High School, also competed in the competition two years ago and returned to captivate the audience with a charming vocal performance with operatic and theatrical tones.  All of the students displayed poise, composure and a depth of skill while on stage performing solo for a near-sold-out audience.

Whereas much of the audience was filled with family members, friends and music coaches of the contestants, it was a concert that the entire community could appreciate and be proud of.

“A pedestrian could come in and enjoy this concert,” said an audience member who did not want to be named.  “All of the performers are talented and some have just taken it to the next level,” she added.

What the students were able to gain, in addition to the scholarship money, is exposure, confidence and practice auditioning and competing.

“The students are gaining confidence.  You can’t buy that kind of experience,” said David Hughes, a judge from the auditions.

Yoo is looking forward to using her prize money to purchase a new cello.  The win has also helped her to feel validated in her musical career.  A participant in the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship Program, she is happy to have gained more experience playing in front of people.

Sitting in the audience, it was easy to get lost in the music and forget how young the performers are.  But as soon as the program ended and they stepped off stage, with bounce in their steps and enthusiasm in their hearts, to enjoy the free pizza in the lobby we were reminded of all that lies ahead of them in their young musical lives.

Congratulations to all of the finalists: Christi McCarthy, Jamie Orr, Alex Lassa, Andrew Tufano, Marisa Ahmed, Jake Kelsey, Sarah Hong, Ryan Anderson, Michele Viljoen and Somok Yoo.  They all proved that Loudoun does have talent.