Bainbridge High School student Sophia Stoyanovich has impressed people with her musical talent since she was a little girl.
Over the past two weeks, the 17-year-old has traveled with the National Youth Orchestra to Russia and London as an assistant concertmaster.
“Being so close to (conductor) Valery Gergiev and (concertmaster) Joshua Bell in performance and rehearsals have been eye-opening and very inspirational,” Stoyanovich said.
“They both bring different approaches to musical expression, one being a soloist and the other a conductor but I feel I have learned from both equally,” she said.
Every summer Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute forms an orchestra of 120 of the country’s most talented young musicians.
After an extensive audition process, the selected students attend a two-week training residency with professional musicians before going on tour to perform and serve as musical ambassadors. This summer the youth orchestra visited musical capitals Washington, D.C., Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia, and London.
Stoyanovich hopes to become an orchestral member of one of the country’s top symphonies.
She is well on her way.
Stoyanovich has played the violin since she was 6. At the mere age of 10, she made her debut with the Bremerton Symphony Orchestra.
Since then she has gone on to make appearances with the Butte Symphony Orchestra, the Thalia Symphony in Town Hall (Seattle), the Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra and the Seattle Symphony Orchestra.
She was also awarded scholarships to the Interlochen Arts Academy in 2007, the Indiana University String Academy in 2008 and the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2010 and 2011. In 2010 she won the Seattle Symphony’s Young Artist Competition.
As assistant concertmaster with the National Youth Symphony, Stoyanovich works under conductor Gergiev and concertmaster Bell in a leadership role.
“The tour has reiterated to me that no matter what approach to the music a player has, the unity a group has in performing and working together is so much more powerful and emotional as an experience,” Stoyanovich explained. “It of course has also shown me the diversity and dedication classical music will always inspire.
