PBS Wisconsin Music & Arts

On February 26th, four gifted young musicians will take the stage here at Overture Hall in Madison. They're vying for top honors in the Madison Symphony Orchestra's Bolz Young Artist Competition. They are violinist Emily Hauer, pianist Jessica Jiang, violinist Jonah Kartman, and pianist Michael Wu. You'll see them perform as part of our live broadcast,

Wisconsin Young Artists Compete

The Final Forte. But before they step into the spotlight, we've asked them to tell us a little bit about themselves......their passion for music, and the journey that brought them here, to this stage. My name is Jonah Kartman. I am 18 years old and I'm from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I was originally put on cello. But since my mom and dad thought it would be nice for us to play trios together, my mom suggested a change to the violin. My instrument has been passed down over the years through my grandfather, and it finally came into my hands. If you hit a chord perfectly, there's this kind of vibration that you can feel which is really satisfying. I will be performing the first movement of Saint-Sans' "3rd Concerto in B minor." The very opening, where you hear this B minor chord, it's very ominous and stormy. It really puts the player and the audience in a certain mood. And you're just ready for this incredible opening that comes from the violin, just full of fire and passion. And then, it's just-- yeah, it's the best. I think running is a very mental process. It gives you a lot of time to think about what's happening in your life. And, at the same time, the melodies from pieces that I'm playing will kind of just come into my head, and I'll just keep running to them, over and over. I study with Mr. I-Hao Lee at DePaul University. Mr. Lee has a very relentless but encouraging mindset.

Mr. Lee

...tells a story. It's all about the clarity. He wants you to think about every note and make sure every note is as beautiful as you can make it. Beautiful! The amount of progress I've made with him is just incredible. I don't think I've ever clicked as much with any other teacher before. Good? Yeah! My dad has an interest in table tennis. So, he started me when I was pretty young. It gets competitive sometimes. But it's also really fun. He has a number of serves that I haven't really learned how to counter yet. I hate to say it, but my dad is, you know, the better table tennis player than I am. What I'm most looking forward to is putting this piece together with the orchestra. Knowing that there are so many voices coming together as one and supporting you is just such a huge power. It's a feeling that really can't be replicated by anything else.

applause