Jeffrey Lewandowski was 10 years old when he first picked up a trumpet. Now, as a 22-year-old student at Grand Valley State University, he is preparing for his first performance at New York's Carnegie Hall.
Lewandowski, from Livonia, is a student of Richard Stoelzel, associate professor of music at Grand Valley. He is one of two trumpeters selected by national audition to participate in the 38th New York String Orchestra Seminar conducted by Jaime Laredo. He will perform with the New York String Orchestra in concerts on December 24 and 28.
Success is mounting for Lewandowski, who also received sixth prize in the 2006 National Trumpet Competition College Solo Competition and is a member of the GVSU Trumpet Ensemble, which won first prize in the 2006 National Trumpet Competition Trumpet Ensemble Division.
"I'm pretty excited about this opportunity," said Lewandowski. "I've played at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor and in the Summer Music Festivals in Texas and Chautauqua, New York, but I've never been to New York City before."
The New York String Orchestra Seminar is one of the country's most acclaimed professional training programs. The project's mission is introducing the country's most exceptional young musicians to new musical ideas at a formative point in their development and giving them the challenge of performing on the stage of Carnegie Hall on a high professional level. The New York String Orchestra Seminar is sponsored by The New School Concerts Department, The News School, the Carnegie Hall Corporation and Schneider Fund for Young Musicians.
