The more you talk to senior Devin Wiley, the more inadequate you start to feel.
Double majoring in chemical and environmental engineering, Wiley is also pursuing two minors, one in French (in which he is fluent) and one in piano performance.
For someone whose primary major is not in music, Wiley has made quite a name for himself in the Tucson music world. Wiley has performed in concerts in America and in France and has also won the President’s Competition here at the UA. Piano has been Wiley’s way of de-stressing, and this stress-relieving hobby turned into a victory in this year’s Young Artist Competition.
The Young Artist Competition is a community project headed by the Tucson Symphony Women’s Association and is in its third year. It hosts today’s concert called “”Celebrate the Future.””
Along with the individual performance winners is another competition called the Young Composer Competition. Music junior Roger Foreman’s piece “”Celtic Festival”” was picked for the Tucson Symphony Orchestra to perform in its entirety.
Besides Wiley, Humberto J. Colon-Riviera is a co-winner this year. Riviera, who performs on the double bass, is currently a master’s student in double bass performance.
Both Wiley and Colon-Riviera will be performing concertos on their respective instruments. It will be Colon-Riviera’s first time performing with a full symphony orchestra.
“”I’m not nervous,”” Colon-Rivera said of today’s performance. “”I’m very lucky to be one of those people who don’t get nervous.””
Though he won’t be performing, Foreman will be able to see his original composition, “”Celtic Festival,”” performed by the TSO.
Foreman has been involved with the Young Composers Project since his sophomore year at Amphitheater High School.
Foreman actually created “”Celtic Festival”” while he was still in high school.
“”We would meet on Saturdays over the course of a year and we’d work on a composition for the orchestra,”” Foreman said about his early days in the Young Composer’s Project.
“”For this piece, I began with melodies and there are three major themes in this piece and from there I would add other lines for the different instruments to create harmonies,”” Foreman said.
Foreman, who cites his influences from the early 20th century to ethnic music to rock ‘n’ roll, has been composing little melodies since elementary school but said it was the Young Composer’s Project that made him take his work seriously.
Though Foreman also plays the violin and is currently learning the piano, he prefers making the music and letting others perform it.
“”I’ve considered conducting, but what I really love to do is composing,”” Foreman said.
The “”Celebrate the Future”” concert is the culmination of all the time and effort put in by organizers at the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
“”It’s a great opportunity and I’m really glad that the Tucson Symphony does this sort of thing,”” Foreman said. “”They have a very strong connection with the community, especially with the youth in Tucson.””
The Tuscon Symphony Women’s Association will present the “”Celebrate the Future”” concert at the Tucson Music Hall, 2175 N. Sixth Ave., tonight at 7. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children.
