Rhapsody for America, featuring Michael Messer and the Winner of our 2021 Young Performers Concerto Competition
On Saturday, September 25, Rhapsody for America featured pianist Michael Messer performing George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, as well as flutist Aubrey Garretson, winner of our 2021 Young Performers Concerto Competition.
Victor Herbert - American Fantasy
Rob Lane, arr. Sommerville - Music from John Adams
Aaron Copland - Variations on a Shaker Melody
W. A. Mozart - Concerto for Flute, first movement, performed by Aubrey Garretson
Michael W. Smith - Heroes, with Michael Messer
George Gershwin - 1924 version of Rhapsody in Blue
William Grant Still - Scherzo from The Afro-American Symphony
Michael Messer, pianist
About Michael
Michael Messer performs music in a wide spectrum of styles and enjoys presenting audiences with less familiar works while bringing fresh interpretations to more classic repertoire. Derrick Robinson, Seattle-based music, film, and book critic, gave Messer’s performance of Haydn’s D Major Concerto “a spirited performance” with the Seattle Festival Orchestra and Michael’s rendition of the modern American composer Frederic Rzewski’s North American Ballads for solo piano was “a thrilling interpretation of Rzewski’s extraordinary work”.
Messer’s private teachers include Karin Redecopp Edwards, Winston Choi, and Christopher Taylor, his current professor. Mr. Messer’s 2010 debut with the Seattle Festival Orchestra was met with acclaim, and sparked Michael’s enthusiasm for playing with musical ensembles of any size. Since then, his activities as a pianist has taken him throughout the United States and Europe. He is now a doctoral candidate in piano performance at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he specializes in music composed between 1900 and 1950. His recent interests include a solo piano program featuring music written for the left hand alone. He teaches individual lessons and group piano courses at the Wheaton College Conservatory of Music and maintains an ever-growing studio of private students at the Wheaton Yamaha Music School.
Aubrey Garretson, winner of 2021 Young Performers’ Concerto Competition
About Aubrey
Aubrey Garretson graduated in 2021 from LaSalle Peru High School. She studied flute for seven years with IVSO’s principal flutist Sue Gillio. In high school Aubrey was a section leader and played flute and piccolo in the Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, and Pit Bands. She was selected as a two-time All-State Musician for the Illinois Music Education Association, playing in both the All-State Orchestra and the All-State Band. She also received superior ratings at Solo and Ensemble competitions.
Aubrey plays the alto flute with the Illinois Valley Flute Ensemble. In 2018 Aubrey was the IVSO Young Performer’s Junior Winner. She participates in the annual Summer Flute Retreat, and has performed in the Masterclass of Gerald Carey, former professor of flute at Western Illinois University. In addition to studying the flute, Aubrey played on the L-P varsity volleyball team and the LaSalle Country Volleyball Club. She plans to major in music performance and business at a four-year university.
Aubrey is the daughter of Todd and Christ Garretson of Peru.
