First Coast Wind Ensemble
2012 Concerto Competition for High School Musicians
The First Coast Wind Ensemble was proud to sponsor the 2012 Concerto Competition for High School Musicians. This young artist event is designed to promote music education in Florida by providing talented students with an opportunity to perform a solo work with wind ensemble. The competition is open to Florida high school musicians (grades 9-12) who play woodwind, brass or percussion instruments. The student must reside in the state of Florida. The winner was chosen through a competitive audition process and performed with the First Coast Wind Ensemble in concert on April 22, 2012 at Jacksonville University.
The winner of the 2012 Concerto Competition was flutist Leighbra Wilkinson. Leighbra performed Giulio Briccialdi’s “The Carnival of Venice” and received a cash prize of $1,000.00 from the FCWE made available by the generous contribution of David and Elizabeth Kiebler.
Leighbra is a senior at Manatee School for the Arts in Palmetto, Florida. She has been a member of the Florida Bandmasters Association All-State Band for four consecutive years. Recently, she won the University of North Florida first annual Jax Flutes High School Flute Performance Competition.
The other finalists were very talented and deserve recognition: runner-up Jacob Virkler, flute, from Kissimmee (Osceola County SOTA); Kelsey Castellanos, clarinet, from Port Orange (Spruce Creek HS); Haley Russell, oboe, from Jacksonville (home school); and Ian Crumpton, alto saxophone, from Brandon (Bloomingdale HS).
The First Coast Wind Ensemble is committed to supporting music education in Florida schools.
Conductor Artie Clifton and 2012 Concerto winner Leighbra Wilkinson
