The public is invited to attend the 19th Annual Juanita Miller Concerto Competition on January 10, 2015 at 3:30 p.m. in Caruth Auditorium at the Owens Art Center on the Southern Methodist University campus. Students from across the state compete in three divisions: piano, strings, and winds. First place winners in each of the three divisions will be announced at 3:30 p.m. Each will perform their concerto selection and the Grand Prize winner will be chosen from one of the three.
The event is free to the public. Caruth Auditorium is located at 6101 Bishop Avenue and attendees are requested to be seated by 3:30 p.m.
The a statewide concerto competition is hosted annually by the Texas Association for Symphony Orchestras (TASO) to choose an outstanding high school musician. The competition sets itself apart from others in that the grand prize winner receives a cash award along with the opportunity to perform the winning concerto with two symphony orchestras, Waco and Mesquite symphony orchestras.
In hosting this competition, TASO continues to employ a professional approach for selecting the winners by choosing outstanding judges from across the country. The judges are judges are: David Cartledge - Piano, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; Renee' Jolles - Strings, Eastman School of Music; and Ronald Romm - Winds-Brass, University of Illinois School of Music.
The Juanita Miller Concerto Competition was named for TASO’s founder, the late Juanita Miller. In 1997, Juanita and Henry S. Miller provided the initial underwriting and subsequent gifts to fund this youth competition. It was Mr. and Mrs. Miller’s dedication, vision, generosity and devotion to music that led to the establishment of a statewide youth competition for outstanding high school musicians.
Miller’s daughter Patsy Donosky attends the competition each year to hear the finalists and congratulate the winners.
About TASO
TASO provides a forum for the exchange of ideas to promote, develop, and support symphony orchestras state-wide. The idea for TASO was originally conceived in 1965 at the Women’s Association for Symphony Orchestras (WASO) meeting in New Orleans. The Texas delegations from Houston, Dallas and San Antonio decided it would be beneficial to have such an organization at the state level.
An organizational meeting in Dallas in 1966. At this meeting, Mrs. Henry S. Miller of Dallas was elected the first President of the organization and presided over the first annual conference in 1968.
Each year approximately 150 delegates attend the annual conference to gather information and network with their colleagues. These delegates include presidents, presidents-elect, and volunteer leaders from the volunteer groups of Texas orchestras.