The BSO wants to congratulate this year’s Youth Concerto Competition winner Emma Levesque (harp), and runner-up Miranda Isbitts (violin)! And a huge thank you to all of this year’s participants as well. Join us next season when Emma will play Gabriel Pierne’s Concertstück with the BSO!
Emma Levesque began studying harp at age four and became a student in Indiana University’s pre-college harp program at age seven where Emma currently studies with Fanfen Tai. Emma has competed in harp competitions in Japan, Hong Kong, and across the U.S., most recently winning first place in the Midwest Harp Festival Solo Competition and second place in the Hong Kong Infinity International Music Competition. Emma is a senior honors student at Indiana Connections Academy. When not playing the harp, Emma is an avid sailor and US Sailing certified small boat instructor.
Miranda Isbitts has been a student of renowned Indiana University professor Mimi Zweig since 2018. In 2019, at 13 years old, Miranda twice performed as a soloist with the Florida Orchestra after winning grand prize in the orchestra’s young artist competition. She went on to study full-time at the IU String Academy and won first place in the junior division of the Indianapolis Youth Orchestra young musicians contest in 2020. Miranda also was a junior division finalist in the New York-based Adelphi Orchestra concerto contest in 2021. Last year, Miranda placed third in the national Essential Music strings concerto competition and was a finalist in the Michael Ben & Illene Komisarow Maurer Young Musicians Contest, and placed fourth at The Sherer International Violin & Piano Competition. She has participated in camps and master classes at Jacobs School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, Prelude Chamber Music in Jacksonville, and she was a two-year member of the Perlman Music Program Super Strings ensemble conducted by Itzhak Perlman in Sarasota, Florida. Miranda began studying violin with Diane Volpe at age 5 and later was a student of Luba Geyer, Lauren Murphy and Lei Liu in the Tampa Bay area. Her Gand & Bernardel violin is generously on loan from The Friedman Family.