Meet the
Young Musicians who
competed in the
2003 CIA Coupe Mondiale
competed in the
2003 CIA Coupe Mondiale
Andrea Caruso | Christopher Gorton | Christine Jarquio | Shanxi Upsdell
Congratulations to these fine young accordionists who competed at the Coupe Mondiale World Accordion Championships. For a complete list of results, please visit:
www.accordions.com/cia
Andrea
Caruso is just 15 years old, and was born in Detroit, Michigan. She began
accordion lessons at the age of five and has been competing and winning
local and national accordion competitions since she was six years old. At the age of 12, Andrea competed in the Premio Internationale Citta di Castelfidardo Competition in Italy where she placed fourth in her category. The following year she took part in the "International Grand Prix" for accordion in Geneva, Switzerland, winning the Silver Medal.
At thirteen, Andrea was invited to perform with the Plymouth Symphony Orchestra in Plymouth, Michigan, performing "Capriccio" by A. Repnikov scored for bayan and full orchestra specifically for this performance. Her outstanding performance ranks her as one of the youngest accordionists ever to perform with a symphony orchestra.
Andrea, also studies voice and will be a Junior in High School in September of 2003. She plans to major in Bayan performance at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan after of completion of High School.
Andrea represented the ATG in the Junior Coupe Mondiale.
Having
competed in many competitions on both a state and national level, Christopher
won the coveted first place in the Piano Accordion Virtuoso division of
the 2003 American Accordionists' Association Festival competitions in Philadelphia.In addition to this competition success, Christopher was awarded the Carmen Carrozza Scholarship, established in 2002 for promising young aritsts plying new music for the accordion.
Christopher represented the AAA in the International Competition for Piano Accordion.
Christine
Jarquio is a senior at Fort Osage High School in Independence, Missouri.
She has been studying with Joan Cochran Sommers for three and a half years and plays in the UMKC Community Accordion Orchestra.
Christine was the top accordion virtuoso at the Mid-America Music Association (MAMA) festival in 2000, and this past summer, took first in both the ATG Piano Accordion and ATG Junior Virtuoso Entertainment categories at the Accordionists and Teacher's Guild, International (ATG) festival held in Chicago.
Christine recently got to attend a college program at the University of Cambridge in England. In addition to the accordion, Christine also plays the piano and sings in the school choir.
Christine represented the ATG in the Junior Virtuoso Entertainment Category.
NB.
Shanxi Upsdell is a New Zealand citizen residing in the United States studying
at the University of Missouri - Kansas City Continuing Education Program
with Joan C. Sommers. Because the US Championship categories are only open to US Citizens, the ATG worked in conjunction with its fellow CIA member The New Zealand Accordion Association to hold the categories on their behalf, in order to qualify Shanxi for the Coupe Mondiale representing New Zealand.
In addition to the categories being held as part of the ATG Festival, the two categories were also video taped and then viewed by the NZAA Committee for final acceptance of Shanxi into the Coupe Mondiale representing New Zealand.
Shanxi resides in the USA and is a member of the Accoridonists & Teachers Guild, International.
Originally from New Zealand, Shanxi likes reading, writing and playing the accordion.
Although home-schooled, Shanxi attends Johnson County Community College part-time through the Quickstep program, which enables students to earn college credit before graduating high school. She will explore either a communications or journalism major in college.
Shanxi has been very active in the area of debate and won national honors last year. She has been studying accordion with Joan Sommers for several years now and is also a member of the UMKC Community Accordion Orchestra.
She has won several top ATG solo competitions and, as a result, was asked to perform for the Chicago Accordion Club.
Shanxi represented the NZAA in both the International Competition for Piano Accordion Category and the Junior Virtuoso Entertainment Music Category.