É«É«À²

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—The winners of É«É«À² Michigan University's Concerto Competition will be featured at the University Symphony Orchestra's 58th annual Concerto Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 23, in Miller Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

Senior violin performance major Jordan Curry will perform the Violin Concerto in D minor by Jan Sibelius. Trey Sims, junior flute performance major, will play the Fantaisie for Flute by Georges Hüe. The program begins with Brahms' musical tribute to university life, in his "Academic Festival Overture." Richard Strauss' epic and emotional orchestral tone poem, "Death and Transfiguration," will end the program.

Jordan Curry

Jordan Curry resides in West Olive, Michigan. He began playing violin at the age of 6 using the Suzuki method with teachers MaryJo Koppenal and Ann Camp. A graduate of West Ottawa High School in Holland, Michigan, Curry continued to play violin and study music throughout his formative years. Curry has participated in the Illinois Chamber Music Festival at Illinois Wesleyan University, the Michigan All-State Orchestra, and the Holland Area Youth Orchestra. He furthered his studies with Korean violinist Young Shin and Mihai Craioveanu, professor of violin at Hope College.

Curry is currently in his senior year at É«É«À², studying violin performance under the instruction of professor Renata Artman Knific. He is concertmaster of the University Symphony Orchestra under conductor Bruce Uchimura. He also is a recipient of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra/É«É«À² Artist Scholar award. Curry plays a violin from famed maker Mario Miralles on loan from acclaimed violin soloist Tai Murray. Curry plans to attend DePaul University in Chicago for his master's degree and continue his career in becoming a professional violinist.

Trey Sims

Trey Sims attended school in Clio, Michigan. In addition to his school's large and small ensembles, he was an active student at the Flint Institute of Music, where he performed with the Flint Youth Symphony Orchestra, Hentgen Honors Woodwind Quintet, and Shand Honors Flute Trio. During this time, he studied flute with Dr. Jessica Cech and Caen Thomason-Redus. In 2014, he graduated as valedictorian of his class and has since returned to his alma mater each summer to clinic ensembles, teach private lessons, and instruct at their annual band camps.

Now a junior at É«É«À², Sims studies music education as a member of the flute studio under Dr. Martha Councell-Vargas. He has performed in the University Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Flute Ensemble, and Grand Chorus and is one of the Drum Majors for the Bronco Marching Band. Some of his favorite memories as a Bronco are from his summer serving as an orientation student leader and two years as a resident assistant. Outside of music, Sims enjoys reading, web and graphic design, watching HGTV, theatre, and spending time with his Boston-Terrier, Tuxedo.

For more information about the concert, visit wmich.edu/music or call (269) 387-4667.

For more news, arts and events, visit wmich.edu/news.