VSA arts Announces 2008 International Young Soloists to Perform at the Kennedy Center

VSA arts Announces 2008 International Young Soloists to Perform at the Kennedy Center

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- VSA arts announced today the 2008 recipients of its International Young Soloists Awards: the MacIntyre Family Singers, a vocal trio from Scottsdale, Ariz.; Ashlee Young, 20, a classical pianist from Billings, Mont.; Issam Ibrahim Elayyan, 21, an oud player from Amman, Jordan; and Avocat Rap Bi, a hip-hop ensemble from Dakar, Senegal. The awardees will receive a $5,000 cash prize and perform at the Kennedy Center at 7:30 p.m. on May 29.

VSA arts created the International Young Soloists Program in 1984 to recognize outstanding young musicians with disabilities from all over the world and to support and encourage their pursuit of a career in the arts. A committee of prominent music professionals selected the award recipients.

"The International Young Soloists Award provides invaluable support and encouragement for emerging musicians from all over the world," said Soula Antoniou, president of VSA arts. "It's quite an achievement for a young musician to perform at one of the world's premier performing arts institutions."

Additional information about this year's awardees:

Comprising siblings Scott, 22, Todd, 19, and Katelyn, 16, the MacIntyre Family Singers have drawn comparisons to Manhattan Transfer, Billy Joel, and Josh Groban. They have garnered musical and academic awards from Royal Conservatory of Music (Canada), Royal College of Music (U.K.), Universitat Mozarteum (Austria), and Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, among others. Both Scott and Katelyn were born with congenital blindness.

Young is a sophomore at Montana State University-Billings. She won the 2007 Montana Association of Symphony Orchestras Competition and appeared with the Great Falls Symphony on the same bill as world-renowned violinist Midori. Young, who has scoliosis and depression, also appeared with the Billings Symphony Orchestra and Bozeman Symphony Orchestra in 2007.

Elayyan will receive his bachelor's degree from The National Music Conservatory of Jordan in June 2008 with a specialization in Arab music. As a member of the Amman Arab Music Quartet, the oud player has performed in festivals and concerts worldwide, including in France, Cyprus, Egypt, and Bahrain. Elayyan, who began losing his vision at the age of seven, also studies classical violin.

Fusing hip-hop beats with traditional African elements, Avocat Rap Bi hails from the Grand Medine neighborhood of Dakar, Senegal. Ensemble members Mandaw Gning, 27, Idrissa Fall, 21, and Mbene Amare, 22, initiated an annual festival of rap in Grand Medine and perform regularly throughout Dakar. Lead vocalist Mandaw Gning is a polio survivor, and the group has performed in the annual Nescafe Africa Revelation talent competition several times.

Many previous award winners have gone on to pursue professional music careers. Country/folk singer Laura Dodd released her second album last year and has toured nationwide, opening for acts such as Rascal Flatts, Patty Loveless, Sandi Patti, and Maynard Ferguson. Violinist Adrian Anantawan is currently a master's student at Yale and is a former member of the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. He has performed with the National Art Council Orchestra of Canada and at the White House. 2007 International Young Soloists Award recipient, singer/songwriter Melody Gardot, continues to build audiences in Philadelphia and New York City, drawing critical acclaim from publications such as BusinessWeek and making local TV appearances.

Tickets to the May 29, 2008, concert are $15 and can be purchased through the Kennedy Center's Box Office at (800) 444-1324 or TTY (202) 416-8524, or online at www.kennedy-center.org.

For more information about the International Young Soloists Award, please visit http://www.vsarts.org/.

About VSA arts

VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1974 by Ambassador Jean Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and in 55 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. For more information, please visit www.vsarts.org

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: VSA arts

CONTACT: Stephanie Taylor of VSA arts, +1-202-628-2800 ext. 3883,
SKTaylor@vsarts.org

Web Site:

http://www.kennedy-center.org/
http://www.vsarts.org/

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