Caleb Mendez, 16 of Crookston, took first place at the Greater Grand Forks Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition in the high school division at Poppler’s in Grand Forks on Saturday.
The competition was open to orchestral instrumentalists, pianists, and vocalists residing within the state of North Dakota or within 120 miles of Grand Forks, ND, and currently enrolled in High School coursework. The winner is invited to perform a solo at a Greater Grand Forks Symphony sponsored event and receives a check for $200.
Mendez performed Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Opus 22, Movement 1. He was accompanied by Dr. Nariaki Sugiura, Associate Professor of Piano & Collaborative Piano, University of North Dakota. Mendez is a student of Dr. Sugiura and Dr. Mei-Chuan Lin, Teaching Assistant Professor, Piano Class/Piano Lessons/Collaborative Pianist, University of North Dakota.
