Two outstanding young Quad Cities musicians will perform next spring as 2023 winners of the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles (QCSYE) Concerto Competition.
Held on Dec. 3, 2023, the competition consisted of 13 accomplished student musicians performing selections of their choice for the chance to win two prestigious prizes. The winner of the Grand Prize is cellist Keira Cromwell, and the YSO Prize has been awarded to flutist Morgan Smith.
Keira – a high-school freshman and National Junior Honor Society member at Laurel Springs Academy – will perform the Edouard Lalo Cello Concerto with the Quad City Symphony Orchestra at the QCSO/QCSYE Side-by-Side Concert on Sunday, April 28, 2024, at the Adler Theatre, Davenport.
She began her cello journey at the age of 3, studying at Preucil School of Music in Iowa City under the guidance of Laura Shaw, according to a QCSO release. She was enthralled with music for its pure joy as a child but came to appreciate it as a tool for communication and therapy over time.
Keira’s early start led to her joining the Preucil orchestra at 6 years of age, and subsequently playing in Cello Choir for the past eight years. Most recently, she joined the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2023.
Keira’s musical repertoire extends beyond the cello, as she also studies piano with Chiaki Kubota and flute with Sasha Garver. Keira has participated in a variety of cello programs both nationally and internationally including the University of Wisconsin Aber Suzuki Institute, the Colorado Suzuki Institute, the International Academy of the Suzuki Method, the Chicago Suzuki Institute, the Alaska Cello Intensive Program, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and most recently, the Ascent Music Cello Festival at the University of Cincinnati.
Her achievements include participating in the Suzuki National Conference in 2016 and 2018. In 2023, she served as the Iowa Music Teachers Association representative to the national conference for Junior Strings. Additionally, she was recognized with an honorable mention from the IMTA in 2016-2017 for her piano performance.
Keira is also a competitive fencer, specializing in foil at the Iowa City Fencing Center under the instruction of Judy O’Donnell. When not busy with music and fencing, she enjoys cooking with her family.
Morgan Smith is a senior flutist hailing from Davenport North High School. She has won the opportunity to perform the Charles T. Griffes Poem for Flute and Orchestra at the YSO Finale Concert on Sunday, May 12, 2024, at the Bartlett Performing Arts Center, Moline.
Morgan has been playing flute since seventh grade. Her teachers include Suzanne Benhart, Kaci Stirling, Dr. Yana Zixuan Yan, and Rose Bishop. She has been actively involved in band, musical pit, show choir pit, orchestra winds, and has made the All-State Band and Orchestra for three years.
She has also been an active member of the Quad City Youth Symphony Orchestra, where she has played principal flute. This past summer, she had the great experience of performing with the Youth Symphony on a European tour and plans on playing in Austria with World Youth Wind Orchestra Project. Next year Morgan plans to double major in flute performance and music education. After graduation, she hopes to earn a graduate degree in either performance or conducting.
For more information on the Quad City Symphony Youth Ensembles, click HERE.
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