Trevor Barroero, Percussion (2016/17)

Some exciting news from PRISMA 2016/17 alum Trevor Barroero, Percussionist, who has been named Principal Percussionist of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra.

“I can finally announce that I have won my first professional orchestral audition,” he told PRISMA via email today. “This Friday, I will drive down to Florida to rehearse and perform with the OPO on a mixture of Pops, Opera, Focus, and Young People’s concerts.”

Highlights will include Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Gershwin’s An American in Paris, Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman, Copland’s Hoe-Down and Selections from Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Firebird, and more!
He’ll even be playing traditional Irish Bodhran alongside renowned singer, Rhiannon Giddens.

Trevor has had quite the year! In addition to winning his first principal position, he has also successfully completed his Master’s Degree Recital and his Master’s Oral Comprehensive Exam at the University of Georgia.

Congratulations, Trevor! A first place finish in PRISMA’s 2016 concerto competition was just the beginning of many great things to come…

Stephen Hawkey, Cello  (2017)

We congratulate Stephen on winning a spot in the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra!

As Powell River audiences may recall, Stephen was one of our Concerto Competition finalists that year as well.

Sierra Schmeltzer, Flute (2018)

Last May PRISMA Alumna Sierra won the piccolo position in the Boise Philharmonic. She also won a fellowship with the American Youth Symphony in Los Angeles, and will be completing her masters at the University of Southern California in May 2020.
We wish Sierra all the best in her exciting new endeavours!

Jacob van der Sloot, Viola (2018)

Jacob recently won a job with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and began playing with them in January 2020.  He also made his solo Carnegie debut in 2019!  He is the youngest member of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at 22.

Gunes Hizillar, Harp (2015)

We recently heard from 2015 PRISMA Alumna Gunes Hizillar who completed her bachelor degree at the Mozarteum University in Austria with the highest marks and has started playing at the Staatskapelle Berlin (Berlin State Opera Orchestra) under the baton of Maestro Daniel Barenboim.

In the next two years, she will take part in opera and symphony concerts with world renowned conductors, as well as in chamber music productions.

In her email to Arthur Arnold she writes:

“I am thankful to PRISMA for the experience I gained there, which prepared me for the next step of my musical life with a lot of motivation! Thank you for being such a wonderful, supportive conductor and sharing the joy of music making dear Arthur!”

Gunes was a recipient of a Rotary Grant back in 2015 making her PRISMA journey possible. If you too want to help support young musicians on their journey, please reach out to us at membership@prismafestival.com. Your support big or small means the world to us and our students.

We wish Gunes all the best in her future endeavours.

Marie-Ange Boislard, Trombone (2018) and Alana Chan, Conducting (2014)

PRISMA 2018 alumna Marie-Ange Boislard (left) sent us this photo from the Prague Summer Nights: Young Artists Music Festival, where she was recently studying and happened to meet another former student of ours – Alana Chan, who attended PRISMA in 2014.

How cool is that?!

Carolina Bartumeu, Cello (2018)

“I did some auditions this year and I got into the extra list of the Orchestra Filarmonica di Bologna, the Sympohnic Orchestra of Barcelona and the Orchestra of El Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona. The orchestra of Bologna does a tour in Japan during the summer.”

Alexis Meschter, Violin (2018)

“I won a one year contract with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra in September and have moved to Buffalo from Toronto and have started playing with them since then… It is a great learning experience and I love my colleagues.”

…Did we mention he is the orchestra’s youngest member!

Kelsey Sham, Harp (2018)

“Lots has happened since this past summer at PRISMA! I wanted to let you know that my school orchestra (Oberlin Orchestra) performed on January 19 at Carnegie Hall — a dream come true! Program included O’Regan’s ‘Triptych’, Stravinsky’s ‘Les Noces’, Ogonek’s ‘All These Lighted Things’, and Debussy’s ‘La Mer’.”