Brennon Cavanagh, a Senior at West Carroll High School in Savanna, IL, has been awarded top honors in the Clinton Symphony Orchestra’s annual Young Artist Auditions.
Cavanagh won the auditions with a performance of the “Concerto for Tenor Saxophone and Orchestra” by American composer Robert Ward.
In addition to $250 in prize money from the Symphony, the honoree usually is given the opportunity to perform their solo piece with the orchestra, during one of their concerts. With the Symphony on hiatus due to the pandemic, that may not be possible this time.
Brennon is the son of Timothy and Kyong Cavanagh, and has been a saxophone student of Emily Bressler since 5th grade. He has been a regular participant in regional honor bands throughout his school years. For the past two years, he has been selected for the Illinois All-State Concert Band.
Brennon is enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard as a musician in the 144th Army Band. He will attend a ten-week training at the Army School of Music in Virginia Beach, VA, this summer.
The Young Artist Audition program also awarded Honorable Mention status to violinist Clara Ashdown of Fenton, IL, and to clarinetist Aubrey Charles of Mt. Carroll, IL. Each will receive a monetary award as well as counsel, suggestions, and encouragement from the panel of judges from the Symphony.
Auditions are held each January, and open to any high school musician in the Symphony’s service area. This is the Symphony’s 67th year. Auditions have been a service to music education in the area for much of that time.