Farzan Fatemi, the winner of this year's Southeast Minnesota Youth Orchestra's piano concerto competition, will perform the winning piece at the February SEMYO concert.
The concert, which will be at 2 p.m. Feb. 7 at Bethel Lutheran Church in Rochester, will feature Fatemi on piano playing Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue," accompanied by the Concert Orchestra. The orchestra will also play pieces by Dvorak and Brahams.
Tickets are $12, $8 for seniors and $5 for students, and may be purchased at the door. A family ticket is $30.
The Concert Orchestra is one of four ensembles that make up SEMYO. The other three ensembles will perform March 7.
Fatemi began his piano study at the Hoffman-Madsen Music Studio with Marguerite Hoffman. Later, he studied with Beverly Madsen. Since 2006, Fatemi has been studying piano under the instruction of Horacio Nuguid.
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Fatemi is a seven-time winner of the Minnesota Music Teacher Association (MMTA) competition. He also received third prize in the piano division of the Rochester Music Guild Scholarship Competition in 2008 and an honorable mention in 2009. He also won third place in the Clements Competition in 2004 and first place in 2009.
For the last two summers, Fatemi has attended the Young Artist Piano Camp, studying with renowned pianists such as Paul Wirth and Jo Anne Link. Fatemi has also participated in the Dorian Keyboard Festival in Decorah, Iowa in 2008 and 2009.
Fatemi's musical interests also include playing the violin. This season marks his fifth year playing in SEMYO and his second year playing in the Concert Orchestra. In addition to playing in SEMYO, he participates in his school orchestra, the Mayo High School Symphonic Strings.
Fatemi also serves on the board of Rochester Chamber Music Society.
