West Hartford student honored in Naftzger Young Artists Audition

LAWRENCE, KS (04/05/2012)(readMedia)-- University of Kansas School of Music musicians dominated at the 2012 Naftzger Young Artist Auditions, taking home each top prize, including Douglas Perry, from West Hartford, Conn. The auditions were held March 23-24, 2012, at Friends University in Wichita, Kansas.

Perry, a marimba player, won the instrumental category. He is currently a second-year master's student studying percussion performance under the tutelage of Ji Hye Jung at KU. Originally a jazz vibes player, he began studying classical music in 2005 at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, from which he holds a bachelor's degree in percussion performance. Perry composes electronic music and occasionally performs with his Baltimore-based rock band, Medicine Lake. He works as a graduate teaching assistant for the percussion and jazz departments at KU, and is expecting to graduate in May 2012.

The Naftzger Young Artists Auditions are administered by the Wichita Symphony. The auditions offer cash prizes in three categories: Piano, Voice and Instrumental, totaling $11,000 in prizes. A total of 48 total musicians competed this year.