The 2025 Bravo! Competition Concert takes place tonight, May 21, at 7 pm in the Joliffe Theatre in the Epic Center. Two of the 11 winners, Hazel Arugalsan and pianist Danielle Kwon, join Cara Lieurance to talk about their musical experiences, along with Bravo! Competition assistant coordinator Cori Somers.
The auditions took place in late April, judged by a panel of three local musicians: violinist Joanna Steinhauser, bass trombonist Kip Hickman, and oboist Jeremiah Quarles. All musicians aged 13-18 are welcome to audition as a soloist or as part of an ensemble.
A unique addition to the Bravo competition this year is a workshop with improv group Crawlspace Eviction. Somers explains that rather than a piano masterclass, she wondered how “we could do some team building and do something that includes everyone together." Danielle Kwon adds, "It was very enjoyable. I think one part of the improv class that I didn't realize before was just how it can really bond a group of people."
Hazel Arugalsan, a junior at Mattawan High School, studies with Corlyn Longer Schreck. At school, Hazel is active in the choir program, often singing solos. She has also participated in all her high school musicals, including playing Vivian in Legally Blonde. Tonight, Hazel will sing "Camping for Christmas" from the Tweens and Teens Songbook by Sarah Ziegler Blair and Nicki Phillips, a piece she relates to because it’s "from a teenager's perspective."
Danielle Kwon, a junior at Portage Northern High School, has studied piano with Sophie Van Der Westhuizen for about seven years. A percussionist in her school's band and the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra, she enjoys the variety of instruments. She also participates in her school's marching band and is involved in Michigan Youth and Government, balancing her passion for music with an interest in social sciences. Tonight, she performs Chopin's "Ballade No. 2," a piece she has been preparing for about a year.
"I think the Bravo performance will be a really good insight on how the important music education is to everyone, especially in the city of Kalamazoo,” says Kwon. The concert is free and open to all, offering a chance to witness and support the bright young talent of West Michigan. Further details can be found at the Fontana Chamber Arts website.
