The San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra held auditions for local high school musicians from across San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties who competed to win the Norman Miller Music Scholarship. Cabrillo High School student Connor Rowe, 16, won the scholarship and was awarded $500 by the organization.
Rowe performed Piece for Trombone and Piano by Guy Ropartz for the win, with his execution of the myriad of accidentals in the piece putting him ahead of the competition. Rowe also won a concerto competition with the Santa Barbara Youth Symphony and the solo competition at the Cal Poly High School All-State Music Festival. He used the funds to help defray the costs of the Tanglewood Music Center, which he attended this year.
Norman Miller was a prominent educator and member of the San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra who passed in 2001. The award rotates between college and high school students each year. More information is available at president@slowinds.org or slowinds.org.
This article appears in Aug 7-14, 2014.