Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

Young Soloist Advances Career With Symphony NH

Sheryl Rich-Kern
/
NHPR

Symphony NH, the granite state's oldest professional orchestra, invited 16-year-old harpist Crystal Napoli to solo at two of their performances; an opportunity that is the stuff of dreams for young classical musicians.

The symphony's music director, Jonathan McPhee, extended the invitation to Crystal after seeing her performance as the 2011 winner of the concerto competition at the Manchester Community Music School.

"I was immediately taken by Crystal's confidence and her musicianship," he says. "And I thought, 'Okay, this would be a perfect opportunity to have a music student at the school play with Symphony NH.'"

Crystal is the first winner from the student competition to be invited to play as a soloist with the symphony, comprised of older, more seasoned musicians. But despite some jitters, she was thrilled by the opportunity.

"I think a successful performance with Symphony NH would be a tremendous confidence boost because I'm still getting over those nerves before getting on stage. These two performances are going to be the biggest audiences that I've ever performed in front of, so it will change the way I play a lot."
 

Watch Crystal Napoli's November 2012 performance with Symphony NH:

Related Content

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.