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Fourth-grader earns spot at recital
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
Ten-year-old violinist Corey Sharp of Austintown will perform at the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs’ honors recital at 2 p.m. Saturday at Bliss Hall on the Youngstown State University campus.
The recital is limited to musicians who have received three consecutive years of Superior ratings at OFMC competitions. If Corey advances Saturday, he will next perform at the OFMC’s district festival, which would be followed by the state convention.
The OFMC has a blind competition every March at YSU, in which students perform for two judges. The solo, concerto and ensemble events are divided into classes of difficulties.
Corey, a fourth-grader at Frank Ohl Intermediate School, has been placed in Junior Class IA for the concerto event and Medium Class II for his solo performances on violin. This will be his fourth year for violin and third year for piano.
Receiving the highest rating of Superior earns the student five points. An accumulation of 15 points over three years earns the student a trophy, which is also a prerequisite for invitation to the OFMC Honors Program recital. Corey received a trophy last year for violin.
Corey has achieved three consecutive years of Unanimous Superior ratings for violin and two Unanimous Superior ratings for piano. Next year, he will have the opportunity to earn an invitation to the same recital for piano.
“It is not that easy to play the violin and piano and to get trophies for them,” Corey told The Vindicator in an email.
Corey said he wrote a song called “Morning Whistles” for the violin. “It’s as if you are expressing your feelings with an instrument,” he said. “It may seem not amusing to play, but it is.”
Corey’s brother, Brandon, also will play at this year’s honor’s recital. Brandon has received two trophies for piano and one for violin. He is the youngest member of the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra Youth Orchestra’s first violin section, conducted by Stephen Gage and co-conducted by Richard Smrek.
The Youth Orchestra will perform side by side with the YSO for the first time at 8 p.m. March 24 at Powers Auditorium.
Both children are the sons of Carole and Michael Sharp of Austintown.
Corey began playing violin at age 4 under the instruction of Gina Bagnoli. At 6, under the instruction of Sean Baran, he began piano, and also joined the YSO Youth Orchestra’s Symphonette, conducted by Michele Prokop and co-conducted by Smrek.
“I feel really good about playing in the Symphonette,” said Corey, who added that there are only three other fourth- and fifth-graders in the ensemble.
Corey’s next performance with the Symphonette will be 6:30 p.m. April 3 at Ford Family Recital Hall.
Corey is a member of a Suzuki Ensemble Group. He has performed at Suzuki at Blossom Music Center, on Cleveland’s Goodtimes Boat Cruise, at the Butler Institute of American Art Museum and numerous times at DeYor Performing Arts Center.
For the first time this year, Corey will play piano at the Butler Honors Recital.
Having absolute pitch, he can play anything by ear. He has been identified as Gifted in music and academics by the state department of education. He is in the Gifted Language Arts Program at his school and has been advanced a grade level in mathematics.