Winners of Second Annual Young Artist Competition from left are David Bontrager, second; Peter Rutkowski, first; and Davis Zoschnick, third. (Photo provided)

By ETHAN SHEECKLER
Marketing Director, Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts

WARSAW — Peter Rutkowski, a junior at Penn High School in Mishawaka, won the Symphony of the Lakes’ Second Annual Young Artist Competition on Sunday, Feb. 14, at the Warsaw Community High School Performing Arts Center.

Rutkowski, the son of Aric and Andrea, is a pianist who studies under Dr. John Blacklow of the University of Notre Dame. He was awarded first prize in the competition for his performance of the first movement of “Concerto No. 3, Op. 26” by Serge Pokofiev. He has collected several other accolades at competitions such as the Bradshaw and Buono International Competition, where he performed at Carnegie Hall in 2013, as well as the Elenora Hartman Stickley Memorial Piano Competition. Rutkowski has performed concerto works with the South Bend Youth Symphony Orchestra and the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra.

Peter Rutkowski during his performance

In recognition of his performance, the Symphony of the Lakes, the orchestral branch of the non-profit Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, awarded him with scholarship money and the opportunity to perform in its April 30 concert titled “Around the World.”

The symphony also awarded second and third-place prizes to Davis Bontrager of Middlebury and David Zoschnick of Warsaw, respectively. Bontrager, son of Jim and Linda, is a home schooled student who performed the first movement of Beethoven’s “Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 49” on piano. Zoschnick, the son of Bruce and Deisy, is a junior at Warsaw Community High School who performed the first movement of Richard Strauss’ “Concerto for Oboe and Small Orchestra” on oboe.

According to Musical Director Thomas Stirling, “The Symphony of the Lakes would like to congratulate all of the performers for their dedication in preparation for this competition. We are excited to have Peter Rutkowski as our competition winner, and we are hoping to have a great turnout for our April 30 concert to show our audience just how talented a performer Peter really is.”