The children’s concert on Feb. 23 features two young soloists who auditioned for the chance to play with the Cascade Symphony Orchestra. The symphony will also perform Tubby the Tuba, which features David Brewer on tuba and an Edmonds’ favorite, Dave Dolacky, as narrator. Learn more about the performers:
Andrew Ma, 12, lives in Woodway and began his formal training at age 5 with Harold Thomas. He currently studies with Jensina Oliver and is passionate about classical music. Andrew was selected to perform for the Young Pianists Institute at the Portland International Piano Festival and has twice been among the top 20 young musicians of the KING-FM Ten Grands Young Artist Awards. He was awarded Best Performance of a work by Edvard Grieg in the 2011 SIPF Festival of the Romantics, and when barely 11 he was the winner of the 11-14 age division for French Suites at the 2011 Bach Festivals. He placed second in the SIPF Contemporary and Impressionistic Era Festival and was one of four young pianists chosen to perform for guest artist Angela Chang at the WSMTA 2012 Convention.
Madelyn Kowalski, 14, is a ninth-grade homeschooled student living on Marrowstone Island. She began playing cello at age 7, and for six years has studied with Leslie Marckx in Bellevue. She has been a member of the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras since she was 9 years old and has participated in chamber music programs at the Academy of Music Northwest and the Seattle Conservatory of Music. Madelyn has performed as soloist for benefits and fundraisers and is a regular winner of the annual Turtle Bluff Scholarship. She enjoys training her German shepherd and watercolor painting. She has received numerous awards for her entries in the Jefferson County Fair.
Since elementary school, David Brewer has played a variety of brass instruments in different types of ensembles. At the University of Washington, he performed with the Husky Marching Band and served as undergraduate assistant. With degrees in Music Education and Computer Science, he works as a Software Engineer for The Boeing Company and has performed with the Bellevue Philharmonic, Federal Way Philharmonic, Philharmonia Northwest, Seattle Philharmonic, the Community Colleges of Edmonds and Shoreline, Brass Band Northwest, and Puget Brass. For five years, David was the bass trombonist of Cascade Symphony under Robert Anderson. Now he is in his 13th year as tubist. He has performed with Orchestra Seattle since 1981 and is a charter member of the Olympic Brass Ensemble, a brass quintet, founded in 1995.
The role of announcer is familiar territory for Dave Dolacky. In Seattle he was an on-air
personality for KISW-FM, KVI, and from 1980 to 2000 a news and talk show host for KIRO Radio & Television. He continues to use his voice talent by performing in Reader’s Theater, MC hosting of performance events, and doing voice-over work.
Theater is Dave’s true passion, and he thoroughly enjoys working with young people interested in the Arts. With a love for technical theater and an emphasis on theater light design, he is the Theater Manager and Technical Director for the Edmonds School District’s Performing Arts Center. Beginning in September 2004, Dave, an Edmonds resident for more than 30 years, spent two years as technical advisor for the new Edmonds Center for the Arts and is thrilled to have the opportunity to perform on the stage he helped create.
