By Mike Telin

“When I was three years old my mom took me to a jazz concert. I saw the trombone, and I was immediately hooked,” Grace Berendt recalled. “From that day on, I knew I wanted to be a trombone player.”

On Sunday, May 10 at 3:00 pm at Severance Music Center, the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition winner will step to the front of the Mandel Concert Hall stage to play Ferdinand David’s Concertino for Trombone and Orchestra.

Under the direction of James Feddeck the program also includes Aaron Copland’s Letter from Home, George Walker’s Icarus in Orbit, and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World.” Tickets are available online.

I caught up with the Aurora High School senior by phone and began our conversation by congratulating her on the Concerto competition win.

Grace Berendt: Thank you so much.

Mike Telin: I’m curious about why you selected the David? To be honest, it’s the only piece by him that I know. 

GB: It’s definitely his best piece. It’s actually one of the first trombone concertos I started learning, and I have to say that I have yet to find one that I like more. There’s so much to love about it — the heroic melodies, as well as the emotions conveyed through it. I think there’s really such a variety of styles and interpretations that can be taken with this piece. And it’s just so much fun to play.

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