THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, November 10, 1995 TAG: 9511080143
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Thanks to talent, lots of practice and a little help from a Chesapeake mall music store, Andrew Sobel brought home state honors in piano performing proficiency and composition.
The 17-year-old son of Elizabeth L. Sobel recently won first place in his age category in the Donald Bolger High School Piano Competition, sponsored by the Virginia Music Teachers Association, at its convention Oct. 26-29 at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg.
But performing skill wasn't Sobel's only mastery.
The Western Branch High School junior also won second place in the high school division for original composition.
Sobel received a grant from the Chesapeake Fine Arts Commission in June.
The annual convention of music teachers from across the state always includes competitions aimed at music students of all ages from elementary school to college.
``He was very elated and very excited,'' said Elizabeth Sobel. ``And the win was very special for Andrew. He used to live in Charlottesville a few years back, and for this competition his old piano teacher from Charlottesville traveled to Blacksburg just to see him compete. That really meant a lot.''
But just to get to Blacksburg so Sobel could show off in front of his former music teacher, he first had to pass a music theory and sight reading test held in February at Norfolk Academy. Then he had to compete at the district level in May at Virginia Wesleyan College.
For his district win, Sobel performed compositions by Bach, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff.
Not content to repeat the program from the district contest, Sobel set out to learn two new compositions for the state competition. Along with the Bach, he performed new ones by Brahms and by 20th century Argentinian composer Ginastera.
``Overall it was a very exacting competition on the district as well as on the state level,'' Elizabeth Sobel said.
Although Sobel won first place in the state for piano performance, his mother said he was most thrilled about his second-place finish in the composition competition, having won with a piece he originally wrote when he was only 13.
``He wrote this piece on his own, with no help,'' Mrs. Sobel said. ``For the competition he did re-write it a little. It was a piece called `The Rockfish Rag,' named after Rockfish Valley in Nelson County. It is a very tuneful Scott Joplin-type piece. Andrew just loves Scott Joplin.''
Elizabeth Sobel said family and friends are all proud of his recent state wins. But none are more proud than his other ``family,'' the folks at the Piano and Organ Showcase store in Chesapeake Square Mall.
They're the ones who provide Sobel's grand piano when he needs to practice.
``His family doesn't have one at their house, so we told him any time it's not busy in the store, he's welcome to come in and practice on our Yamaha Grand Piano,'' said Allen Meads, the store's assistant manager.
``If they hadn't loaned Andrew their piano I don't see how he could have won at that level,'' Mrs. Sobel said. ``We just don't have one, and Andrew needed one to practice. They've been so wonderful to him, and they have wonderful instruments.''
``We knew he was working on a competition. He has been in here almost every day practicing,'' Meads added. ``He's really been preparing hard for this.''
Meads said his store is only too happy to support a talent like Sobel's. He said Sobel's prowess on the Yamaha has been good for customer relations, too.
``Some people were used to seeing him play,'' he said. ``We consider him an asset, and we're just thrilled that he won. We couldn't be happier for him. He's such a talented and courteous young man.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MORT FRYMAN
Andrew Sobel won first place in the Donald Bolger High School Piano
Competition.
by CNB