WPR Presents 2019’s ‘The Final Forte’

Wisconsin Public Radio and Wisconsin Public Television present “The Final Forte,” broadcast live at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 13. Rebroadcast at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, March 17.

This is the concluding round in the annual Bolz Young Artist Competition, a statewide competition in which Wisconsin’s young musicians compete for scholarships. The four finalists also have the opportunity to perform as soloists with the Madison Symphony Orchestra during “The Final Forte” event.

This year’s finalists:

Violinist Monona Suzuki is a sophomore at Madison West High School in Madison. She was the grand prize winner of the 2018 Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Stars of Tomorrow Competition and runner-up in the 2019 Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition.

Cellist Grace Kim is a junior at Waunakee Community High School in Waunakee. She received top honors in the 2018 Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and was a semi-finalist in the La Crosse Rising Stars Concerto Competition in January 2019.

Flutist Holly Venkitaswaran is an e-Achieve Academy senior from Lisbon. She earned first place at the Kenosha Symphony Youth Concerto Competition in 2018 and second place in the 2019 Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra Senior Symphony Concerto Competition.

Pianist Antonio Wu is a sophomore at James Madison Memorial High School in Madison. He took first place in both the 2016 Madison Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition and the 2017 Chopin Youth Piano Competition and was selected as one of four finalists in the 2019 La Crosse Rising Stars Concerto Competition.

This year’s live broadcast will be hosted by WPR’s Lori Skelton and Angela Fitzgerald, host of WPT’s “Wisconsin Life.” The radio broadcast can be heard on WPR’s NPR News and Classical Music Network.