Spokane Public Radio invites you to enjoy Sibling Revelry hosted by Verne Windham on KPBX 91.1, Saturday, May 15 at 1 p.m.
SPR has a long tradition of presenting young performers on KPBX. For this KPBX Kids’ Concert you’ll hear four groups of family performers playing everything from piano, violin, cello, viola and trumpet in various family ensembles.
Thanks to KPBX Kids’ Concert event donors: Harvard Park Children’s Learning Center North; Sayre, Sayre & Fossum, Attorneys; and Rocket Bakeries.
About the Performers:
The Girges Siblings
Avah Girges, a 13 year old homeschooler, began formal piano lessons at the age of 6. She is currently studying with Barbara Miller of Spokane, WA who has helped her grow technically as well as artistically furthering her love for the piano. She has been honored to appear on Spokane Public Radio after winning gold at the Musicfest Northwest competition as well as being invited as a guest artist at the NW Bach Festival in Spokane, WA. Avah loves to compete in musical competitions and has either won or placed in many of them. She and her sister Sarah play piano duet and have been for 3 years. They entered the MTNA senior piano duet competition and are two time winners of Washington state, two time winners of the northwest division and 2nd place winners at nationals. Besides playing the piano, Avah also enjoys rollerblading, hiking, reading, learning about coding and technology, and playing the cello.
Hannah Girges is a 14-year-old homeschooler who began playing the viola when she was 10 years old in a group strings class led by Mark and Ingrid Kovaks in Santa Maria California. Her love for the viola has grown over the years and she is now currently studying with Cherlyn Johnson who is a professor at Northwest University in Kirkland, WA. Cherlyn inspires Hannah in her musical endeavors, helping her to greatly improve as a passionate violist. Hannah played viola in the San Jose Youth Chamber Orchestra, her church worship team, and is currently the principal violist for the Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has won or placed in several competitions. Her other interests include writing, hiking, reading, drawing and painting. Hannah envisions a future studying viola and English/writing in college.
Sarah Girges, a 16-year-old homeschooler, discovered a passion for the piano at the age of 5. Her love for classical music inspires her to explore all genres of music from Baroque to Contemporary. Her current teacher, Mrs. Barbara Miller, has supported and encouraged Sarah’s journey of technical and artistic mastery. Sarah and her sister Avah have appear as guest artists at the NW Bach Festival in Spokane as well as debuting on the Spokane Public Radio in 2019 after winning gold medals at the Musicfest Northwest competition. Sarah began competing at 10 years old and has won and placed in many local, national and international competitions. As duets, Sarah and Avah entered MTNA senior piano duets and won second place at nationals. Sarah also plays the violin in the Maple Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra. She aspires to attend a music conservatory in pursuit of a degree in piano performance when she graduates from high-school in two years.
The Morozov Siblings
Jessie Morozov, aged twelve, has been playing the violin for almost half her life, having started at the age of six. In her years of honing her craft, she has had the privileges of performing at retirement homes, playing in the Fox Theater on numerous occasions, giving socially distanced lawn concerts for neighbors, and more. Jessie finds a special joy in performing; the many facets of playing her instrument have kept her busy through the years and will continue to do so for many more to come.
Sam Morozov, aged nineteen, is an undergraduate freshman at Gonzaga University majoring in mechanical engineering. He took up the trumpet on a whim eight and a half years ago, and gradually over the years, music bloomed into his favorite hobby. Having studied with three of the Spokane Symphony’s trumpet players and performed in a wide range of musical ensembles and settings, including a masterclass for the great Allen Vizzutti (which still recalls shudders of anxiety), Sam loves to devote his free time to all things brass.
The Treis Siblings
Dominic Treis: (20) Dominic is still living at home, though his parents are threatening to start charging him rent. He’s attending Eastern Washington University and is juuuust about fed up with “online/hybrid learning.” Fortunately, he only has one year left to go in his audio-something-or-other major, and he hopes to get a job in audio production or voice acting sometime before he retires. He spends a lot of time in a little basement closet (“um, it’s my STUDIO!”) talking in bizarre accents with his headphones on. His dad recently told him, “If you ever get paid for making noises, I’m going to have to take back a lot of things I said to you when you were younger.” He studies violin with Dr. Julia Salerno and voice with Dr. Sheila Sloan. He plays in the Spokane Youth Symphony, the EWU Symphony Orchestra, and in several chamber ensembles.
Catherine Treis: (18) “Catherine! Stop working so hard!” Catherine is probably the only person in her family who gets asked to stop helping around the house so much. She is homeschooled, is a senior in high school, and is planning to major in violin performance in college. She studies violin with Dr. Julia Salerno and has recently started taking voice lessons from Dr. Sheila Sloan, partly because Dominic enjoyed his voice lessons so much and partly because she tries to out-compete Dominic in almost everything. From her perspective, the hardest thing about going away to college would be that she won't have time and space for gardening, won't get to see her younger siblings as often, and won't get to play in the Spokane Youth Symphony Orchestra or chamber groups.
Marianne Treis: (17) She might look like the quiet one, but Marianne is not as she seems. Her excessive interest in books, her obsession with Jane Austen movies, her shy smile… it’s all a cover-up! She's actually secretly controlling everything behind the scenes. Her parents and younger siblings rely on her to keep life organized, and without her the family would rarely get mustered and out the door on time for appointments. She is homeschooled, is a sophomore in high school, and usually spends her spare time reading. In those rare cases when she doesn't have her nose in a book, she enjoys playing her harp, riding motorcycles, lifeguarding, hunting, and driving herself places (she just got her license a few weeks ago). She studies harp with Earecka Moody.
Christopher Treis: (15) Christopher is the family prankster, mechanic, cellist, and groundskeeper. He's the reason there is a green lawn at his family's house. He's also the reason his dad's tools keep turning up missing. You can count on Christopher to get any outdoor project done, especially if he really should be writing a paper for History class instead. He is homeschooled and is a freshman in high school, and he outgrew three sizes of clothes this year. In his free time, he likes riding motorcycles, lifting weights, building elaborate wooden contraptions, and learning how to drive. He studies cello with Mikaela Elms and plays in the Spokane Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Bernadette Treis: (13) Watch out world, Bernadette just became a teenager! She's determined, brave, and dangerously smart. She recently auditioned into the Spokane Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and has enjoyed the challenge of playing in the first violin section. She is homeschooled, is in seventh grade, and her favorite subject is Everything Except Math. She likes road trips, hunting, riding motorcycles, and she grew so much last year that she stood taller than her older brother Christopher for one brief, glorious month. She studies violin with Dr. Julia Salerno and plays in a chamber group with other students from the Spokane Youth Philharmonic orchestra.
The Chen Siblings
12 year old, Irish-born Sheba was a frequent top prize winner at local and National Festivals. She was a ‘High Achiever Award’ recipient in the Royal Irish Academy of Music Piano exams for 3 years in a row. In 2018, she took the 2nd prize in the Inaugural Junior International John Field Competition in Ireland. Since relocating to Spokane, she has coveted many awards at the Spokane Piano Competition & Musicfest Northwest.
Sheba was leader of the Advanced Elementary School Orchestra and has played with the Spokane Youth Symphony for two years now. Talented with her hands, she also loves to knit, sew, tatting and baking. She enjoys learning Mandarin Chinese, with the help of her Grandma. Since Covid hit, she has taken up indoor rowing, along with the whole family.
Sheba is extremely happy to finally be back at school, having done remote/hybrid learning for the passed year at Highland Middle School in the Mead district.
13 year old, Irish-born Solomon started playing piano at 3 years old, with the help of his Mum & Dad, and from age 4, taking more formal piano lessons, music theory & Choir at the family’s Piano Academy of Ireland (PAI).
In Dublin, Solomon frequently played piano at school events and was 1st prize winner in all his age categories at local and National Festivals. He was a ‘High Achiever Award’ recipient in the Royal Irish Academy of Music Piano exams for 4 years in a row. In 2018, he took the 3rd prize in the Inaugural Junior International John Field Competition in Ireland; his performance of John Field further awarding him the Emerald Award at the PAI National Festival and the Clive Gouldson Junior Award for the most promising pianist, the Festival’s highest honor. Since relocating to Spokane, he took home 4 x Gold medals at Musicfest Northwest in 2019.
Solomon has been leader of the Advanced Elem School Orchestra and has played with the Spokane Youth Symphony for the last 2 years. He loves to read and was Chess Champion for 3 years in a row at his local school in Ireland. He is a keen soccer player and since Covid hit, has taken up indoor rowing along with the whole family.