Pre-teen wins over judges with stage presence

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Aubree Oliverson is a pint-sized superstar in the making. At just 12 years old, she placed second at a recent violin contest and was the youngest winning competitor.

The Stradivarius Violin Competition, held July 12 at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, featured young violinists from around the world. Aubree competed in the Utah Division against 17 others for her spot in the limelight. She won $400.

"I was happy with my place, because the first-place winner was 18 and had more experience," said Aubree, a seventh- grader at Maeser Preparatory Academy in Lindon.

She started playing violin six years ago when her father spontaneously brought home the instrument for her to try. She was learning piano at the time, but instantly chose strings over keys, because the violin was more intriguing, she said.

The competition challenged performers to memorized four classical pieces. The most difficult one was the unaccompanied Paganini 13, she said.

"It was hard, but I like having a goal [to work toward]," Aubree said.

And she's a determined, dedicated worker, said her mom, Jill Oliverson. Aubree began preparing four months before the competition by practicing six to eight hours a day. She also took extra lessons from her violin teacher.

Jenny Oaks Baker, a nationally renowned violin soloist and Utah native who now lives in Washington, D.C., was one of three judges at the competition and said she was impressed by how much music Aubree memorized.

"You recognize when a player is young, even more so when they can perform well," Baker said. "It's really impressive that a 12 year-old can pull off all that repertoire."

And while many people experience a little stage fright in front of an audience, Aubree says it was her favorite part about the competition.

"I usually don't get nervous in front of people," said Aubree, eventually admitting, "well, sometimes I get nervous in front of judges."

But her fearless determination didn't go unnoticed.

"What stands out about Aubree is that she's a real performer," Baker said. "She owns the stage and can really sell her performance."

It also helps that Aubree has been in the spotlight a few other times leading up to the Stradivarius Competition. She has twice performed in the Salute to Youth program with the Utah Symphony, and won a national competition for the arts sponsored by the PTA. Her winning entry, "Sunset Trio," was an original composition.

She also composes music with her dad, who plays the piano. The duo, known as Moonlight, perform at local community concerts.

In the end, Aubree says her main goal is to become a soloist with a well-known symphony or orchestra. She wants to attend a premier school, such as Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia or The Juilliard School in New York.

For now though, Aubree is cashing in some of her hard earned prize money for a trip to Lagoon.