16 year old VIncent Meklis, Violin

[David Polk]

Listen to Vince in Franz Waxman's Carmen Fantasy:

Download MP3 (right click and "save link as" to download)

We heard Vince in a less-known work, William Walton's violin concerto (the first and third movements) and the Carmen Fantasy by Franz Waxman, which was composed for a movie called "Humoresque."


Download MP3 (right click and "save link as" to download)

Biography:

Music Institute of Chicago Academy violinist and scholarship recipient Vincent Meklis, 16, is a student of MIC artist faculty Almita and Roland Vamos. In March 2009, Vincent performed as a soloist and with the award winning Polaris Quartet for the MIC east coast Stars of the Academy tour including performances at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and the Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Vincent has performed as a guest soloist with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the West Suburban Symphony, the Southwest Symphony Orchestra and the Salt Creek Sinfonietta. In 2008, he toured Germany and the Czech Republic with the Chicago Consort as a featured soloist. In previous years, Vincent performed as a soloist and ensemble member with the group in tours to London, Paris, and mainland China, including a performance at the world-renowned Shanghai Conservatory of Music. In February 2009, Vincent placed second in the Strings Division of the Corpus Christi International Competition for Piano and Strings. Other awards include: 2009 WAMSO Young Artist Competition and Johansen International Competition Semi-Finalist; 2008 Arthur D. Montzka Young Artists Concerto Competition Winner; 2008 Blount-Slawson Young Artists Competition Finalist; 2008 Walgreens Concerto Competition Honorable Mention; 2008 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions Honorable Mention; 2007 West Suburban Symphony Concerto Competition Winner; 2007 Lawrence J. Wermuth Scholarship Recipient; 2006 Southwest Symphony Orchestra Solo Competition Winner; 2nd Place 2006 Musichorale Scholarship Competition; and 2004 SAI Strings Competition Winner.

Vincent has performed in master classes for Pamela Frank, David Kim, Rachel Barton Pine, Pinchas Zukerman and for members of the Euclid Quartet. He has also performed live on WFMT's Introductions program. He was an invited soloist in the 2006 Steinway Young Artists Concert series. Vincent is co-concertmaster of MIC’s Academy Chamber Orchestra conducted by Dr. Roland Vamos. He is a member of the Polaris Quartet, coached by Hans Jorgen Jensen at MIC, which won the Gold Medal of the Junior Division of the 2008 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. Vincent has performed with Polaris on the nationally broadcasted radio program From the Top. Other chamber experience includes a piano trio in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Chamber Program. Vincent studied under Thomas Wermuth for four years at the Western Springs School of Talent Education and began his studies with Suzanne Rickman. As an enthusiastic supporter of classical music outreach, Vincent volunteers his time to give classroom presentations.