Cayman Prep and High School student Tyler Dykstra, 14, has been named the Young Musician of the Year, besting seven secondary students from both government and private schools at the 17th annual Butterfield Young Musician of the Year competition on Friday evening, 14 March.
The sound of music filled a well-attended George Town Public Library as each competitor went head-to-head in the intense musical battle to impress judges with their performance skills, confidence and artistic expression.
While adjudicators deliberated long and hard, attendees were treated to performances from young pianist Marlon Cortes and last year’s winner Johann Uy.
Uy noted, “It feels very nostalgic being here, and it’s very heartwarming to see how far [the performers] have come.”
It was Dykstra who ultimately struck a chord with judges, performing intricate piano pieces ‘Rondo from Sonatina in A’ by Friedrich Kuhlau and ‘Scottish Legend’ by Amy Beach.
Lorena Peterson, 17, of Triple C School was named runner-up. Dykstra and Peterson both received trophies and a cash prize.
Other competitors included Ryan Nock (piano), Thian Bodden (violin), Alexa Valencia (piano), Justin Sy (piano), Jessica Dawson (piano) and Jude Solomon (piano).
Dykstra told the Cayman Compass he was very pleased to win.
“I worked very hard for this. I’ve been practicing my piece and I’m still quite shocked and really overwhelmed,” he said.
Since he was the last competitor to perform for the packed audience, Dkystra said he was “nervous because they all played very well and everyone did a really good job, but I was quite confident in what I was playing”.
The winning musician, who is also a student at Cayman Music School and has been with the school for years, said preparing for the competition, “took a lot of time, making sure to refine every bit with my teacher, Ms. Inna”.
Dykstra has been playing the piano for ten years now and enjoys challenging himself to learn complex pieces and to interpret them expressively, adding his personal flair. He also comes from a musical family.
“My mother previously played the piano. She would help me through my music journey,” he said.
Regarding music, Dykstra said, “I love how there is endless possibilities of what you can create and you can just express your emotions in however way you want. … There’s no wrong way to play a piece, so everyone has their own style, and I like that.”
For the young musician, Dykstra said music will be a part of his future.
“I don’t know yet if I [will] create or compose … I like improvising quite often, so yeah, I think I could pursue it in the future,” he said.
The students were selected as finalists for the competition from a pool of talented performers at the National Children’s Festival of the Arts.
Kimberly Kirkconnell, DES’ senior customer service manager told the Compass, “The Department of Education services was extremely pleased with another successful Young Musician of the Year event. We are truly grateful for our partnership with Butterfield for the past 17 years. Our goal is to continue to elevate the event as we celebrate some of our strongest young musicians in the country.”
Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly shared in a message, “Music speaks a universal language that transcends all boundaries. This [belief] drives the Ministry of Education and the Department of Education Services’ unwavering commitment to ensuring every child can access quality music education and discover their artistic potential.”
Michael McWatt, managing director for Butterfield Bank (Cayman) Limited, noted in his written remarks, “Each year we are privileged to witness the passion, skill and dedication of our island’s top young performers.”
He added, the musicians have “dedicated countless hours to refining their talent, and their performances are a testament to both their hard work, and the encouragement they have received along the way.”
The competition was evaluated by music educators Arek Nicholson, Stephanie Williams and Mark P. Johnson.
Past winners include Dequan Smith, Gabrielle Best, Sean Moran and Masahiro Takeda.
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