Junior Division Finalist
Violin, 13

Tomaso Vitali
*Chaconne in G Minor*

Alex Zhu, 13, is a 7th grader at Tumwater Middle School. He has been playing violin for 7 years and currently studies with Carol Sindell. Alex was the alternate winner of the 2024 MTNA Junior Strings Performance Competition in Oregon. He was also the winner of the 2024 Willamette Falls Symphony(WFS) Young Artist Competition and will solo with the WFS in June. In 2024, he won the 2024 OMEA Solo & Ensemble Middle School District Competition and was selected to perform at the 2024 ASTA Oregon Honor Recital. As a member of the Portland Youth Philharmonic and Camerata PYP, he enjoys performing various classical and modern pieces. When not playing the violin, he likes reading historical fiction and playing chess. He also plays oboe in the middle school band.

Who is your favorite musician? My favorite musician is Ray Chen. He uses social media platforms to connect with young musicians and motivate them to practice.

If you could only eat one dessert for the rest of your life, what would it be? I would eat crème brûlée for the rest of my life.

What’s on your bucket list? Eating a ghost pepper without drinking anything.

Where would someone most likely find you on a rainy Sunday afternoon? I would be watching Sunday Night Football or basketball games.

If you could travel back in time, what year would you most like to visit? I would like to visit the year 1947, when the first UFO sighting was recorded.