Three suburban teens win composing competition

Three suburban high school students have been named winners of the Music Institute of Chicago’s 2011 Generation Next Young Composer’s Competition.

Jared Hedges, a senior at Lakes Community High School in Lake Villa, won second prize and $150 for “The Wanderers,” a piece for soprano, cello and piano. The Lindenhurst teen studies piano and violin and plays in the Trinity Community Philharmonic Orchestra, according to the Chicago Broadway World website.

Naperville North High School senior Martynas Matutis, a native of Lithuania who now lives in Lisle, won third prize and $100 for “An Argumentative Ensemble” for two violins, cello and piano. He placed third in the Generation Next Competition in 2009, as well.

Honorable mention went to David Jin of Buffalo Grove for a piece entitled “From the Steppes of Mongolia.” The Stevenson High School junior won $75 and has had works featured at the Interlochen Center for the Arts and Chicago’s Symphony Center, broadwayworld.com stated.

A 12-year-old Chicago pianist and composer, Andrew Guo, placed first and won $350 for “Hercules,” a piece for flute, viola, bass and piano.

The compositions by Guo, Hedges and Matutis will be performed in concert March 11 and recorded for later broadcast on Chicago station WFMT.