How do you get to Carnegie Hall? For 20-year-old saxophonist Cole Knutson of North Battleford, the answer to that question is practice and audition for the American Protégé International Music Competition.
Knutson learned last month he was awarded a first place prize in the "Woodwinds and Brass" competition and will now be heading to New York to play in one of the famed venue's recital halls this coming April.
Knutson says he's excited to perform and, while there is some added pressure playing in "one of the most important venues in North America for a classical musician to play," he is keeping it in perspective.
"To me at least, it shouldn't matter where you're playing, if you have the right intentions. It could be an audience of 20 people or 2,000 people, if you're playing with the same intention — to do the best you can — the pressure should be about the same.
"In a place like Carnegie Hall there will be family members of other competitors there and you'll have professionals that really know what they're doing and you'll have scouts and other things. If you're doing the best you can do, it doesn't matter where you're playing, it should feel very much the same."
First and second place winners in the competition's six categories are given four tickets for family and friends to attend and the opportunity to perform in Carnegie Hall. Competition is steep, with past years seeing around 600 applicants in the woodwinds and brass category. Knutson is among 13 first place winners in his advanced (meaning professionals and college students 18 and older) group who will travel to New York. Depending on their performance, competitors may be further awarded scholarships or trophies from the judges.
Auditioning for the competition does come at a cost. Knutson says he paid around $350 CAD to enter for this year's competition. Because of the application fee, he held off from applying previous years to better his chances.
"If you're going to enter you might as well do the best that you can," says Knutson. "I figured, if it means waiting a couple years [so] that I could place, that was probably the best option."
It turned out for the best and Knutson can count himself the only Canadian in the lineup of winners.
