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Amanda Raymond, “Beethoven in the House” guest artist

Amanda Raymond is a 17-year-old homeschooler from North Waterboro, Maine. Her musical studies began at the age of 7 when she started to take piano lessons. At age 11 she also began violin lessons. With this new interest Amanda decided to pursue both instruments at a higher level.

During the past year Amanda won first place at both the Maine State Pine Tree Piano Competition (Senior Division) and the Contemporary Music Festival Piano Competition at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. She has been a piano student of Christine Kissack since 2008, and she entered the Early Studies Program at the University of Southern Maine School of Music this fall, where she now studies with Laura Kargul.

Amanda studies violin with Ronald Lantz and is member of the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra (piano and violin) and the Portland Youth Wind Ensemble (piano and percussion). She has played both piano and violin in the All State Music Festival since her freshman year. She plays in a string trio that is coached by the Portland String Quartet, and she sings and plays piano and violin in a band that performs for church services. Amanda has hosted and performed in multiple benefit concerts, as well as performed for senior citizen groups. She has served as an accompanist for choral groups in the Cape Elizabeth school system and Massabesic High School. Amanda frequently accompanies for instrumentalists, vocalists, church services, and other special occasions. She has a private teaching studio of over 15 piano and violin students and during the summer she also enjoys teaching swimming.

Amanda wishes to thank the following people who have had a significant impact on her musical career: her family; her (anonymous) sponsor; her early teachers, Melanie Stockholm, Peter Stickney, Pamela Doughty and Margaret Hopkins; her string coaches, Stephen Kecskemethy and Julia Adams; and her present teachers, Ronald Lantz, Christine Kissack and Laura Kargul.

Filed under: Youth Concerts