Manhasset secondary school cellist named YoungArts finalist

The Island Now
Dylan Wu (third from left) is congratulated by Manhasset Schools Superintendent Vincent Butera (second from left) and the Manhasset Board of Education for being named a National YoungArts Foundation finalist, the organization’s highest honor.

Congratulations to Manhasset Secondary School sophomore Dylan Wu, who has been named a 2020 National YoungArts Foundation finalist in the classical music category, the organization’s highest honor.

Wu is being recognized for his artistic achievements as a cellist. He is among 153 of the nation’s most accomplished artists in the visual, literary and performing arts selected by an esteemed discipline-specific panel of artists through a rigorous blind adjudication process. This year’s finalists represent the top 2 percent of applications across 10 artistic disciplines.

“I am truly humbled to be considered among the top young artists in the country,” Wu said. “This honor reflects years of hard work and dedication, but more importantly, it recognizes the continued support of my teachers, family, and friends with whom I share this award. I am grateful for the opportunities that the YoungArts program will provide as I continue my artistic development.”

YoungArts award winners gain access to one of the most prestigious programs for emerging artists, with opportunities for creative and professional development throughout their entire careers. Wu recently traveled to Miami where he participated in National YoungArts Week, an intensive, week-long program featuring masterclasses, workshops, and mentorship from leading artists in their fields. Wu shared his work with the public at the New World Center concert hall in downtown Miami as part of the classical music concert.

As a finalist, Wu will also be eligible in his senior year to be nominated to become a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, one of the highest honors given to graduating high school students.

“Dylan is truly a remarkable musician in a school where there are plenty of talented and dedicated individuals,” said Caroline Shyr, his string teacher at Manhasset Secondary School. “He has many accomplishments already and will certainly have many more to come.”

Dylan Wu has been enrolled at the Juilliard School Pre-College Division since he was nine-years-old. In 2015, he was a silver medalist at the Ninth International Tchaikovsky Competition for young musicians, held in Novosibirsk, Russia. He remains the youngest American cellist to have won this honor. He has performed with orchestras in Russia, Taiwan, and the United States, and has been a featured performer in venues such as Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Berlin Philharmonie in Germany. Wu recently provided the community with a small sample of his brilliance with a brief performance at the January Board of Education meeting.

National YoungArts Foundation identifies the most accomplished young artists in the visual, literary and performing arts and provides them with creative and professional development opportunities throughout their careers.

Submitted by Syntax and the Manhasset School District

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