Described as “adorable and formidable” by the Illinois Times, nine-year-old Sylvia Pine began violin studies at age two and a half.. She made her radio debut in October 2018 on the nationally syndicated show Performance Today. In 2019, she made her vocal debut in Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms with the St. Pauls UCC choir and orchestra, and she belongs to the Chicago Children’s Choir. Her vocal teacher is Nancy Pifer.
Between March and September, 2020, Sylvia was to have given solo performances with five orchestras, including the Seattle Baroque Orchestra, the Rockford Symphony, and a tour of Israel with the Tel Aviv Soloists, with works including Schindler’s List and concertos by Bach and Vivaldi. Sylvia has given solo performances for WFMT, the Musicians Club of Women, the Museum of Science and Industry’s Christmas Around the World, the Illinois Symphony’s annual gala, the American String Teachers Association National Conference in Albuquerque, the Suzuki Association of the Americas National Conference in Minneapolis, and the 100th anniversary convention of the National Association of Negro Musicians. She has also given numerous performances around the U.S. and beyond at schools, retirement homes, homeless shelters, and children’s hospitals.
Sylvia has won First Prize in London’s International Great Composers Competition Art of Strings and First Prize in GCC’s Mozart Competition, First Prize in the Music Festival in Honor of Confucius Competition, Second Prize and the Special Prize for the Best Korean Piece at the Sejong Music Competition, Honorable Mention as the only string finalist in the New Music School’s Concerto Competition, and Honorable Mention at the Tutti Chamber Music Camp’s Concerto Competition. Sylvia is assistant concertmaster of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Debut Orchestra. She attends group violin class at Northwestern University’s Strings Academy and chamber music at the Music Institute of Chicago and the New Music School. She also studies viola, baroque violin, medieval rebec, American old-time fiddling, Scottish fiddling, electric rock violin, improv, music theory, piano, recorder, and voice. She has composed dozens of works and participates in the Tucson Symphony’s Young Composers Project. On December 23, Sylvia celebrated her 1,400th day in a row of practicing.
Sylvia is a lifelong home schooler. In addition to music, she enjoys reading, writing stories, playing in the woods, drawing, and learning about different species of mythical creatures. She is vegan and loves all animals. www.sylviapine.com
