Constance Lin Kaita, of Manalapan, has received second place in the Pearl and Julius Young Rising Stars music competition sponsored by the Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey.
Constance, a pianist, played “Andante Spianato/Grand Brillante” by Frederick Chopin. In the competition held March 19, at Dolan Hall, College of Saint Elizabeth, Morristown, Constance was one of 14 competitors from throughout New Jersey. For her placement, she received a $500 cash award.
Constance, who attends Freehold High School, Freehold Borough, made her orchestral solo piano debut with the Westfield Symphony when she was 9 years old.
She has also performed as a soloist with the Bravura Philharmonic in New Jersey and with the Philadelphia Biblical University Orchestra, the Ambler Symphony Orchestra and the Olney Symphony Orchestra in Pennsylvania.
She was the featured Rising Star performer in the 2004 Beijing Music Festival and she has performed in the Forbidden City Concert Hall and the People’s Congress Hall in Beijing, China. These performances were broadcast on national television across China.
She studies with Chiu-Ling Lin of West Windsor. Constance, who hopes to teach music in a special education setting, also plays with the Rutgers Symphony Band.
The Rising Stars music competition was established by Sanford and Stephen Young in memory of their parents, Pearl and Julius Young of New York City. Although the Youngs were not musicians themselves, they mentored and encouraged many young musicians, according to a press release.