A pair of youthful musicians will perform during the upcoming Inland Northwest Orchestra concert at Hermiston High School.

Kyle Ketchersid, a junior at Hermiston High School, and Nathan Hu, a seventh-grader at Enterprise Middle School in West Richland, earned the opportunity during the March 11 Young Artist Competition. The annual contest, which is organized by the Inland Northwest Musicians, draws participants from throughout the region.

Ketchersid won the senior division and will be playing “Aria” by Eugene Bozza on alto saxophone accompanied by the string orchestra. Hu, who won the junior division, will perform “Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major” by Ludwig van Beethoven on piano. The program also includes “Polovtsian Dances from Prince Igor” by Alexander Borodine and “Music for Orchestra” by Vaclav Nelhybel.

Under the direction of R. Lee Friese, the concert is Sunday at 4 p.m. in the HHS auditorium, 600 S. First St., Hermiston. There is no admission charge, but donations are welcome.

An accomplished performer on several instruments, Ketchersid started out playing piano. However, he says he never played the keyboards efficiently and moved on to other instruments, including various saxophones and bassoon. He serves as a bassoonist with the Inland Northwest Orchestra. He has studied the instrument with Rebecca Heckenlively, Adella Hammerstrom and Evan Kuhlmann of Portland State University.

Ketchersid initially stated performing with the Inland Northwest Orchestra as a freshman due to a scheduling conflict between rehearsals for the Willow Creek Symphony (the preparatory orchestra) and his alto saxophone duties with the HHS marching band. Performing with the “bigger orchestra,” as Ketchersid called it, provided an opportunity to gain a more advanced musical experience.

“Traditionally, bassoon parts in bands are very simplistic, with the orchestra they are more advanced,” he said. “It’s given me a step up on my other bassoon peers.”

During his high school career, Ketchersid has participated extensively in band and choir ensembles, as well as musicals. After playing in the orchestra pit during Hermiston’s spring 2017 “Fiddler on the Roof” production, Ketchersid was cast in the lead role in this past winter’s performances of “Seussical the Musical.” Also, during the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizens Banquet, he received an Altrusan Outstanding Young Citizens Award.

Ketchersid also has performed with other regional student ensembles, including the Walla Walla University Orchestra and Walla Walla Symphony Youth Orchestra, and has been selected to play with several honor bands.

As for the future, Ketchersid has his sights on performing with a larger orchestra, such as the Walla Walla Symphony or the Mid-Columbia Symphony. In addition, he is interested in studying music performance in college.

Founded in 1999, Inland Northwest Musicians is committed to providing live musical performances to rural audiences. It fosters an atmosphere of encouragement and assists musicians in developing their talent. For more information, contact 541-289-4696, inwm@machmedia.net or visit www.inlandnorthwestmusicians.com.