Four students from Starr’s Mill High School orchestra received the 2nd Place Prize and School Prize in the 2021 Franklin Pond Chamber Music Competition. 

Sophomore Didi Stone (violin 1), juniors Lucas Nyman (violin 2) and Richard Wang (cello), and senior Jodie Stone (viola) comprise Quartet Le Petit. They competed in the High School division of the concert where they took Second Place. They were competing against many of the top students in the Metro-Atlanta area. 

The Starr’s Mill High School orchestra earned a glass award bearing both the school’s name and the quartet’s name, as well as a cash prize of $1,000, to be split evenly between the quartet and the school orchestra program.

“The musicians in the quartet are all awesome players individually. They were able to collaborate, work and play together in an ensemble, which is awesome,” orchestra director Nathan Kufchak said. “[The award] helps everyone be more aware of what we do here at the school, and it gives us an opportunity to show some of our most talented students, and give them the opportunity to be exposed.”

Quartet Le Petit performed Beethoven’s “String Quartet No. 4 Op. 18.” 

The School Prize is a prestigious award only given to groups whose members all attend the same school. It is offered every year, but it is rare for quartet members to be from the same school. The 2nd Place Prize was awarded to Quartet Le Petit for placing second in the high school division in the FPCM Competition. 

The Quartet Le Petit has been together for almost six years. In that time, they have won six awards, five of which are from FPCM. 

Quartet Le Petit would like to thank Starr’s Mill orchestra director Nathan Kufchak and Dr. Ching Ching Yap for helping with the success of the quartet.