It's Family Sweeps at Music Arts!

Classical guitarist Saif Tmeizeh, right, has been named First Prize winner of the annual Music Arts Performance Competition. His brother, Ruh Tmeizeh, pictured, has garnered the Second Prize.

Saif, a student of Harold Nagge, and Ruh, who studies violin with Jacinta Howard, have long been welcomed at Music Arts recitals, where both play with a professionalism which belies their ages.

The boys are the sons of Jan Tmeizeh of Oliver Springs and are home schooled. According to their mother, each practices at least one hour every day in a strict routine. Their instructors agree that this, combined with their love of music and their obvious talent, has helped them surpass other students.

The Performance Competition was judged this year by Sande MacMorran, Conductor of the Knoxville Youth Symphony, Assistant Conductor of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, and Professor of Music at the University of Tennessee.

First Prize carries an award of $100, while Second Prize earns $50.

Third Prize was won by flutist Nikki Van.

Junior Competition winner Geoffrey Bean-deFlumer confers with this year's judge, Professor Sande MacMorran

Earning Honorable Mentions were:

• Ellen Reid, piano student of Rudolph Nemeth
• Heather Bernard, violin student of Ilia Steinschneider
• Andrew Bolce, tuba student of Bill Thiessen

In the Junior Division:

• First Prize was awarded to Geoffrey Bean-deFlumer, a vocal student of Terry McCracken
• Second Prize went to Leslie Redmond, violin student of Ilia Steinschneider

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