Hastings Symphony Orchestra Concert to Feature High School Soloists

(Hastings, Nebraska)--The Hastings Symphony Orchestra continues a longstanding tradition as it honors two talented area high school musicians at its annual Young Artists concert, Sunday, April 27, 3:00pm, at the Hastings Masonic Center.  Each of the honorees will perform a solo piece, accompanied by the orchestra, at Sunday’s concert.

This year’s Young Artists, selected after auditions in early March, are:

Calista Nelson of Omaha, violin, a senior at Millard North High School; and

Brennan Clark of Grand Island, French horn, a senior at Grand Island Senior High School.

“We are fortunate to have such capable and gifted young musicians in the area, and the Hastings Symphony Orchestra is proud to showcase their talents at this concert,” said Dr. Tyler Goodrich White, Conductor and Artistic Director.

The annual Young Artists competition and concert support the orchestra’s mission of community outreach and education by providing performance opportunities to outstanding young musicians.  Participants are selected from high school students and Hastings College students in alternating years.  The current orchestra membership includes several previous Young Artist winners.

At Sunday’s concert, Calista will perform the second movement, “Romance,” of Henryk Wieniawski’s Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 22, and Brennan will perform the first movement of Reinhold Gliere’s Concerto for Horn and Orchestra in B flat Major, Op. 91.

The concert program also includes Jessie Montgomery’s “Banner,” a reimagined and dynamic interpretation of the national anthem, and Johannes Brahms’s radiant and uplifting Symphony No. 2 in D Major.

Tickets are available at the door or online at HastingsSymphony.com.

After beginning his musical career on trombone, Brennan Clark of Grand Island has played the French horn for 6 years.  A current student of Evan Lee, Brennan has studied with John Jacobs, Bobby Jacobs, and Bob Lienemann.  At Grand Island Senior High School, he has participated in the Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Jazz Orchestra, Show Choir, and Chamber Singers, as well as the pit orchestras for  Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid. Brennan has been selected for multiple honor bands, including All-State Band, All-State Orchestra, UNL Winter Festival, and UNO BOCH Festival.  He has also participated in several ensembles outside of school, such as the Silver Cornet Band, UNL Husker Horn Choir, and Nebraska Christian’s Festival of Lessons and Carols.  Brennan is a senior at Grand Island Senior High and plans to major in Music Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln next year.

A dedicated and accomplished violinist with 12 years’ experience, Calista Nelson of Omaha is a senior at Millard North High School.  She currently studies under Anne Nagosky, and she previously trained with Dawn Cox.  At Millard North High School, Calista has been a four-year member of the Nebraska All-State Orchestra, participated in the Omaha Area Youth Orchestra for four years, won the 2025 Concerto Competition through Millard North, was highly rated in the District Music Contest for 4 years, and won the Junior Division in the 2024 Nebraska ASAT Concerto Competition.  Calista served as drum major in the Millard North Marching Band during her junior and senior years, and she plays flute in the Wind Symphony during the concert season.  Calista plans to continue her musical education after high school.

Celebrating its 99th consecutive season of enriching lives through great music, the Hastings Symphony Orchestra is committed to artistic excellence, community engagement, and innovation.  By blending traditional orchestral works with contemporary pieces, guest collaborations, and outreach initiatives, the orchestra has strengthened its role as a cultural pillar in central Nebraska.