Return to the Showcase Directory Awards and Recognition: Music Scholarships include: 1994 Interlochen Arts Camp, 1995 SMU Conservatory Music Festival, and 1995 Colorado College Summer Conservatory and Music Festival (declined). Mathematics Achievement Award - 5/31/94, Challenger Middle School ("Top Achiever" in completing both Algebra and Geometry in one year) Hall of Fame/ Merit Award - 5/31/94, Challenger Middle School (for outstanding academics and maintaining 4.0 1991-94) 1st and 2nd Level Medals for Citywide Solo and Ensemble Festivals - 1992-95 Director's Choice Award for Orchestra - 1992, Challenger Middle School Certificate of Recognition/ Honor Roll - 2/13/95, Rampart High School (for achieving 4.0 GPA) Certificate of Achievement - 11th Annual Weekend for Strings - 11/5/94, University of Northern Colorado/ School of Music (first chair in top chamber orchestra, youngest in history of program) Kennedy Center Imagination Celebration - 1993, chosen to perform "Peter and the Wolf" by Prokofieff in reduced orchestra, with special guest John Osborn as narrator; 1994, chosen to musically contribute to soundtrack for "Beauty and the Beast" composed by Sam Hall; 1995, performed, as member of Arioso3, at Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center Certificate of Achievement for Writing - 2/9/9, Challenger Middle School Outstanding Academic Achievement Ribbons - Pioneer Elementary (5/91) and Challenger Middle School (1991-94) Certificate of Merit - Principal's Honor Roll - Moore Elementary (1987-90) and Pioneer Elementary (1990-91) Arts Education Background: Kasia's private Cello instruction includes the following: Susan Smith, Principal Cellist of the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra and Instructor of Cello at Colorado College; 1990 to present. Dr. James McWhorter, Conductor and Cello Instructor at Rocky Ride Music Center, Estes Park, CO; summers of 1991, 1992, and 1993 while attending their junior seminars. Kim Scholes, First Prize Winner of 1985 Concert Artists Guild Unternational New York Competition and Professor of Cello at Roosevelt University in Chicago; master classes and private lessons during summers of 1992, 1993, and 1995, Colorado College. Professor John Marshall, Teaching Assistant at Northwestern University and graduate of Yale; private lessons while attending Interlochen Arts Summer Camp, 1994. Christopher Atkins, Principal Cellist of the Dallas Symphony; master class and private lesson while attending the 1995 SMU Summer Consevatory Music Festival, Taos, New Mexico. William Grubb, Professor of Cello at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and Director of the Aspen String Chamber Music Program; private lessons while attending the 1995 SMU Summer Conservatory Music Festival, Taos, New Mexico. Since 1990, the most prominent music group affiliation for Kasia has been the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association, where she is currently Principal Cellist of their top Youth Symphony group and a member of their ensemble program. The CSYSA performs throughout the Pikes Peak region including school run-outs, Side-by-Side concerts with the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra, yearly tours, Imagination Celebration events, four major concerts per season, and other performances in the community. Kasia also performs as a member of Arioso3 (a young adult trio comprised of violin, piano, and cello), and with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs (her most recent affiliation). In this all-adult group, she is the only young musician. Regarding school orchestras and bands, Kasia has fully participated in all available music programs at every level in her schools, including instructional classes, honor orchestras, music theory and composition classes, and all required performances. She is presently a member of the highest Orchestra at Palmer High School. To broaden her musical background, she has participated in the 1994 "Weekend for Strings" at University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado and recently was accepted for their 1995 program. She also attended the 1995 32nd Young Artists' Competition, sponsored by the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra, on a non-Competitive level in the Junior Division. Next year, she plans to participate on a competitive level in the Senior Division. Summer music programs have also enriched Kasia's music, and include: Rocky Ridge Music Center, Estes Park, CO, 1991 (8th chair), 1992 (3rd chair), and 1993 (1st chair); Interlochen Arts Camp (Intermediate Level), Interlochen, MI, summer of 1994, where she was Assistant Principal in their top Intermediate Orchestra; and the 1995 Summer Conservatory Music Festival, Southern Methodist University, Ranchos de Taos, Fort Burgwin, New Mexico, which provided chamber music experience. Arts and the Community: Kasi Bielak-Hoops is 15 years old and lives with her younger sister and parents at the foot of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. She loves dill pickles, trees and thunderstorms, mountain bike riding, scary or humorous books, vintage clothing, and cats. Good-looking boars with a sense of humor do not escape her notice. She seeks out friends who have positive attitudes and with whom she can share a joke between classes or hold a challenging discussion, while having a quick meal at the coffeehous e near her downtown school. She's energetic, goal-oriented, and keeps herself very busy. Her "free" time is counted in precious minutes per day. It is not uncommon for her scheduled activities to begin at 6:45 a.m. and continue non-stop until 10:30 p.m. She's self-motivated and tends to be a perfectionist. Kasia is equally proud of her academic and musical accomplishments. However, her musical career would have been severely limited without the extensive support she has derived from adults. She has formed strong ties with respected adult musicians and has taken advantage of musical opportunities outside the school setting whenever possible. She also shares her interests and talent with her peer group in spontaneous jam sessions, giving private lessons to a beginning cellist, and tutoring beginning cellist s at her high school. Upon reflection, Kasia recalls many milestones in her musical development; but those which stand out especially include: her ongoing relationship with her private teacher, who has become a soul mate as well as her musical instructor; her solo performance of Brahms E minor Sonata at Rocky Music Center; spending a whole summer away from home doing nothing but playing cello at Interlochen Arts Camp and, particularly, the final performance of Les Preludes with over 600 musicians on stage; and, most recentl y, joining a sight-reading chamber music group, comprised of professional musicians, teachers, and advanced high school players, which can play for hours on end for the sheer love of music. There is mainly one motivation for Kasia to pursue her music so seriously and that is, simply, her love for cello. She is driven by a sincere desire to advance technically and welcomes the chance to practice for hours upon hours, but, more importantly, possesses that rare quality known to true artists - a passion to perform from within. This performance energy and ability to emotionally interpret her music forms the basis for her reputation as an excellent musician with lots of potential. No audio available at this time Return to the top
Arts Education Background:
Kasia's private Cello instruction includes the following: Susan Smith, Principal Cellist of the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra and Instructor of Cello at Colorado College; 1990 to present. Dr. James McWhorter, Conductor and Cello Instructor at Rocky Ride Music Center, Estes Park, CO; summers of 1991, 1992, and 1993 while attending their junior seminars. Kim Scholes, First Prize Winner of 1985 Concert Artists Guild Unternational New York Competition and Professor of Cello at Roosevelt University in Chicago; master classes and private lessons during summers of 1992, 1993, and 1995, Colorado College. Professor John Marshall, Teaching Assistant at Northwestern University and graduate of Yale; private lessons while attending Interlochen Arts Summer Camp, 1994. Christopher Atkins, Principal Cellist of the Dallas Symphony; master class and private lesson while attending the 1995 SMU Summer Consevatory Music Festival, Taos, New Mexico. William Grubb, Professor of Cello at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York and Director of the Aspen String Chamber Music Program; private lessons while attending the 1995 SMU Summer Conservatory Music Festival, Taos, New Mexico. Since 1990, the most prominent music group affiliation for Kasia has been the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony Association, where she is currently Principal Cellist of their top Youth Symphony group and a member of their ensemble program. The CSYSA performs throughout the Pikes Peak region including school run-outs, Side-by-Side concerts with the Colorado Springs Symphony Orchestra, yearly tours, Imagination Celebration events, four major concerts per season, and other performances in the community. Kasia also performs as a member of Arioso3 (a young adult trio comprised of violin, piano, and cello), and with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs (her most recent affiliation). In this all-adult group, she is the only young musician. Regarding school orchestras and bands, Kasia has fully participated in all available music programs at every level in her schools, including instructional classes, honor orchestras, music theory and composition classes, and all required performances. She is presently a member of the highest Orchestra at Palmer High School. To broaden her musical background, she has participated in the 1994 "Weekend for Strings" at University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado and recently was accepted for their 1995 program. She also attended the 1995 32nd Young Artists' Competition, sponsored by the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra, on a non-Competitive level in the Junior Division. Next year, she plans to participate on a competitive level in the Senior Division. Summer music programs have also enriched Kasia's music, and include: Rocky Ridge Music Center, Estes Park, CO, 1991 (8th chair), 1992 (3rd chair), and 1993 (1st chair); Interlochen Arts Camp (Intermediate Level), Interlochen, MI, summer of 1994, where she was Assistant Principal in their top Intermediate Orchestra; and the 1995 Summer Conservatory Music Festival, Southern Methodist University, Ranchos de Taos, Fort Burgwin, New Mexico, which provided chamber music experience.
Kasia also performs as a member of Arioso3 (a young adult trio comprised of violin, piano, and cello), and with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs (her most recent affiliation). In this all-adult group, she is the only young musician.
Regarding school orchestras and bands, Kasia has fully participated in all available music programs at every level in her schools, including instructional classes, honor orchestras, music theory and composition classes, and all required performances. She is presently a member of the highest Orchestra at Palmer High School.
To broaden her musical background, she has participated in the 1994 "Weekend for Strings" at University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado and recently was accepted for their 1995 program. She also attended the 1995 32nd Young Artists' Competition, sponsored by the Jefferson Symphony Orchestra, on a non-Competitive level in the Junior Division. Next year, she plans to participate on a competitive level in the Senior Division.
Summer music programs have also enriched Kasia's music, and include: Rocky Ridge Music Center, Estes Park, CO, 1991 (8th chair), 1992 (3rd chair), and 1993 (1st chair); Interlochen Arts Camp (Intermediate Level), Interlochen, MI, summer of 1994, where she was Assistant Principal in their top Intermediate Orchestra; and the 1995 Summer Conservatory Music Festival, Southern Methodist University, Ranchos de Taos, Fort Burgwin, New Mexico, which provided chamber music experience.
Arts and the Community:
Kasi Bielak-Hoops is 15 years old and lives with her younger sister and parents at the foot of Pikes Peak in Colorado Springs. She loves dill pickles, trees and thunderstorms, mountain bike riding, scary or humorous books, vintage clothing, and cats. Good-looking boars with a sense of humor do not escape her notice. She seeks out friends who have positive attitudes and with whom she can share a joke between classes or hold a challenging discussion, while having a quick meal at the coffeehous e near her downtown school. She's energetic, goal-oriented, and keeps herself very busy. Her "free" time is counted in precious minutes per day. It is not uncommon for her scheduled activities to begin at 6:45 a.m. and continue non-stop until 10:30 p.m. She's self-motivated and tends to be a perfectionist. Kasia is equally proud of her academic and musical accomplishments. However, her musical career would have been severely limited without the extensive support she has derived from adults. She has formed strong ties with respected adult musicians and has taken advantage of musical opportunities outside the school setting whenever possible. She also shares her interests and talent with her peer group in spontaneous jam sessions, giving private lessons to a beginning cellist, and tutoring beginning cellist s at her high school. Upon reflection, Kasia recalls many milestones in her musical development; but those which stand out especially include: her ongoing relationship with her private teacher, who has become a soul mate as well as her musical instructor; her solo performance of Brahms E minor Sonata at Rocky Music Center; spending a whole summer away from home doing nothing but playing cello at Interlochen Arts Camp and, particularly, the final performance of Les Preludes with over 600 musicians on stage; and, most recentl y, joining a sight-reading chamber music group, comprised of professional musicians, teachers, and advanced high school players, which can play for hours on end for the sheer love of music. There is mainly one motivation for Kasia to pursue her music so seriously and that is, simply, her love for cello. She is driven by a sincere desire to advance technically and welcomes the chance to practice for hours upon hours, but, more importantly, possesses that rare quality known to true artists - a passion to perform from within. This performance energy and ability to emotionally interpret her music forms the basis for her reputation as an excellent musician with lots of potential.
She's energetic, goal-oriented, and keeps herself very busy. Her "free" time is counted in precious minutes per day. It is not uncommon for her scheduled activities to begin at 6:45 a.m. and continue non-stop until 10:30 p.m. She's self-motivated and tends to be a perfectionist.
Kasia is equally proud of her academic and musical accomplishments. However, her musical career would have been severely limited without the extensive support she has derived from adults. She has formed strong ties with respected adult musicians and has taken advantage of musical opportunities outside the school setting whenever possible. She also shares her interests and talent with her peer group in spontaneous jam sessions, giving private lessons to a beginning cellist, and tutoring beginning cellist s at her high school.
Upon reflection, Kasia recalls many milestones in her musical development; but those which stand out especially include: her ongoing relationship with her private teacher, who has become a soul mate as well as her musical instructor; her solo performance of Brahms E minor Sonata at Rocky Music Center; spending a whole summer away from home doing nothing but playing cello at Interlochen Arts Camp and, particularly, the final performance of Les Preludes with over 600 musicians on stage; and, most recentl y, joining a sight-reading chamber music group, comprised of professional musicians, teachers, and advanced high school players, which can play for hours on end for the sheer love of music.
There is mainly one motivation for Kasia to pursue her music so seriously and that is, simply, her love for cello. She is driven by a sincere desire to advance technically and welcomes the chance to practice for hours upon hours, but, more importantly, possesses that rare quality known to true artists - a passion to perform from within. This performance energy and ability to emotionally interpret her music forms the basis for her reputation as an excellent musician with lots of potential.
