WARSAW — Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts and Symphony of the Lakes will hold their Second Annual Young Artist Competition at 2 p.m. on Feb. 14 at Warsaw Performing Arts Center.

This year’s competition will feature 10 students of varying disciplines including piano, violin, cello, oboe, and guitar. The competitors represent a many area schools, including Warsaw Community High School, Penn High School, Culver Academy, and Concord High School, as well as two homeschooled students.

The three winning musicians will receive scholarship money, and the first place winner will perform with Symphony of the Lakes in its April 30 concert, “Around the World.”

Judges will include Tony Kamnikar, director of operations at the South Bend Symphony, Ketevan Badridze, award-winning performer in orchestras across the U.S. and Europe, and Nicolas Orbovich, award-winning violinist currently performing with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra.

According to Thomas Stirling, musical director and conductor at Wagon Wheel Center for the Arts, this unique opportunity is timed perfectly for those students who are currently gearing up for the Indiana State School Music Association solo contest, and those who are preparing for college-level music school auditions and scholarship opportunities. “Plus, this is a great way to boost a student’s college resume,” Stirling said.

“Our organization recognizes that the northern Indiana community is blessed with so many wonderful young musicians that we wanted to offer students an intriguing event – to compete and also have the opportunity to perform with The Symphony of the Lakes,” Stirling said. “(Symphony of the Lakes) musicians come from all over northern Indiana, so it’s important to us that we give students in our region this special opportunity.”

The competition is open to the public, and admission is free. Attendees can expect to see excellent local and regional student musicians perform and display their skill.