An Orangeville cornet soloist has won the Toronto-based Hannaford Youth Band’s 2010 Young Artists Solo Competition.

Jonathan Elliotson won for his solo performance of the technically demanding Carnival of Venice by John Baptiste Arban.

The 19-year-old performed it with the Hannaford Youth Band on April 9 in the “Rising Stars” concert of the Hannaford Street Silver Band’s annual Three Day Festival of Brass that took place at Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.

The adjudicators, U.S. trumpet virtuoso Allen Vizzutti (guest soloist at this year’s Festival) and Rob Brown (principal tuba of the Hannaford Street Silver Band), judged Jonathon to be the most outstanding musician of all the participants in the Solo Competition.

Besides the Ellis Ostovich Trophy, his prize also gave him the opportunity to play his winning solo with the “big band” – Hannaford Street Silver Band – at the Festival’s closing concert on April 11. The capacity audience spontaneously rose to applaud Jonathan’s thrilling performance.

“I simply couldn’t believe it,” Jonathon said afterward. “I was just aiming to have fun, play with my colleagues and gain experience performing. It was awesome to win it but ultimately, if I get to make some music, it’s been a good day.”

Jonathan’s name will be inscribed on a plaque on the Ellis Ostovich Trophy donated by the Hannaford Youth Band’s sponsor St. John’s Music. The trophy will be displayed prominently in St. John’s Music store in Toronto.

The Hannaford Youth Program is operated under the auspices of Toronto’s innovative Hannaford Street Silver Band. For more information about its Youth Program, visit www.hssb.ca and follow the links to the Youth site.

For the past year, Jonathan has been involved with the Hannaford Youth Program playing cornet in the Hannaford Youth Band, which he says has been “an absolute joy” for him.

In a family of six other musicians (including his mother and father), Jonathan began his music career at the age of three on piano taught by his father Stan, a fellow trumpeter and music teacher. His mother played trumpet with his father in their Christian ministry but when he got older she retired, and Jon has been using her trumpets ever since. Jon had never really played cornet except in the Hannaford Youth

Program. That’s where his main experience lies, with the cornet.

Jonathon obtained his Grade 8 in piano before he focused on the trumpet at age eight. He and his father worked closely, whether in lessons, or performing together in church services, concerts, bridal shows, and weddings. That was where Jonathon really improved his skill. His main experience is as a soloist, but he has played in the Orangeville Community Band for a year and a half, and played in the TrumpeTroubadors for several years.