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Teen preps for concerto showdown
Leader in Newfield music community, trombonist Richard Liverano hopes for admission to Juilliard
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Newfield High School senior Richard Liverano has been selected as a finalist to perform in the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition on Sunday, Feb. 7.
Liverano, a trombone player, will be among six contenders performing in the competition at the Adelphi University Performing Arts Center in Garden City, according to a release from the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York, which was founded in 1993 to provide musical experiences for students with a high level of skill.
The top three winners, judged by a panel of college music professors, will win cash prizes and a chance to perform with one of the top MYO orchestras at Carnegie Hall in June.
The Newfield senior, 17, said he initially chose to play the trombone in third grade because his long arms allowed him to reach the furthest position on the instrument. Having developed his trombone skills over the past eight years, Liverano said, his favorite part about playing music is seeing "the end result, the moment when it all comes together."
"It's a culmination of everything that you've worked for," he said. "It's finally there, and you get to share it with the people who are listening."
As an active member of Newfield's music department, Liverano participates in the concert and symphonic bands, wind ensemble, and jazz band. He is also a founding member of the high school's brass quintet and serves as co-student director and arranger for the guys' ensemble. A charter member of the MYO Suffolk Principal Orchestra, Liverano recently won an honorable mention in the Sound Symphony of Long Island concerto competition.
With hopes of attending The Juilliard School next fall, Liverano said his ultimate goal is to become the principal trombone player of the New York Philharmonic symphony orchestra. "Hopefully, I have the drive so I can reach it," he said, noting that playing music has taught him patience and perseverance.
The young musician, who will perform with the Sound Symphony at the Middle Country Public Library's Selden branch on Feb. 28, said he is "not at all" nervous when playing in front of large audiences and enjoys seeing their reactions. "What I love so much," he said, "is that you take virtually dots on a page and you make it into something bigger. Just seeing the reaction on people's faces, it's such a rush."
Noting that trombone concertos are not as well known as violin or piano concertos, he added, "It's a great feeling to bring something to the table that people haven't heard."
Liverano's mother, Margaret, said her favorite part about watching her son perform is witnessing "the enjoyment he gets out of it."
"His father and I are extremely proud of him," she said. "He's a dedicated musician, and he's good at what he does. As long as he enjoys it, we're happy. The fact that he does well at it is even better."
Margaret, who moved to Centereach with her husband Rick just two weeks before their son was born, said Liverano is not only an excellent musician but also an outstanding student, as he is ranked 24th in his class of more than 400. "He's a phenomenal academic student as well," Margaret said, "which is nice."
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