INSIDE:
It’s time to plan for home improvement, inside
5 Stafford students host fine arts festival
MARCH 18, 2016
VOLUME 28, NUMBER 1
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Stafford 6-year-old boy to play at Carnegie Hall
TRACY BELL
Stafford County Sun
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6-year-old Stafford County boy, Enzo Zhao, will play the piano at New York City’s famed Carnegie Hall on Easter Sunday. Enzo, who attends second grade at Saint William of York Catholic School in North Stafford, earned the right to play there following his performance at American Protégé’s Fall 2015 International Music Talent Competition, where he received an honorable mention. Enzo began taking piano lessons the summer of 2014, according to his piano teacher, Susan Flinn. Flinn, who owns The Music Studio in mid-Stafford, said that Enzo also takes violin and guitar lessons from two other teachers at the studio. She described him as “pretty amazing,” noting that he is a fun, sweet child, very well-mannered and humble. Last year, Enzo’s family vacationed at Walt Disney World in Florida and Enzo voluntarily took his violin with him and practiced each day, she said. “He loves music,” she added. Enzo’s mother, Zhenzhen Wu, said that her son is “usually excited about recitals” and is definitely excited to play at Carnegie Hall. His talent, she said, came naturally. “When he was 1 or 2 years old, I played a little bit of keyboard for him, and he liked it,” she said. When he was 4½, she and Enzo’s father, Derek Zhao, sent him to learn to play the piano from a professional and his skill and interest blossomed. Enzo speaks Mandarin and Cantonese, along with English. He also enjoys playing soccer.
Enzo Zhao will be playing Fritz Spindler’s Sonatina in E Minor, Opus 157 No. 8, at Carnegie Hall on Easter Sunday. The Stafford resident is brushing up on his technique with his teacher at The Music Studio. ALEKS DOLZENKO | STAFFORD COUNTY SUN
The international music competition was open to instrumentalists of all kinds, vocalists and traditional folk and jazz groups. The instrumentalists ran the gamut from playing the piano, wind instruments, or strings to brass and traditional. At Carnegie, Enzo will be playing the Sonatina in E Minor, Opus 157 No. 8, by Fritz Spindler. Enzo competed at the Rappahannock Music Society’s Jazz, Rags & Blues Festival at Mary Washington University
in Fredericksburg, Flinn said. There, he received a superior rating and a blue ribbon. Enzo also played the piano at the Young Artists 2016 Competition in Fredericksburg in January, Flinn noted. “That competition is largely based on level of repertoire,” she said, and Enzo did not make the final cut. He did, however, gain more experience to help him perform on the Carnegie stage. Tracy Bell can be reached at info@ staffordcountysun.com.
INSIDENOVA.COM
Supervisors scold school board for wanting more
TRACY BELL
Stafford County Sun
empers flared Tuesday at a Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting when board members expressed their displeasure at the county’s school board for adding another $1.7 million in requested funding to the superintendent’s proposed request. SCPS Superintendent Bruce Benson requested a $1.2 million increase, and the school board added the extra amount, seeking 100 new positions within the schools system. School board member Scott Hirons, Falmouth District, spoke for the school board Tuesday, explaining the importance of reducing class sizes. But supervisors didn’t appreciate the extra request, especially at the last minute when they have such little time to complete their budget, they said. Supervisor Gary Snellings, R-Hartwood, was especially irritated: “…Here you are at the 11th hour coming over and saying you want another $1.7 million and not giving this board one opportunity — not one — to say, ‘Give us a couple weeks to think about it.” Snellings said that the school board must be getting class-size questions. Knowing that the board of supervisors would turn down the request, the school board still tacked on the extra funding knowing the board of supervisors would “look like the bad guys,” he said. Hirons said that was not the school board’s intention. “You know I’m right,” Snellings said, telling Hirons he SCHOOLS PAGE 9 resents the situation,
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