News

Moncero chosen to perform with a prestigious orchestra

By Scott Wagar

07/24/2012

For Bottineau High School student, Alberto Moncero, he has been granted a unique opportunity to perform in a prestigious concert orchestra and symphony this upcoming weekend due to his extraordinary talents as a musician.

Moncero, who is senior at Bottineau High School, is one of the best bassoon players in the state.

During the first week in July, he attended the International Music Camp at the International Peace Garden where his music skills shined so brightly he was granted the first chair placement in the bassoon section.

Due to his performance as a bassoonist at camp that first week in July, Moncero’s bassoon instructor made the recommendation to the director of the International Music Camp, Dr. Timothy Wollenzien, to offer Moncero a place in the International Music Camp’s concert orchestra and symphony.

With the instructor’s recommendation, Wollenzien made his decision to ask Moncero back to music camp. He then personally called Moncero and invited him to another week of camp and the opportunity to play in the full orchestra with strings.

“I’m excited,” Moncero said after receiving the phone call from Wollenzien. “It is an experience I am not going to have in Bottineau and a great chance for me to perform with people that are highly skilled and have a real passion for playing their instruments.”

According to Nancy Olson, band director for Bottineau High School, it is not every day the director of the International Music Camp calls a camper personally and requests a student’s presence to perform in a music concert.

“Whenever the director of the camp calls to invite a student back for another week of camp, I always feel that speaks volumes about the student, their ability, and their impact that they made at camp the other session that they attended,” Olson said. “In this case, there are many other bassoonists who have been to camp this summer, but for Dr. Wollenzien to call Alberto and issue the invitation to come back for a week of orchestra camp, also says that the camp instructors feel that Alberto is able to handle orchestral music as well as concert band music.”

With the offer from Wollenzien, came two half scholarships to pay Moncero’s camp fees. He received a half scholarship from the International Music Camp and another half scholarship from local community members who donated money to Olson this spring so she could send kids to music camp.

Moncero stated that he is thankful for the scholarships, and the individuals who provided the money for them so he could have this opportunity.

“I feel pretty blessed,” he said.    

From a very young age, Moncero has had a deep love for music, which has just come natural to him.

“Alberto is a talented musician who is always eager to learn more and better his musical skills,” Olson said. “He started as a beginner playing the flute, switched to bassoon in high school, and has also learned to play the bari sax - something he has chosen to do on his own initiative.”

Moncero’s goal is to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass., with the objective of becoming a high school music teacher.

Moncero will perform in the orchestra this Saturday, July 28, at the International Peace Garden Masonic Auditorium starting around 1:30 p.m.