WHEELING – The Thursday Music Club of Wheeling will sponsor the annual Young Musicians Auditions on March 20 and 21 at Vance Memorial Church in Wheeling.

Fifty-seven students will present memorized solo selections in piano and voice as part of the event. This year’s auditions will be judged by Dr. Hsing-Yi Tsai for piano and Leslie Garrett for voice. The annual program highlights the musical talents and dedication of young performers from the area. The Thursday Music Club of Wheeling expressed enthusiasm for continuing the long-standing tradition of the auditions and their appreciation for Vance Memorial Church, which generously partners with the club each year to host the event and support these talented students.

Dr. Hsing-Yi Tsai, originally from Taiwan, is a pianist, educator, and recording artist who is deeply passionate about sharing music and connecting with audiences. She holds a doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance degree from West Virginia University, where she studied with Dr. Peter Amstutz and Dr. Lucy Mauro and served as a graduate teaching assistant. She also earned an Artist Diploma and Master of Music in Piano Performance from Campbellsville University under the guidance of Dr. Wesley Roberts. She currently serves as an adjunct professor of Piano at Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.

Dr. Tsai has appeared as a soloist with orchestras, performing works such as Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto, Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Liszt’s Totentanz and Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5. Her musical life is guided by a love for expressive storytelling, thoughtful collaboration, and meaningful connection with listeners.

Together with her husband, Dr. John Rose, she co-founded Guang Yin (Light of Music), an international music organization devoted to bringing people together through music. As members of the Rose Piano Duo, they perform and present their music worldwide, blending Western classical repertoire with Chinese folk traditions. Dr. Tsai remains inspired by music’s power to unite, uplift and create meaningful connections.

Leslie Garrett began her teaching career in 1982 as a music specialist in Barnesville, Ohio, later continuing in Marshall County, West Virginia. In 1986, she joined the music department at Wheeling Park High School, where she served as choral director, assistant band director, music director for theater productions, and piano instructor for twenty-eight years. She concluded her public-school career back in Marshall County as a music specialist before retiring.

Garrett’s choirs earned numerous distinctions, including an invitation to perform at Governor Wise’s inauguration and appearances on both local and statewide broadcasts. Ensembles under her direction were selected as West Virginia Music Educators State Honor finalists and performed with the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. Her choirs also toured throughout West Virginia, the Eastern United States and Canada.

Her professional honors include being named Ohio County Teacher of the Year, Wheeling Park Teacher of the Year and twice being listed in Who’s Who of American High School Teachers. She was also recognized as the National Federation of High Schools Association Music Educator of the Year for West Virginia.

Throughout her career, Garrett served as a supervising instructor for student teachers and held leadership roles as president of the West Virginia Vocal Association and chairman of the West Virginia All-State Choir. These positions allowed her to mentor and promote hundreds of students and directors across the state and nation.

She has presented at the Governor’s Institute for the Arts, advocating for arts education in West Virginia, and has served as a guest clinician for the West Virginia Student Music Educators Chapter. She has also worked as an accompanist consultant for music specialists in Columbus, Ohio.

After retiring from public education in 2016, Garrett joined West Liberty University as a staff accompanist, serving until 2021. She is currently the music director and organist at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, where she was honored for 25 years of service with a commissioned work by composer Craig Courtney. She continues to work as a freelance accompanist and musical director throughout the Ohio Valley.

Garrett holds a bachelor of Music in Music Education from West Virginia University and a master’s degree in Secondary Education. She resides in Glen Dale with her husband, Patrick, and they are the proud parents of Shelby and Joshua.

Anita L. Chops, chair of the Young Musicians Auditions, also announced that an honors recital will be held at Vance Memorial Church at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 29. The public is invited to attend and recognize the achievements of area music students who received ratings of Superior or Superior with Honors during the auditions.