Pianist Stephen Beus will perform with the Butler County Symphony Orchestra for the “Nordic Winters” concert Saturday.

“Nordic Winters” featuring pianist Stephen Beus will be presented by the Butler County Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Butler Intermediate High School auditorium.

Beus will perform Grieg's “Piano Concerto.”

The evening begins with a pre-concert talk with conductor Matthew Kraemer at 6:30 p.m.

Then the orchestra's 70th season continues with a midwinter concert showcasing music of the Scandinavian north.

In the space of four months, Beus won first prize in the Gina Bachauer International Piano competition, first place in the Vendome Prize International competition in Lisbon, and was awarded the Max I. Allen Fellowship of the American Pianists Association Indianapolis.

As a result of winning the Juilliard School Concerto competition, Beus made his Carnegie Hall debut with the Juilliard Orchestra.

He holds degrees from Whitman College, The Juilliard School and Stony Brook University. He has recorded on the Endeavor Classics, Harmonia Mundi, and Centaur Records labels.

Beus teaches at Brigham Young University.

Tickets are $25 for adults and $8 for students. There is also a Sweetheart Special of two tickets for $35.

For information, visit www.butlersymphony.org or call 724-283-1402

Competition winner

Butler County Symphony Orchestra announced a vocalist as the winner and a flute player as the runner-up in the collegiate concerto competition.

Elary Mede, a soprano from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, was unanimously selected as the winner. The runner-up was Frances Orteza, a flute player from Slippery Rock University.

The competition was conducted Sunday at SRU in the Swope Music Hall.

There were 16 participants representing SRU, IUP, Westminster College, Grove City College and Duquesne University.

Judges were Tanya Satteson, BCSO concertmaster; Jeff Kroner, Butler Senior High School band director; Christie Kecskemethy, BCSO principal II violinist; and Bryan Helsel, BSHS choir director.

The two finalists were identified by the judges, and the event culminated with a final performance by both musicians to select the winner.

Mede will perform her three selections with the BCSO at the“Fire & Water” concert on April 14.