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Carthage student wins concerto competition

May 3, 2010

Kenton Rauwerdink performed with Kenosha Symphony Orchestra

Carthage senior Kenton Rauwerdink performed with the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra on Friday, May 7. Kenton, a dual major in music performance and chemistry, and a star student-athlete at Carthage, took the top prize in the orchestra's annual Youth Concerto scholarship competition in January.

He performed at the orchestra's youth concerts at Reuther Central High School. The concerts were attended by all fifth-graders in the Kenosha Unified School District. Kenton played the second and third movements of a bassoon concerto by Carl Maria von Weber.

"I'm really excited," Kenton said before Friday's performance. "Winning a competition of that magnitude ranks up there with winning a CCIW championship."

Kenton was a two-time College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin decathlon champion for the Red Men track team. He also ran for four years on the cross country squad.

"He's one of Carthage's all-time all-star students," said Woodrow Hodges, an associate professor of music at Carthage. "He's a double-major in chemistry and music, and an absolute straight-A student in both. As a junior, he won the College's Research & Creativity Award. He's also an athlete who holds all kinds of track records. He's in theatre productions. He's been in the opera. He's been in musicals and plays."

"He's one of the busiest guys on campus," agreed music professor James Ripley, who arranged for Kenton to spend two weeks in Japan last fall, touring with a Japanese wind orchestra.

At Carthage, Kenton is a bassoonist with the Carthage Wind Orchestra and concert band. He performs in pep band, small ensembles and sings with the Lincoln Chamber Singers. He was named Carthage's 2010 Senior Music Major of the Year, and is also proficient on piano, oboe, saxophone, trombone and trumpet.

He has won the Kenosha Symphony Youth Concerto Competition twice before in the college division; this was his first overall win.

"Very few schools were willing to let me pursue music and athletics," Kenton said. "Carthage was willing to work with me scheduling-wise, my coaches have been extremely helpful, and Dr. Ripley has been willing to help me split time."

Kenton currently studies under Prof. Hodges, who is also a member of the Kenosha Symphony Orchestra and performed with him in Friday's concert.

"It's a little unusual for a concerto winner to have his teacher playing at the same time the student plays," Prof. Hodges said. But then again, Kenton is not your typical student. "He's just an exceptionally bright and exceptionally talented" student, musician and athlete, Prof. Hodges said.