Grace Wilmes, 19, auditioned earlier this year for programs at both Carnegie Hall and Sydney Opera House and got into both. She played at Carnegie Hall in New York in January.
For Wilmes, the biggest challenge of going to Sydney was finding the time to practice before she left. She said she was given her music about a month before leaving. But the challenge was worth it, she said.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I get to expand my musical knowledge,” she said.
Now, Wilmes is planning to take a gap year, having the opportunity to visit Costa Rica and Nicaragua, she said.