INTERLOCHEN, Mich. – Evan Pittman, 17, of Phoenix, AZ, attended Interlochen Arts Academy, the world’s premier summer arts program for aspiring artists grades 3 through 12, June 18-24, 2016. Pittman was among 20 students accepted into the Violin Masters Class from among more than 400 students from around the world who auditioned. He studied music performance at the camp.
Popularly known for his “Musical Ministry” outreach, the high school musician has performed for residents of Phoenix senior facilities, Veteran’s homes, church groups and at public gatherings across the valley. He has also performed the national anthem for various military and veteran-themed ceremonies, and at professional sporting events. Pittman earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award for his volunteerism in 2015, performing well over 100 volunteer hours playing for a wide variety of audiences. In 2016, he also began playing as part of the national non-profit “Musicians on Call,” which provides musicians to play for ailing children at children’s hospitals across the country; in this capacity, Pittman performs monthly for residents at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
“I enjoy playing for all audiences, but I particularly enjoy playing at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital,” the rising senior says. “The kids appreciate me being there, and I try to play music that brightens their day. I also talk with them and just try to add a little sunshine when I am there.” After completing the program at Interlochen, Pittman’s next major public performance will be playing the national anthem for the Arizona Diamondbacks professional baseball game at Chase Field on Wednesday, June 29th.
Pittman’s website, http://WorldsStrongestViolinist.com , details his Musical Ministry outreach, as well as his achievements in sports and academics. In addition to being a concert violinist, Pittman is an 11-time national and 7-time world powerlifting champion who is training to become the only high school or college athlete to break more than 100 world powerlifting records. Additionally, he is a high school varsity springboard diver, and a black belt and multi-time state champion and national medalist in Taekwondo Olympic sparring. Pittman also won the prestigious Joe Foss Institute national essay contest in 2015, and in 2016 was selected as one of the City of Phoenix’s Outstanding Young Men of the Year.
Interlochen Arts Camp attracts students, faculty and staff from all 50 U.S. states and more than 40 countries. These 2,500 artists fill Interlochen’s northwoods campus with an explosion of creativity. Student-artists learn from world-class instructors and produce hundreds of presentations each summer in dance, theatre, creative writing, visual arts, music and film.
Among the distinguished Camp alumni are Norah Jones, singer Josh Groban, members of the band OK Go, Rufus Wainwright, opera and concert soprano Jessye Norman, conductor Loren Maazel, jazz pianist Eldar, actor Anthony Rapp, cartoonist Cathy Guisewite and many more. Approximately ten percent of the nation’s professional orchestra musicians have roots at Interlochen and the alumni community has been awarded nearly 100 Grammy Awards.
In addition to hundreds of performances, presentations and readings by young artists, Interlochen brings leading artists and performers to the northern Michigan campus. In recent years, guest artists have included Joshua Bell, Josh Groban, the Decemberists, the Avett Brothers, Olga Kern, Harry Connick Jr., Trace Adkins, Branford Marsalis and many more.
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Video of the summer arts program is available online at: http://camp.interlochen.org/media