Excited? Definitely.

Nervous? Not yet.

By Friday evening, however, Alexandria Schlitz expects to be at least a little nervous, as that's when the Case High School senior will take the stage with the Racine Symphony Orchestra for its season finale concert. Schlitz, who plays viola, is the winner of this year's Young Artist Competition, sponsored by the RSO. And, in honor of her hard work, the orchestra has asked her to perform as their featured soloist at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Memorial Hall.

"I usually don't get nervous until right before I have to perform," said Schlitz, who has been playing the viola since sixth grade, and the violin for several years before that.

All of her experience playing with school orchestras and chamber ensembles, as well as in regional and state competitions, has given Schlitz the confidence which helped her win the top spot in the Young Artist Competition, which took place earlier this spring. She has competed in the RSO's competition before, having placed second in her freshman year. She has also won numerous awards in the Wisconsin School Music Association's Solo and Ensemble festivals, including exemplary soloist awards every year, for the last four years.

Friday night's audience will get to hear the piece that earned Schlitz her spot with the RSO - "Suite Hebraique," by Ernest Bloch. The violist performed the first movement of the piece - which she said is the most difficult - for the competition. Since then she has learned the entire piece, at the request of the RSO's music director, Andrew Massey, so that she can perform it with the orchestra.

As a student in Case High School's International Baccalaureate program, Schlitz has split her time in the last couple weeks between studying for her IB tests and practicing the Bloch suite. The piece, which the composer wrote in 1953 in honor of his Jewish heritage and the Holocaust, is a beautiful and very moving composition, Schlitz said.

"It is physically draining to perform because you have to put so much emotion into playing it," she said.

Friday's concert will mark the first time, in a long time, that the winner of the Young Artist Competition has played at the symphony's evening performance, according to Keith Hampton, executive director of the RSO. Winners have always performed with the orchestra during its daytime outreach concerts, which they do for fifth-grade audiences at this time of year (as Schlitz will be doing today). And, there was a time when the winners also played the evening concerts, but that was years ago, Hampton said. He, Massey and members of the symphony board decided to bring back the tradition, in part, because of the quality of Schlitz's playing.

"Alexandria plays exceptionally well," said Massey, who will conduct Friday's concert. "She seems quite up to this performance."

The conductor said he hopes to be able to continue the tradition in years to come, noting that the decision will be based on merit each year.

"I don't anticipate that this will be a once only event," he said.

Racine premiere

Friday's program will also be a special one for Massey, who will conduct the local premier of his own work "Early Mourning." First performed as a memorial to the events of Sept. 11, 2001, by the Toledo Symphony in September 2003, "Early Mourning" is a compilation of music written by Massey, including a piece inspired by the light of the very early morning, as well as "big parts in which the brass is just blazing away," he said.

While it does feature quiet moments of reflection, it is not a particularly sad piece, the composer said.

"It is very melodic, and very emotional."

One of the challenges in conducting your own work, according to Massey, is being able to accept that the writing process is done.

"Once you've gone through the writing process, you have an artifact that is ready to be performed and you need to treat it with the same respect that you would a piece not written by you," he said.

The first time he conducted "Early Mourning," as director of the Toledo Symphony, Massey said he found himself working the piece too hard.

"It is a mistake to think that because your wrote the piece you will have some special insight into it," he said.

The best results will come, Massey said, when you truly change your hat from that of composer to conductor.

"Once I pulled back and left it alone, it was like the piece suddenly woke up," he said.

In addition to the Bloch suite and "Early Mourning," Friday's concert will also feature the "Russian Easter Overture" by Rimsky-Korsakov and "Symphony No. 2" by Sibelius, which Massey described as a great piece.

"It is one of the first pieces I ever conducted and I have always loved it," he said.

End of the season

This week's performance marks the end of the RSO's 2007-08 classical season, which is the orchestra's 76th in Racine. The symphony will kick off its coming season with three summer pops concerts, under the direction of Richard Carsey, beginning in June.

They are scheduled as follows: June 27, "American Fantasy," featuring the music of George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Victor Herbert and more; Aug. 1, "Happy Feet," focusing on all things dance, from waltzes to ballet and tap; and on Aug. 29 "Score!: Favorites from Stage and Screen." All concerts are at 7 p.m. in Festival Hall, 5 Fifth St. For more information, visit http://www.racinesymphony.org or call (262) 636-9285.

If You Go

WHAT: Season Finale Concert of the Racine Symphony Orchestra, featuring the local premiere of Andrew Massey's "Early Mourning" and guest soloist Alexandria Schlitz.

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday.

WHERE: Memorial Hall, 72 Seventh St.

COST: Tickets for adults are $20 in advance and $22 at the door. Student tickets are $5 and children pay $1, both in advance and at the door.

INFO: Call (262) 636-9285 or visit http://www.racinesymphony.org where you can listen to the latest RSO podcast.

Young Artist Winners

Other winners in the RSO's 2008 Young Artist Competition were Bria Kaufman (second place) and Nina Fronjian (third place).