Two Flower Mound High School students will get the chance to perform as featured soloists at the Flower Mound Symphony Orchestra’s free public concert in March.
Senior violinist Atlas Otahal-Mechura and sophomore violist Benjamin Beshay from Flower Mound High School earned the opportunity by winning the inaugural 2026 FMSO Concerto & Aria Competition.
“The creation of the Concerto & Aria Competition reflects our commitment to connecting more intentionally with the Flower Mound community,” said Conner McMains, music director and conductor for FMSO. “We want to raise awareness not only of the orchestra and its artistic offerings, but also of the remarkable young musicians who live and study right here in Flower Mound.”
According to a press release from the orchestra, Otahal-Mechura will perform Symphonie Espagnole in D minor, Op. 21 (Movement I) by Édouard Lalo.
Beshay will perform Andante & Rondo Ungarese, J. 79 by Carl Maria von Weber.
The students will perform at the free public concert FMSO puts on annually in March. In 2026, the concert will take place on Saturday, March 14 in the Sanctuary of Trietsch Memorial United Methodist Church.
In addition to the student concerto performances, the concert program will include Rachmaninoff’s Scherzo in D minor and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2.
The Concerto & Aria Competition was open exclusively to high school residents and students of the Town of Flower Mound.
Participants played a variety of instruments, schools and came from many different musical backgrounds, spanning from students in second grade to seniors in high school.
Winners were selected following a competitive judging process by conductors McMains of FMSO, Mark Scott of the Flower Mound Philharmonic Orchestra and Adron Ming of the Lewisville Lake Symphony.
FMSO was founded in 1994 under its parent organization, the Flower Mound Community Orchestra, which serves the community through symphonic performances, education initiatives and partnerships that increase engagement with the arts.
