Tickets are now on sale for the event at the Proctors Box Office or at proctors.org. The Capital District Sports Women of the Year program (CDSWOY) honors the best and brightest female student-athletes from high schools and colleges in the Capital District of New York State. The student-athletes will be recognized for their achievements in academics, athletics, and community service.

Empire State Youth Orchestra engages more than 600 youth from across New York’s Capital Region and Western New England in the joyful pursuit of musical excellence. Guided by outstanding teaching artists, coaches and conductors, members explore their potential alongside like-minded peers in an environment that is musically daring and fun.

“We are honored to be joined by talented young ladies from the Empire State Youth Orchestra to entertain our recipients and our audience during this year’s CDSWOY Awards Gala,” said Eric McDowell, President of the Capital District Sports Women of the Year organization. “I would like to thank Dr. David Bebe, the Director of Education for ESYO, for his assistance and we all look forward to be entertained with the talents of Georgia, Madilyn, Faith and Kate.”

Georgia Burtt

Georgia Burtt has been a violinist for 13 years and a pianist for 15 years. She just completed her seventh and final year in the Empire State Youth Orchestra, being awarded the Helen Cha-Pyo Baton Award for her work in the organization and community. She will be attending the University of Miami Frost School of Music this Fall as a Violin Performance Major under the direction of Scott Flavin. She enjoys playing chamber and orchestra music, composing music, and conducting. In her spare time, she likes to bake, swim, dance, and golf.

Madilyn Connor

Madilyn Connor is a flutist and a graduate of West Canada Valley High School. She has performed in All-County and Area All-State Bands on both flute and piccolo, and she was a flute soloist in the NYSBDA Virtual Honor Band in December 2020. Madilyn performed at Kodak Hall in Rochester as principal flutist in the Conference All-State Symphonic Band last December. She was a member of ESYO performing in the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall and here at Proctors. Madilyn’s ESYO season ended in June 2022 with a performance at Tanglewood’s Ozawa Hall. She will pursue a musical performance degree at Ithaca College this fall. Madilyn is a student of Leslie Kubica.

Faith Borkowski

Faith Borkowski has been playing violin for 14 years. A recent graduate of Niskayuna High School, she will be attending Manhattan School of Music in the fall to major in classical violin while studying with Peter Winograd. During the past eight years, she has performed with the Empire State Youth Orchestra, serving as concertmaster of Symphony for the past three years. When not playing music, she enjoys playing video games, watching shows, and hanging out with friends.

Kate Szumowski

Kate Szumowski began her work with ESYO in the eighth grade and graduated from Broadalbin-Perth High School as salutatorian and the first person in her school’s history to attend an All-State convention. She has performed in 25 musicals: co-directing, musically directing, and working as a crew member in several others. Kate takes great pride in her summer vocal studio, in which she provides private vocal instruction to aspiring performers. She teaches music to drama students and helps them learn the basics of stage performance. In June, she received ESYO’s Barry Richman Careers in Music Scholarship and will study French horn performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; one of the top three performing arts schools in the world.