Finn Dickens '20 Showcased By Austin Symphony Orchestra

At the Texas Young Composers Concert on July 26, Finn Dickens ‘20 had his original composition Blue Eccentricities performed by the Austin Symphony Orchestra. Finn has been studying classical piano since he was four years old with teacher Erin Ferguson Young, who remains his private instructor today.

Finn is not only the pianist of the St. Andrew’s jazz band, but also plays piano and keyboard in a non-classical band that combines funk, modern, jazz, and classic rock. Though he has been playing music for over a decade now, Blue Eccentricities is Finn’s first piece written for orchestra. Finn says, “A few years back, I attended a concert and was later inspired to take on the challenge of writing for a full symphony, but wanted to do something a little different than a typical film-score type piece. My years of composing experience at Armstrong Community music school as well as my recent and ongoing experience in the St. Andrew’s Upper School Jazz Band gave me the idea to incorporate unique sounds and rhythms into my dealt hand of an orchestral ensemble. My inspirations for this particularly came from George Gershwin and Mexican pianist and composer, Juan Garcia Esquivel.” 

After graduation in 2020, Finn hopes to attend a college where he can continue to study music composition and performance, as well as other creative and liberal arts. Congratulations to Finn on this huge accomplishment -- we can’t wait to see what you do next!