A community outreach program in its 18th year
The 2027 West Side Connection will feature violinist Alette Williams, 1st place winner of the 2026 Sphinx Junior Division Competition, performing Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen.
Grounded in the belief that music is a gift to audiences, 16-year-old violinist Alette Williams has captivated listeners with artistry described as “poised” and “commanding” (Sphinx Organization). Most recently, her poise and commanding stage presence earned her First Place in the Junior Division of the Sphinx Competition in Detroit.
Alette is also the First Prize winner of the Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition, earning a performance engagement with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra after her performance of Vieuxtemps’ Violin Concerto No. 5. She serves as Concertmaster of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra and was featured at the Meyerson Symphony Center in a performance of Vivaldi’s Winter from The Four Seasons. Additional honors include the Herman and Mary Neuman Music Award, First Prize at the TexASTA Competition, the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Competition, and the Boston Youth Symphony Repertory Orchestra competition. She has also earned leading placements in the Juanita Miller Competition, MTNA Junior and Senior Divisions, and the Collin County Young Artist Competition.
A versatile performer, Alette has appeared regularly as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral leader. Notable concerto performances include those with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra, the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, and the American String Teachers Association Texas Chapter Orchestra. Her music was also featured on NPR’s From the Top show 454, and she serves as a youth ambassador for Chamber Music International.
For the past three years, Alette has been honored to study under the tutelage of distinguished violinist and educator Julia Bushkova, Professor of Violin at the University of North Texas.
Alette has further enriched her musical education through participation in prominent youth summer music programs, including the Heifetz International Music Institute, the Sphinx Performance Academy, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and the Texas Chamber Music Institute. She has performed in masterclasses and worked with celebrated artists and pedagogues such as Zuill Bailey, David Halen, Robyn Bollinger, Soovin Kim, and Malcolm Lowe.
Outside of her musical pursuits, Alette regularly participates in national speech and debate tournaments. She credits these experiences with strengthening her communication skills, confidence, and stage presence.
Alette plays on a violin generously loaned to her by esteemed luthier Craig Danner of Crispin-Hammer Violins in Oregon.
West Side Connection, a recipient of the Yale Distinguished Music Partnership Award, enables the BPO to reach out to its international community in the diverse Buffalo area. Through educational activities, guest artist visits and a culminating concert, this project involves students in the Buffalo Public schools, including three Spanish bilingual schools, a Native American magnet school and three international schools serving the population of recent and past immigrants from diverse countries. Exploring diversity under the umbrella of music — a theme uniting all cultures across the globe — allows us to address relevant social issues through an exciting and educational medium.
Hundreds of refugees arrive in Western New York each year from countries all over the world through the US Refugee Resettlement Program. Many of those refugees settle in Buffalo, and a large percentage of them live on the West Side in the neighborhoods surrounding Kleinhans Music Hall. Over half of the refugees arriving each year are from Asia, specifically from Burma and Bhutan. The next largest ethnic group arriving is from Africa; the third largest is from the Middle East. There is also a well-established Puerto Rican community on the West Side. West Side Connection was developed in response to the growth of these populations and through a desire to make an authentic connection with our international community through the powerful entry point of music.
Each year, the program features collaborations with local and national organizations and artists. Past guest artists include the young winners of the Sphinx Competition, a national competition for Black and Latinx string players; the Dance and Drum Company from the African American Cultural Center; dancers from the Latin American Institute, Burmese Community Choir from the International Institute; Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra; composer and violinist Daniel Roumain; conductor Joseph Young; Toronto percussion ensemble TorQ Percussion Quartet; nationally known Project Trio; B-boy Shane Dupree Fry of Verve Dance Studio and Druminar which provides interactive drum experiences in Latin and African traditions.
In addition to the students served directly by the program, for the last six years, the final concert has been shared with many thousands of students across Western New York through our BPO Broadcast On Demand.