MusicLink has long known the Witherspoon "kids," from when they first began MusicLink lessons at age nine (Alistair), seven (Imala) and six (Nygel). It seems like only yesterday when we saw these highly talented students grow through lessons with excellent teachers, experiences at summer programs with MusicLink camp scholarship help and a string of awards and performances that highlighted their capabilities.

Now Nygel is 17 years old and an accomplished musician who won first place in the junior division of the prestigious Sphinx Competition. This award entitles Nygel the opportunity to perform solos with major orchestras as well as performing on From the Top, a nationally broadcast radio show.

David Holmes taught Nygel through MusicLink from the start to age 16 when he enrolled in the University of Minnesota. He explains that Nygel "was calm and serene, with an innate ability to focus. His passion hit him early on. He has perfect pitch and an incredible drive." (Star Tribune article, March 15, 2019).

Nygel is currently a senior at Connections Academy Online School and attends post-secondary enrollment options (PSEO) at the University of Minnesota studying cello performance with Tanya Remenikova. He will begin undergraduate studies at the Curtis Institute of Music in the fall, studying with Peter Wiley.