Winners were recently announced for the Houston Symphony League’s Concerto Competition, in Texas, and the Midwest Young Artists Fourteenth Annual Walgreens National Concerto Competition, in Illinois. At the Houston competition, held on January 9 at the University of Houston’s Moores School of Music, first prize of $1,000 went to violinist Adam Wu, for his performance of Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole. Second prize of $500 went to marimbist Matthew Bolaños for Rosauro’s Concerto for Marimba, and third prize of $500 went to clarinetist Jeremy Reynolds for Weber’s Clarinet Concerto No. 2. All three will perform with the Houston Symphony during 2010. The four winners of the Midwest Young Artists 14th Annual Walgreens National Concerto Competition on January 2 and 3 were violinist Rachel Stenzel (eighth grade, winner of orchestra division, junior level); cellist Ben Solomonow (eighth grade, winner of orchestra division, senior level); violinist Gallia Kastner (eighth grade, winner of open division, junior level); and cellist Allan Steele (eleventh grade, winner of open division, senior level). The competition is open to students from the third through twelfth grades from across the country, who were judged by officials from institutions including the Eastman School of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and the Chicago Symphony. Steele, Solomonow, and Stenzel will be featured performers in a MYA Symphony Orchestra concert on February 21 at Pick-Staiger Hall in Evanston, Illinois. Each winner in the MYA competition won the opportunity to perform at the February 21 concert, plus a $500 cash prize and a tuition scholarship of $680 to any MYA program.
Posted January 21, 2010
