Harpist Rachel Lee Hall has won this year’s Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition. Hall received her $25,000 award on June 1 at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music from competition chair Vicki West. In addition to the cash prize, Hall will perform with the Houston Symphony on July 11, and will participate in a weeklong education and community engagement residency. Hall has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, Akron Symphony Orchestra, and Philadelphia Orchestra. She is on the faculty at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia and earned her bachelor and master of music degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Second prize of $10,000 was awarded to cellist Coleman Itzkoff, who will perform with the Houston Symphony on June 29, led by guest conductor Roderick Cox at Miller Theatre Outdoor Theatre. Third- and fourth-place awards went to Chloe Tula (harp, $5,000) and Katherine Audas (cello, $1,000). Audas also received the audience choice award. The annual competition was named to honor the memory of Ima Hogg, a co-founder of the Houston Symphony.
Posted June 12, 2019
