Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 MSO Youth Concerto Competition!
Amelia Baisden (cello) – Elgar, Cello Concerto in E minor (Mvt. 4)
Chloe Chung (violin) – Sibelius, Violin Concerto op. 47 (Mvt. 1)
Jayden Tom (marimba) – Golovko, Concerto for Marimba (Mvt. 3)
Since launching the youth concerto competition in 2016, the MSO has showcased multiple winning soloists, providing an opportunity for musicians in middle and high school to perform with us at our annual concert. We look forward to performing with these talented soloists at our concert on Sunday, June 7th, 2026!
About Amelia Baisden
Amelia Baisden, 15, attends School Without Walls High School in Washington, DC. She studies cello with Dr. Daniel Levitov in Baltimore, MD and has been a member of Peabody Performance Academy for Strings since 2021. She is a scholarship holder of the Academy of Music in Liechtenstein, where she frequently participates in the Academy’s intensive weeks and activities. She is the youngest member and principal cellist of Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras’ Philharmonic and also served as principal cellist of Friday Morning Music Clubs’ Avanti Orchestra during the 2025-2026 concert season. She has previously held principal positions across various regional youth orchestras and ensembles, including DC Youth Orchestra Program, American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, and Peabody Youth Orchestra, with whom she performed Korngold Concerto in the 2025 Concerto Extravaganza concert program as Grand Prize Winner of the 2024 Advanced Concerto Competition. As a concerto soloist, she has performed with Accord Symphony, Peabody Youth Orchestra, SEEN Worldwide Orchestra, and Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen. She has also given performances by invitation of the U.S. Secretary of Education at the 2023 International
Summit on the Teaching Profession Gala at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Embassy of Argentina, Carnegie Hall, and at the Stadthalle at the Kronberg Academy in Germany. As an auditioned solo performance member of the Friday Morning Music Club, she frequently performs by invitation at various venues across the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia as part of FMMC’s public Chamber Music Series.
In addition to frequent 1st Prize competition wins, she has received several special prizes, including “Misbin Family New Talent” Award (Joseph and Goldie Feder Memorial String Competition, 2020), “Most Promising Talent” Award (Amit Peled’s Mount Vernon Virtuosi Cello Competition, 2020), “Judges’ Distinction” Award (American Protégé International Concerto Competition, 2021), Performance Award (Peabody Preparatory, 2022-2025), and Director’s Recognition Award (Peabody Preparatory, 2025). She represented the District of Columbia at the Eastern Division of the 2024 Music Teachers National Association Junior Performance Competition. She was selected as an active participant at the 2024 Cello Masterclasses in Kronberg, Germany, studying with Marie-Elisabeth Hecker, giving a Fringe concert performance by invitation at Stadthalle of the Kronberg Academy, and receiving a Scholarship Award towards future studies in Kronberg in 2026. In 2025, she was selected as an active participant at the Cello Akademie Rutesheim in the studio of Marc Coppey and with a featured concerto performance with Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen. Most recently, she was invited to participate in the 2026 Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra, won 1st place in the Friday Morning Music Club 2025 High School String Competition, and 2nd place in 2026 U.S. Army Orchestra Young Artist Competition and the 2026 International Young Artists Concerto Competition in Chicago. She’s enjoyed cello lessons and masterclasses with Nick Canellakis, Marc Coppey, David Finckel, Paul Katz, and Laurence Lesser, Jens Peter Maintz, and Ivan Monighetti, and summer festivals including Heifetz Institute, Music@Menlo, and Morningside Music Bridge.
About Chloe Chung
Chloe Chung began studying piano at the age of four and started violin two years later. In third grade, she joined her school orchestra and was selected for the Howard County Elementary School GT Orchestra, where she served as assistant principal in fourth grade and concertmaster in fifth grade. During her time as concertmaster, she was featured as a soloist with the orchestra. In 2021, following the pandemic, Chloe joined the Howard County Middle School GT Orchestra, serving as assistant principal. She later became a member of the Howard County Youth Orchestra in ninth grade, where she served as principal of the second violins (2023–2024) and assistant principal of the first violins (2024–2025).
In addition, Chloe joined the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra in 2022. She served as concertmaster during a spring concert cycle and was subsequently accepted into the Youth Orchestra, the program’s most advanced ensemble, where she currently serves as principal first violin. She served as concertmistress of the BSYO Portugal Tour in the summer of 2025. She also had the opportunity to perform alongside members of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, as well as renowned Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell. Chloe has been a member of the Maryland All-State Orchestra from 2022 to 2026, serving as co– section leader in 2024 and ranking in the top five of the first violin section in both 2025 and 2026. Her competition accolades include second prize in the YMIC International Competition (2019), first place in the Charleston International Music Competition (2023), honorable mention in the OPUS Competition (2023, 2024), honorable mention in the BSYO Concerto Competition (2023), second place in the Howard County Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition (2024), and honorable mention in the U.S. Army Orchestra Young Artist Competition (2025).
Chloe has performed at numerous venues, including the University of Maryland, College Park; the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall; Bowie State University Fine and Performing Arts Center; Morgan State University; UMBC; Piano Craft; the Midwest Clinic; and various high schools throughout Howard County. Outside of music, Chloe enjoys reading and visual arts.
About Jayden Tom
Jayden Tom is a sophomore at River Hill High School in Clarksville, Maryland. He has been playing percussion for six years, studying under his private instructor, Edouard Beyens, and his high school band director, Michael Blackman.
At school, Jayden is a member of the River Hill Wind Ensemble and Marching Band, and he has also had the opportunity to participate in many prestigious ensembles, including the Howard County G/T Band, the Maryland All-State Band, and the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra. He is also a member of the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion, and he has participated in numerous competitions, placing second in the 2026 BSYO Concerto Competition and the 2026 U.S. Army Young Artist Concerto Competition. Jayden was also awarded an honorable mention at the 2026 Ross-Roberts Competition for Woodwinds, Brass, & Percussion, and he was a semi-finalist in the 2025 Great Plains Marimba Competition.
Outside of music, Jayden participates in sports and various school clubs such as Taekwondo, math competitions, and Future Business Leaders of America, while coaching Taekwondo competitors and a middle school math team. He also enjoys playing video games, hanging out with friends, and binging movies and TV shows.