Author: Tim Meushaw

The Montgomery Symphony Orchestra is now inviting entries to our Eighth Annual Youth Concerto Competition!

Since launching its youth concerto competition in 2016, the MSO has showcased multiple winning soloists, providing an opportunity to perform with us at our annual June concert. Entries are now being accepted for our eighth annual concerto competition and must be submitted by Friday, March 15, 2024​. This year’s winners will perform on Sunday, June 9, 2024.

Eligibility

​The competition is open to middle and high school musicians (grades 6-12) on any orchestral instrument including percussion, with the exception of piano.

Musicians must reside in one of the following counties to be eligible:
Maryland: Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George’s
Virginia: Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudon
District of Columbia

Repertoire

Entrants select the piece and/or movement(s) they would like to perform, and are strongly encouraged to do so in consultation with their private teacher or band/orchestra director. Selections should be no longer than approximately 10 minutes in length and must have standard orchestral accompaniments readily available for purchase or rent at a fee that will not exceed $500.00.

Pieces performed by concerto winners in the last two years may not be selected; these include:

• Georges Hüe, Fantasie for Flute and Orchestra
• Camille Saint-Saëns, Violin Concerto No. 3
• Launy Grøndahl , Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra
• Pablo de Sarasate, Ziguenerweisen
• Édouard Lalo, Cello Concerto (1st movement)
• Henri Vieuxtemps, Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Minor

The MSO reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not meet these standards. Other inquiries regarding repertoire may be sent to [email protected].

Video Audition

Record a video of you performing your selected piece. Upload your video file to YouTube as an unlisted video and complete the entry form to submit the link no later than Friday, March 15, 2024​.

• Your video will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will listen, not watch. So don’t worry about how the video looks — only about how your performance sounds!
• You can use any video recording device you have access to — even a cell phone — but make sure the device is close enough to you to record high-quality audio.
• The judges will review the submissions anonymously, so your name and voice should NOT be part of the video you submit. Our competition administrators will know it’s yours via the form.
• The easiest way to share your final video is by uploading it to YouTube. Step-by-step instructions are available at: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407. You will need to create an account.
• Before you start uploading, change the YouTube privacy setting for your video to “Unlisted.” This will ensure that your video is only viewable to someone who has the link. It will not be searchable. (The MSO will only share this link with our judges.)
• If you prefer, you can also send us a shareable link to listen to your video file via Google Drive, Dropbox, or another file-sharing service. Just make sure the settings allow anyone with the link to view it!

Prize

Competition winners will be invited to rehearse and ​perform their selected piece with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra​ before a live concert audience at Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Takoma Park, MD on Sunday, June 9, 2024. Each winner will also ​receive a $100 award​ from the MSO’s Scott Wood Scholarship Fund.

Expectations

Winners should plan to join the MSO for at least three evening rehearsals in Takoma Park, MD, prior to the concert to prepare their pieces with the orchestra. (Regular rehearsals are typically on Mondays; the dress rehearsal will be on Thursday, June 6.)

Entry Fee

To help cover the costs of administering the competition and concert, the competition includes a $25 entry fee. However, we will waive this fee for any student for whom it poses a barrier to entry. We welcome and encourage entrants of diverse backgrounds.

Announcement of Results

​We plan to announce the winners of the competition by April 1, 2024.

Questions

​Please email youth.competition@msomd.org with any additional questions. We recommend subscribing to the MSO email list to get any news and updates about the competition.

Entry Form

When you are ready with your video audition, submit the form below no later than 11:59pm on Friday, March 15, 2024. Limit of one video submission per student.

Our Music Director and Conductor, Dr. Blair Skinner, has accepted a new position out of the local area. We greatly thank him for the past five years of dedicated service to the MSO and appreciate all he has done for the orchestra. The MSO is looking for someone to fill the position of Music Director and Conductor. Interested parties can contact our Board President, Bernice DeMarco, at [email protected] and Mary Linn at [email protected]. Please see here for more details: https://msomd.org/music-director-position-announcement-2023/

Are you interested in playing with us? We are looking to grow our numbers! We are open to all instruments, but are in particular need of string players of all types.

The MSO will be hosting our second open rehearsal on Monday, July 24, 2023, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. All are welcome to join us! Please reach out to us via our RSVP Form so we can set up a seat for you and answer any questions you might have.

Location:
Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church
7700 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912

Links to sheet music:
https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.2,_Op.43_(Sibelius,_Jean)
https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.4_(Mahler%2C_Gustav)

Below photos courtesy of Richard Sturges

Below photos courtesy of Kevin DeMarco

Are you interested in playing with us? We are looking to grow our numbers! We are open to all instruments, but are in particular need of string players of all types.

The MSO will be hosting two open rehearsals this summer, all non-members welcome to join! Please reach out to us via our Contact form at https://msomd.org/join-us/ so we can set up a seat for you and answer any questions you might have.

Dates:
Monday, June 26, 2023, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm
Monday, July 24, 2023 from 7:30pm to 9:30pm

Location:
Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church
7700 Carroll Avenue, Takoma Park, MD 20912

Links to sheet music:
https://imslp.org/wiki/Till_Eulenspiegels_lustige_Streiche,_Op.28_(Strauss,_Richard)
https://imslp.org/wiki/Symphony_No.6%2C_Op.68_(Beethoven%2C_Ludwig_van)

Congratulations to the three winners of the 2023 Youth Concerto Competition!

• Claire Lee – Pablo de Sarasate, Ziguenerweisen
• Jacob Lee – Édouard Lalo, Cello Concerto (1st movement)
• Neal Kotamarty-Eisfeldt -Henri Vieuxtemps, Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Minor

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 11th, 2023!

Pictured from Left to Right: Claire Lee, Jacob Lee, Neal Kotamarty-Eisfeldt

About Claire Lee
Age 17, a high school junior, is a passionate violinist studying under Fudeko Cohler. She attends the top youth music programs in the New England area, such as the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and The Rivers School Conservatory’s Honors ChamberMusicLab. She is also an active music volunteer who shares her love of music to the community.
Claire has won awards at several music competitions, including the MTNA State Performance Competition, the American Fine Arts Festival International Competition, the KAMSA Competition, the Bay State Strings Contest, and the Dr. Carol Vasconcellos Youth Concerto Competition. She was also a finalist at the Sejong Cultural Society Music Competition and the United States Marine Band Concerto Competition.

Claire spent her summers at the Meadowmount School of Music, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Argus Quartet Summer String Intensive, the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra Summer Camp, and The Rivers School Conservatory Summer Music Program. This summer, she will attend the
Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival.

In her spare time, she likes to run; she has participated in the Bay State Half Marathon.

About Jacob Lee
A 10th grade student at Poolesville High School, has been playing the cello for 10 years, acquiring many awards and titles, including the Feder Competition, the American Music Talent Competition, the Young Musician Inspiring Change (YMIC) Metropolitan Classical Music Festival, and the US Army Young Artist Competition.

Jacob is the principal cellist in his high school’s orchestra, the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra (MCYO)’s Chamber Ensemble and the Young Artists orchestras. A frequent winner of auditions to the Maryland All-State and All-County Orchestras, he has been invited to perform for the Tacy Foundation at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

About Neal Kotamarty-Eisfeldt
At 14, is a Merit Scholarship Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy, a training center for advanced pre-college musicians, and studies violin with Almita Vamos and Injoo Choi. Starting violin at the age of 3.5 yrs, Neal made his solo debut at the age of ten at Carnegie Hall, winning first place at the Crescendo International Music Competition
(multiple years). He also made his solo orchestral debut at the age of 11 with the Midwest Conservatory of Music (postponed due to Covid). In the same year, he won the overall Grand Prize in all categories up to 25 years old in the Enkor international festival, with a jury of 500+ members from 70+ countries.

Neal has taken master classes with renowned musicians such as Ani Kavafian, Ray Chen, Augustine Hadelich, and Vadim Gluzman (May 31st) and has also received coaching from laureates such as Rachel Barton Pine, James Ehnes, Julia Fischer, and Philip Setzer. He is also a fellow of the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative for gifted musicians from underrepresented communities. In addition, he recently
received a lifetime fellowship into NPR’s From the Top youth family. His solo performance and interview were broadcast on “From the Top” in February of 2023.

In the summer of 2022, Neal made his entry into the world of composition in collaboration with the Chicago Civic Orchestra and Chicago from Scratch and composed his first solo piece named “Ukrainian Dream and Cradle” in dedication to the pain and suffering of the Ukrainian people.

He has won top honors in several national and international competitions including the Kishwaukee Concerto Competition, Society of American Musicians, Sejong, DePaul Concerto Festival, Walgreens National Concerto Competition, the International Young Artist Concerto competition, and the Midwest Conservatory of music. He was awarded the First Prize and the Exceptional Young talent special award at both the Bonn and Salzburg Grand Prize International Virtuoso competitions. Most recently he was awarded both Rising Star and Top Performing Artist in the Sound Espressivo International competition with 140+ participants performing for an international panel of judges from major conservatories and orchestras around the world. In addition to performing solo, Neal enjoys playing chamber music with the Rosa and Scaleno quartets in the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy. He is an avid orchestral musician as well- currently in the Academy’s orchestra and formerly in the Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra.

In his free time, he enjoys listening to his favorite violinists Itzhak Perlman, and Jascha Heifetz, playing duets with his father, as well as cooking and spending time with his sister.

The Montgomery Symphony Orchestra is now inviting entries to our Seventh Annual Youth Concerto Competition!

Since launching its youth concerto competition in 2016, the MSO has showcased ten winning soloists, providing an opportunity to perform with us at our annual June concert. Entries are now being accepted for our seventh annual concerto competition and must be submitted by Wednesday, March 15, 2023​. This year’s winners will perform on Sunday, June 11, 2023.

Eligibility

​The competition is open to middle and high school musicians (grades 6-12) on any orchestral instrument including percussion, with the exception of piano.

Repertoire

Entrants select the piece and/or movement(s) they would like to perform, and are strongly encouraged to do so in consultation with their private teacher or band/orchestra director. Selections should be no longer than approximately 10 minutes in length and must have standard orchestral accompaniments readily available for purchase or rent at a fee that will not exceed $500.00.

Pieces performed by concerto winners in the last two years may not be selected; these include:

• Georges Hüe, Fantasie for Flute and Orchestra
• Camille Saint-Saëns, Violin Concerto No. 3
• Launy Grøndahl , Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra

The MSO reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not meet these standards. Other inquiries regarding repertoire may be sent to [email protected].

Video Audition

Record a video of you performing your selected piece. Upload your video file to YouTube as an unlisted video and complete the entry form to submit the link no later than Wednesday, March 15, 2023​.

• Your video will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will listen, not watch. So don’t worry about how the video looks — only about how your performance sounds!
• You can use any video recording device you have access to — even a cell phone — but make sure the device is close enough to you to record high-quality audio.
• The judges will review the submissions anonymously, so your name and voice should NOT be part of the video you submit. Our competition administrators will know it’s yours via the form.
• The easiest way to share your final video is by uploading it to YouTube. Step-by-step instructions are available at: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407. You will need to create an account.
• Before you start uploading, change the YouTube privacy setting for your video to “Unlisted.” This will ensure that your video is only viewable to someone who has the link. It will not be searchable. (The MSO will only share this link with our judges.)
• If you prefer, you can also send us a shareable link to listen to your video file via Google Drive, Dropbox, or another file-sharing service. Just make sure the settings allow anyone with the link to view it!

Prize

Competition winners will be invited to rehearse and ​perform their selected piece with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra​ before a live concert audience at Sligo Seventh-day Adventist Church in Takoma Park, MD on Sunday, June 11, 2023. Each winner will also ​receive a $100 award​ from the MSO’s Scott Wood Scholarship Fund.

Winners should plan to join the MSO for at least three evening rehearsals prior to the concert to prepare their pieces with the orchestra. (Regular rehearsals are typically on Mondays; the dress rehearsal will be on Thursday, June 8.)

Entry Fee

To help cover the costs of administering the competition and concert, the competition includes a $25 entry fee. However, we will waive this fee for any student for whom it poses a barrier to entry. We welcome and encourage entrants of diverse backgrounds.

Announcement of Results

​We plan to announce the winners of the competition by April 1, 2023.

Questions

​Please email youth.competition@msomd.org with any additional questions. We recommend subscribing to the MSO email list to get any news and updates about the competition.

Entry Form

When you are ready with your video audition, submit the form below no later than 11:59pm on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. Limit of one video submission per student.

Congratulations to the four winners of the 2022 Youth Concerto Competition!

• Julia Li – Saint-Saëns – Violin Concerto No. 3 (1st movement)
• Catherine Nan – Georges Hüe – Fantasie for Flute and Orchestra
• Arturo Salvalaggio – Richard Strauss – Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra (1st movement)
• Hyun June Cho – Grøndahl’s Concerto for Trombone and Orchestra

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 19th, 2022!

The Montgomery Symphony Orchestra is now inviting entries to our Sixth Annual Youth Concerto Competition!

Since launching its youth concerto competition in 2016, the MSO has showcased ten winning soloists, providing an opportunity to perform with us at our annual June concert. Entries are now being accepted for our fifth annual concerto competition and must be submitted by Tuesday, March 15, 2022​. This year’s winners will perform on Sunday, June 19, 2022.

Eligibility

​The competition is open to middle and high school musicians (grades 6-12) on any orchestral instrument including percussion, with the exception of piano.

Repertoire

Entrants select the piece and/or movement(s) they would like to perform, and are strongly encouraged to do so in consultation with their private teacher or band/orchestra director. Selections should be no longer than approximately 10 minutes in length and must have standard orchestral accompaniments readily available for purchase or rent at a fee that will not exceed $500.00.

Pieces performed by concerto winners in the last two years may not be selected; these include:

• Cécile Chaminade, Concertino for Flute
• Mozart, Clarinet Concerto in A Major
• Shostakovich, Concerto No. 1 for Violoncello and Orchestra
• Wieniawski, Violin Concerto No. 2 in D Minor
• Mozart, Oboe Concerto in C Major
• Arutiunian, Trumpet Concerto

The MSO reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not meet these standards. Other inquiries regarding repertoire may be sent to [email protected].

Video Audition

Record a video of you performing your selected piece. Upload your video file to YouTube as an unlisted video and complete the entry form to submit the link no later than Tuesday, March 15, 2022​.

• Your video will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will listen, not watch. So don’t worry about how the video looks — only about how your performance sounds!
• You can use any video recording device you have access to — even a cell phone — but make sure the device is close enough to you to record high-quality audio.
• The judges will review the submissions anonymously, so your name and voice should NOT be part of the video you submit. Our competition administrators will know it’s yours via the form.
• The easiest way to share your final video is by uploading it to YouTube. Step-by-step instructions are available at: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/57407. You will need to create an account.
• Before you start uploading, change the YouTube privacy setting for your video to “Unlisted.” This will ensure that your video is only viewable to someone who has the link. It will not be searchable. (The MSO will only share this link with our judges.)
• If you prefer, you can also send us a shareable link to listen to your video file via Google Drive, Dropbox, or another file-sharing service. Just make sure the settings allow anyone with the link to view it!

Prize

Competition winners will be invited to rehearse and ​perform their selected piece with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra​ before a live concert audience at the downtown Silver Spring Civic Building on Sunday, June 19, 2022. Each winner will also ​receive a $100 award​ from the MSO’s Scott Wood Scholarship Fund.

Winners should plan to join the MSO for at least three evening rehearsals prior to the concert to prepare their pieces with the orchestra. (Regular rehearsals are typically on Mondays; the dress rehearsal will be on Thursday, June 16.)

Entry Fee

To help cover the costs of administering the competition and concert, the competition includes a $25 entry fee. However, we will waive this fee for any student for whom it poses a barrier to entry. We welcome and encourage entrants of diverse backgrounds.

Announcement of Results

​We plan to announce the winners of the competition by April 1, 2022.

Questions

​Please email youth.competition@msomd.org with any additional questions. We recommend subscribing to the MSO email list to get any news and updates about the competition.

Entry Form

When you are ready with your video audition, submit the form below no later than 11:59pm on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Limit of one video submission per student.