Stevenson High School Student awarded in O’Malley Foundation National Concerto Competition

Adlai E. Stevenson High School junior Oliver Mah was named the Overall MYAC Senior Division Winner and Strings Winner of the O’Malley Foundation National Concerto Competition, one of the largest and most prestigious in-person youth concerto competitions in the United States.

A dedicated cellist, Mah performs in the Symphony Orchestra at Midwest Young Artists Conservatory. As part of his award, Mah will appear as a featured soloist with MYAC’s premier orchestra at Pick-Staiger Hall at Northwestern University at 7 p.m. on Feb. 15, performing in the Young Love Concert Series.

Mah began lessons at age 4 with Nina Wallenberg at the Music Institute of Chicago and currently studies with Philip Lee; he has had additional lessons and master classes with Hans Jørgen Jensen, Oleksa Mycyk, Stephen Balderston and Paula Kosower. Mah made his concerto debut at age 9 with the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra, has performed in recital on the Young Steinway Concert Series at the Skokie Public Library, and has won multiple awards in the Walgreens National Concerto Competition. He has served as principal cellist of both the MYAC Symphony Orchestra and the Stevenson High School Baroque Ensemble, and has twice performed as a member of the Honors All-State Orchestra at the Illinois Music Education Conference in Peoria.

Mah actively contributes musically to the community, serving on the board of Musicians For Hope (a youth nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for underfunded music programs in schools) and frequently performing at retirement homes throughout Chicagoland.