Five local musicians stand out in annual young artists concerto competition
The winners of the Dr. Robert Stanger Young Artists Concerto Audition for 2023, held at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church in Elmhurst have been announced.
Conducted by the Elmhurst Symphony Association and sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst, the competition showcased 19 outstanding high school musicians from Chicago and several suburbs.
The Stanger Audition first-place winner will perform with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra at a subscription concert during the next season.
Other winners will perform for Kiwanis and other local groups later in the year. All winners receive certificates and the first four winners receive monetary awards.
The first-place winner is violinist Cecilia O'Malley of Wheaton, playing Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 in b minor, Op. 61, first movement. Her teacher is Gerardo Ribeiro.
Taking second place is pianist Caleb D. Kim of Roselle, with Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, first movement. His teacher is Brenda Huang.
In third place is violinist Sofia Radovic of St. Charles, performing Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63, first movement. Her teacher is Desiree Ruhstraat.
The fourth-place winner is cellist Jeffery Tong of Lisle, playing Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1 in a minor, Op. 3, first movement. His teacher is Tanya Carey.
Honorable mention goes to violinist Merrill Lee of Oak Brook, with Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 in b minor, Op. 61, third movement. Her teacher is Jin Zhang.
The Elmhurst Symphony Association, through its Young Artists Auditions, encourages serious study and high standards among young musicians. Judges are selected both for their prominence as performers and their familiarity with students' musical development. Each entrant is given 10 minutes to perform their selection, and their performance is evaluated with comments and suggestions.
Dr. Robert Stanger was president of Elmhurst College from 1957-65, president of the Elmhurst Symphony Society from 1968-72, and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst for 15 years.
To learn more about the Dr. Robert Stanger Young Artists Concerto Audition, visit elmhurstsymphony.org/stanger/.