The orchestra would like to announce the following results for its 6th Annual 2021 Young Artist Competition.

This year’s competition registered 10 aspiring soloists, all of whom impressed the judges with their performances and musicality, making the decision very competitive. With the overall high level of performance, the judges awarded a Grand Prize, Second Place, Third Place, and an Honorable Mention. Additionally, an Encouragement Award was given this year to a younger soloist that the judges felt performed at an exceptional level for their age.

All of those who received the following placements demonstrated the preparation necessary to appear as a soloist and deciding on awards was done within a very narrow margin.

Placements

Grand Prize
Ritchie Bui performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto in C, K. 415

Second Place
Isabeau Spears, violinist, performing Gang/Zhanhao’s Butterfly Lover’s Concerto

Third Place
Tyler Hyun, violist, performing Weber’s Andante and Rondo

Honorable Mention
Kaylah Walker performing Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218

Encouragement Award
Noah Crumbly, performing Haydn’s Cello Concerto In C

Congratulations! and Thank You to all who participated!

2022 Competition

The level of performance this year was exceptional, and we hope to continue building this event into what we hope will be a well-regarded event within the performing arts community. Next year, we hope to return to registering at capacity, fundraise to increase the prize pool, and provide video recordings of each performance. The orchestra will publish exact details regarding the 7th annual 2022 competition as soon as they are available. It is anticipated that the orchestra will continue to host this competition again in the first or second week in November 2022. Rules are expected to remain unchanged.

Thank you for your participation and support, and we hope to see you at our Young Artist Showcase Performance on March 6, 2022.

About the Competition

To foster musical talent in our community and give young musicians the valuable opportunity to perform as a soloist with an orchestra, the Hampton Roads Philharmonic is opening a portion of its season to feature a young soloist. Decided by an adjudicated competition, the winner will perform with the Hampton Roads Philharmonic as a featured soloist in March’s annual Young Artist Competition Showcase performance. This competition is open to instrumentalists up to age 21.