Each spring, Case Western Reserve University undergraduate music majors compete in recital format for an opportunity to perform as a soloist with Symphony Orchestra or Symphonic Winds the following academic year. The Department of Music is proud to offer this competition as an opportunity for our talented musicians to gain performance experience and receive public recognition for their work.
All of our applicants displayed professionalism and musicianship. The 2024 Concerto Competition was held in-person with performances evaluated by a panel of faculty members. A special thank you goes out to our accompanists, Alicja Basinska, Anne Wilson, and Elizabeth DeMio. Visit this page for a full list of performers and program information.
Winners
Emma Bentley, clarinet (Gilbert)
Emma Bentley is a third-year Music Education major at CWRU. In addition to her clarinet studies, Emma serves as president for the CWRU Chamber Collective and the Music Undergraduate Student Involvement Committee, as well as the treasurer of the CWRU chapter of the Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association. In her time at CWRU, she has performed with the Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Winds, several chamber ensembles, the Footlighters pit orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and the CWRU Brass Ensemble. In January 2022, Emma decided to expand the music scene at CWRU by founding the Harmonie Winds, a 10-piece wind chamber ensemble. She is also the musical director of the CWRU Clarinet Choir. In October 2023, Emma performed a joint recital as a result of winning the Joan Terr Ronis Memorial Prize. Emma would like to thank Dan Gilbert, her private clarinet instructor, as well as her friends, family, and the CWRU music department for fostering her passion for music.
Jojo Fujiwara, cello (Mercer)
Jojo Fujiwara is a second-year Music and Chemistry double major at CWRU studying cello with Dr. Ida Mercer. She is currently the Vice President of Mu Phi Epsilon and is a part of the Case/University Circle Symphony Orchestra, as well as CWRU's String and Piano Chamber Music ensembles. Before coming to CWRU, Jojo participated in the Houston Youth Symphony and was a three-time TMEA All-State Symphony cellist, ranking 2nd in the state of Texas in 2020. She has played the cello for 9 years and hopes to continue playing cello for many more years to come. Jojo would also like to thank her private lesson teacher, faculty of the Music Department, her friends, and her family for supporting her journey on the cello and providing her with this valuable experience.
Sooah Park, flute (Ruby-Kushious)
Sooah Park is a third-year Psychology and Music double major at CWRU studying flute with Heidi-Ruby Kushious. During her time here, she has performed with Symphonic Winds, Case/University Circle Symphony Orchestra, and several chamber ensembles. Before coming to CWRU, Sooah was accepted into her local county and regional bands, as well as the TCNJ Honors Band. She has played the flute for 11 years and hopes to continue her passion for music while pursuing a career in psychology. Sooah would like to thank her lesson instructor, the CWRU music department, and her friends and family for supporting her throughout this process.
Past Winners
- 2023: Maxine Chou (cello), Jesse Silverberg (horn), Angela Tsang (piano), Lilyanne Dorilas (violin), Matthew Smutny (saxophone)
- 2022: Michael Brough (saxophone), Grant Carr (piano), Jeremy Gray (clarinet), Hitomi Ono (flute), Gina Yang (piano)
- 2021: Karen Ji (piano), Allison Siekmann (violin)
- 2020: Samuel Chaffee (piano), Alexander Lenhart (trumpet), Nicholas Strawn (percussion), Rachel Beller (percussion)
- 2019: Brian Liu (piano), Jon O’Brien (saxophone), Tim Orlando (violin), Nick Pogharian (trombone)
- 2018: Julie Kim (violin), Bianca Pierson (saxophone), Devin Reddy (horn)
- 2017: Kieran Aulak (marimba), Tyler McMaken (piano), Jason Linn (trombone), Zoe Ruolin Yang (violin), Timothy Nicholas (violin)
- 2016: David Hsiao (violin), Christina Liu (violin), Rebecca Pfeiffer (trumpet), Vincenzo Volpe (flute), Ann Wang (piano)
- 2015: Ailin Yu (piano), Meigen Yu (piano), Robin Jo (violin)