The CYSO Concerto Competition
Each year CYSO holds a concerto competition among current active members of CYSO, PSE, and ES.
Who can participate: Any active CYSO, PSE, or ES student.
What instruments: All instruments are welcome, including voice and piano. You do not need to compete on the instrument you play in CYSO, PSE, or ES. You may compete on more than one instrument, but each instrument requires a separate entry form.
Entry Fee: None.
Deadline: 2025 deadline TBA
When: 2025 date TBA
Where: Claremont Community School of Music, 951 W. Foothill Blvd., Claremont, CA 91711
Prize: $500 cash and performance as featured soloist with the adult Claremont Symphony Orchestra on its annual Concert for Young People
Who can participate: Any active CYSO, PSE, or ES student.
What instruments: All instruments are welcome, including voice and piano. You do not need to compete on the instrument you play in CYSO, PSE, or ES. You may compete on more than one instrument, but each instrument requires a separate entry form.
Entry Fee: None.
Deadline: 2025 deadline TBA
When: 2025 date TBA
Where: Claremont Community School of Music, 951 W. Foothill Blvd., Claremont, CA 91711
Prize: $500 cash and performance as featured soloist with the adult Claremont Symphony Orchestra on its annual Concert for Young People
Competition Rules
1. Choose your division.
There are two participation divisions: Concerto and Recital. The Concerto division is for students who wish to compete for a cash prize and an opportunity to perform with Claremont Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, January 25, 2025. The Recital division is for students who do not wish to compete but who wish to gain experience in a performance setting in front of judges.
2. Choose an appropriate piece.
Concerto Division:
- Your chosen piece must be a minimum difficulty level of 3 on a scale of 1 to 5. If you are unsure of your piece's difficulty level, please contact Gloria Cangahuala at [email protected] for verification. Ms. Cangahuala is the Concerto Competition coordinator.
- Your chosen piece must have an orchestral accompaniment. Therefore, it must be a concerto or some type of solo piece with orchestral accompaniment (i.e., not a sonata).
- You must provide a piano reduction of the orchestral part, as you will be accompanied by a pianist during the competition.
- Maximum length of the piece is 12 minutes. This may be an entire piece or one movement of a piece. If the movement goes attacca into another movement, please decide with your private teacher regarding how to end the movement.
- In case you are named the winner, you must be available to rehearse with Claremont Symphony Orchestra on Monday nights in January 2026, and must be available to perform on CSO's Concert for Young People (2026 date TBA).
Recital Division:
- The chosen piece may be any difficulty level. There is no minimum requirement.
- The chosen piece may either have an accompaniment or be a solo unaccompanied piece.
- Maximum length of the piece is 12 minutes.
3. Submit an entry form.
You may participate on more than one instrument, but please submit a separate entry per instrument. All instruments are welcome, including voice and piano. There is no entry fee. All entry forms should be emailed to Gloria Cangahuala at [email protected].
When the entry form for the 2025 competition is available, it will be posted here for download.
When the entry form for the 2025 competition is available, it will be posted here for download.
4. Schedule a rehearsal with the accompanist.
Dr. Robert Sage will be the accompanist for ALL participants in the competition, across both the Concerto and Recital divisions. You may NOT use your own accompanist. If you require accompaniment, please schedule rehearsals directly with Dr. Sage, keeping in mind that his schedule will fill up quickly, depending on how many participants there will be. If you need Dr. Sage's contact information, please reach out to Gloria Cangahuala at [email protected].
Questions?
If you have any questions about the CYSO Concerto Competition, please contact Concerto Competition coordinator Gloria Cangahuala at [email protected].
Past Concerto Competition Winners
2023
Phineus Choi, cello
Jammie Park, cello
2022
No competition held, due to COVID-19
2021
No competition held, due to COVID-19
2020
No competition held, due to COVID-19
2019
Michael Chu, piano
Helen Skilbred, oboe
2018
Alexis Cai, piano
Charlotte Tu, flute
2017
Jonathan Recomanta, clarinet
2016
Elisar Elgaouny, cello
Chloe Harsojo, piano
Allen Lin, clarinet
2015
Anselm Knecht, cello
Jo Ann Sun, violin
2014
JJ Alvarez, trumpet
Talia Knecht, violin
Kyra Madunich, flute
2013
Gaeun Moon, violin
ShihZan Yao, cello
2012
Evangeline Tsai, cello
Shih-Jing Yao, violin
2011
Jahnavi Curlin, flute
Alicia Lee, violin
Phineus Choi, cello
Jammie Park, cello
2022
No competition held, due to COVID-19
2021
No competition held, due to COVID-19
2020
No competition held, due to COVID-19
2019
Michael Chu, piano
Helen Skilbred, oboe
2018
Alexis Cai, piano
Charlotte Tu, flute
2017
Jonathan Recomanta, clarinet
2016
Elisar Elgaouny, cello
Chloe Harsojo, piano
Allen Lin, clarinet
2015
Anselm Knecht, cello
Jo Ann Sun, violin
2014
JJ Alvarez, trumpet
Talia Knecht, violin
Kyra Madunich, flute
2013
Gaeun Moon, violin
ShihZan Yao, cello
2012
Evangeline Tsai, cello
Shih-Jing Yao, violin
2011
Jahnavi Curlin, flute
Alicia Lee, violin
MEET THE 2024 WINNERS
Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 CYSO Concerto Competition! They performed their winning pieces with the Claremont Symphony Orchestra on February 1, 2025.
© CJView Productions
Leonardo Gonzalez, pianoLeonardo will perform the first movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488.
|
© CJView Productions
Mondy Gottesman, celloMondy will perform the first movement of Édouard Lalo's Concerto for Cello in D minor.
|
© CJView Productions
Caleb Van Brunt, celloCaleb will perform Gabriel Fauré's Élégie, Op. 24.
|
Photos courtesy of CJView Productions