The CSO-CYSO Concerto Competition

Each year the Claremont Symphony Orchestra (CSO) holds a concerto competition among current active members of the CYSO Orchestras.​

Who can participate: Any active CYSO, PSE, ES, or DCS student (past winners are ineligible)
What instruments: All instruments are welcome, including voice and piano. You do not need to compete on the instrument you play in the CYSO Orchestras. You may compete on more than one instrument, but each instrument requires a separate entry form.
Entry Fee: None
Entry Deadline: TBD
Competition Date: TBD
Where: Claremont Community School of Music, 951 W. Foothill Blvd., Claremont, CA 91711
Prize: cash and performance as featured soloist with the adult Claremont Symphony Orchestra on its annual Concert for Young People, to be held on a date TBD.

Competition Rules

1. Choose an appropriate piece.

• Your chosen piece must be classical repertoire suitable for performance with an orchestra. If unsure of suitability, please review YouTube performance videos of past CYSO winners, or email Mark Wang at [email protected] for verification. Mr. Wang 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 on Saturday, January 31, 2026.

2. 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 Mark Wang at [email protected]. CYSO Concerto Competition Entry Form HERE.

3. Schedule a rehearsal with the accompanist.

Dr. Robert Sage will be the accompanist for ALL participants in the competition. You may NOT use your own accompanist. Competitors will be provided Dr. Sage's contact information to schedule rehearsals in the weeks prior to the October 18, 2025 competition.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the CYSO Concerto Competition, please contact Concerto Competition coordinator Mark Wang at [email protected].

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Past Concerto Competition Winners

2025
Kayla Chong, cello
Alexander Vance, piano

2024
Leonardo Gonzalez, piano
Caleb Van Brunt, cello
Mondy Gottesman, cello

2023
Phineus Choi, cello
​Jammie Park, cello

2020-2022
No competitions 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, piano

Leonardo will perform the first movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488.

© CJView Productions

Mondy Gottesman, cello

​Mondy will perform the first movement of Édouard Lalo's Concerto for Cello in D minor.
​

© CJView Productions

Caleb Van Brunt, cello

Caleb will perform Gabriel Fauré's Élégie, Op. 24.

Photos courtesy of CJView Productions