The Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra concluded the fifth annual Elizabeth Loker International Concerto Competition on Sunday, March 15 at the Todd Performing Arts Center, presenting an afternoon of exceptional performances by three outstanding young soloists performing complete concertos with the full orchestra.
Violinist Sophia Werner was awarded First Prize and also received the Audience Prize following her performance of Samuel Barber’s Violin Concerto. Violinist Mio Imai received Second Prize for her performance of Antonín Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, and pianist Brielle Perez received Third Prize after performing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 in C Major.
The finalists were selected from an international pool of applicants through two preliminary rounds of adjudicated video submissions. This season alone, the competition received 110 applications, and in recent years nearly 400 young musicians representing more than two dozen U.S. states and numerous countries have participated, reflecting the competition’s growing international reputation.
Unlike most competitions for young instrumentalists, which are typically performed with piano accompaniment, the Elizabeth Loker International Concerto Competition offers finalists the rare opportunity to perform a complete concerto with a professional orchestra in what organizers describe as a “concert and competition all in one.”
The event was judged by a distinguished panel including conductor and music director of the Lincoln (Nebraska) Symphony Orchestra, Edward Polochick; violinist Laura Colgate; and Baltimore Symphony Orchestra violinist Qing Li.
In addition to the final competition concert, the orchestra hosted a Preview Evening on Saturday, March 14 at the Academy Art Museum, where the finalists presented short solo recitals and met members of the community ahead of the final round.
The competition awarded a total of $9,000 in prizes, including $5,000 for First Prize, $2,500 for Second Prize, $1,000 for Third Prize, and a $500 Audience Prize. MSO Board Chair, Jeffrey Parker, said “the MSO’s ELICC is quickly becoming one of the important concerto competitions globally for young musicians age 12-25, held annually in March here on the Del-Mar-Va peninsula.”
Audience members who were unable to attend the concert in person can still view the performance online. The full competition concert is available on the orchestra’s YouTube channel.