Loker Concerto Competition Finalists to Perform at Avalon Theatre Seven Finalists Include Pianists, Violinist, Violist, and Flutist

Loker Concerto Competition Finalists to Perform at Avalon Theatre

Seven Finalists Include Pianists, Violinist, Violist, and Flutist

MSO Board President Jeffrey Parker recently announced that the Elizabeth Loker Concerto Competition, which was established during the MSO’s 2019-2020 season to give young classical musicians the opportunity to compete and potentially perform with a professional symphony orchestra. The competition naming honors Elizabeth Loker for her years of dedication and generous support of the MSO until her death in 2015. The competition will be held on Thursday, January 12, 7:00 PM at the Avalon Theatre in Easton, MD.

The winner of this year’s competition will receive a $2,000 cash prize and will perform at the MSO’s regular season concerts in March. The young artist who places second will receive a $500 cash prize and will perform at one of MSO’s Ensemble Series concerts next season.

The Competition was not held for the past two years because of COVID restrictions, however is now back in full force. This year the competition drew 41 entries from musicians aged 12 to 25 from across the United States. Two judges from the MSO Orchestra reviewed the electronic submissions of the competitors and reached a consensus on the seven finalists. Both judges were delighted on the high quality of the musicianship from this year’s applicants. The final live round of the competition will be judged by new Music Director and Grammy nominee, Michael Repper and MSO’s Concertmaster, Kim McCollum.

The finalists this year range in age from 13 to 25. They come from Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York City, Brooklyn, and Kansas City, Missouri. There are four pianists, a violinist, a violist, and a flutist who will be playing works by Jacques Ibert, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei Prokofiev, Florence Price, Paul Hindemith, and Henri Vieuxtemps.

 …CONCERT DETAILS AND INFORMATION ON THE FINALISTS FOLLOW…

LOKER CONCERTO COMPETITION FINALISTS

Ethan Nylander  – Townsend, DE – Flute

Philina Zhang – New York, NY – Piano

Elizabeth Song – Haworth, NJ – Violin

James Kang – Newark, DE – Viola

Valerie Wellington – Kansas City, MO – Piano

Haozhou Wang – Philadelphia, PA – Piano

Emma Taggart – Brooklyn, NY -- Piano

WHEN and WHERE

This concert will be performed only once on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Thursday, January 12 at 7:00 PM.

Avalon Theatre, 40 East Dover Street, Easton, Maryland.

TICKETS

Individual tickets for the competition are $15 per person. Tickets may be ordered online at MidAtlanticSymphony.org, and they will be available by cash or credit card at the door on the evening of the event.