Concerto Competition

Moores School Symphony Orchestra 2020 Virtual Concerto Competition

Grand Prize & Audience Choice Award Winner

Eduard Gavril, Piano, Gershwin: Concerto in F

Finalists

Wind/Brass/Percussion Division: Jhoser Salazar, clarinet, Crusell: Clarinet Concerto No. 2
String Division: Hasmik Vardanyan, cello, Elgar Cello Concerto
Vocal Division: Siwei Zhang, soprano, Ravel: Shéhérazade
Piano Division: Eduard Gavril, Gershwin: Concerto in F

Awards

Grand Prize $1,000* (Presented in addition to the Division Prize)
Audience Choice $500 (Chosen from the Division finalists)
Division Winners $750; Honorable Mention $250

Competition Chairs

Jo Dee Wright, Moores Society Immediate Past President
Ann Ayre, Moores Society Trustee

Grand Prize Judges

Vadym Kholodenko, pianist
John Mangum, ED/CEO, Houston Symphony
Ana María Martínez, soprano
Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Yoonshin Song, concertmaster, Houston Symphony

Competition Award Underwriters

Grand Prize Award, $1000: Mary Ann and Robert Wilkins
Division Winner Award, Piano, $750: Gary Hollingsworth and Ken Hyde
Division Winner Award, Voice, $750: Ellen and Alan Holzberg
Division Winner Award, Strings, $750: A Friend of the Moores Society
Division Winner Award, Winds/Brass/Percussion, $750: Jane and Dick Schmitt
Audience Choice Award, $500: Joint contribution by Jo Dee Wright and Ann Ayre

Grand Prize Judges Underwriters

John Mangum, ED/CEO, Houston Symphony: Jackie and Malcolm Mazow
Vadym Kholodenko, pianist: Jo Dee Wright
Ana María Martínez: Debbie Feuer
Yoonshin Song: Debbie Feuer

Recording Underwriters

Ann Ayre, Darlene Clark, Virginia and Gage Van Horn, Linda Katz, Kusum Patel, Shirley Rose, Donna Shen

Donate to the Concerto Competition

Application Deadline
November 6, 2020 (by 5 p.m.)

The application portal will open for applications on Friday, October 30 at 9 a.m. All applications must be completed by Friday, November 6, at 5 p.m.
Recording
November 14 - 21, 2020

All entries will be professionally recorded in the Moores Opera House. Contestants must supply their own accompanist. Recording schedule TBA after close of Application Deadline.
Virtual Final Round
Beginning December 13, 4-6 p.m.

The Final Round will be streamed on Facebook over several days, and viewers may vote online for the Audience Favorite Prize during an open period lasting until Tuesday, December 15, 5 p.m.

Register to receive viewing links and reminders.
Announcement of winners
December 16, 2020, 6 p.m.

In honor of Beethoven's 250th birthday, winners will be announced at this ceremony to be streamed on Facebook Live.

Register to receive viewing links and reminders.

Adjudication

Division round: Each division will be judged by a panel of MSM faculty composed of two (2) appropriate division faculty and one (1) non-applied faculty member. The judges are tasked with selecting a Division Winner, who will advance to the final round. An Honorable Mention prize may also be awarded.

Final Round: The final round will be judged by an external panel of five (5) distinguished individuals in the music industry (performers, teachers, critics, managers, etc.). One (1) Grand Prize Winner will be chosen. An Audience Choice Prize will also be awarded by viewers of the livestream broadcast.