NEC String Players at Competitions

July 13, 2016

In May and June, NEC string players were prize winners at competitions in Bordeaux, South Bend, Montréal, Houston, and Sendai.

Concours International de Quatuor à Cordes de Bordeaux

This triennial string quartet competition awarded an unranked Special Prize to the Omer Quartet, who are entering their second year in NEC's Professional String Quartet Training Program. The unranked Durosoir Prize (for best performance of a work by Lucien Durosoir) went to the Rolston Quartet, whose second violinist is Jeff Dyrda '11 M.M., '12 G.D. Lucy Chapman was Dyrda's studio teacher at NEC.

About Fischoff National Chamber Music CompetitionCollege | Chamber Music College | Violin

The Ulysses Quartet, whose second violinist is Rhiannon Banerdt '06 Prep, '10 B.M., '12 M.M., won the Grand Prize of the 2016 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, which comes with a $7,500 cash prize, along with the Gold Medal ($3,500) in the Senior String Division. Banerdt studied at NEC with Marylou Speaker Churchill, Lucy Chapman, and Paul Biss.

More about Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition

About Concours musical international de MontréalCollege | Chamber Music College | Violin

Violinist Ji-Won Song '17 M.M. was one of three unranked Finalists awarded a $2,000 cash prize at this competition. Song's studio teachers at NEC are Donald Weilerstein and Soovin Kim.

About Ima Hogg CompetitionCollege | Violin College | Percussion

The Houston Symphony's Ima Hogg Competition, which is open to the standard orchestral instruments, awarded First Prize (the Grace Woodson Memorial Award) to violinist Luke Hsu, '14 M.M., '16 G.D., who studied at NEC with Donald Weilerstein. Hsu earned a gold medal, a $25,000 cash prize, and performances with the Houston Symphony at the final concert of Day of Music on July 9 as well as at a later date. He also won the Herman Shoss Audience Choice Award, and a vote of confidence from Houston Symphony musicians, who awarded him the Robert and Nancy Peiser Award for Artistic Encouragement. Hsu's win marks the second year in a row a Houstonian has won the competition.

Fourth Prize (the Jean Whitbread Kucera Award, $2,500) went to marimbist Samuel Chan '15 B.M., who studied at NEC with Frank Epstein.

About Sendai International Music CompetitionCollege | Violin

With sections for violin and piano, this competition held in northern Japan's second-largest city has the unique aspect of focusing on concertos in the selection of its repertoire. In the violin section, First Prize went to Yoojin Jang '12 M.M., '13 G.D., '15 A.D. Jang's prize comes with a cash award of 3,000,000 Yen, along with CD production, concerts, and recitals. At NEC, Jang is currently enrolled in the D.M.A. program and studies with Miriam Fried.