MASO Young Artist Competition
The MASO Young Artist Competition (YAC) is a biennial event with the purpose to recognize and encourage the musical talent of young Montanans. For full information on the Young Artist Competition please see the .PDF application form below.
Click here to download the MASO flier. Or, download the application PDF now!
Application postmark deadline: No later than Monday, 1 November, 2010
When: The Eleventh Biennial Competition will be Saturday, 15 January 2011.
Where: MSU Bozeman; Howard Hall, Department of Music (Howard Hall is building 27). Click here for a map.
Eligibility: Open to students between the ages of 13 through 22 who play any of the standard orchestral instruments. Students who are attending college out-of-state are eligible if they have retained their Montana resident status (proof of resident may be requested.) Past winners of this competition are ineligible to compete again in the same division. For the purpose of eligibility and division placement, a contestant’s age is determined by his/her age reached on January 1, 2011.
Prizes: In addition to a cash prize, winners will be invited to perform with at least one MASO member orchestra.- Junior Division (Ages 13 through 15): $450 prize
- Senior Division (Ages 16 through high school graduate): $650 prize
- College Division (Post high school through age 22): $1,000 prize
Past winners of the Young Artist Competition:
2009- Junior Division: Sarah Harmsworth, violin.
- Senior Division: Jessie MacDonald, Bozeman, violin.
- College Division: Chelsea Padilla, piano.
- Junior Division: Jessie MacDonald, Bozeman, violin.
- Senior Division: Hélène Werner, Belgrade, cello.
- College Division: Ashlee Young, Billings, piano.
The judges were Stephen Allen, Pocatello, Idaho; Linda Khn, Helena, and Rob Wells, Billings. Gordon Johnson, Music Director of the Great Falls Symphony, chaired the competition.
2005- Junior Division: April Sun, Bozeman, piano, and Denny Shin, Billings, cello.
- Runner-up: Emily Stearns, Butte, piano.
- Senior Division: Nicholas Huang, Butte, piano.
- Runners-up: Nathaniel Locke, Big Timber, trumpet, Angela Andrikopoulos, Billings, cello.
- Honorable Mention: Natalie Padilla, Bozeman , violin.
- College Division: Charles Martin, Bozeman, cello.
The judges were musicians Thad and Sue Suits, Great Falls, and Dr. Greg Young, Montana State University, Bozeman. Matthew Savery, Music Director of the Bozeman Symphony, and John Zoltek, Music Director of the Glacier Symphony, co-chaired the competition.
2003- Junior Division: Helene Werner, cello, Belgrade.
- Runner-up: Eric McEwen, piano, Helena.
- Honorable mention: Doug Brown, bassoon, Red Lodge.
- Senior Division: Alice Yoo, cello, Bozeman.
- Runner-up: Leah Emineth, violin, Great Falls
- Honorable mentions: Oliver Huang, piano, Butte, Andrea Padgett, French horn, Billings.
- College Division: Jacquelyn Marie Weitz, piano, Billings.
- Runner-up: Beth Morgan, flute, Bozeman.
- Honorable mention: Irene S. Duke, clarinet, Billings.
The three judges were musicians Norbert Boehm, Lethbridge, Marni Constantino, Great Falls, and Eric Funk, Bozeman. Gordon Johnson, Music Director of the Great Falls Symphony Orchestra chaired the competition.
2001
- Junior Division: Oliver Huang, piano, Butte.
- Runner-up: Leah Emineth, violin, Great Falls.
- Honorable mention: Alexandra Antonioli, piano, Butte.
- Senior Division: Jaquelyn Weitz, piano, Billings.
- Runner-up: Karin Hancock, piano, Great Falls.
- Honorable mentions: Brian Murphy, violin, Billings, Andrea Padgett, French horn, Billings.
- College Division: Andrew Schultz, clarinet, Bozeman.
- Runner-up: Megan Murphy, violini, Billings.
- Honorable mentions: Elijah Scheidler, piano, Ballantine Loy Koch, violin, Bozeman.
The three judges were Reid Merley, principal oboe, Glacier Orchestra, Linda Kuhn, principal cello, Helena Symphony, and Brian Johnson, pianist, on the faculty at Montana State University. The competition was chaired by Gordon Johnson, Music Director of the Great Falls Symphony Orchestra.
1999- Junior Division: Alice Yoo, cello, Bozeman.
- Runner-up: Oliver Huang, piano, Butte.
- Honorable mention: Eli Harmon, violin, Scobey.
- Senior Division: Julia Corey, cello, Bozeman.
- Runner-up: Robin Hok, piano, Kalispell.
- Honorable mentions: Billie Jean Howard, piano, Bozeman, Laura Trauscht, violin, Missoula.
- College Division: Jason Bell, violin, Missoula.
- Runner-up: Elizabeth Mick, flute, Missoula.
- Honorable mentions: Neel Hammond, violin, Billings, Will Scharen, trombone, Missoula, Laura Skinner, clarinet, Billings.
The single judge was Maestro Henry Charles Smith, Music Director of the South Dakota Symphony. Dr. Uri Barnea, Music Director of the Billings Symphony, chaired the competition.
