Concerto Competitions
Young Artists Orchestra, Conservatory Orchestra, and String Ensemble hold annual concerto competitions in which members can showcase their solo repertoire. The winner of the competition has the distinction of performing their concerto at the spring concert. Each year approximately 40 orchestra members undertake the challenge of the concerto competition. In 2014, the YAO started a separate winds only concerto competition to take place at the fall retreat, to perform with the YAO Chamber Orchestra.
In 2020-2021 DYAO's Concerto Competition added the YMF Award to recognize the winners of each orchestra. In addition to the opportunity to perform with their orchestra, the YMF Award is funded by a generous gift given to DYAO by the Young Musicians Foundation of Colorado (YMF), an organization founded in 1984 by the late Colorado architect Dr. Walter F. Hellmich. Through its 36-year legacy, YMF supported young talented musicians from all over the Centennial State with stipends and performance opportunities. Over the course of its decades-long mission to serve and promote talented young instrumentalists, YMF funded over 130 gifted young Coloradans, many of whom were also members of DYAO through the years.
Auditions are open to DYAO members. For more questions, please contact our Orchestra Manager, Rachael DeLange.
2021-2022 Competition Winners
YAO Wind Concerto Competition: Laura Lambrech, oboe
YAO Concerto Competition: Rhianna Lingle, violin and AJ Hudson, percussion
Conservatory Orchestra Concerto Competition: Luciana Lee-Cheng, violin
String Ensemble Concerto Competition: Leonardo Kim, violin
2020-2021 Competition Winners
YAO Wind Concerto Competition: Tori Rognerud, flute & Hana Flood, piccolo
YAO Concerto Competition: Jessie Zimmermann, violin
Conservatory Orchestra Concerto Competition: Corvina Graham, flute
String Ensemble Concerto Competition: Akshaye Sankholkar, violin