Youth Concerto Competition
Conductor: Andrew Groch
Compere: Phillip Sametz
Adjudicator: Sophie Rowell
The Preston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition is one of the few opportunities for talented young musicians to perform a concerto work with a full symphony orchestra. The competition has been running since 1988 and 2024 was the 35th occasion.
The Winners
The winner of the 2024 Preston Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition is the 15-year old cellist Maggie Wang. Maggie played Tchaikovsky’s ‘Variations on a Rococo Theme’ at the competition concert, held this year at the Darebin Arts Centre. The adjudicator was Sophie Rowell, artistic director of the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.
The Audience Prize went to double bass player Derek Chen Ao Wei, who played the first two movements of Koussevitsky’s Concerto for Double Bass.
The awards were presented by the Mayor of Darebin, Susanne Newton.
Many thanks to all the entrants to this year’s competition – those who submitted videos in the first round, and those who participated in the second round of auditions at Bernie’s Musicland in May (big thanks to Bernie for his continued support of the Preston Symphony and the Youth Concerto Competition).
The competition will take place again in 2025, for more details see the Youth Concerto Competition information page.
The Contestants & Music
Charlie Wu
Piano
Mendelssohn, Piano concerto no1, Mvts 1&2
Derek Chen Ao Wei
Double bass
Koussevitsky, Concerto for Double bass, Mvts 1&2
Maggie Wang
Cello
Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme, Theme & variations (1, 2, 3, 7)
Interval
Ethan Chiao
Cello
Shostakovich, Cello concerto no1, Mvt 1
Ethan Borg
Bassoon
Weber, Andante and Rondo for Bassoon
David Chon
Violin
Tchaikovsky, Violin concerto Mvt 3