The Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Young Artist Competition is unique among instrumental competitions in that it is one of the few which includes all standard orchestral instruments.  This is consistent with the vision of Miss Hogg, two of whose passions were fostering young talent and supporting the Houston Symphony.  For over 30 years the Competition has featured the rising stars of the classical music world.

The 2008 Competition takes place June 5-7 at Stude Concert Hall at the Shepherd School of Music, Rice University.  The semifinal round will be held on Thursday, June 5 from 9 am until approximately 4 pm.  Ten semifinalists, selected from an earlier preliminary round, each perform for 30 minutes.  Four finalists selected at the end of Thursday’s round each perform a concerto with the Houston Symphony at the Finals Concert on Saturday, June 7. 

Both rounds are open to the public.  Admission to the semifinals is free.  For tickets to the Finals concert, click here.

Come and hear these up-and-coming musicians perform their musical magic!

Semifinalist Bios

Cellist Laszlo Mezo Arruda now attends the University of Southern California and has master’s degrees from Ferenc Liszt Music University and the Hochschule fur Musik and Theater Munich.

Violinist Jinjoo Cho is currently enrolled at the Cleveland Institute of Music and has appeared in solo performances with the Cleveland Orchestra and Quebec Symphony.

Yoonjung Han, piano, attends Juilliard and is a graduate of the Curtis Institute.  She has won numerous awards and competitions and has performed with orchestras in Buffalo, Seoul, and Helsinki, to name a few.

Pianist Jeewon Lee is a graduate of Juilliard and Northwestern and is currently studying at Rice.  She is a Young Musicians Foundation Award winner and won the New West Symphony Concerto Competition.

Jinwoo Lee, violin, attends the Juilliard School and has performed solo recitals in the USA, Europe, and Asia.

Wei Chen Lin, marimba, is a Master of Music candidate at Boston University and has numerous awards, competitions, and solo experience to his credit.

Pianist Alex McDonald now attends Juilliard, having graduated from the New England Conservatory.  In addition to several competition awards and prizes, he has appeared with numerous orchestras and in recital and radio broadcasts across the country.

MiJung Park, piano, is a DMA candidate at Boston University, having received BM and MM degrees from the New England Conservatory.  She has won numerous competitions in the US and Korea, and has made solo appearances in Italy, Korea, and the US.

Clarinetist Maksim Shtrykov is a graduate of Juilliard and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Music at The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

Violinist Chloe Trevor attends the Cleveland Institute and was a winner at their Concerto Competition, in addition to the Lynn Harrell, Lennox International, and other competitions.  She has also performed with orchestras on several continents.