EMERGING SOLOIST COMPETITION

Colorado’s Premier Emerging Artist Competition

Perform with a professional orchestra and a world-class conductor, receive an HD video and audio recording with an orchestra for your portfolio, and earn a prize of $2,000 PLUS $500 towards a charity* of your choice.

2020 Competition Winner: Francesca Leo, Flute

The Chamber Orchestra of the Springs’ EMERGING SOLOIST COMPETITION provides pre-professional musicians an unforgettable opportunity to showcase their artistry: a feature performance on one of the Chamber Orchestra’s main season Subscription Series concerts.

ELIGIBILITY:

Applicants must be an undergraduate student, graduate student, or a recent alum (class of 2024, 2025, or 2026 - graduate or undergraduate degree).

Contestants are required to have US citizenship or permanent residency.

ENTRY FEE: $40

Entry fees are non-refundable.

The Chamber Orchestra of the Springs believes that ability to pay should not impact someone’s ability to pursue artistic excellence. Therefore, any prospective contestant experiencing financial hardship may request discounted entry via our Affordability Hotline.

2019 Competition Winner: Justin Douté, Percussion

PRIZES:

WINNER: $2,000 + $500 to charity of your choice + Perform your winning piece with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs in 2027-2028

RUNNER-UP: $500

TIMELINE:

Application Deadline: October 15th, 2026 - 11:59 PM MT

Winner Announced: December 2026

Winner Performs their piece with Chamber Orchestra: 2027-2028 Season

    1. Applicants must submit a video link of their performance of a work for soloist and chamber orchestra - applicants may be accompanied by a pianist or a full ensemble.

    2. There are no restrictions on repertoire length, composer, or time period - both concertos and other solo concert works are acceptable. Full works are preferred, but substantive movements are also acceptable. Works longer than 8 minutes are preferred, but shorter works will still be considered.

    3. The work MUST adhere to a maximum instrumentation of 2222 - 2200 - T + 1P - Strings, plus any three additional players. These additional players may be extra woodwinds, brass, piano, harp, percussion, etc. If an applicant’s work requires forces beyond this instrumentation, and the three extras, they must apply for a waiver by email before entering.

    4. The video submission must include everything to be played (either full work or the substantive movement) and must be unedited except where appropriate between movements. Cuts between cameras during a single performance is acceptable. Applications are not judged on video quality or production value.

    5. Applicants must also submit a 100-250 word statement describing the charity* towards which their $500 will be directed if they win, and why they chose it. This statement is not a part of the judging criteria and is only used to identify the charity of choice. The applicant’s charity need not have a music-related mission.

      * - All charity selections MUST be a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

    6. Winners will perform the piece with which they entered with the Chamber Orchestra in the season after they apply (e.g. - the 2025 competition winner will perform during the 2026-2027 season). Winners must be available to travel to Colorado Springs for all rehearsal and performance dates - a $500 travel allowance will be provided.

  • The only selection criteria for winners are artistic excellence and the application’s compatibility with the programming style and instrumentation of the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs. Entries are NOT judged by video quality or production value.

    Depending on the number of entries, judging may take place over a number of rounds with a variety of different panels comprised of Chamber Orchestra musicians, staff, and prominent figures from the Colorado Springs musical community.

    The Chamber Orchestra of the Springs follows our non-discrimination policy in all levels of operation, including competitions. No information regarding a contestant’s area of residence, former or current teachers, former or current schools, or former or current colleges will be provided to the judges to determine the winner. Personal information, graduation information, and charity selection are used only to determine eligibility.

Questions? Email us here.

APPLY FOR THE 2026 EMERGING SOLOIST COMPETITION

Applications must be accompanied by an entry fee, unless an exemption has been provided through our Affordability Program. You may submit payment here.

2025 WINNER - Victor Shlyakhtenko, Piano
Piano Concerto No. 1 - Franz Liszt

Hailed by the LA Opus for his “formidable display of pianism and impeccable clarity,” pianist Victor Shlyakhtenko will come to Colorado Springs to perform Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 as the winner of the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs’ 2025 Emerging Soloist Competition.

Victor’s connection with Colorado audiences dates back to 2015, when he made his professional debut at age 13 with the Boulder Chamber Orchestra. He later appeared on Aspen Public Radio in 2019.

More recently, he has performed with the Panama City Symphony in Florida and the Delta Symphony Orchestra in Arkansas, and has given recitals for the Grand Piano Series in Naples and the Palm Springs International Piano Competition. A prizewinner of the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition and the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition, he has appeared with over a dozen orchestras in concertos by Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Grieg, Liszt, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, and Clara Schumann. His solo performances have taken him to venues including Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, he began his training at the Colburn School of Performing Arts, where his teachers included Fabio Bidini and Teresa de Jong-Pombo.  He later continued his piano studies at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio with Stanislav Ioudenitch and José Ramón Méndez. Victor is an alumnus of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation’s Young Scholars Program and has performed in masterclasses for artists such as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Niel Immelman, Marios Papadopoulos, and Bruno Canino.

Alongside his piano career, he maintains an active engagement in orchestral conducting, recently leading a performance of Borodin’s Polovtsian Dances alongside performing Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1, and serving as Assistant Conductor of the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra during the 2024–25 season.

Victor will perform with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs in January 2027 - details to come soon!

2025 Competition Runner Up

  • Brooklyn-born mezzo-soprano Ori Marcu is celebrated for her compelling acting and distinctive sound. In 2025 she earned high praise from The Washington Post as the “favorite singer of the evening” for her performance as Erika in Heartbeat Opera’s production of Vanessa. A versatile performer, she has taken on roles such as Bradamante in Händel’s Alcina and Tara in Anthony Davis’ Lear on the 2nd Floor.

    Ori has been recognized in numerous competitions, her achievements including a first-prize win in the Kyrenia Opera Competition, a first-prize win in the inaugural Portland Opera Guild Competition, a second-prize win in the Friends of Eastman Opera Competition, and reaching the final and semi-final of the Mildred Miller and Camille Coloratura competitions respectively. Her recent stage credits include Ohio Light Opera’s 45th season, where she sang the roles of Adelaide in Guys and Dolls, Liesl in The Sound of Music, and Tessa in The Gondoliers. Her Adelaide was hailed as “brilliantly performed” by Cleveland Classical.

    Multiple operatic training programs have included Ori in their roster of resident artists including Palm Beach Opera, Amherst Early Music Festival, and the Lakes Area Music Festival. At these programs she worked with renowned artists such as Julia Bullock, Julianne Baird, Christian Reif, and Omer Ben-Seadia.

    In addition to her performance career Ori has gained experienced behind the scenes, working as assistant director and assistant stage manager for productions with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Eastman Opera Theater, Rochester Summer Opera, and Berlin Opera Academy.

2024 WINNER: Arin Sarkissian, Flute
Flute Concerto, 'Dances with the Winds' • by Einojuhani Rautavaara

Residing in British Columbia, Arin Sarkissian is the Principal Flutist of the Victoria Symphony.

The Toronto-born artist was awarded the 2024 Michael Measures 1st Prize by the Canada Council for the Arts and 1st Prize at Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal’s 2020 Concours. Sarkissian performs regularly as featured soloist both in Victoria and beyond, most recently as featured soloist on tour with the National Youth Orchestra of Canada and in a solo recital broadcasted by CBC on behalf of Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal. Orchestral appearances included invitations as fellow with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, substitute for the Vancouver Symphony, and guest Principal Flute with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Arin also enjoys performing alongside harpist Kaitlin Miller as Duo Duoro, most recently on tour in Washington and throughout Southern California as the Chamber Ensemble winner of the 2024 Frances Walton Competition.

Sarkissian graduated in the class of 2021 from Rice University with a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance with Distinction in Research and Creative Works, studying under the professorship of Leone Buyse. He also obtained a Performance Certificate from The Colburn School, where he studied with Jim Walker in Los Angeles.

Arin will perform with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs in our 2025-26 season - Dances with the Winds — Chamber Orchestra of the Springs

2024 Competition Runners-Up

  • L.V. Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58

    American pianist Evren Ozel has gained recognition for his “refined restraint” (Third Coast Review) and thoughtful interpretations. A 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant and 2022 Salon de Virtuosi Career Grant recipient, he is represented by Concert Artists Guild as a 2021 Ambassador Prize Winner of their competition.

    Ozel made his debut with the Minnesota Orchestra at age 11 and has since appeared as a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, and The Orchestra Now, collaborating with conductors such as Jahja Ling and Leon Botstein. His debut album featuring Mozart Concertos with the ORF Radio Symphony of Vienna and Howard Griffiths is set for release in 2025 on Alpha Classics.

    Highlights of his 2024-25 season include solo recitals for La Jolla Music Society and Cal Performances, a tour with Musicians from Marlboro, and performances at Alice Tully Hall as part of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program. A sought-after chamber musician, Ozel has performed with artists including David Finckel, Wu Han, and Zlatomir Fung.

    A laureate of the 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition, Ozel’s upcoming international recitals include appearances in Paris, Germany, and Lithuania. He studied at New England Conservatory, where he is currently part of their exclusive Institute for Concert Artists program under the guidance of Wha Kyung Byun. His other mentors include Jonathan Biss, Imogen Cooper, Richard Goode, Andras Schiff, and Mitsuko Uchida.

  • Geraldine Green - Bass Clarinet Concerto

    Trey Tillotson is a clarinetist and composer from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2024, he graduated from the Wheaton College Conservatory in Illinois after studying clarinet under Trevor O’Riordan and Elizabeth Kapitaniuk and composition under Shawn E. Okpebholo, Xavier Beteta, Misook Kim, and Howie Whitaker. While at Wheaton, he was the 2023 winner of the concerto competition and was awarded the Presser Foundation and Stella Russell scholarships, the two most prestigious music scholarships at the institution. Prior to undergrad, he studied clarinet with the Pittsburgh Symphony’s Jack Howell and performed with the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra.


    Tillotson has performed principal clarinet on many major works including Respighi’s “Pines of Rome” and Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” As an advocate for new music, Tilloton has premiered over 20 pieces in the past five years. In 2024, he presented a solo recital consisting of five 20th and 21st-century composers while playing four different clarinets. He has recently played clarinet with the Wheaton Municipal Band and E-flat clarinet with The Naperville Winds.


    As a composer, Tillotson’s works have been premiered by members of the Pittsburgh Symphony, new music ensemble The _____ Experiment, conductor Jerry Blackstone, conductor Brady McNeil, cellist T.J. Borden, and more. In 2023, he studied as a composition fellow at the Brevard Summer Music Festival where he was a finalist in the orchestral composition competition.

    Tillotson is currently a member of the Millenium Composers Initiative and is registered with ASCAP.

2023 WINNER - Ben Albertson, Harp
Konzertstück - Gabriel Pierné

Ben Albertson has performed for over sixteen years throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Ben’s recent accomplishments include his appointment as the principal harpist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, and his distinction of being a winner of the Robert W. and G. Ann Corcoran Competition. Ben was one of five Americans selected to represent the nation at the 2022 edition of the USA International Harp Competition, the world’s largest.

Other recent accomplishments include being the youngest finalist in the American Harp Society’s National Competition in the Young Professional Division; his solo debut on WQXR, New York’s classical radio station; and his solo debut with the Eleva Chamber Players in Vermont. Ben is also an active chamber musician, recently recording on an album with Mayumi Seiler, a violinist on faculty at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto; making his Ohio debut at the Cathedral Concert Series; and winning third prize in the Royal Conservatory’s chamber music competition.

Ben is currently in his first year as the principal harpist of the Tucson Symphony, the 2023/24 season. Ben received his education at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto on the full tuition merit-based Marylin and Charles E. Bailie Family Scholarship. Ben has also attended numerous summer music festivals on full scholarships, such as the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. Ben has studied with many of the world’s greatest harpists, such as Judy Loman. Ben is honored to play a historic Salzedo model harp that the great harpist Carlos Salzedo himself designed and played.

Ben performed with the Chamber Orchestra of the Springs in March 2025

2023 Competition Runners-Up

  • Johannes Brahms - Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 77

    Jason Moon studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and at the Juilliard School, where he is currently an undergraduate taught by Li Lin. He has performed as a soloist with the San Francisco Symphony and Peninsula Symphony Orchestras, among others. He has been a semi-finalist in the Jascha Heifetz International Competition for Violinists and the Schadt String Competition and is a laureate of the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition (Winner) and the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra Competition (Winner). Jason has attended music courses at the Taos School of Music, the Heifetz Institute, the Ashkenasi/Kirshbaum Chamber Music Seminar ad the Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival. He has given solo recitals at the Juilliard School, where he has also performed with his Piano Quartet.

  • Clara Schumann - Piano Concerto in A Minor

    Hailed by the Herald-Tribune for his “dazzling pianism verging on the impossible, effortless technical command and authority with a sense of poetry and refinement that belies his years,” Indian-American pianist Vijay Venkatesh has been recognized on three continents as a pianist with profound musicianship, sparkling pianism and an innate sense of partnership. Vijay, whose playing is described as “fresh and inspired,” (Cincinnati Courier) has rapidly established a major international reputation as top prizewinner in the San Jose, Seattle, Zimmerli, World Piano, and Waring International Piano Competitions. He has also been named a Davidson Fellow Laureate at the Library of Congress, USC Thornton's Discovery Scholar, Grand Prize Winner of the Los Angeles Music Center’s Spotlight Awards and featured on Performance Today® with host Fred Child, “What Makes It Great?” with host Robert Kapilow, and NPR’s “From the Top."

    An active chamber musician, Vijay has appeared eleven times on Le Salon de Musiques at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and tours as the Vieness Piano Duo with his wife pianist, Eva Schaumkell. Last season, they appeared for the DaCamera Society, Irvine Performing Arts Center, Trinity Concert Series, Lancaster Performing Arts Center, L’ermitage Foundation, Masters in the Chapel, Muzewest, Opera Steamboat, Ocean Grove Summer Stars Series, Ridgecrest Chamber Music Society, Second City Chamber Series, Sarasota Artist Series, South Bay Chamber Music Series, Westcliffe InConcert Series, and the Kultur unter'm Dach series in Germany. As pianist in the Aristeia Trio, gold medalists of the Frances Walton International Chamber Music Competition, they embarked on a 30-concert tour of Washington, appeared twice on KING-FM 89.1 FM, and have been featured at Camerata Musica and the Irvine Performing Arts Center.

    Originally from California, Venkatesh earned an Artist Diploma from the Colburn School in Los Angeles with Fabio Bidini, where he was generously awarded the prestigious Amron-Sutherland Grant for Pianists. He holds additional degrees from USC Thornton and IU Jacobs School of Music, where he was a recipient of the Barbara and David Jacobs Fellowship under the tutelage of Norman Krieger and André Watts. Venkatesh previously studied with Jeffrey Kahane, Sarkis Baltaian, Menahem Pressler, and Murray Perahia.