Briggs Chamber Music Competition
The Briggs Competition is made possible by support from the Dale & Nancy Briggs Chamber Music Endowed Enrichment Fund. The annual competition was launched in 2014, with guest judges selecting winners from groups representing the breadth of SMTD’s chamber music offerings.
Prizes
First prize: $5,000
Second prize: $3,000
Third Prize: $2,000
Honorable mentions: $500 each
Michigan Composition Prize: $2,000 for best performance of a piece written by a University of Michigan composer (either a current student or a recent graduate)
Eligibility
Open to any instrumentation/voice types in unconducted groups of 3-10 members. Every member of an entering group must be enrolled at the University of Michigan in winter semester 2023.
Repertoire
As part of their application, groups must submit a repertoire list with at least 40 minutes of music and at least two complete works. The remainder of the list may be individual movements or shorter works. Every repertoire list will be evaluated for rigor before applications are accepted, and programming choices will factor into adjudication.
Past Competition Winners & Judges
2022
JUDGES
Mariam Adam, clarinet, Vanderbilt University (formerly Imani Winds)
Rebecca Fischer, violin, Mannes School of Music (formerly Chiara Quartet)
Jonathan Hulting-Cohen, saxophone, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Sophie Shao, cello, University of Connecticut
Yevgeny Yontov, piano, Bowling Green State University
FIRST PRIZE
Trio Matisse
Nickolas Hamblin, clarinet
Benjamin Penzner, viola
Ariya Laothitipang, piano
SECOND PRIZE
Trio Amabile
Jordan Bartel, violin
Emma Cary, cello
Tzu Kuang Tan, piano
THIRD PRIZE
Eros Quartet
Philip Kleutgens, soprano saxophone
Jordan Savage, alto saxophone
Roberto Campa, tenor saxophone
Jason Frazier, baritone saxophone
MICHIGAN PRIZE – Tekhenu Quartet for God Forbid by Griffin Candey
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Tekhenu Quartet
Maria Torres-Melgares, soprano saxophone
Andrew MacRossie, alto saxophone
Andrew Hosler, tenor saxophone
Alex Toth, baritone saxophone
Novus Reed Quintet
Nadia Para, oboe
Triniti Rives, clarinet
Haruka Taguchi, alto saxophone
Benjamin Richard, bassoon
Benjamin Taylor, bass clarinet
2021
JUDGES
Chris Anderson, trombone, (Oberlin Conservatory)
Steven Banks, saxophone, (Ithaca College)
Souren Bagratuni, cello, (Michigan State University)
Sang Mee Lee, violin, (Music Institute of Chicago)
Natalie Zhu, piano, (Kingston Chamber Music Festival)
FIRST PRIZE
Aero Quartet
Salvador Flores, soprano saxophone
Walt Puyear, alto saxophone
Matthew Koester, tenor saxophone
Brian Kachur, baritone saxophone
SECOND PRIZE
Eros Quartet
Philip Kleutgens, soprano saxophone
Jordan Savage, alto saxophone
Roberto Campa, tenor saxophone
Jason Frazier, baritone saxophone
THIRD PRIZE
Brahms Trio
Everett Rutledge, clarinet
Andres Ayerbe, cello
Peter Smith, piano
MICHIGAN PRIZE
Aero Quartet for Shifting Gears by Corey Dundee
2020 - Canceled due to COVID-19
2019
JUDGES
Steven Beck, piano (New York Philharmonic)
Sibbi Bernhardsson, violin (Oberlin Conservatory)
Vincent Chandler, jazz trombone (Wayne State University)
Monica Ellis, bassoon (Imani Winds)
Aiyun Huang, percussion (University of Toronto)
FIRST PRIZE
Westbound Situation Trio
Grant Flick, violin
Matthew Davis, banjo
Jacob Warren, double bass
SECOND PRIZE
Sapphirus Quartet
Chad Lilley, soprano saxophone
Andrew Hasher, alto saxophone
Connor O’Toole, tenor saxophone
Matthew Koester, baritone saxophone
THIRD PRIZE
Cerulean Quartet
Salvador Flores, soprano saxophone
Mitchell Luttermoser, alto saxophone
Alex Gurchinoff, tenor saxophone
Brian Kachur, baritone saxophone
Heriya Trio
Heewon Uhm, violin
Mary Fortino, clarinet
Xiaoya Liu, piano
MICHIGAN PRIZE
Cerulean Quartet for Hell or High Water by Jules Pegram
2018
JUDGES
Kirsten Docter, viola (Oberlin Conservatory)
Nathalie Joachim, flute (Eighth Blackbird)
Peter Miyamoto, piano (University of Missouri)
FIRST PRIZE
Ivalas Quartet
Reuben Kebede, vioin
Anita Dumar, violin
Caleb Georges, viola
Pedro Sánchez, cello
SECOND PRIZE
Saros Trio
Mickayla Chapman, clarinet
Chase Ward, violin
Shane McFadden, piano
THIRD PRIZE
Vayu Quintet
Anna Thompson, flute
Sagar Anupindi, oboe
Taylor Isberg, clarinet
Michaela Clague, horn
Daniel Fendrick, bassoon
Front Porch
Benjamin Jackson, violin
Maddy Wildman, bassoon
Jacob Rogers, percussion
Karalyn Schubring, piano
MICHIGAN PRIZE
Saros Trio for sb3 by Corey Dundee
2017
JUDGES
Philip Bush, piano (University of South Carolina)
Scott Hartman, trombone (Yale University)
Minghuan Xu, violin (Roosevelt University)
FIRST PRIZE
Koinonia Trio
Christine Harada Li, violin
Nathaniel Pierce, cello
Hyejin Cho, piano
SECOND PRIZE
Vanguard Reed Quintet
Sagar Anupindi, oboe
Joseph Velez, clarinet
Sean Meyers, saxophone
Joseph Swift, bassoon
Danny Mui, bass clarinet
THIRD PRIZE
Sapphirus Quartet
Charles Lilley, soprano saxophone
Emmett Rapaport, alto saxophone
Connor O’Toole, tenor saxophone
Liam Dilenschneider, baritone saxophone
MICHIGAN PRIZE
Vanguard Reed Quintet for Refraction by David Biedenbender.
2016
JUDGES
David Bowlin, violin (Oberlin Conservatory)
Jonathan Gunn, clarinet (Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)
James Howsmon, piano (Oberlin Conservatory)
FIRST PRIZE
Adamas Quartet
Russell Kerns, soprano saxophone
Connor Mikula, alto saxophone
Jonathan Hostottle, tenor saxophone
Jeffrey Leung, baritone saxophone<
SECOND PRIZE
Clarinet Quintet
Joey Valez, clarinet
Daniel Martinec, clarinet
Stephen Chow, clarinet
Jakob Lenhardt, clarinet
Mathieu Girardet, clarinet
THIRD PRIZE
String Quartet
Nicole Yue Fan, violin
Jecoliah Wang, violin
Abigail Choi, viola
Isabel Kwon, cello
2015
JUDGES
Donald Baker, oboe (Detroit Symphony Orchestra)
Jean-Louis Haguenauer, piano (Indiana University)
Peter Salaff, violin (Cincinnati Institute of Music)
FIRST PRIZE
Eero Saxophone Quartet
David Foley, soprano saxophone
Andrea Voulgaris, alto saxophone
Lisa Keeney, tenor saxophone
Brendan Kelly, baritone saxophone
SECOND PRIZE
String Trio
Grace Kim, violin
Omar Shelley, viola
Chris Young, cello