On January 8 and 9, SMTD held its annual Concerto Competition for undergraduate and graduate students. Anne-Marie Atanga (BMA ’26, voice) and Tieran Holmes (BM ’26, flute, music education) were named the undergraduate winners, and Cezary Karwowski (DMA ’28, piano; MM ’26, fortepiano), Grace Ryan (MM ’26, voice), and Jinzhao Xu (DMA ’28, piano) won the graduate competition. Each of the winners will perform their competition piece with one of the school’s major ensembles in a future concert at Hill Auditorium. The winners also receive the Bossart Prize, a monetary award.
Undergraduate Competition Winners
Anne-Marie Atanga, a soprano who studies with Stanford Olsen, performed Ophelia’s “Mad Scene” from Hamlet, composed by Ambroise Thomas. She partnered with Mariah Boucher on piano (BM ’06, piano; MM ’09, DMA ’12, collaborative piano). “I’m so honored to be one of the winners of the Undergraduate Concerto Competition,” Atanga shared. “This would not have been possible without my amazing teachers, supportive friends, and loving family.”
Performing Lowell Liebermann’s Concerto for Piccolo and Orchestra, Tieran Holmes partnered with Liz Ames, collaborative pianist for the Department of Winds and Percussion. “It has been a dream of mine to be able to play a concerto with an ensemble, and I am deeply grateful and honored to have the opportunity to perform with one of the outstanding university orchestras,” Holmes said. “I am sincerely thankful for the endless support of Professor Amy Porter and the flute studio, my collaborator Dr. Liz Ames, and my family and friends, and a special shoutout to my fiancé for always believing in me every step of the way.”
Graduate Competition Winners
Cezary Karwowski, partnered with collaborative pianists Linda Lee in the first round and Takeshi Nagayasu (DMA ’27, piano) in the final, performed Ignacy Jan Paderewski’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, op. 17. “Winning the SMTD Concerto Competition is so exciting and such an honor,” he stated. “I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I am especially looking forward to performing the Paderewski Piano Concerto and sharing the unique Polish piano repertoire with the SMTD community.” At SMTD, Karwowski studies piano with Logan Skelton and fortepiano with Matthew Bengtson. After the competition, he expressed his gratitude for many in the SMTD community and beyond: “I deeply appreciate the support from my professors, friends, family, and everyone at SMTD.”
Grace Ryan, a mezzo-soprano who studies with Stanford Olsen, performed a “Selection of Arias: Operatic Tellings of Cinderella,” singing arias from Jules Massenet’s Cendrillon and Gioachino Rossini’s La Cenerentola. For the competition, she collaborated with Ralph Chou (SM ’26, collaborative piano). “I am so honored to have been named one of this year’s winners amongst so many talented artists!,” Ryan shared. “I am so grateful to my voice teacher, professors, and coaches for their constant support and encouragement.”
A student of Christopher Harding, Jinzhao Xu performed Camille Saint-Saëns’s Piano Concerto no. 5 in F Major, op. 103 (“Egyptian”). He partnered with Seonghun Jeong (MM ’27, piano) in the preliminary round and Takeshi Nagayasu in the finals. “I’m so happy to win the competition with one of my favorite pieces,” Xu said. “I can’t wait to share this beautiful work with everyone, especially the audiences who haven’t really listened to it!” Xu also expressed his gratitude: “I want to thank my mentor, Professor Christopher Harding, who gives me endless care and support! Also, it was very touching that my former mentor, Professor Martin Katz, went to the final round to support me. And of course, thanks a lot to my two amazing collaborators, Seonghun and Takeshi, it was so great to make music with you two!”