High School Concerto Competition

Concerto Competition

Since 2001, the United States Navy Band has been proud to host and present the High School Concerto Competition.  This annual competition is an opportunity for talented local musicians to perform with the Navy Concert Band.  Encouraging young musicians is one of the Navy Band's education objectives, and the High School Concerto Competition provides an opportunity to work closely and feature some of the most dedicated students.  

Each year, interested students submit audio recordings for consideration in the preliminary round.  These recordings serve as the best representation of the students' playing.  After the Navy Band receives and evaluates the recordings, a select number of finalists are invited to the historic Washington Navy Yard to audition in person.  From this select group, the committee chooses a winner to perform with the Concert Band.  The winner rehearses with the band at the dress rehearsal and subsequently performs in concert.  The Concerto Competition concert is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year for both the Navy Band and National Capital Region audiences.

While the Navy Band is pleased to motivate and reward young musicians, the High School Concerto Competition is often more than a platform for students seeking a future in music.  While many past winners have gone on to pursue music professionally, a number of competition winners have pursued education and careers in fields as diverse as biology, physics and engineering.  The Navy Band considers it a pleasure to work with and inspire some of the leading minds of tomorrow.

2012 Concerto Competition Winner

Joshua Lauretig, Joshua Lauretig, hailed for his "considerable musicianship" and "beautiful rich sound" by clevelandclassical.com, has been performing both as a soloist and as an orchestral musician in Cleveland since he first picked up the instrument. In 2010, he made his solo debut with the Contemporary Youth Orchestra on William Alwyn's "Concerto for Oboe, Harp, and Strings." He made his Severance Hall debut shortly after, performing Ludwig August Lebrun's "Concerto No. 1 in D minor for Oboe and Orchestra" with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra, and has since performed Mozart's "Concerto for Oboe and Orchestra in C major" with the Lakeland Civic Orchestra and Telemann's "Concerto for Oboe and Continuo in F minor" with the Beachwood High School Orchestra.

Lauretig currently serves as principal oboe and solo English horn with the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra as well as principal oboe of the Contemporary Youth Orchestra. Recently he spent his summers at the Interlochen Arts Camp where he served as solo English horn of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra, featured on Respighi's "Pines of Rome," Richard Strauss's "Ein Heldenleben," and Antonin Dvorak's "Symphony No. 9 'From the New World,'" among others. He currently studies with Danna Sundet, and will be studying with Richard Woodhams at the Curtis Institute of Music this fall.

Concerto Competition Process

To be considered, eligible students should submit a high quality compact disc recording of the required piece of their choice from the repertoire list with accompaniment. The performance should be a complete and unedited version of the piece. The CD must be clearly marked with the applicant’s name, instrument, and the name of the piece. Recordings will not be returned.

 

Students should complete and return the enclosed application form with their CD in one package to the following address:

 

Navy Band High School Concerto Competition
ATTN: MUC Christina Bayes, Competition Coordinator
P.O. Box 70271
Washington, D.C. 20024-0271

 

Finalists will be notified and invited to perform in the final round of the competition in Washington, D.C.  Each finalist must provide an accompanist for the final round; all expenses incurred are the applicant’s responsibility.

 

The winner will prepare his or her solo with the Navy Band at the dress rehearsal for the concert.  Selected finalists will also be invited to prepare and perform an ensemble selection for the concert.  The winner will receive The Ambassador Middendorf Young Artist Award of $1000. In addition, the National Capital Council Navy League of the United States has generously donated awards of $250, $150 and $100 for first, second and third prizes.

The Navy Band hopes that either you, or your qualified students apply for this opportunity to perform with one of the nation’s finest concert bands.  It will be our pleasure to share the stage with these dedicated and talented young musicians.

 

 

 

Past Winners

2011

 

Dominic Favia,

trumpet

Oakton High School, Vienna, Va.

2010

 

Andrew Eshbach,

oboe

Fairfax High School, Fairfax, Va.

2009

 

Rebekah Carpio,

clarinet

James Madison High School, Vienna, Va.

2008

 

Chao Xue,

oboe

Montgomery Blair High School , Wheaton, Md.

2007

 

Ashley Kong

flute

Oakton High School, Oakton, Va.

 

2006

 

Xavier Verna,

marimba

Thomas Edison High School, Alexandria, Va.

 

2005

 

Joy Fraser,

bassoon

Altholton High School, Columbia, Md.

and

Samuel Funkhouser,

euphonium

Central High School, Woodstock, Va.

 

2004

 

Alicia Murai,

flute

Loch Raven High School, Towson, Md.

 

2003

 

Giancarlo Garcia ,

clarinet

McLean High School, McLean, Va.

 

2002

 

Alicia Murai,

marimba

Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke, Va.

 

2001

 

Stephen Secules ,

marimba

Eleanor Roosevelt High School , Greenbelt, Md.

 

Applicaton Form

 

Navy Band Concerto Competition Application Form

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repertoire List

 

Navy Band Concerto Competition Required Solo List

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact

For more information, contact the Concerto Competition Coordinator via e-mail at NavyBand.Concerto@navy.mil.