Congratulations to the finalists of the 2024 UBC School of Music Concerto Competition! It was a strong competition with exceptional performances from all students.
This annual event is an opportunity for UBC music students to earn a coveted spot as a solo performer with the UBC Symphony Orchestra. Competitors select virtuosic works which highlight their technical and expressive abilities as musicians.
We are thrilled to congratulate Harry Xie (saxophone) (DPMS ’24) (pictured) for winning First Prize for his performance of Henri Tomasi’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone. Harry is currently pursuing a Diploma in Music Performance and studies with Julia Nolan.
We would also like to congratulate runner up Yanqing Zhang (clarinet) (DMA candidate) who performed Óscar Navarro’s III CONCERTO for Bb/Eb Clarinet for a beautiful and inspired performance.
Harry Xie will perform Henri Tomasi’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone with the UBC Symphony Orchestra on March 8!
Thank you to jurors Marc Destrubé, Ian Parker and Jacques Lacombe for their wisdom, time and expertise.
And thank you to everyone who came out to support our students and to all who worked so hard to put this competition together. As always, it was a brilliant evening of music!
Previous winners
2023: Jaeden Izik-Dzurko (Piano Concerto No. 2 in C Minor, Op. 18, by Sergei Rachmaninoff))
2021: Hamilton Lau piano (Piano Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp minor, Op. 1 by Sergei Rachmaninoff)
2020: Bernardino Assunçao clarinet (Clarinet Concerto, Op. 57 by Carl Nielsen)
2019: D’Arcy Blunston soprano (Les illuminations de Rimbaud, Op. 18 by Benjamin Britten)
2018: Carter Johnson piano (Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 by Sergei Prokofiev)
2017: Benjamin Hopkins piano (Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor by Brahms)
2016: Melody Yuan violin (Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major by Sergei Prokofiev)
2015: Ryan Essau flute (Concerto for Flute by Jacques Ibert )
