Congratulations to the finalists of the 2025 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 saxophonist Sunny Wu (BMUS ‘27) for winning First Prize for his performance of Jacques Ibert’s Concertino da camera for Alto Saxophone & Orchestra.
We would also like to congratulate 1st runner up Linda Ruan (piano) who performed Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30 and 2nd runner up Elizabeth Petersen (voice) who performed Franz Joseph Haydn’s Scena di Berenice Hob. XXIVa10 for beautiful and inspired performances.
Linda Ruan (piano)
Elizabeth Petersen (voice)
Sunny Wu will perform Jacques Ibert’s Concertino da camera for Alto Saxophone & Orchestra with the UBC Symphony Orchestra later this term!
Thank you to jurors Leila Getz, CM, OBC, Emma Ringrose and Ellie Silverman 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
2024: Harry Xie (Concerto for Alto Saxophone by Henri Tomasi)
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 )
