Congratulations to the finalists of the 2026 UBC School of Music Concerto Competition! It was a strong competition with exceptional performances from all students.
Pianist Brian Sun
We are thrilled to congratulate BMus student and pianist Brian Sun for receiving First Prize for his outstanding performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43. Brian will perform Rachmaninoff’s work with the UBC Symphony Orchestra and conductor Jonathan Girard later this term—a performance we eagerly look forward to.
Hamilton Lau
Warm congratulations also goes to runner-up Hamilton Lau (piano), whose performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16 was beautiful and inspired.
We extend our sincere gratitude to Director of Orchestras Jonathan Girard and to jurors Denise Ball, Jesse Read, and Xin Xin for their wisdom, time, and expertise.
Thank you to all who came out to support our students, as well as to everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this competition possible. As always, it was a brilliant evening of music!
The UBC Concerto Competition 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.
Previous winners
2025: Sunny Wu (Jacques Ibert’s Concertino da camera for Alto Saxophone & Orchestra)
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 )
