Competitions

Berkshire Symphony Student Soloist Competition

Competition Guidelines 2025

Date: TBA
Place: Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall, Bernhard Music Center, Williams College
Award: Appearance as soloist with the Berkshire Symphony on in April 2025

Eligibility
* Williams College sophomore, junior, and senior music students who are EITHER…
a) taking music lessons at Williams in the instrumental or vocal area in which they are competing…AND/OR…
b) participating in a faculty-directed music department ensemble or chamber music program for the whole academic year

Contestants on fall study-abroad programs or leave can qualify
• if they take lessons or participate in a music department ensemble or chamber music programs spring semester

Past winners
• Past winners of the Berkshire Symphony Student Soloist Competition are not eligible to compete
• Exception: if a winner was unable to perform on the concert, they may compete again in a following year

Applying
1) Consult your teacher regarding an appropriate work. Suggested length is 15 minutes or less (concerto movement, a single-movement work, a concert or operatic aria, song cycle, etc., for soloist and orchestra)
2) Contact the Berkshire Symphony director and submit the title of the work
3) After approval from both your teacher and the director, please submit an online application (link below goes live in September)

Expectations
• Each student performs the selection from memory for the competition and concert.
• The audition lasts a maximum of 10 minutes, even if the selection is longer.
• The Selection Committee may ask to hear different sections of the piece.
• Students provide their own accompanists, or, upon request, a professional accompanist can be provided for the competition and optional recitals.**
• Competitors may not also be accompanists.
• Opportunities to prepare include two optional recitals in Brooks-Rogers Recital Hall.
• Students are required to upload a PDF of their selection with the application.
• The competition is a public event. Concert dress and demeanor is expected.

Selection
• A Selection Committee of professional musicians from outside the Williams community chooses winners.
• Selection Committee comments can be made available to competitors upon request.

Deadlines
• Applicants must have clearance from both their teacher and the director BEFORE applying online. Start early!
• We suggest completing your application before Thanksgiving break.

Submitting an Application
*Don’t forget to consult with your teacher or ensemble director before applying
*Be sure to get clearance for your piece from the Berkshire Symphony director before applying
*Make sure you are signed into your williams.edu account
*The link for the 2025 competition will be made active in September

“The Berkshire Symphony is comprised of Williams College students, distinguished Artist Associates, and area professionals. Throughout the year, students and teachers work hand in hand in an environment that honors hard work and fosters respect. The programs each year expose the students to a broad range of symphonic repertoire. With musical selections spanning four centuries, and under the guidance of our excellent faculty, students experience ensemble playing on a level rarely offered in comparable educational settings.”

— Ronald Feldman, director

Application Form inactive (opens September 2024)

(When form is active, you must be signed into your Williams account to access)

  • 2022

    • Hanbin Koo ’22, flute
    • Izaki Metropoulos ’22, tenor
    • Leah Rosenman ’24, mezzo-soprano
    • Sara Stebbins ’24, soprano

    2020

    • Rebecca Christainsen ’21, viola
    • Christopher Chung ’22
    • Emily Ham ’22, mezzo-soprano
    • Alexandra Medeiros ’20, piano & Gabrielle Wolfe ’20, piano

    2019

    • Sebastian Black ‘19, piano
    • Angela Chan ‘19, pipa
    • Erin Kennedy ‘19, soprano
    • Jeff Pearson ‘20, violin

    2018

    • Calvin Ludwig ‘18, flute
    • Benjamin Mygatt ‘20, violin
    • Qiana Yang ‘19, piano

    2017

    • Anna DeLoi ’18, harp
    • Joyce Lee ’17, piano
    • Tiffany Sun ’18, flute
    • Harold Theurer ’17, baritone

    2016

    • Stephen Ai ’18 and Michael Chen ’18, piano
    • Scott Daniel ’17, violin
    • Claire Leyden ’16, soprano
    • Nathaniel Vilas ’17, piano

    2015

    • Anna DeLoi ’18, harp
    • Robin Park ’17, piano
    • Tiffany Sun ’18, flute

    2014

    • Lysander Jaffe ’14, viola
    • Claire Leyden ’16, soprano
    • Joyce Lee ’17, piano

    2013

    • Patricia Ho ’16, cello
    • Cassandra McLellan ’14, percussion
    • Elaina Pullano ’15, mezzo soprano
    • Robert Yang, ’15, cello

    2012

    • Annie Jeong ’14, flute
    • David Kealhofer ’13, cello
    • Daniel Schreiner ’14, piano

    2011

    • Noah Fields ’11, viola
    • Holly Fisher ’13, soprano
    • Jingyi Liu ’14, flute
    • Madura Watanagase ’12, piano

    2010

    • David Kealhofer ’13, cello
    • Hannah Smith-Drelich ’10, clarinet
    • Laone Thekiso ’12, piano

    2009

    • Alicia Choi ‘09, violin
    • Alexander Taylor ’10, clarinet
    • Tiffany Yu ’12, piano

    2008

    • Christine Bowman ’11, piano
    • Meng-Lun Hsieh ’08, piano
    • Noah Lindquist ’08, piano
    • Kathleen Palmer ’10, cello

    2007

    • Sylvia Lou ’09, cello
    • Hanna Na ’08, violin
    • Helen Selonick ’07, harp
    • Joseph Shippee ’07, piano

    2006

    • Alicia Choi ‘09, violin
    • Jason Fan ‘08, piano
    • Elizabeth Schwartzman ‘08, piano

    2005

    • Thomas Anderson ‘06, baritone
    • Noah Lindquist ‘08, piano
    • Hanna Na ‘08, violin
    • Jeff Wessler ‘07, flute

    2004

    • Talia Allenberg-Mailman ‘06, harp
    • Joseph Shippee ‘07, piano
    • Loren Silvertrust ‘04, violin

    2003

    • Noah Capurso ‘05, cello
    • Matthew Resseger ‘05, oboe
    • Joo-Hee Suh ‘03, piano
    • Ian Warrington ‘03, violin

    2002

    • Paul LaRosa ‘02, voice
    • Katherine Saxon ‘03, voice
    • Shomik Dutta ‘05, violin

    2001

    • Jonathan Salter ‘02, clarinet
    • Aaron Berman ‘01 and Ryan McNaughton ‘01, piano duo

    2000

    • Jennifer Lee ‘02, cello
    • Jessica Robbins ‘01, flute
    • Joo-Hee Suh ‘03, piano

    1999

    • Richard Giarusso ‘00, voice
    • Heather Kovich ‘99, bassoon
    • Sarah Song ‘00, piano
    • Alexandre Wolfe ‘99, violin

    1998

    • Gabriela Pereira ‘00, violin
    • Ryan McNaughton ‘01, piano

    1997

    • Sarah Leung ‘98, piano
    • Ifeoma Okwuje ‘99, piano
    • Alexandre Wolfe ‘99, violin

    1996

    • Elliott Sohn ‘98, clarinet
    • Leo Tsai ‘98, violin
    • Amaranta Viera ‘96, voice

    1995

    • Nathaniel Farny ‘96, violin
    • Jessica Jensen-Moulton ‘97, voice
    • Alexandra Steinberg ’97, piano

    1994

    • Douglas Brandoff ‘95, cello
    • Nancy Chen ‘96, piano
    • Leika Kihara ‘SF, piano

    1993

    • Mahri Relin ‘95, flute
    • Douglas Craig ‘93, marimba

    1992

    • Charles Becker ‘92, voice
    • Abbygail Dobson ‘92, voice
    • Paul Gaspar ‘92, violin
    • Heather Rieff ‘92, violin

    1991

    • Michael Cole ‘91, piano
    • Lisa Kable ‘91, voice
    • Marica Tacconi ‘92, harpsichord
    • Jennifer Wolfman ‘91, flute

    1990

    • Dennis Kuo ’93, piano

    1989

    • Jay R. Hartley ‘90, bassoon

    1988

    • Rachel Tritt ’90, piano
    • Lillian Kessler ’88 and Jeanette Dell ’88, violin duo

    Student soloists prior to competition

    • 1987: Amy Champagne ’87, piano
    • 1986: Tara Kazak ’86, flute
    • 1986: Valerie Anastasio ‘86, voice
    • 1985: Tracey Tenser ‘85, flute
    • 1981: Todd Greenwald ‘81, flute
    • 1980: Jonathan Hammond, Jr. ‘80, clarinet