Our Youth Programs

For over sixty years, the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra has been committed to enriching the culture and encouraging the musical advancement of youth. School-age children and students of all ages receive deep discounts on our subscriptions and individual concert tickets. The MSO also encourages musically talented local youth through our special programs: the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition and the Michael H. Goldwasser Scholarship.

The Monmouth Symphony Orchestra
Young Artist Concerto Competition

Now Statewide!

The Monmouth Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Concerto Competition is now open to all New Jersey resident students who have not yet graduated from high school. String, woodwind, and brass instrument players are eligible to apply. We are not accepting applicants competing on piano this year due to the limitations of our new venue.

Interested students must submit an application, to be received by the MSO by January 18, 2012, in which they state their intended competition piece, which should be from standard orchestral literature. An audition recording and a check for the nonrefundable $25.00 application fee made out to "Monmouth Symphony Orchestra" must be submitted with the application. The competition piece should be approximately 15 to 20 minutes in length, and may be a single movement or a number of short movements.

The audition recording must include orchestral or piano accompaniment. The recording medium must be a standard audio CD, playable on an ordinary home or car CD player. Any other format is not acceptable. Care should be taken to ensure a high-quality recording.

A panel of orchestra personnel will select the finalists, who will perform their competition piece for an independent jury in a public audition at the United Methodist Church of Red Bank, 247 Broad Street, Red Bank, NJ, on Sunday afternoon, March 11, 2012. Finalists are required to provide their own piano accompanists.

Monetary prizes will be awarded to the first, second, and third prize winners.

The first prize winner will play a concerto or other solo work in one performance with the MSO during the 2012-2013 concert season. Concert dates are to be announced.

To apply, please click to open and then print the Young Artist Concerto Competition Application. This is an Adobe PDF file. If you need the free Adobe Reader, click the logo at the bottom of this page.

If you need more information about the Young Artist Concerto Competition, please write to youthprograms@monmouthsymphony.org.

Congratulations to our 2011 Young Artist Concerto Competition Winners!
	First Place — Soyeong Park Soyeong is a violinist, having studied for ten years. She resides in Princeton Junction, is 14 years old, and is in the eighth grade at the Community Middle School. She currently studies with Yayoi Numazawa and Yumi Scott, and has studied with Mei Chen Barnes. Her playing experience includes the Temple Prep Youth Orchestra and Quartet, the GPYO Symphony Orchestra, the All-State New Jersey Intermediate Orchestra, the Central Jersey Intermediate Orchestra, and the Community Middle School Chamber Orchestra. She performed the Glazunov Violin Concerto, first and second movements.
	Second Place — Elbert Gong Elbert is a pianist, having studied for 9 years. He resides in Belle Mead, is 13 years old, and is in the eighth grade at Montgomery Upper Middle School. He currently studies with Julian Martin, and has studied with Michael Jacobsen. His playing experience includes chamber trios in the Juilliard Pre-College Program since 2008, and membership in the Princeton Youth Orchestra 2007-2008. He performed the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Minor.
	Third Place — John Lee John is a cellist, having studied for 11 years. He resides in Basking Ridge, is 16 years old, and is in the 11th grade at the Delbarton School. He currently studies with Clara Kim, and has studied with Ella Toovy. His playing experience includes principal cellist of the Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Orchestra, Juilliard Pre-College Symphony, 2010 All-State Orchestra, 2010 North Regions Orchestra, and numerous chamber groups. He performed the Prokofiev Sinfonia Concertante in E Minor, second movement.

The Monmouth Symphony Orchestra wishes to thank Jess Levy and the Axelrod Performing Arts Center for their assistance with, and hosting of, the YACC 2011 auditions, through a grant from Evelyn and Herbert Axelrod. We also wish to thank our judges, Dan Bar Hava, Dr. Dorothy Sobieski, and Dr. Arthur Topilow, who generously offered their time for this competition, and the Freehold Music Center for their donation of the second piano.

The Michael H. Goldwasser Scholarship

The Michael H. Goldwasser Scholarship was established in memory of Michael Goldwasser, one of the founders and first president of the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra. The scholarship is awarded annually to a Monmouth County high school senior who plays a stringed instrument, including classical guitar, and intends to continue studying music in college. Applicants must submit a written application and play a short audition piece.

Interested students must submit an application, received by the MSO by April 1, 2011. Please click to open and then download the Application for the Michael H. Goldwasser Scholarship. This is an Adobe PDF file. If you need the free Adobe Reader, click the logo at the bottom of this page.

If you need more information about the Michael H. Goldwasser Scholarship, please write to youthprograms@monsym.org.

Contributions to the Michael H. Goldwasser Scholarship Fund may be made by sending a check payable to Monmouth Symphony Orchestra to the following address:

Monmouth Symphony Orchestra

64 Sunset Place

Middletown, New Jersey 07748

Please note on the check M. H. Goldwasser Scholarship Fund. All donations are tax-deductible and will be acknowledged by letter.

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