TEN ACCOMPLISHED YOUNG MUSICIANS COMPETE AT ANNUAL IMA HOGG COMPETITION FOR COVETED CASH PRIZES AND PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITY WITH HOUSTON SYMPHONY
Ten semifinalists face off at Rice University’s Stude Concert Hall June 1
Top four musicians advance to final round of prestigious competition June 3
Winner receives $25,000 prize and performs with Houston Symphony at Jones Hall
June 1-3, 2017
HOUSTON (April 28, 2017) – The Houston Symphony and Houston Symphony League announced today the 10 semifinalists of the 42nd annual Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition, one of the few nationwide competitions open to all standard orchestral instruments and piano.
2016 Second Prize winner Christine Lee – credit Jeff Fitlow
Named to honor the memory of Miss Ima Hogg, a co-founder of the Houston Symphony, this prestigious competition is designed to support young instrumentalists, ages 16-26, in their pursuit of careers in music. The Ima Hogg Competition has launched young musicians’ careers as performing artists with past winners earning countless national and international awards as well as prestigious positions in major orchestras. In addition to citizens of the United States, Canada or Mexico, foreign students currently enrolled at a U.S. college, university or conservatory are also eligible.
This year’s competition is chaired by Barbara McCelvey, a governing director of the Symphony’s board and an active member of the Houston Symphony League, and feature the following 10 accomplished young musicians: Alan Woo, Charles Seo, Churen Li, I-Jung Huang, Joseph Morris, Kiril Angelov, Michael Ferri, Rachel Ostler, Rainer Crosett and Vijay Venkatesh.
The Semifinalists
The semifinalists, whose ages range from 21-26, have appeared in various competitions and festivals around the world, including the Tchaikovsky International Competition, Aspen Music Festival, Seattle International Piano Competition, and Rio Hondo Symphony Concerto Competition. Ferri, Venkatesh and Crosett have performed as soloists on National Public Radio’s broadcast program “From the Top,” while other semifinalists have performed at renowned venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, Boston Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall.
Additionally, seven of the finalists have either completed or are currently pursuing graduate degrees in music. Woo, a two-time Ima Hogg Competition semifinalist, is currently pursuing doctoral studies with a Dean’s Doctor of Musical Arts Fellowship at Johns Hopkins University’s Peabody Institute, while Dallas-native Ostler is currently pursuing her second master’s degree in musical arts at the Yale School of Music. Seo, an undergraduate at the Colburn Conservatory of Music from Katy, Texas, is a three-time Ima Hogg Competition semifinalist and the 2013 winner of the Houston Symphony League Concerto Competition.
On Thursday, June 1, the semifinalists will perform up to two of their pre-selected concertos in front of a judging panel with the hopes of advancing to the finals. Four finalists will move on to the final round of the competition where they will again perform a concerto, this time with the Houston Symphony, in front of the judges and a live audience. The finals concert is free to attend and will be broadcast live on Houston Public Media’s News 88.7. This year’s Ima Hogg Competition will be held June 3 at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
First and Second Place Prizes
The winner of the First Prize, The Grace Woodson Memorial Award, will receive a $25,000 prize made possible by the generosity of Symphony patrons John and Tracy Dennis in honor of his grandmother. The winner will also have the coveted opportunity to perform with the Houston Symphony at Jones Hall Wednesday, July 12, 2017.
The recipient of the Second Prize, The Houston Symphony League Award – presented by the Houston Symphony League in recognition of Jerry Priest, founding chair of the competition and member of the Houston Symphony League – will receive a $10,000 prize and will also earn the opportunity to perform with the Houston Symphony at Miller Outdoor Theatre Saturday, July 1, 2017.
Air travel for the semifinalists is generously provided by United Airlines, the official airline of the Houston Symphony. Accommodations for the conductor and the panel of judges are provided by The Lancaster Hotel. The partnership with Rice University allows the Symphony to host the competition at the Shepherd School of Music’s Stude Concert Hall year after year. Accommodations for the competitors are graciously provided by Houston Symphony volunteer host families. Underwriting support of this prestigious annual event is provided by generous sponsors, including John and Lindy Rydman, Spec’s Wines Spirits and Finer Foods, Mr. and Mrs. John P. Dennis III, Mr. John Neighbors and Wells Fargo.
2017 HOUSTON SYMPHONY IMA HOGG COMPETITION SEMIFINALISTS
Alan Woo, 25 years old, piano
Nationality: American
Current residence: Baltimore, Maryland
Charles Seo, 21, cello
Nationality: South Korean
Current residence: Los Angeles, California
Churen Li, 21, piano
Nationality: Singaporean
Current residence: New Haven, Connecticut
I-Jung Huang, 23, violin
Nationality: Taiwanese
Current residence: New York, New York
Joseph Morris, 26, clarinet
Nationality: American
Current residence: Salt Lake City, Utah
Kiril Angelov, 24, marimba
Nationality: Bulgarian
Current residence: Miami, Florida
Michael Ferri, 21, violin
Nationality: Italian
Current residence: Houston, Texas
Rachel Ostler, 24, violin
Nationality: American
Current residence: New Haven, Connecticut
Rainer Crosett, 25, cello
Nationality: American
Current residence: Los Angeles, California
Vijay Venkatesh, 26, piano
Nationality: American
Current residence: Laguna Niguel, California
2017 Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition Prizes
FIRST PRIZE
The Grace Woodson Memorial Award
Generously given by the Dennis Family in memory of Grace Woodson
$25,000
Solo performance with the Houston Symphony at the Donor and Subscriber Appreciation Concert Wednesday, July 12, 2017
Weeklong Education and Community Engagement Residency with the Houston Symphony
SECOND PRIZE
The Houston Symphony League Award
Given by the Houston Symphony League in recognition of Jerry Priest, founding chair of the competition and member of the Houston Symphony League
$10,000
Solo performance with the Houston Symphony at Miller Outdoor Theatre Saturday, July 1, 2017
THIRD PRIZE
The Selma Neumann Memorial Award
Presented by the Houston Symphony League Bay Area in memory of Selma Neumann, founding president of the Houston Symphony League Bay Area
$5,000
FOURTH PRIZE
The Jean Whitbread Kucera Award
Given by Lilly and Thurmon Andress in loving memory of Lilly’s mother, Jean Whitbread Kucera
$2,500
AUDIENCE CHOICE
The Herman Shoss Audience Choice Award
Given by Diane and Harry Gendel in loving memory of her father, Herman Shoss, a former violinist in the Houston Symphony
$1,000
ARTISTIC ENCOURAGEMENT
The Robert and Nancy Peiser Award for Artistic Encouragement
Given by Robert Peiser, past president of the Houston Symphony Society, and his wife Nancy to provide encouragement to one of the finalists selected by the musicians of the Houston Symphony
$1,000
2017 Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition EVENTS
Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition Semifinals Concert
9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Stude Concert Hall
Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music
6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005
Free Admission
Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition Finals Concert
7 – 10 p.m.
Saturday, June 3, 2017
Daniel Hege, conductor
Stude Concert Hall
Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music
6100 Main St., Houston, TX 77005
Tickets: $25 (student rush tickets $15)
About the Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition
Named and purposed after former founder and President of the Houston Symphony, Miss Ima Hogg, this prestigious competition is designed to identify outstanding young instrumentalists between the ages of 16 and 26 to support their pursuit of careers in music. The goal is consistent with the vision of Miss Ima Hogg, whose passions included fostering young talent and supporting the Houston Symphony. It is one of the few instrumental competitions worldwide that includes all standard orchestral instruments.
The Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition is a definitive breeding ground for fine musicians. Past winners have won numerous national and international competitions, received principal posts with some of the world’s major orchestras and even occupied seats within the Houston Symphony – former Concertmaster Frank Huang, Principal Keyboardist Scott Holshouser, and Principal Harpist Megan Conley are three such players, all former prize winners of the competition. For more information, visit www.houstonsymphony.org/imahogg2017.
About the Houston Symphony Leagues
The Houston Symphony League and the Houston Symphony League Bay Area are dedicated to supporting the Houston Symphony through volunteer efforts and fundraising. Symphony League members are involved with the Symphony’s education programs to support Family Concerts, Student Concerts, Summer Community Concerts and the Theater District Open House, among other initiatives. Members from the Bay Area League promote music appreciation to elementary students in Clear Creek ISD through enrichment programs in the schools. Both Leagues contribute to the successful operation of the Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition by providing volunteers for in-hall support, logistics and hospitality.
About the Houston Symphony
During the 2016-17 season, the Houston Symphony celebrates its third season with Music Director Andrés Orozco- Estrada, and continues its second century as one of America’s leading orchestras with a full complement of concert, community, education, touring and recording activities. The Houston Symphony, one of the oldest performing arts organizations in Texas, held its inaugural performance at The Majestic Theater in downtown Houston June 21, 1913. Today, with an annual operating budget of $33.9 million, the full-time ensemble of 87 professional musicians presents nearly 170 concerts annually, making it the largest performing arts organization in Houston. Additionally, musicians of the orchestra and the Symphony’s four Community-Embedded Musicians offer over 900 community-based performances each year, reaching thousands of people in Greater Houston. For tickets and more information, please visit www.houstonsymphony.org or call 713-224-7575.