Congratulations to the winners of the 2020 Skip Gates Concerto Competition! The Grand Rapids Youth Symphony & Classical Orchestra held the annual competition on March 2, 2020, for members of both groups.
The winners are as follows:
CLASSICAL ORCHESTRA
First Place – Ceavon Smith, Vivaldi Concerto
Second Place – Hannah Chun, Haydn Concerto
Third Place – Sophie Yang, Bach Concerto
YOUTH SYMPHONY
First Place – Grace Chiaravalli, Barber Violin Concerto
Second Place – Zachary Earle, Dvořák Cello Concerto
Third Place – Peter Falb, Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations for Cello
Honorable Mention (alphabetical order) – Landon Smelker (Mozart Concerto), Megan Vaandrager (Gordelli Concerto), Jacob Westerbeke (Walton Concerto), Cara Wunder (Lalo Symphonie Espagnole)
Performance:
The first-place winner from each group had been scheduled to perform with their ensemble at the spring concert on May 3, 2020, but that concert has been cancelled because of COVID-19 concerns. Instead, the winners will perform at the fall concert on Sunday, November 1, 2020, at the Richard & Helen DeVos Center for Arts & Worship, on the campus of Grand Rapids Christian High School.
Thanks to all of the musicians who participated!