We are here for young musicians.
The Columbus Symphony’s Masterclasses offer exceptional artists the opportunity to share their insight and inspiration with the community’s most talented young musicians. Young performers, 25 and under, are selected through recorded submissions. The criteria for selecting participants include good preparation, serious dedication, and the ability to respond to suggestions in a class situation, whether the student is performing a standard concerto or a piece from the beginning repertoire.
2024-2025 Columbus Symphony Masterclass Series
Maxim Lando, Piano– Saturday, November 2 at 10 am Timashev Recital Hall, OSU
Sterling Elliot, Cello-Thursday, January 30 at 6pm Ohio Theater-Room 4
Aubree Oliverson, Violin-Thursday, May 15 at 6pm Ohio Theater-Room 1
How to Apply
Upload audio recording of the student playing the piece to be performed at the Masterclass via the registration link below or email it to amarini@columbussymphony.com.
PLEASE, NO VIDEO RECORDINGS
$10 non-refundable application fee made payable to the Columbus Symphony via credit card or check.
Incomplete applications or applications sent without payment or audio recording will not be considered. Students selected to perform will be required to perform the piece submitted with the application.
Submission Deadlines
Aubree Oliverson, Violin: Wednesday, April 24 at 5pm
Acclaimed for his stellar stage presence and joyous musicianship, cellist Sterling Elliott is a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and the winner of the Senior Division of the 2019 National Sphinx Competition. Already in his young career, he has appeared with major orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Detroit Symphony and the Dallas Symphony, with noted conductors Yannick Nezet-Seguin, Thomas Wilkins, Jeffrey Kahane, Mei Ann Chen and others.
This season, Elliott debuts with the Minnesota Orchestra, Grand Rapids Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Pacific Symphony, San Antonio Symphony and New Jersey Symphony. He also performs the world premiere of a new orchestral version of John Corigliano’s Phantasmagoria, commissioned for him by a consortium of orchestras including the Orlando Philharmonic and music director Eric Jacobsen. He makes his UK recital debut at Wigmore Hall in February.
The 2022-2023 season saw his debuts at the Aspen Music Festival, performing the Brahms Double Concerto with Gil Shaham, as well as with the Colorado Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, North Carolina Symphony and Ft. Worth Symphony, among others. He appeared in recital under the auspices of the San Francisco Symphony, the New York Philharmonic, Shriver Hall in Baltimore, the Tippett Rise Festival and Capitol Region Classical in Albany, NY.
Fast becoming a favorite on the summer festival circuit, Sterling has appeared at Music@Menlo, Chamberfest in Cleveland and Chamberfest Northwest in Calgary, Music at Angel Fire and the La Jolla Music Society. In Summer 2023, he made his orchestral debut with the San Francisco Symphony; performed chamber music with Nicola Benedetti, Stefan Jackiw and others at the Edinburgh Festival; and made a return appearance at the Hollywood Bowl with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Sterling Elliott participates in several programs alongside exceptionally talented young artists. In April 2023, he was selected by The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center for its Bowers Program, a three-year residency. As a Bowers Program artist, he will perform in CMS tours nationally, and play subscription concerts at Alice Tully Hall. In June 2023, the London-based Young Classical Artists Trust named him their YCAT–Music Masters Robey Artist, a two-year program during which YCAT will provide UK booking and management and Sterling will fulfill an ambassadorial role, leading workshops and engaging with young learners in schools across London to inspire and enhance their musical education. In Spring 2022, Sterling participated in Performance Today’s Young Artist Residency, which featured educational events, interviews and a feature on the nationally syndicated radio program.
Sterling has a long history with the Sphinx Organization where he won the 2014 Junior Division Competition, becoming the first alumnus from the Sphinx Performance Academy to win the Sphinx Competition. The following year he went on to tour with the Sphinx Virtuosi before being awarded the Organization’s Isaac Stern Award in 2016. This season, Sterling will receive a Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization, awarded to artists who, early in their career, demonstrate artistic excellence, outstanding work ethic, a spirit of determination, and an ongoing commitment to leadership and their communities.
Born into a musical household, Sterling initially wanted to play the violin like his older brother and sister. After a bit of encouragement, he completed The Elliott Family String Quartet, an ensemble that enjoyed personalized arrangements of genres such as bluegrass, gospel, and funk music.
Sterling is pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Joel Krosnick and Clara Kim, following completion of his Master of Music and undergraduate degrees at Juilliard. He is an ambassador of the Young Strings of America, a string sponsorship operated by Shar Music. He performs on a 1741 Gennaro Gagliano cello on loan through the Robert F. Smith Fine String Patron Program, in partnership with the Sphinx Organization.
Praised for her evocative lyricism and joyful, genuine approach, young American violinist Aubree Oliverson is proving to be one of the most compelling artists of her generation, distinguishing herself with clear, honest, and colourful performances, which have been described as “powerful… brimming with confidence and joy” by the (Miami New Times).
Acclaimed as a “masterful” soloist (San Diego Story), Aubree’s most recent solo appearances in 2023 include season openings of the Chamber Orchestra of New York at Carnegie Hall (di Vittorio), Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall (Morlot), Peace Orchestra Project (Mengoli), and Ridgefield Symphony with a pairing of the Barber and Esmail violin concertos. Other season highlights include performances with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (Teychenné), Columbus Symphony (Miller), Orquesta Sinfónica de Navarra (Hoving), North Carolina Symphony (Prieto), Pacific Symphony (St. Clair), Des Moines Symphony (St. Clair), Amarillo Symphony (Jackson), Moldavian Philharmonic (Macek), Excelentia Madrid (Braunstein), Slovak Sinfonietta (Foron), Rousse Philharmonic Orchestra (Sachedina), New Haven Symphony (So), Puerto Rico Symphony (Valdés), and the Kontrapunktus Baroque Ensemble; in works by Brahms, Dvorak, Barber, Bruch, Korngold, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Weinberg, Haydn, Saint-Saens, Esmail, and Bach.
Passionate about and at ease with all periods of classical repertoire, Ms. Oliverson is committed both to performing the beloved standard works for as many people as possible, as well as bringing lesser-known pieces into their rightful spotlight: “I play music that speaks to me regardless of how often it’s already being played, rediscovering lost masterpieces and composers who deserve more attention, paired with my own fresh take on the classics. It’s my hope that if I love a piece, someone in the audience will too.” Among the works she has championed over the years are the Pergolesi Bb Major concerto, Julius Conus concerto (1896), Weinberg concertino (1948), Reena Esmail “The Blue Room” concerto (2007), Salvatore di Vittorio “Voyages of Aeneas” concerto (2022), and more, alongside her favorite standard repertoire.
A dynamic recitalist and sensitive chamber musician, Aubree recently toured Europe with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Clive Greensmith, and Tatjana Masurenko and collaborates this season with Anne Akiko Meyers and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County in duo works of Bach, Philip Glass, and Handel-Halvorsen. Other engagements include festivals such as the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival with Gil Shaham, the Rome Chamber Music Festival, Oropa Music Festival, Moab Music Festival, ChamberFest West, and recitals at the Grand Teton Music Festival and SOKA Performing Arts Center, among many others. Ms. Oliverson has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Robert McDuffie in Harris Hall at the Aspen Music Festival, Gil Shaham on tour in Mexico, Renaud Capuçon in France, Joseph Silverstein in Salt Lake City, and Lynn Harrell, Orli Shaham, Robert Chen, and Andrew Marriner in Los Angeles.
Ms. Oliverson has been dedicated to reaching a broader audience and the importance of music education from a young age, and she has travelled to over 100 schools throughout the Western United States and spoken at national education conventions, encouraging thousands of children to work hard and participate in music. Recently, Aubree presented digital master classes for organizations including the Orchestra of the Americas, Music to Save Humanity, and Kontrapunktus Baroque, and she participated in a masterclass and side-by-side performance with the Esperanza Azteca Youth Orchestra in Mexico.
Aubree won the ‘Special Prize of Merit’ for violin at the prestigious Verbier Festival Academy, the Aspen Music Festival Dorothy Delay competition, a National YoungArts Foundation award, was honoured as a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and most recently named the 2023 Francis Rosen Prize recipient at the Colburn Conservatory, where she also obtained her Bachelor’s Degree and Artist Diploma. A former student of Debbie Moench, Eugene Watanabe, Danielle Belen, and Boris Kuschnir at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien, Aubree graduated from the Colburn Music Academy in 2016 and from the Colburn Conservatory in 2023, studying with the Jascha Heifetz Distinguished Violin Chair, Mr. Robert Lipsett, for nine years.
Aubree plays a very fine Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin, kindly loaned to her by Irene R. Miller through the Beare’s International Violin Society, and a Jean “Grand” Adam bow on loan from the Metzler Violin Shop.
If you’ve ever come early to a Columbus Symphony Masterworks concert, you’ve probably seen some of our talented young musicians at work!
Young musicians from the central Ohio area are given the opportunity to gain valuable experience by performing in the Galbreath Pavilion before every Masterworks series concert.
Young musicians are selected by invitation only and are based on those who have placed at a high level in the annual Columbus Symphony Young Musicians Competition held each Spring.
Young Musicians Showcase begins approximately a half hour before the start of each Masterwork concert.
For more information please Contact
Director of Education, Meghan McDevitt
mmcdevitt@columbussymphony.com
The Young Musicians Competition provides an opportunity for students in grades 3-12 to perform for professional feedback from Columbus Symphony musicians and collegiate faculty from around Central Ohio.
The Competition comprises three divisions: Junior Division, Senior Division, and Concerto Division. The Concerto Division is competative. Junior and Senior Divisions are non-competitive, and participants receive professional feedback on their performance and musicianship.
*New* The Concerto Division winner will be the recipient of the Lois H. Allen Concerto Prize for $1,000 and will perform with the Columbus Symphony at one of the 2025-2026 Young People’s Concert series. Second place finisher will receive $500 cash prize. Third place finisher will receive a $250 cash prize. All prizes are generously donated by the Friends of the Symphony.
Application fees will be due at the time of registration. Fees can be sent via mail. Performance times will be sent the week of February 10, 2025. If you do not receive your time by this deadline, contact the Education Programs Coordinator.
This Division is intended for musicians in grades 8-12. The winner of the Concerto Division will be the recipient of the Lois H. Allen Award in the amount of $1,000 donated by the Friends of the Symphony. Musicians must receive approval from their private teachers to participate in this division. All participants will receive certificates and comment sheets from judges.
Applicants are to prepare one movement from a standard solo work with orchestral accompaniment (performed in both rounds with piano accompaniment). Selections must be no longer than 15 minutes. Applicants must provide their own accompanists.
Each competitor’s preliminary video will be evaluated, and all participants will receive award certificates and comment sheets from the judges. The finalists will be notified by Friday, February 7, 2025 and will be assigned a time slot for the in-person Competition Finals on Saturday, March 1, 2025.
Concerto Division Award Cermony will be held in Mess Auditorim Saturday, March 1 at 4pm
Preliminary Round Video Submission Requirements
In-Person Final Performance Requirements
This Division is intended for musicians in grades 9-12. Participants receive feedback on their performance from musical professionals. No prize is awarded. All participants will receive certificates and comment sheets from judges. Participants who earn the highest ratings may be invited to perform as part of our Young Musicians Showcase.
Applicants are to prepare a single-instrument solo piece from a standard work or etude (such as OMEA Class A or B; upper-level Guild or OFMC), that is no longer than 12 minutes. Participants must provide their own accompanists for pieces requiring accompaniment.
This Division is intended for musicians in grades 3-8. Participants receive feedback on their performance from musical professionals. No prize is awarded. All participants will receive certificates and comment sheets from judges. Participants who earn the highest ratings may be invited to perform as part of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra’s Young Musicians Showcase.
Applicants are to prepare a solo piece from a standard work or etude that is no longer than 10 minutes. Participants must provide their own accompanists for pieces requiring accompaniment.
Have a question or want to learn more? Contact Education Programs Coordinator, Nia Dewberry
ndewberry@columbussymphony.com | 614.221.5171
