Jeanne Selander Memorial

Concerto Competition

Congratulations to William Ge, our 2024 Concerto Competition Winner!

After winning the Albert M. Greenfield Concerto Competition at age eleven, William debuted with the Philadelphia Orchestra in October 2022, an appearance that led the Philadelphia Inquirer to describe his playing as “notably fluid while gilding the music with spots of interpretive individualization...the future was easy to imagine in the hands of William Ge.” William’s most recent achievements include winning the highest prize at the 2023 Jacob Flier International Piano Competition, First Place at the 2023 NEC Prep Concerto Competition, and Second Place and the Chopin Award at the 2023 MTNA National Senior Piano Competition. William is a 3rd-year recipient of the Chopin Foundation’s Chopin Scholarship, a 2023 National YoungArts Competition winner in Classical Music, and an NPR From The Top Fellow of 2023-2024. Recently, William made his concerto debuts with the Boston Pops Orchestra and the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra, playing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on the Theme of Paganini. In December, he performed two solo concerts for the 2023-2024 “Chopin for All” concert series in Florida, invited by the Chopin Foundation of the United States. On May 9th, 2024, he will play Rachmaninov’s Concerto No. 2 in NEC’s Jordan Hall with the NEC Youth Symphony Orchestra. \A 2025 Caroline D. Bradley Scholar and student at Phillips Academy Andover and the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, William loves physics and writing and is heavily involved with school activities. At Andover, he has acted as an Eco-Leader in Andover’s Sustainability Coalition, runs distance on the track team, and is a prefect in his dorm of 9th and 10th graders. William is an associate editor of The Phillipian, Andover’s weekly publication. He currently studies piano with Jonathan Bass, having previously studied with Ya-Fei Chuang, John Perry, Natalie Zhu and the late Joy Kiszely.

Sofia Hernandez-Williams receives Honorable Mention

Sofia Hernandez-Williams is 10 years old and a cello student of Timothy Terranella at Worcester’s Joy of Music Program. When she’s not playing her cello, Sofia can be found doing math, writing a story, practicing piano and voice, or tinkering around with her dad’s violin-making tools.

Since beginning her journey on cello at age 5, Sofia has had the privilege of attending summer music sessions at Rivers Conservatory and Groton Hill Music. She is a member of the Junior Repertory Orchestra at Boston Youth Symphonies, and currently serves as Principal Cello with the Joy of Music Youth Orchestra, with whom she will perform as soloist in February 2024. Sofia was awarded Second Place in the 2022 Music Worcester Young Artist Competition, Junior Division, and First Prize - Elementary Division in the 2023 Richter String Competition at Rivers Conservatory. She is currently a 4th-year student at Boston’s Project STEP, Class of 2032.

Isabella Kong receives Honorable Mention

Bella Kong is a sophomore at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham, MA, and she currently studies with Jeanie Lee at the Rivers School Conservatory. She has been playing the piano since the age of 4, and has spent her summers at the Colburn School and Interlochen Center for the Arts. Most recently, she won second place at the American Classical Young Musician Competition. Besides music, she enjoys participating in Model UN and coxing for her school’s crew team.

**2023 COMPETITION WINNER: JAEHO LEE (CELLO)**

**2023 Competition Runner-up:** Amelia Margetts (Violin)

2022 COMPETITION WINNER: Natalie zhang (PIANO)

2022 Competition Runner-ups: Austin Jacobson (Cello) and Eric Zhang (Piano)

Katherine Liu

Julia Zhou

2021 COMPETITION WINNER: KATHERINE LIU (PIANO)

2021 Competition Runner-ups: Julia Zhao (Piano) and Andrew Wong (Violin)

Lowell Philharmonic 2021 Virtual Concerto Competition Winners YouTube Video: https://youtu.be/Q5qzghBhwhY

2020 Competition WINNER

Maxine Park on Piano

Video of Maxine playing The Star Spangled Banner in LPO’s 2020 “More Than Self” Tribute to the Lowell General Hospital’s Nurses, Doctors, & Staff: https://youtu.be/mLjQmfKojkA

2019 COMPETITION WINNER

Zoey Long on Viola

2018 Competition WINNER

Avik Sarkar on Piano