2020-27 YAC Winners

22-23 February 2025

Ellyanna Tyson is a 17 year old high school senior, born and raised in Southern Maryland. Elly started her musical journey with the Southern Maryland Youth Orchestra and Choir. She studies voice with Wendy Podsednik and piano with Chiara Selby. During her musical study, she has taken part in choral, duet, and solo concerts throughout Southern Maryland. She has also had the opportunity to sing at Carnegie Hall and the French Embassy. Additionally, Elly has participated in three different two-week long Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard sessions. She has been on stage with Newtowne Players, Port Tobacco Players, Children’s Theatre of SoMD, and L’Opera Comique de Washington. Elly is grateful to COSMIC Symphony for selecting her as the 2023 first runner up and 2024 first place winner. Elly plans to pursue music in college and to see where that takes her. She is incredibly blessed to be able to share her love of the arts with others.

02-03 March 2024

Please join us in congratulating our Young Artist Competition Junior Division Winner: Violinist Esther Bonney and our Senior Division Winner: Cellist Alexander Wu. In addition to their $250 cash prize and certificate of recognition, both have won the opportunity to perform with COSMIC Symphony at our March concerts – details to come!

We would like to thank all of our wonderfully talented competition applicants for taking the time to showcase their talents. We are lucky to have you in our community!

Congratulations as well to our Junior Division runner up: soprano Ellyanna Tyson, and our honorable mentions: clarinetist Lino Alarcon and soprano Mallory Kearns and our Senior Division runner up: clarinetist Steven Toth, and our honorable mention: pianist Emma Huckabee.

Junior Division

Esther Bonney
Elyanna Tyson – Runner Up
Lino Alarcon – Honorable Mention
Mallory Kearns – Honorable Mention

Senior Division

Steven Toth
Emma Huckabee – Honorable Mention

11-12 March 2023

Edvard Grieg: Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16. Jane Liang, piano.

Winners of the 2019 – 2020 Young Artist Competition are Jane Liang (Piano), Frank Horrigan, runner up (Violin) and Tom Wilson, runner up (Trumpet)!

Since the March 2020 concert was cancelled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the winners of the 2019-2020 competition had the opportunity to play in the March 2023 Family/Young Artist Competition Winner concert. Only Jane Liang was available to perform, and she played the Edvard Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor.

(Photos: Jane Liang and Will Esterling)