After a competitive final round and no first prize given, Isabelle Durrenberger, Violin has been awarded the second prize and $1,000.
2024 Finalists
Violinist Isabelle Durrenberger is a 2023-25 fellow of Carnegie Hall’s renowned Ensemble Connect program. Her 2024-25 season features solo and collaborative invitations including performances with the Boston Chamber Music Society, Jupiter Chamber Players, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in Carnegie Hall, The Knights, and the Grammy-nominated conductorless chamber orchestra, A Far Cry.
Cellist Julia Lee is a prize winner of the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition and recipient of the Mary Alice Cox Award. As soloist she has performed with the Ocala Symphony and University of Florida chamber orchestra. Lee has collaborated with Clive Greensmith, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Catherine Cho, Robert McDonald, and Inon Barnatan across various international stages.
Anna Okada is a versatile violinist who is passionate about making music joyful and accessible to all. After earning a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Music Performance from Whitman College, Anna went on to specialize in historical performance at Indiana University, where she studied with Stanley Ritchie and received a Performer Diploma in Early Music Performance. Anna performs regularly in the Pacific Northwest on modern violin, historical violin, and fiddle. Recent highlights include performances with Portland Baroque Orchestra, the Oregon Bach Festival Period Orchestra, and Sound Salon. Anna was a finalist in the 2020 Indianapolis International Baroque Concerto Competition. From playing fiddle at backyard weddings to performing with baroque orchestras and chamber ensembles across the country, Anna feels privilege and joy in moving others through the power of music. Eager to share this passion with the next generation, Anna also teaches violin privately and at Whitman College. In her spare time, Anna enjoys cooking, spending time outdoors, and playing with her toddler, Antonio Shion.
Multifaceted Houston-based artist Emily S. Richardson advocates for music spanning the Baroque era through the cutting-edge of today’s contemporary classical music. As a devoted collaborative musician, Richardson was the first violinist of the Agathon Quartet, which formed at Rice University and competed in the 2021 Coltman Chamber Music Competition Finals. In 2024, she was featured in the Context concert series created by pianist Brian Connelly. Richardson is a founding member of Trio Argonaut, which has commissioned three new works for the upcoming season. In addition to trio works, Richardson will premiere a violin concerto written for her by composer Victor Cui in Spring 2025. Richardson is an avid orchestral musician. She holds a section position at the Colorado Music Festival in Boulder, CO, directed by Maestro Peter Oundjian, and she performs regularly with the conductor-less ensemble KINETIC. In recent years, Richardson has performed with the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, and Spoleto Music Festival in Charleston, SC. In addition to modern violin, she displays a strong interest in Baroque performance. She recently gave a lecture at Rice University on the subject of Baroque ornamentation in J. S. Bach’s solo violin Sonatas and Partitas and is now preparing to record her rendition of Bach with added ornaments. She performs on both Baroque and modern violin as a member of the Mercury Chamber Orchestra, a Houston-based historical performance ensemble. Richardson plays on a 1973 Carl Becker violin generously loaned to her by the Colburn Collection.