2017 winners
Congratulations to the Runners Up
Anna Stube (11 years) Violin
Ine-WIlme Coetzee (17 years) Cello
Jack Forestier (12 years) Violin
Congratulations to the 2017 winners of the Calgary Concerto Competition!
Angela Ryu - Jessica Ma - Joan Herget - Joshua Wong
Angela Ryu (17 years) Violin - Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
17 year old violinist, Angela Ryu began studying the violin when she was five in her hometown, New Denver, British Columbia. In 2009, Ryu moved to Calgary and began studying at the Mount Royal Conservatory. She is currently in her 3rd and final year in the Advanced Performance Program under her teacher, William van der Sloot. As part of the program, Ryu has worked with numerous international guest artists such as Andres Cardenes, Tong Weidong, Pinchas Zukerman, James Ehnes, and Noah-Bendix Balgley.
Ryu has also participated and won several provincial and national competitions. She is the 2015 Grand award winner of the FCMF National Music Festival and first prize winner of the 2015 Canadian Music Competition. As well, this is the second time Ryu has been selected as a winner of the Calgary C3 Concerto Competition where she last won in 2013. Ryu also is the 2nd prize winner of the Frank Simpson Concerto Competition (2015) where she soloed with the Calgary Youth Orchestra. Also, Ryu recently performed with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra as a finalist of the RBC Concerto Competition. As well, she has been a featured soloist, performing a recital as part of the High River Gift of Music concert series: “Young Musicians Extraordinaire”. Ryu was also a semifinalist of the 2016 OSM Manulife Competition.
Ryu has attended several summer music programs as well. She had been a participant of the prestigious Morningside Music Bridge program for three years where her chamber group won first prize at the 2015 chamber music competition. She also took part in the Orford Music Academy for two consecutive summers. Most recently, Ryu studied at the Meadowmount School of Music this past summer in Westport, New York for an intensive seven-weeks under Gerardo Ribeiro.
Jessica Ma (14 years) Piano - Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1
Jessica Ma is 14 years old. At the age of 10, she completed the Associateship Performance Diploma (ARCT) of the Royal Conservatory of Music and by age 11 completed the Licentiate Performance Diploma (LRCM). Jessica began participating in the Kiwanis music festival at the age of 6.
She was the first place winner of the Alberta Provincial Music Festival in both the 12 and 16 and under categories at the age of 10 and 11. Jessica has been a top prize winner at the Canadian Music Competition since she was 7 years old.
In May 2014, as the first prize winner of the Northern Alberta Concerto Competition senior category, Jessica performed complete Mendelssohn's Piano Concerto in g- at the Winspear Centre with the Edmonton Senior Youth Orchestra.
In February 2015, Jessica made her debut with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Lucas Waldin, performing Beethoven's Concerto No.4 (2nd mov't). In 2015, Jessica won 1st prize at the American Protégé International Competition in both the piano solo and concerto categories, gaining the Award of Distinction in the solo category and as a result performed in Carnegie Hall in New York.
She has given three solo recitals since she was 9 years old. Jessica also plays the trombone and trumpet in concert band and jazz band at Vernon Barford School and takes cello lessons with Josephine van Lier in Edmonton. Her ultimate goal is to become a professional pianist, sharing her music everywhere. Jessica studies with Rolf Bertsch in the Academy Program at Mount Royal University in Calgary.
Joan Herget (15 years) Cello - Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor
Joan Herget, 15, has been playing the cello since she was 5 years old.
She studies with Beth Root Sandvoss at the Mount Royal University Conservatory. As an Honours student of the Academy Program for Gifted Youth, Joan has the opportunity to play in accomplished orchestras, chamber groups, and to study with world-class visiting artists.
Joan has had a very successful start to 2017. In a span of 5 weeks starting in January of this year, Joan competed in 3 different concerto competitions, winning her three solo performances with 3 different symphonies. She placed first in the Young Artist Competition, winning her two performances with the Coeur d’Alene Symphony. She was chosen as one of the winners for the Calgary Concerto Competition, wining her a solo performance with the Civic Symphony. Joan also
placed first in the Frank Simpson Competition and will perform with the Calgary Youth Orchestra later this year.
Other notable accomplishments as a cellist are first place at the Nationals of the Canadian Music Competition in 2015 and first place at the Alberta Provincial Music Festival in 2014. Joan has also had great success in the Calgary Performing Arts Festival, winning gold in every solo class she has competed in.
Joshua Wong (13 years) Piano - Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1
Pianist Joshua Wong is a grade 9 student at West Island College. He started piano lessons at the age of 6 in Calgary, Canada. The following year he began participating in piano competitions at the Calgary Music (now Performing Arts) Festival, winning annual scholarships and first prizes in many different classes.
Since beginning his studies with University of Calgary Professor Marilyn Engle at the age of 8, he has been selected to represent Calgary three times at the Provincial Music Festival and has won numerous medals by achieving the highest mark at the festival in different categories. He was a first place and scholarship winner in both the 2015 and 2016 Provincial Music Festivals.
An active participant in the Canadian Music Competition, Joshua has been selected as a National Finalist every year since entering the competition. In both 2015 and 2016 at the CMC National Finals, he achieved a score of 95% and winning 2nd place overall in his age group. Joshua has performed for Italian pianist Alessandra Ammara at 2015 Honens’ Masterclass, as well as for Professors Aquiles Delle Vigne, Gabriel Kwok, Andrey Pisarev at both the
2016 and 2017 Coimbra World Piano Meetings in Coimbra, Portugal. He also received awards for outstanding achievement in Coimbra for both 2016 and 2017.
Aside from his piano awards, he is a member of the University of Calgary Swim Club and is one of the top-ranking 13-year-old competitive swimmers in Canada.
Joshua is honored to be selected as a winner for 2017 C3 Concerto Competition.