Michael Repper, now in his second year as music director of the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Delmarva Peninsula’s only fully professional classical orchestra, is excited – and for good reason – about the third annual Elizabeth Loker International Concerto Competition, which brings to the concert stage for the first time three finalists competing for top prize with performances of concertos each has chosen with the full orchestra accompanying them as soloists.
While this is not unique among all classical music competitive events, for the most part, only those known worldwide, such as the Van Cliburn competition named for the American who famously won the 1958 Tchaikovsky International Competition in the USSR back then, conclude with a play-off finale among three finalists – though in the case of the Van Cliburn, they’re all pianists.
Previously, this third annual MSO competition had three finalists playing their concertos with piano accompaniment. Only the winner of that trio got to perform with the full orchestra as part of the prize.
One-hundred-fifty-five applicants from 22 states and 12 countries entered this year’s competition. Through judging by a team of MSO musicians of blind recordings by each of the young soloists, ages 12 to 25, the field was narrowed to 20 semifinalists, of which Repper himself selected the final three. A panel of regional judges will decide who among the finalists will receive cash prizes of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000 for first-, second- and third place, respectively. There’s also a $500 audience-choice prize.
They will present a diverse program. Cellist Alejandro Gomez Pareha of Madrid, Spain, performs Shostakovich’s challenging Cello Concerto No. 1; violinist Sophia Geng of Andover, Massachusetts, plays Tchaikovsky’s popular Violin Concerto in D Major, and harpist Rebekah Hou of Cleveland performs a harp concerto, a rarity for that instrument, by Alberto Ginastera.
Aside from his considerable skills as a conductor, Repper brings a wealth of experience working with young musicians. Among the accolades he’s earned is that of the 2023 Grammy for Best Orchestral Performance shared with the New York Youth Orchestra, winning the prize over the Berlin Philharmoniker, plus renowned Oscar-winning composer John Williams and Gustavo Dudamel of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, soon to be music director of the New York Philharmonic. Repper’s student-musicians chose the pieces on their recorded album – all by African-American women composers. (COVID prevented a live performance.)
The Elizabeth Loker competition is named for the former Washington Post executive who helped bring the newspaper into the digital age. In retirement, she moved to Royal Oak and became an MSO board member and supporter before her death of cancer at 67 in 2015.
The winner and runners-up will be announced on stage at the concert, March 24 at Chesapeake College’s Todd Performing Arts Center in Wye Mills.
This video is approximately seven minutes in length. For more infomraiton about the Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra please go here.
