The prestigious Philadelphia International Music Festival awarded over $20,000 in scholarships and performance opportunities to ten young musicians who took the top spots in PIMF’s semi-annual Online Concerto Competition.
Honolulu 10th-grader Yxing Guo won a partial scholarship to PIMF’s intensive classical music training program this summer after taking Third Place in her division. The 15-year-old violinist is homeschooled, and has been studying violin since the age of 3.
She is Second Violin in the Hawaii Youth Symphony.
Yxing competed with Dvorak’s Violin Concerto in A minor, First Movement. “I have always liked this concerto since the first time I listened to it as a little girl,” she explained. “It’s very emotional and full of energy at the same time.”
Yxing also plays piano, and already has plans to continue her musical journey through college as a double major.
Musicians in three age groups from 6 to 19 years of age submitted videos for PIMF’s competition.
“It was quite literally an outpouring of talent to our Winter 2022 Virtual Concerto Competition from all over the world!” says PIMF President Sandy Marcucci, “Some 200 young musicians offered us their video performances, and the skill and artistic levels were simply dazzling.”
Adjudicator Marc Rovetti, Assistant Concertmaster of The Philadelphia Orchestra, agrees.
“Choosing the winners was not an easy task, and that’s a great thing!” he said. “I was so pleased by how seriously everyone took this competition and enjoyed listening to young musicians at such a high level.”
Other adjudicators include John Koen, Cello, The Philadelphia Orchestra; and Yu Xi Wang, Director of Keyboard Studies at Curtis Institute of Music.
The Spring Virtual Concerto Competition is accepting entries through April 30, 2023 and is part of a host of online programs by PIMF, which will be offering both LIVE and virtual training programs and summer camps beginning in June.
ABOUT The Philadelphia International Music Festival:
The Philadelphia International Music Festival (PIMF) is a resident summer music program directed by Kimberly Fisher, Principal Second Violin of The Philadelphia Orchestra, offering student musicians from around the world the unique opportunity of spending up to four weeks immersed in music education and performance training with members of the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra.
For more information on PIMF, visit philadelphiamusicfestival.org, call (856) 875-6816, “like” the Philadelphia International Music Camp & Festival on Facebook, follow @pimfmusiccamp on Instagram and Twitter, and visit the Philadelphia International Music Festival YouTube Channel for performance videos from previous festival seasons.