Young Artists Competition
NEWS
2024-2025 Young Artists Winners Announced!
The Southern California Philharmonic is pleased to announce the winners of the 21st Annual SoCalPhil Young Artists Solo Competition.
SoCalPhil featured the 1st Place Winners of the 21st Annual SoCalPhil Young Artists Solo Competition at the following 2025 concerts:
February 28 and March 1, April 4 and 5, & May 30 and 31
Piano Prodigy (Ages 0-13):
First Place: Sherlock Luan
Second Place: Allison Phan
Third Place: Shalynn Choi
Instrumental Prodigy (Ages 0-13):
First Place: Liam Thomas, violin
Second Place: Allen Wang, violin
Third Place: Daniel Park, violin
Vocal Prodigy (Ages 0-13):
First Place: Antonio Lin
Piano Artiste (Ages 14-17):
First Place: Xiaowei Zhao
Second Place: Everett Leigh
Third Place: Haodi Yang
Honorable Mention: Yuna Noh, Wei-Ning Isabella Koh
Instrumental Artiste (Ages 14-17):
First Place: Minji Choi, violin
Second Place: Zoe Barton, violin
Third Place: Angela Rose Padula, cello
Honorable Mention: Cristian Muresan-Santa Ana, cello
Vocal Artiste (Ages 14-17):
First Place: Lavinia Watkins
Second Place: Madison Becerra
Third Place: Henry Courtney
Honorable Mention: Willow Wu
Piano Virtuoso (Ages 18-23):
First Place: Ulises Reyes
Instrumental Virtuoso (Ages 18-23):
First Place: Jiahe (Esther) Zhang, cello
Second Place: Esme Arias-Kim, violin
Third Place: Emily Hsiao, alto saxophone
Vocal Virtuoso (Ages 18-23):
First Place: Zachary Mascarinas
Application Process is Now Closed
Thank you for your interest in the SoCalPhil 21st Young Artists Solo Competition. The application process is now closed. The winners for the 2024-2025 season have been announced and they performed with the SoCalPhil in Spring 2025.
The application submission period for the 22nd Young Artists Solo Competition will open on August 15th, 2025. Application materials and instructions will be posted in this location.
Have Questions?
If your question doesn't appear in the FAQs linked below, please reach out to us at youngartists@socalphil.org!
Pardon our dust - FAQ document updates in progress
NEWS
Update on the Young Artist Competition
This is the 21st year that the Southern California Philharmonic conducted the Young Artists Solo Competition. More than 60 Young Artists competed for a chance to perform with the SoCalPhil in the 2024-2025 season.
Thank you to all the students, teachers and parents who participated in competition this season. We have some amazing talent in our community, and SoCalPhil is grateful to have the opportunity to work with these young musicians and be part of their musical journey.
Thank you also to the Watson Piano Studio in Fullerton and the Waldorf School of Orange County for hosting the auditions, and to the judges and greeters who made the process run smoothly!
Each of the first-place winners performed with SoCalPhil in one of three 2025 concerts: instrumental winners on February 28th and March 1st, vocal winners on April 4th and 5th, and pianist winners on May 30th and 31st.
SoCalPhil is thrilled to once again have the Tustin Area Council for Fine Arts sponsoring this important musical event and supporting the scholarships for our young artists.
Scholarships totaling in excess of $4000 were awarded to these competition winners at the Saturday performance of each concert series. All scholarships are made possible through our partnership with TACFA, as well as donations from our generous patrons and SCP musicians, and audition fees.
To help us continue providing scholarships for the next generation of musicians, please consider donating. Your contribution will help ensure the future of this cherished tradition. Donate here.
For more information on the SCP Young Artists Solo Competition, email us at youngartists@socalphil.org.
Audition for the SoCalPhil!
Interested in joining the Southern California Philharmonic? We’re always looking for passionate, dedicated musicians to grow our ensemble. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or returning to your instrument, we welcome you to audition and become part of our musical community. Let’s make great music together!