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2024-25 Ekstrand Graduate Student Competition winners announced

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We are thrilled to announce the winner of the 2024-25 Bruce Ekstrand Memorial Graduate Student Performance Competition: The Koa String Quartet!

The College of Musics current graduate string quartet in residencecomprising violinists Kisa Uradomo and Leah Pernick, violist Thomas Chafe and cellist Heewon Leestudies with the Tak獺cs Quartet. On Nov. 19, the Koa Quartet performed selections from works by Joseph Haydn and Kevin Lau, and was awarded $2,000 for their Ekstrand win.

We are so happy to have started our residency at CU Boulder on such a positive note! It was an incredible opportunity to perform onstage alongside so many of our talented peers, Pernick says. Thank you so much to the Tak獺cs Quartet and string faculty for their mentorship, and to the Ekstrand family for their generous support of students.

Lee shares, Our main goal of the performance was to have fun and keep up the good energy. I think us dancing backstage helped with that. But in all seriousness, were super thankful for the win!

Second prize ($1,000) went to saxophonist Joel Ferst, who also won the audience favorite prize ($250). This years other Ekstrand finalists ($500 each) include pianist John-Austin King, baritone Andrew Konopak and violinist Laura P矇rez Rangel.

This years esteemed panel of judges were Jason BergmanAssociate Professor of Trumpet, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music; Courtney Hershey BressPrincipal Harpist, Colorado Symphony; Adjunct Professor of Harp, University of Denver Lamont School of Music; and Lecturer of Harp, University of Wyoming; and Cameron StoweChair, Collaborative Piano, New England Conservatory; Director, Collaborative Piano, Aspen Music Festival and School.

The Ekstrand Competition was launched by previous College of Music dean Robert Fink, and later renamed to honor the late Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and psychology professor Bruce Ekstrand. The competition invites top graduate students to compete for cash prizes for professional development. This years faculty judges for the semi-final competition were Renee Gilliland, Jeremy Reger and Branden Steinmetz.

Semi-finalists included:

  • Voice: Sidney Grimm, soprano; Andrew Konopak, baritone; James Robinson, baritone
  • Piano: John-Austin King, Luca Pompilio
  • Strings: Julian Bennett, cello; Koa String Quartet; Laura P矇rez Rangel, violin
  • Woodwinds: Joel Ferst, saxophone; Dylan King, saxophone; Harold Gomez-Montoya, clarinet
  • Brass + percussion: Mark Bennett, trombone; Sydney Hoehl, trumpet; Connor Johnson, trumpet

Congratulations to the Koa String Quartet and all participants in this years competition, as well as their teachersthe Tak獺cs Quartet, Andrew Cooperstock, Andrew Garland and Nathan Mertens in the final round. Our special thanks also to collaborative pianists Runze Li, Hsiao-Ling Lin, Matthew Sebaldand all other pianists, mentors and teachers involved in the previous rounds of this competition.

Partially funded by the , this annual event is the premier performance competition for the College of Musics most outstanding graduate students.