Mitchell - Hogg Competition

Past Winners

Expand AllCollapse All

• History of the Competition

  The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition was founded at the inception of the Texas Music Festival in 1990 by George and Cynthia Mitchell to provide a competition experience for members of the festival orchestra. Today, the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation continues this generous legacy and is honored to be collaborating with the Houston Symphony on the new Cynthia Woods Mitchell-Ima Hogg Young Artist Competition.

  In 2023, The University of Houston and Houston Symphony merged the University of Houston’s Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition and the Houston Symphony’s Ima Hogg Competition. The winner of the competition will now have the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the Texas Music Festival Orchestra, and the Houston Symphony will extend an invitation for the winner to perform alongside the symphony in the following season.

  The Mitchell-Hogg Competition is open to all Texas Music Festival Orchestra members and College Piano Institute participants, who are chosen through a competitive audition process. Up to eight finalists may be selected for the competition’s open-to-the-public final round. First, second and third place prizes are awarded, as well as an Audience Choice prize.

  “The Ima Hogg Competition has a nearly 50-year storied history, one that was only interrupted by the pandemic,” said John Mangum, former Houston Symphony CEO. “As we considered its future, it made complete sense to join forces with the prestigious Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition at the University of Houston’s Texas Music Festival. Both organizations are deeply committed to creating opportunities for young people to connect with music, so it seemed like a natural partnership. It’s very exciting to combine resources to create something for these emerging artists: a new competition that’s even greater than the sum of its parts.”

• 2024

  First Prize: Jonah Murphy, flute | Brooklyn, New York
  Underwritten by Lilly and Thurmon Andress in loving memory of Lilly's mother, Jean Whitbread Kucera

  Second Prize: Han Sol Jeong, piano | Christchurch, New Zealand
  Underwritten by David R. Voll in loving memory of Dianna Gibbs Voll

  Third Prize: Takeru Niihara, violin | Hiroshima, Japan
  Underwritten by Nancy McCormick

  Fourth Prize: Fiona Tsang, cello | San Jose, California
  Underwritten by Dr. Keith A. Butcher in memory of Katherine G. McGovern

  Audience Choice: Izaiah Gonzalez, marimba | Harlingen, Texas
  Underwritten by Darlene Clark and Edwin Friedrichs to provide encouragement and recognition of ongoing commitment to excellence

  Finalists: Andrew Bell, bassoon; Christian Harvey, double bass; Uicheol Uhm, piano

• 2023

  First Place & Audience Favorite Prize
  Xayvion Davidson, bassoon | Rossini: Bassoon Concerto

  Second Place
  Lorien Britt, flute | Devienne: Flute Concerto No. 7

  Third Place
  Momoko Uchida, violin | Vitali: Chaconne

• 2022

  First Place
  Joshua Liu, violin | Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Major

  Second Place & Audience Favorite Prize
  William Ramos, bassoon | von Weber: Andante and Hungarian Rondo

  Third Place
  Alex Carroll, double bass | Vanhal: Concerto for Double Bass

• 2019

  First Place
  Brian Bires, viola | Forsyth: Viola Concerto in G minor, Mvt. I

  Second Place
  Evan Schnurr, clarinet | Nielsen: Clarinet Concerto, Op. 57, Allegretto un poco

  Second Place Tie & Audience Favorite Prize
  Yue Yang, violin | Ravel: Tzigane

  Finalists
  Mark Lauer, bassoon | Mozart: Bassoon Concerto in B-flat Major, Mvt. I
  Ayrton Pisco, violin | Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64, Mvt. III

• 2018

  First Place
  Andres Vela, double bass | Vanhal: Double Bass Concerto in D Major, Mvt. I

  Second Place & Audience Favorite Prize
  Lucas Sanchez, timpani | Fischer: Symphony with Eight Obbligato Timpani

  Third Place
  Sabrina Bounds, flute | Devienne: Flute Concerto No. 7 in E Minor, Mvt. I

  Finalists
  Julianne Mulvey, bassoon | Mozart: Bassoon Concerto in B-flat Major, Mvt. I
  Karl Zhu, violin | Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major, K. 219, Mvt. I

• 2017

  First Place
  Matthew Lee, violin

• 2016

  First Place
  Juan Esteban Martinez, clarinet

• 2015

  First Place
  Yuan Tian, violin

• 2014

  First Place
  Caitlin Mehrtens, harp

• 2013

  First Place
  Jessica Findley, bassoon

• 2012

  First Place
  Xiao Wang, violin

• 2011

  First Place
  Lachezar Kostov, cello

• 2010

  First Place
  Shuaili Du, violin

• 2009

  First Place
  Yi-Chun Lin, violin

• 2008

  First Place
  Kristin King, clarinet

• 2007

  First Place
  Meredith Clark, harp

• 2006

  First Place
  Amber Archibald, viola

• 2005

  First Place
  Joanna Messer, flute