Greenfield Student Competition

The annual Philadelphia Orchestra Albert M. Greenfield Student Competition is open to all accomplished young instrumentalists, pianists, and vocalists who reside in, or study regularly with, a teacher who resides in the Greater Philadelphia area. Entrants are divided into categories by age: Children’s Division, ages 12 and under; Junior Division, ages 13 to 16; Senior Division (Instrumental), ages 17 to 21; Senior Division (Vocal), ages 17 to 29.  The young musicians compete against a standard of excellence and are evaluated on the following merits: exceptional talent, virtuosity, artistic individuality, and projection as a performer.

Since the Orchestra’s first student concerto competition, initiated by Leopold Stokowski in 1933, more than 550 young artists have been named as competition winners. Previous winners of the Competition who have gone on to international solo careers include sopranos Judith Blegen and Benita Valente; pianists André Watts, Richard Goode, and Eugene Istomin; and violinists Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Hilary Hahn. Current Philadelphia Orchestra musicians who are former winners of the Competition include violinists Richard Amoroso, Yayoi Numazawa, and Yumi Ninomiya Scott; violist Burchard Tang; bassoonist Mark Gigliotti (co-principal); bass trombone Blair Bollinger; and pianist Kiyoko Takeuti.

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