Mitchell - Hogg Competition

2025 Cynthia Woods Mitchell - Ima Hogg Young Artist Competition

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• About the Competition

  The Cynthia Woods Mitchell - Ima Hogg Competition is open to all Texas Music Festival Orchestra Fellows and College Piano Institute pianists.

  All finalists will receive a cash prize and a medal. 1st ($3,000), 2nd ($2,000), 3rd ($1,000), and 4th ($750) place prizes will be awarded as well as an Audience Favorite Prize ($500). 

  Subject to approval of the conductor and the availability of orchestral parts, the 1st place winner will perform with the Festival Orchestra under the baton of Mei-Ann Chen at the Moores Opera House June 28, 2025. 

  The 1st place winner will also be invited to perform with the Houston Symphony in the 2025-2026 season.

  The Texas Music Festival is grateful for its partnership with the Houston Symphony and to the underwriters of the prizes.

• 2024 Winners

  Cynthia Woods Mitchell-Ima Hogg Competition Finals

  Sunday, June 9, 2024 | 2:00 p.m.

  Dudley Recital Hall

  Free Admission

  The Cynthia Woods Mitchell - Ima Hogg Competition is open to all Texas Music Festival Orchestra Fellows and College Piano Institute pianists.

  The winner, chosen by a distinguished panel of judges, performed Saturday, June 22 under the baton of Maestro Hans Graf at the Moores Opera House, and will be invited to perform with the Houston Symphony during its 2024-2025 season.

  All finalists received a cash prize and a medal. 1st ($3000), 2nd ($2,000), 3rd ($1000), and 4th ($750) place prizes will be awarded as well as an Audience Favorite Prize ($500). The Texas Music Festival is grateful for its partnership with the Houston Symphony and to the underwriters of the prizes.

   

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

       Jonah Murphy (MM ’24) is a graduate student in flute and composition at the Manhattan School of Music, studying under Michael Parloff (flute) and J. Mark Stambaugh (composition). He has received first prizes in the Eisenberg-Fried Concerto Competition and the New York Flute Club Competition, along with awards from YoungArts, the Alexander & Buono International Flute Competition, the International Virtuoso Competition, and the Lillian Fuchs Competition in chamber performance (four times). His chamber group, the Jonimey Trio, was selected for the Orchestra of St. Luke’s 2023–2024 mentorship program.
       Jonah has performed in masterclasses with Stefan Hoskuldsson, Nicholas Duchamp, Mark Sparks, Mindy Kaufman, Robert Langevin, Julien Beaudiment, Michael Cox, Jennifer Gunn, and others. He teaches young flute students at the Association of Dominican Classical Artists’ Washington Heights Community Conservatory of Fine Arts and is the flutist for the ADCA Orchestra and the chamber ensemble La Camerata Washington Heights.
       As an active composer, Mr. Murphy has won awards from ASCAP, YoungArts, NextNotes, the National Young Composers Challenge, Mata Jr., and the Chamber Music Society of Rochester [NY]. His works have been performed by PubliQuartet, the Mivos Quartet, Tilt Brass, Mobius Percussion, the Kāj Ensemble, the Manhattan Brass Quintet, and other ensembles.

  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

  Panel of Judges:
  Diego Caetano, piano faculty | Sam Houston State University
  Adam Dinitz, English Horn | Houston Symphony 
  Gonzalo Farias, Assistant Conductor | Houston Symphony
  Chris French, Associate Principal Cello | Houston Symphony
  Richard Harris, trumpet | Houston Symphony 
  Ian Mayton, French horn | Houston Symphony 
  Sophia Silivos, violin | Houston Symphony

• 2025 Competition Requirements

  • Repertoire Requirements
    • Competitors may compete with one movement from a standard work for solo instrument(s) and orchestra (one movement of a concerto or one-movement works are acceptable. If a full concerto meets the time limit, it is also acceptable.)
    • Total length not to exceed 15 minutes, including full orchestral tuttis. 
    • Please contact the TMF Office if you have questions about the eligibility of any work for competition.
    • Orchestral parts and scores must be readily available.
  • Work must be performed entirely from memory throughout the competition.
  • Competitors must provide a piano score for the Preliminary Round. Piano score must be an orchestral reduction.

• Competition Dates

  • Preliminary Round: Wednesday, June 4, 2025
    • PIANO: 2 p.m.
    • ORCHESTRAL INST.: 7 p.m.
    • Competitors will only be allowed an 8-12 minute performance time.
  • Final Round: Sunday, June 8 at 2 p.m.
    • Final Round is open to the public and competitors will be allowed the full time required to perform their piece or movement.