Jenny & Norman Nelson Concerto Competition
About the competition
Winners 2025
May 7, 2025 - Philip T. Young Recital Hall (University of Victoria): at a wonderful evening of musical offerings by all competitors, the adjudicators selected the following as the winners:
Category No. 1 (Piano)
First prize: Leah MacFarlane: Piano Concerto in F Sharp minor, Op.20 by Alexander Scriabin
Second prize: Simi Luttrell: Piano Concerto No.1 in G minor, Op.25 by Felix Mendelssohn
Category No.2 (Other Instruments)
First Prize: Matty Angus: Clarinet Concerto No.1 in F minor, Op. 73 by Carl Maria von Weber
Second prize: Joanne Jiang: Cello Concerto No.1 in A minor, Op.33 by Camille Saint-Saens
Adjudicators: Wendell Clanton, Pamela Highbaugh Aloni, Robert Holliston
The Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra looks forward to featuring the two first prize winners at concerts in our next season, beginning Nov. 2nd,, 2025.
Thanks to all competitors, accompanists and our adjudicators!
From left to right: Simi Luttrell, Max Francis, Matty Angus, Cindy Jiang, Joanne Jiang, Leah MacFarlane
We recently renamed the Competition in honour of our founders.
The Jenny and Norman Nelson Concerto Competition is open to instrumental students up to and including the age of 25 years (as of January 1, 2025). They must be studying privately or at an accredited institution on Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands.
The final competition will take place on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 7 PM at the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall, University of Victoria.
Deadline for applications will be Friday, March 14, 2025. Finalists are announced no later than March 31, 2025.
If a finalist is unable to meet the May 7th competition date and rehearsal/concert dates (to be announced), he or she must notify the Music Director immediately.