2023 Stanger Competition Results

High school teens excel in this year’s Robert Stanger Young Artist competition hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst and the Elmhurst Symphony Association. First-place winner, violinist Cecilia O’Malley, is invited to perform with the Symphony in the 2023/24 season.

The winners of the Dr. Robert Stanger Young Artists Concerto Audition for 2023, held at Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church in Elmhurst on February 18, have been announced. Conducted by the Elmhurst Symphony Association and sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Elmhurst, the competition showcased 19 outstanding high school musicians from Chicago and several suburbs. 

Stanger Audition first-place winner Cecilia O’Malley will perform with the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra at a subscription concert during the next season. Other winners will perform for Kiwanis and other local groups later in the year.  All winners receive certificates and the first four winners receive monetary awards.

Thanks go to Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church and staff for the use of the church and their able assistance and to the dedicated Symphony volunteers who helped make this event possible. The Symphony is especially grateful to the Stanger Audition’s primary sponsor, the Elmhurst Kiwanis Club, for its long-time support. For more information, call the Symphony office at (630) 941-0202 or visit www.elmhurstsymphony.org.

Judges and Winners

Special thanks go to this year's judges, Joanne May, Jennie Brown, and Kuang-Ho Huang, who spent many hours listening to and critiquing these spectacular young performers, choosing five winners:

First Place: Cecilia O'Malley, Violin (pictured) (Wheaton, IL)

Teacher: Gerardo Ribeiro

Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 in b minor, Op. 61, first movement

Second Place: Caleb D. Kim, Piano (Roselle, IL)

Teacher: Brenda Huang

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in b-flat minor, first movement

Third Place: Sofia Radovic, Violin (St. Charles, IL)

Teacher: Desiree Ruhstraat

Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 2, Op. 63, first movement

Fourth Place: Jeffery Tong, Cello (Lisle, IL)

Teacher: Tanya Carey

Saint-Saens Cello Concerto No. 1 in a minor, Op. 3, first movement

Honorable Mention: Merrill Lee, Violin (Oak Brook, IL)

Teacher: Jin Zhang

Saint-Saens Violin Concerto No. 3 in b minor, Op.61, third movement