So Long Summer Fest 

The 2022 Music Academy Summer Festival came to a close on Saturday night with the symphony-vocal extravaganza at the Granada. Coming up next: three different recitals from the five fellows who claimed top prize in the musical competitions, plus perhaps a new product from the winner of the Music Academy Innovation Institute’s 2022 Fast Pitch Competition. (You’ll have to head to England to catch the 10 new Keston MAX Fellows during their residency with the London Symphony Orchestra this November.) 

Each of the musical competition winners earned a $5,000 cash award, a chance to perform again in a recital presented by the Music Academy at Hahn Hall in 2023 when they will play the premiere of a new composition commissioned for them, up to $1,000 to support innovation in the recital presentation, coaching with Music Academy teaching artists, and digital assets for career promotion.

Mezzo-soprano Joanne Evans and vocal pianist Tzu-Kuang Tan won the Marilyn Horne Song Competition, with Tom Cipullo, the Lehrer Vocal Institute’s 2022 composer-in-residence, creating a new piece. Tuba player Joshua Williams and collaborative pianist Yu-Ting Peng dominated the Duo Competition, and will play a commissioned work by Christopher Cerrone. Adria Ye prevailed in the Solo Piano Competition way back in June, earning a new piece created for her from pianist/composer Stewart Goodyear.

 Solo piano fellow Angie Zhang bested the other nine finalists to finish first in the Fast Pitch competition. The $5,000 prize could go a long way toward Ye launching her concept of MusicBesties: an app to elevate interactions between musicians and audiences. Congrats to all of the winners, and to audience members who got to witness their wondrous performances.