
The 2025 Young Artists Competition for Winds was held February 1, 2025.
Below are links for the 2025 application and the 2025 official poster for the 29th annual Young Artists Competition. February of 2026 will be the LSO’s 30th annual Young Artists Competition and will be for strings. Information for that event will be available soon.

For young musical artists, this yearly competition organized by the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra, is traditionally held in early February at CALLAWAY AUDITORIUM. Callaway Auditorium is located on the campus of LaGrange College, in LaGrange, Georgia.
The 2025 competition was for winds, 2026 is for strings, and 2027 is for piano.
The LaGrange Symphony Orchestra, under the leadership of Dr. Barbara Kaplan, began the Young Artists Competition (YAC) in 1996 to encourage professional standards of performance among young musicians. Originally formed to serve residents or resident students within a 50 mile radius of LaGrange, the competition now serves talented young musicians from six southeastern states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Each year the contestants perform before nationally and internationally recognized judges. The first place winner is invited to perform with the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra later in the concert season.
Participants in the Young Artists Competition compete for three awards:
First Place: Dorothy Allen Turner Award – $1,500
This award honors the memory of Dorothy Allen Turner, longtime LaGrange resident, devoted supporter of music in the community, and widow of the late Dr. Render Turner. Dot’s daughter Isabelle Knight is a former member of the LSO and her granddaughter Callie Knight Hammond is the current assistant concert master of the LSO. Her son in law, Charles Knight, is a past President of the Symphony board. The Cash award of $1,500 includes the opportunity to perform as guest soloist with the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra. 1st place winner appears with the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra in Callaway Auditorium.
Second Place: Max Kaplan Award – $1,000
The second place award honors the memory of Dr. Max Kaplan. Dr. Kaplan, a university professor, author and lecturer, was a sociologist, violinist and member of the LSO board from 1992 to 1998. A resident of Meriwether County, he was deeply involved in LaGrange’s cultural life. His wide experience with orchestras as concertmaster and conductor, and as co-organizer of the famed Boston Youth Symphony, made him invaluable to the LSO board.
Third Place: NOTE Award – $500
This award was named by the donor, Eunice Connally Carr. The NOTE acronym designates an award which meets a Need, provides an Opportunity for young people, recognizes Talent, and rewards significant Effort on the part of the young performer. Contestant must be under the age of 26 on the date of the competition and must be a resident or resident student of Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina or Tennessee.
Congratulations to the 2025 Winners!
First Place

SEBASTIAN OCANDO
First Place Winner – the Dorothy Allen Turner Award goes to Sebastian Ocando. He is a senior in Music Performance at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University. A native of Venezuela, he began his musical studies under his father who was a professor in the Conservatory of Music in Maracaibo. Sebastian currently studies under Dr. Paul Vaillancourt, Professor of Percussion. He has performed in multiple orchestras and was the 1st prize winner in the London Internation Competition in the percussion category as well as the 1st prize winner of the percussion category in the BACH International Competition. Sebastian performed Concerto for Marimba and Strings Orchestra, 2nd Movement, Energuique by Emmanuel Sejourne. Sebastian received a $1,500 stipend and has been invited to perform with the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra at a concert during the 2025-2026 season.
Second Place

XAVIER MARTINEZ
Second Place Winner – the Max Kaplan Award goes to Xavier Marinez. A sophomore at the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University, Xavier currently studies with Dr. Joe Girard, Associate Professor of Saxophone. He received performance honors as a high school all-state student on alto and baritone saxophone and performs at CSU in the Wind Orchestra and the Sax Ensemble. Xavier performed Cyberbird Concerto – III – Bird in the Wind. He received a $1,000 stipend.
Third Place

DOMINIC BERNARD
Third Place Winner – the NOTE Award goes to Dominic Bernard. He holds a B.M. Music Performance and an Artist Diploma in Music Performance from the Schwob School of Music at Columbus State University and most recently studied under Dr. Susan Hatch Tomkiewicz, Professor of Oboe. Dominic currently performs with multiple orchestras throughout the South and beyond. He was the 2023 First Prize winner of the Charleston International Music Competition. Dominic performed Concerto sopra motii dell’opera ‘La favorita’ di Donizetti by Antonio Pasculli. He received a $500 stipend.
Previous Winners
Season 2023/2024

First Place 2024
Ruxi Wang
Piano
University of South Carolina

Second Place 2024
Quang Vo
Piano
Florida Gulf Coast University

Third Place 2024
Jungmin Park
Piano
Columbus State University
Season 2022/2023

First Place 2023
Sicong Chen
Violin
Columbus State University

Second Place 2023
Roni Shitrit
Violin
University of North Carolina

Third Place 2023
Benjamin Tomas Perez
Viola
Columbus State University
Season 2021/2022

First Place 2022
Lindsey Welp
Alto Saxophone
University of Georgia

Second Place 2022
Lucy Rubin
Flute
University of Georgia

Third Place 2022
Cindy Liu
Flute
Houston High School
Season 2020/2021

First Place 2021
Angelina Ning
Piano
American Heritage School, Boca Delray

Second Place 2021
Luke Turner
Piano
Vanderbilt University

Third Place 2021
Arturo Fernandez
Piano
Florida Gulf Coast University
Season 2019/2020

First Place 2020
Melody Sim
Violin
Vanderbilt University

Second Place 2020
Hanna Hrybkova
Violin
Columbus State University

Third Place 2020
Francis Tsai
Violin
Hope Christian School
Season 2018/2019

First Place 2019
Connor Holland
Trumpet
Florida State University

Second Place 2019
Adeline M. DeBella
Flute
Columbus State University

Third Place 2019
Kirk-Jearvin Gumarin Habana
Saxophone
Columbus State University
Season 2017/2018

First Place 2018
Yannie Tan
Piano
Atlanta International School

Second Place 2018
Dina Kasman
Piano
Vestavia Hills High School

Third Place 2018
Elisabeth Tsai
Piano
Columbus State University
Season 2016/2017

First Place 2017
Richard Cho
Violin
Alpharetta High School

Second Place 2017
Weiru Sheng
Violin
Columbus State University

Third Place 2017
Olivia Palazzolo
Violin
University of Memphis