Congratulations to the 2025 Concerto Competition Finalists!
GTCYS is proud to announce the six finalists of our 2025 Concerto Competition! These musicians will perform in a free public recital, concluding with a public reception and the announcement of the winner.
Concerto Competition Finals Recital
Sunday, November 2, at 3:00pm
Sundin Music Hall, Hamline University, St. Paul
The winner of the 2025 Concerto Competition will perform at our annual fundraiser, Orchestrating Opportunities, accompanied by Symphony, our most advanced orchestra touring Australia and New Zealand next summer.
2025 Concerto Competition Finalists
William Feng, Piano
Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 11, Mvt. III: Vivace, by Frederic Chopin
William Feng is a junior at Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minnesota. He has studied piano at MacPhail Center for Music for the past ten years and is currently studying piano and composition with Richard Tostenson and Dr. Sarah Miller. William won first prize in the 2025 Schubert Club Competition and has also been a prizewinner in the Thursday Musical and Minnesota Orchestra Young People’s Symphony Concert Association competitions, among others. In 2026, he will appear on National Public Radio as an NPR From The Top Fellow. William also plays the viola in GTCYS Symphony and studies with Sabina Thatcher.
Ezra Kusa, Trombone
Cavatine, Op. 144, by Camille Saint-Saëns
Ezra Kusa is a senior at Highland Park High School in Saint Paul. A student of Douglas Wright and Kari Sundström, Ezra is the principal trombone for GTCYS Symphony. This is his third year with Symphony and his sixth overall with GTCYS. Ezra started trombone at age 11, and his past teachers include Karl Wiederwohl and Lovrick Gary III. Ezra’s honors this year include selection as an alternate for both NYO-USA and NYO2, and winning second prize in the Schubert Club’s Carlson Scholarship Competition. He was selected to attend Brevard Music Center’s High School Orchestral Institute for summer 20205, where he was conducted by Ken Lam and Keith Lockhart. Ezra’s most memorable performances include playing at Barcelona’s Palau de la Música Catalana during Symphony’s 2024 tour, and performing on alto trombone in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 at Brevard. Outside of music, Ezra enjoys playing soccer and Nordic skiing.
Summer Liu, Cello
Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33, Mvts. 1 & 3, by Camille Saint-Saëns
Summer Liu, age 13, is an eighth grader at Lake Middle School in Woodbury and has studied cello with Andrea Glass at the MacPhail Center for Music for seven years. She is the winner of the 2025 MacPhail Concerto & Aria Competition (solo), as well as the 2024 (duo) and 2023 (solo) competitions. Summer also won the 2024 Minnesota Sinfonia Young Artist Competition – Junior Division, earned First Prize in the 2024 Chicago International Music Competition (ages 10–12) and Second Place in the 2023 American Classical Young Musician Award. She was a finalist in the 2023 Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies Concerto Competition and received the 2023–24 MacPhail Bjork-Pederson Suzuki Scholarship. Summer is a current member of the GTCYS Symphony Orchestra, MacPhail Cello Rock Band, and Artaria Chamber Music School. Outside music, she enjoys biking, skiing, rock climbing, video games, and time with friends and pets.
Lorelei Schoenhard, Violin
Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, Mvt. I: Allegro moderato, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Lorelei Schoenhard studies violin with Marion Judish, Professor Emeritus of St Cloud State University. This is Lorelei’s fifth year both as a member of the GTCYS Symphony and as a finalist in the GTCYS Concerto Competition. In prior years, she presented the first movements of violin concertos by Bruch, Saint-Saëns, Mendelssohn, and Korngold. This year, she has chosen Tchaikovsky’s concerto because it is the work that she would most like to share with her friends. Lorelei especially loves the moment when the violin hands the melody back to the orchestra at measure 127 (IYKYK ). She is thankful to GTCYS for encouraging musicianship and friendship. With her GTCYS friends, Lorelei has performed throughout the Twin Cities as Quartet Selene, played Carnegie Hall in the National Youth Orchestra, and toured Italy, France, and Spain with GTCYS Symphony. She looks forward to Australia and New Zealand in 2026!
Franklin Watkins, Cello
Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, B. 191, Mvt. I: Allegro, by Antonin Dvorak
Franklin Watkins studies cello at the University of Minnesota with acclaimed cellist Matt Haimovitz, taking dual-enrollment college courses alongside his musical training. Franklin performs as a member of both the University of Minnesota Symphony Orchestra and GTCYS Symphony, with which he traveled last year to France and Spain, performing in notable venues such as the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona, and the Auditorium-Orchestre National de Lyon. An avid chamber musician, Franklin is also a member of a string trio at the Artaria Chamber Music School. He has participated in masterclasses with distinguished artists, and performed in numerous concerts across the Twin Cities. Outside the practice room Franklin enjoys pickles, and can solve a Rubik’s cube in less than 15 seconds.
Tianqi Yu, Percussion
Concerto for Marimba and Strings, Mvt. 3, by Emmanuel Séjourné
TJ Yu is a junior at Wayzata High School. He studies under Bob Adney at the MacPhail Center for Music, and has been playing the marimba for 6 years. This concerto was a recommendation from his accompanist in March, and this is his first performance with the piece! Some other pieces he enjoys playing from his repertoire include Ney Rosauro’s Concerto No. 1 for Marimba, Sea Refractions by Mitchell Peters, and Ghost Garden by Adam Hopper. TJ has been in GTCYS for 5 years; his favorite GTCYS memory is playing Stravinsky’s Firebird at the Palau de la Música Catalana in Barcelona. One fun fact about TJ is that he enjoys making Buldak ramen from Costco! Pro tip: Add some parmesan.