Lorelei Schoenhard Wins 2026–27 Concerto Competition

Congratulations to all six finalists who delivered breathtaking performances at the Concerto Competition Finals Recital!

After careful deliberation, our judges selected Symphony violinist Lorelei Schoenhard as the 2026–27 Concerto Competition Winner.

She’ll perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 with Symphony on their February 28th concert—don’t miss this incredible performance!

The judges were Eunice Kim (Acting Associate Principal Violin, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra), Greg Milliren (Associate Principal Flute, Minnesota Orchestra), and Jason Tanksley (Adjunct Instructor of Tuba at St. Olaf College). Special thanks to Kerri LeJeune, the collaborative pianist who accompanied each finalist.

About Lorelei Schoenhard

Lorelei Schoenhard studies violin with Marion Judish and chamber music with Kyu-Young Kim and Pitnarry Shin. This is Lorelei’s sixth year both as a member of the GTCYS Symphony and as a finalist in the GTCYS Concerto Competition. In recent summers, Lorelei has enjoyed three GTCYS international tours and additional opportunities to play in some of the world’s finest youth orchestras. In 2024, she was concertmaster of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists’ Orchestra. In 2025, she performed at Carnegie Hall, then toured Japan, China, and Korea with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA. In 2026, she was concertmaster of the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra and principal second violin of the Menuhin Festival Youth Orchestra. Following on these experiences, Lorelei enjoys maintaining friendships with young musicians from all around the world. She looks forward to returning to the Verbier Festival in 2027.