2025 CONCERTO COMPETITION WINNER CONCERT
PERFORMING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
MARK CEDEL, conductor
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
HODGSON CONCERT HALL
2025 CONCERTO COMPETITION WINNER CONCERT
Thursday, January 30, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
UGA Performing Arts Center
University of Georgia Symphony Orchestra
Mark Cedel, Conductor
Nicholas Han, Assistant Conductor
CONCERTO COMPETITION WINNERS
(in alphabetical order)
Emily Elmore, flute
JT Holdbrooks, bassoon
Thomas LaMon, cello
Mengyuan Li, piano
David Ma, flute
Elena Minko, piano
Haoying Wu, piano
Presented as part of our Thursday Scholarship Series
The Thursday Scholarship Series began in 1980 and continues the tradition of “Music Appreciation Programs” started by Hugh Hodgson in the 1930s. Proceeds from ticket sales to these concerts and contributions made by you are the primary means through which School of Music scholarship funds are raised each year.
Piano Concerto No. 4, opus 40
II. Largo
III. Allegro vivace
Cello Concerto, E minor, opus 85
IV. Allegro
Elena Minko, piano
Thomas LaMon, cello
Concertino for Bassoon and Orchestra
JT Holdbrooks, bassoon
Carmen Fantasy for Flute and Orchestra
Emily Elmore, flute
INTERMISSION
Sonatine for Flute and Orchestra
David Ma, flute
Piano Concerto No. 2, Opus 18
I. Moderato
Haoying Wu, piano
Concerto in F for Piano and Orchestra
I. Allegro
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Edward Elgar
Marcel Bitsch
Francis Borne
Henri
Dutilleux
Sergei Rachmaninoff
George Gershwin
Mengyuan Li, piano
Emily Elmore is in her first year pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Flute Performance, studying under Angela Jones-Reus at the University of Georgia, Hugh Hodgson School of Music. She has served as Principal Flutist of both the UGA Symphony Orchestra and the Hodgson Wind Ensemble, as well as a member of the UGA Graduate Flute Quartet. In addition to being selected as a winner of the UGA Concerto Competition, Emily has been a finalist or prize winner in Young Artist Competitions by the Florida Flute Association, the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus and Orchestra, and the Sarasota Concert Band. Emily is passionate about education, teaching flute privately in the UGA Community Music School and within schools throughout Georgia. She also serves as the Graduate Assistant to the Hugh Hodgson School of Music Outreach programs. Emily holds a Master of Music in Flute Performance from the University of Georgia, and a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from the University of Central Florida.
J.T. Holdbrooks is a second-year Doctoral student at the University of Georgia Athens, pursuing a DMA in Bassoon Performance studying under Amy Pollard. Currently, he is a graduate teaching assistant, performs with the Southern Wind Quintet, and is the co-principal of UGA’s esteemed Wind Ensemble. Originally from Alabaster, Alabama, J.T. received his Bachelor of Music from The University of Alabama and his Master of Music in Bassoon Performance at the University of Colorado Boulder. J.T. has performed professionally with orchestras including the Atlanta Ballet, the Chattanooga Symphony, the Atlanta Pops, Cheyenne Symphony, and others in the surrounding areas. In 2023, he was the winner of the Jacque Avent Concerto Competition at the Sewanee Summer Music Festival where he performed Villa-Lobo’s “Ciranda Das Setes Notas” with the faculty orchestra. He has performed in many masterclasses for notable bassoonists including Sophie Dervaux, Frank Morelli, Billy Short, and Kristen Wolfe Jensen.
Thomas LaMon is a Doctoral student in cello performance at the University of Georgia under the tutelage of James Kim. Thomas is from Ohio and attended the Ohio State University for his undergraduate degree in music performance and public policy, followed by the University of Georgia for his master’s in performance. During his musical journey, Thomas studied with Linda Katz, Mark Rudoff, and David Starkweather who all helped shape the passionate musician he is today. Thomas first found success in chamber music where he was a finalist of the Coltman competition in Austin, Texas (2019) and received the Brahms award for chamber music excellence while at OSU. During his time at UGA, Thomas has performed on masterclasses for prominent figures such as the Emerson Quartet, Dover Quartet, Trio con Brio, Joseph Lin, and Tamas Varga. Thomas is also a part of the Hodgson String Quartet, the premiere graduate chamber ensemble at UGA. He has held the principal cellist position for UGA Symphony, ARCO Chamber Orchestra, Prague Summer Nights, and OSU Symphony.
Thomas just recently performed the Vivaldi double concerto for two cellos with ARCO and puts on frequent chamber concerts for the community with his various chamber ensembles. He most enjoys the communal aspect of music making and strives to deliver performances that bring people together.
Born in Hebei and raised in Tianjin, China, Aimee Mengyuan Li is currently pursuing a DMA degree in piano at the University of Georgia as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. Aimee has been won multiple competitions and performed throughout China and the United States as soloist and collaborative pianist. Before coming to UGA, Aimee earned a Master of Music degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music; later she served as adjunct faculty at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and piano faculty at the Hebei Polytechnic Institute in China.
David Ma is a Tampa, Florida native and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance at the University of Georgia, studying with Angela Jones-Reus. At the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, he is an active member of the UGA Wind Ensemble, serving as Principal Flute and Piccolo. As an advocate for new music, he is the flutist of the UGA Contemporary Chamber Ensemble. Some of his freelance work includes performing for local churches in the Athens and Greater Atlanta area, and flute instructor at middle and high schools in Georgia and Florida. He has been selected to perform in masterclasses with Marianne Gedigian, Brandon Patrick George, Kristen Holritz, Bart Feller, and Mary Stolper. He was awarded 2nd prize winner at the Florida Flute Association’s Young Artist Competition in 2023.
An active soloist, répétiteur and collaborator, Elena Minko enjoys working with other musicians, exploring all musical styles from instrumental and vocal Baroque music to contemporary. Currently, Elena is a coach assistant in opera theater at the University of Georgia and pursuing her doctoral degree in Piano Performance with Evgeny Rivkin. A native of Siberia, Russia, Elena started her professional path as a composer and was awarded several prizes at composer’s competitions in Russia. Prior to coming to the United States, she earned her Bachelor and Master degrees in Piano Performance at the Gnessin Academy of Music in Moscow.
Haoying Wu is a Chinese pianist who is pursing her doctoral degree in Piano Performance at the University of Georgia, studying with Alan Woo. She is the teaching assistant for group piano classes at UGA. She earned her previous degrees from Northwestern University and Oberlin Conservatory of Music. As an active performer, she won the second prize in the 2024 Atlanta Music Club Scholarship Competition.
Now in his 31st year at UGA, Mark Cedel brings a wealth of professional experience to his position as Director of Orchestral Activities. Prior to his appointment at UGA, he was Associate Conductor of the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra. In his four seasons with that orchestra, he conducted over 200 performances; appearing on every series offered by the orchestra. Before joining the Charlotte Symphony, Cedel was Principal Viola and Assistant Conductor of the Charleston (SC) Symphony Orchestra for nine years. While in Charleston, he served for two seasons as that orchestra’s Acting Music Director. From 1986-1990, he was a member of the artist faculty at the Brevard Music Center and was principal conductor of the Brevard Repertory Training Program.
In addition to directing orchestral activities at UGA, Cedel served as professor of viola from 1994-2002. During that period he performed, toured, and recorded regularly as extra/substitue viola with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, including its northeast tour with concerts in Carnegie Hall. He returned to teaching viola for the 2009-2010 academic year, while a search was conducted to fill the position.
Cedel has been associated with many orchestras in the southeast. This includes Principal Viola of the South Carolina Chamber Orchestra and the Guest Principal Viola of the Savannah Symphony, and orchestras in Augusta, Macon, and Jacksonville.
Upon graduation, Cedel accepted the position of Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Universidade Federale do Rio Grande do Norte in Brasil. There he was Principal Viola of the Orquestra da Camera UFRN and violist for the Quarteto UFRN, which made several national tours. Cedel frequently returns to Brasil to participate in festivals and guest conduct.
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Nicholas Han earned his Undergraduate degree in Violin Performance at Central Washington University in 2020, and his Masters in Orchestral Conducting at Oklahoma State University in 2023. He is currently pursuing his Doctoral of Music Arts degree at University of Georgia.
In 2022, Nicholas was named assistant conductor for the Oklahoma Chamber Symphony and was the Apprentice Conductor for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic in May 2023. He also is currently the Cover Conductor for the Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra. His recent conducting engagements include guest conducting LA Conducting Workshop and Competition Orchestra and Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra. During the summer of 2022, Nicholas was selected as one of 3 winners for the ICWC (International Conducting Workshop and Competition) in Atlanta, Georgia. He was also selected as a 1st place winner and received the Audience Prize in the LA Conducting Workshop and Competition in Garden Grove, California.
He has worked with Mark Gibson, Neil Thomson, Diane Wittery, and Philip Greenberg. His principal mentors include Nikolas Caoile, Thomas Dickey, Alexander Mickelthwate, and Mark Cedel.
VIOLIN I
Jhonni Campos, co-concertmaster
Carlos Brena
co-concertmaster
Sarah Nienhiser
Clarissa Tamara
Brian Roach
Alexis Boylan
André Araújo de Souza
Zeyu Yuan
Lela Stair
Chelsea Afful
Simms Murray
Ellis Kim
Adelmo Giménez
Rohan Pise
Rea Aiyer
Victor Rosin
VIOLIN II
Ori Kang, principal
Sage Codispoti
Ruanak Das
Nick Olmstead
Kiera Johnson
Surya Blasiole
Athziri Moreno-Martinez
Jen Edwards
Sarah Wheeler
Briana Darden
Leo Jahn
Hazel Moreno
Shazan Samnani
Chloe James
Rafaela Moraes Michel
Mark Cedel, Conductor
Nicholas Han, Assistant Conductor
VIOLA
Rachel Liu, co-principal
Asha Baylor, co-principal
Jenni Perng, assistant principal
Kailey Ford
Daniel Boscan
Marissa Evans
Mason Minutella
Adam Starks
Ashley Belscher
Clinton Stempien
Vic Jeon
Dorothy Park
Tess Redden
CELLO
Gabriella McClellan, principal
Tristan Dempsey, assistant principal
Joshua Nguyen
Thomas Lamon
Olivia Durrence
Ryan Dater
Ian Koontz
William Slater
Joshua Aderhold
Benjamin Hackworth
Rafael Sobrinho
BASS
Wueliton Dal Pont, principal
Bianca Wilson
Michael Farrick
Austin Carter
Ricardo Karelisky
Jordan Askew
Madeline Bower
Peyton Lightcap
FLUTE
Shana Stone, principal
Kimmie Bateman
Sam Malave, piccolo
OBOE
Amanda Withrow, co-principal
Emma Gordon
Anisa Hebert
Ashley Na
Xander Herman
CLARINET
Sarah Christie, co-principal
Ryan Hanling, co-principal
Garrison Rider, co-principal
BASSOON
Caleb Jackson, co-principal
Jazmyn Barajas-Trujillo, co-principal
Daniel Johnson, co-principal
HORN
Joseph Johnson, co-principal
Jake Wadsworth, co-principal
Peter Dixon
Jacob Evarts
Gracie Gambrell
TRUMPET
Adriano Estraiotto, co-principal
James Vaughn, co-principal
Toby Johnson
Michael Mank
TROMBONE
Ian Wolff, principal
Benjamin Novo
Jonas Ventresca
TUBA
Hunter Kane
TIMPANI
Henry Campbell, principal
PERCUSSION
Tanner Fallin
Carrington Lauck
Rachel Martin
KEYBOARD
Tiffany Yin
HARP
Tyler Hartley
LIBRARIAN
Alexis Boylan
PERSONNEL and PRODUCTION
Ricardo Karelisky
7:30 p.m.
Ramsey Concert Hall FREE CONCERT RECEPTION TO FOLLOW TUES 2/4
THURS 2/6
7:30 p.m.
Ramsey Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
MON 2/10
3:30 p.m.
Ramsey Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
MON 2/10
7:30 p.m.
Ramsey Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
WED 2/12
7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall FREE CONCERT
FACULTY ARTIST SERIES: JAMES KIM, assistant professor of cello Praised for possessing “admirable purity of tone and accuracy” (James Oestreich, The New York Times) and hailed as a “miracle” (Harris Goldsmith, New York Concert Review). James Kim has performed concerti with orchestras such as the Boston Symphony and Royal Philharmonic.
FACULTY RECITAL: ELIZABETH JOHNSON KNIGHT, mezzo-soprano
Elizabeth Johnson Knight, American mezzo soprano, is in demand as both a choral and solo artist. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in 2010 as alto soloist in Handel’s Messiah with Andrew Megill and the Masterwork Chorus.
REPERTORY SINGERS
Joshua Wagner, Conductor
The Repertory Singers is a mixed chamber choir directed by graduate student conductors. Its format offers laboratory rehearsal and performance experience for conductors and singers alike.
GUEST ARTIST RECITAL: REED HANNA, bassoon
Bassoonist and composer Reed Hanna is quickly becoming a noteworthy new voice in the double reed community whose compositions have become known among wind players for their interesting and imaginative musical ideas that challenge performers and captivate audiences.
WIND SYMPHONY & SYMPHONIC BAND
The Wind Symphony is dedicated to performing the finest standard and new repertoire for wind band. Likewise, The Symphonic Band focuses on the classic band repertoire as well as exciting new music.
