Hershey Symphony Announced Young Artist Competition Winner

The Hershey Symphony Orchestra has announced that oboist Artemis Drake, an 11th-grader at Conrad Weiser High School in Robesonia, is the winner of this year's Young Artist Competition.

The Young Artist Competition was established by the symphony to celebrate young artists with superior musical ability in South Central Pennsylvania. The competition is open to all students enrolled in grades 7 through 11 who reside or go to school in Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, or York County. Entrants compete by preparing a concerto for solo instrument (including operatic voice) written with orchestral accompaniment. 

Drake will receive the $1,000 William & Ruth Cagnoli Award and will perform their audition piece with the Hershey Symphony next season.

"This year's Young Artist Competition did not fail to disappoint with the level of talent, and there was a wonderfully diverse group of instruments represented," said Maestro Woodbridge. "Artemis played the Mozart C major with a musical maturity beyond their years, possessing complete control of tempi and tone, even during the quickest passages and extreme registers. The phrasing was beautifully sculpted, particularly the endings. We are delighted to be able to perform this work with Artemis as a part of our '25-'26 season, and thrilled to be able to bring this experience to young musicians throughout the area."

Drake has been studying the oboe for nine years and plans to attend a conservatory for oboe performance after high school. “I'm very honored to be selected," said Drake. "I've admired the Hershey Symphony for a long time, and it's so exciting to be able to perform my concerto with them next season." 

Other finalists included Carson Kime, a junior clarinetist from Susquehanna Township High School; Bryan Myers, a sophomore cellist from Spring Grove Area High School; Meredith Taylor, a freshman French horn player from Lower Dauphin High School; and Alex Zampedri, a junior violinist from Palmyra Area High School. 

The judges this year included Hershey Symphony music director and conductor Greg Woodbridge; Dr. Jennifer Blyth, professor of music at Dickinson College; and Dr. Johannes Dietrich, Newton and Adelaide Burgner Endowed Professor of Instrumental Music at Lebanon Valley College. This year's competition was organized by Hershey Symphony musicians Mike Rusli and Susan Hoffman and was hosted by Lebanon Valley College.

The award was named for William and Ruth Cagnoli, who founded Cagnoli Music, offering instrument sales, repairs and more to musicians of all ages in Central Pennsylvania. The Cagnolis also owned and operated Marty's Music in Lebanon for many years. A professional woodwind player in the region, William Cagnoli was also one of the early founders of The Hershey Symphony Orchestra and conducted the musicians on several occasions. Mr. Cagnoli also spent nearly 20 years at the Lebanon Veterans Hospital as a Registered Musical Therapist. Allan Cagnoli, their son, is honored to provide the $1,000 award for the Hershey Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition winner, in memory of his parents, who deeply loved music, education, and their community.

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