Cecilia McGiven Named Winner Of The Columbus Symphony's 2022 Young Musicians Competition

The Columbus Symphony today announced 16-year-old cellist Cecilia McVicker as the winner of its 2022 Young Musicians Competition. As such, McVicker has been awarded the Lois H. Allen Concerto Prize of $1,000 donated by the Friends of the Symphony and will also perform her winning piece at an upcoming Friends of the Symphony luncheon event.

Now in its 68th year, the CSO's annual Young Musicians Competition provides an opportunity for central Ohio students in grades 3-12 to perform for professional feedback from Columbus Symphony musicians and collegiate faculty. In addition, youth musicians in grades 8-12 are eligible to compete in a concerto competition.

The 2022 Young Musicians Competition hosted 44 youth musicians who performed for professional feedback and 28 youth musicians in the concerto competition. McVicker won with her performance of Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto No. 1, Mvmt. III.

Additional finalists in the concerto competition were violinist Anna Linder of Westerville and violinist Joseph Lin of Bexley.

The competition was judged by musicians from the Columbus Symphony and central Ohio collegiate faculty as well as Dr. Suzanne Newcomb, piano faculty of Otterbein University; Lucy Ginther, violin and viola instructor at Wright State University and Ohio Wesleyan University; and John Kurokawa, lecturer of clarinet at Wright State University.

Cecelia McVicker, 16, is a sophomore at Centerburg High School. She began playing cello at the age of three with Jill W. Crist through Suzuki Music Columbus. In 2015, she began studying with Cora Kuyvenhoven, cellist with ProMusica Columbus and cello instructor at Denison University. McVicker toured the Czech Republic in 2018 and Wisconsin in 2019 with Suzuki Music Columbus and attended Chamber Music Connection in 2020. She is currently performing with the symphony orchestra at Denison University. In 2021, McVicker attended the cello intensive camp at Interlochen, participating in masterclasses in bow technique, improv, and chamber group performances and has recently been accepted to Interlochen Academy for her junior and senior years of high school.

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