Four Outstanding Young Soloists Advance To The Final Round Of The 2019 Ima Hogg Competition

The Houston Symphony announced today the four finalists for the Houston Symphony's annual Ima Hogg Competition, one of the world's greatest multi-instrument competitions founded more than four decades ago to honor the memory of Ima Hogg, a co-founder of the Houston Symphony.

Designed to identify and support outstanding young instrumentalists and their pursuit of musical careers, this prestigious competition has helped catapult the careers of hundreds of musicians over the last four decades, many of whom have become renowned soloists, chamber musicians and have earned prestigious posts in orchestras around the world.

The finalists were selected earlier this afternoon from a pool of nine contestants after each one of them performed two pre-selected concerti in front of a live audience and a panel of three jurors at Rice University's Stude Concert Hall.

Chaired by Vicki West, this year's Ima Hogg finalists are: Katherine Audas performing Elgar's Cello Concerto in E minor, Opus 85; Rachel Lee Hall performing Ginastera's Harp Concerto, Opus 25; Coleman Itzkoff performing Bloch's Schelomo, Rhapsodie h bra que for Cello and Orchestra; and Chloe Tula performing Ginastera's Harp Concerto, Opus 25. Audas (cello) and Tula (harp) both attended the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, and currently reside in Houston. Audas was the 2015-2016 ENKOR International Music Competition Grand Prize winner, and Tula currently serves as the Harp Fellow with the New World Symphony in Miami. Hall (harp) has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Akron Symphony Orchestra, and appeared as a soloist with member of The Philadelphia Orchestra. Currently residing in New York, Itzkoff has been featured Artist-in-Residence on American Public Media's Performance Today and performed with numerous orchestras across the nation.

These four outstanding soloists will face off on Saturday, June 1, for their chance to win the $25,000 Grace Woodson Memorial Award and earn a solo appearance with the Houston Symphony at the Donor and Subscriber Appreciation Concert at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10, at Jones Hall. The Finals Concert will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, at Stude Concert Hall at Rice University.

For more information, visit houstonsymphony.org.

Named and purposed after founder and former President of the Houston Symphony, Miss Ima Hogg, this prestigious competition is designed to identify outstanding young instrumentalists between the ages of 16 and 26 to support their pursuit of careers in music. The goal is consistent with the vision of Miss Ima Hogg, whose passions included fostering young talent and supporting the Houston Symphony. It is one of the few instrumental competitions worldwide that includes all standard orchestral instruments.

The Houston Symphony Ima Hogg Competition is a definitive breeding ground for fine musicians. Past winners have won numerous national and international competitions, received principal posts with some of the world's major orchestras and even occupied seats within the Houston Symphony Concertmaster Frank Huang, Principal Keyboardist Scott Holshouser, and Principal Harpist Megan Conley are three such players, all former prize winners of the competition.

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