Each year, the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra sponsors the Jeanne Selander Memorial Concerto Competition, a competition for young musicians. Students audition for the opportunity to perform a solo with the orchestra.
The contest is open to young musicians through the age of 18 who live or go to school within 75 miles of Lowell. Students may still enter if they are 18+ but still enrolled in high school.
The 2012 Competition will be held Feb 11, 2012 and applications are closed.
If you would like to be added to our distribution list to be notified for 2013's competition, send us a note on our 'Contact Us' page
2012 Jeanne Selander Memorial Concerto Competition
- Apply Today!
- Apply Today!
Scroll down for past winners' bios
Join the Spring Student Invitational
Young string students of varying levels of experience, join us for a portion of the Winter concert series. They attend rehearsals and perform alongside seasoned LPO musicians at our Family Concert. Invitations are mailed to numerous area educators, but any student (elementary through high school) may participate.
To request more information on this, please send us a note on our 'Contact Us' page.
To request more information on this, please send us a note on our 'Contact Us' page.
High School Students - Join the LPO
High school students are encouraged to join the LPO as a full member. Depending on open seats, we encourage both wind and string players to join us. If you'd like to learn more, visit the 'Become a Member' section of the website and send us a note.
Lucy Song, featured soloist. Performing March 9, 2012
Lucy Song, 18, is currently a senior in Westborough High School and has been playing flute for the past seven years. She started studying with her current teacher, Ruth Washington Mayhew, in seventh grade.This past year, Lucy won a scholarship sponsored by the Westborough Community Chorus and will be performing at their concert in May. In 2010, she won the Seven Hills Symphony Concerto Competition with the Ibert flute concerto and also received a gold rating from the MICCA Solo and Ensemble Festival. Lucy was a winner of the 2011 Friends of Marlborough Library Young Performing Arts Festival Competition, performing the Mozart Concerto in G major in recital.
At school, Lucy is first chair in the symphonic band and orchestra, and in 2009 she founded the school wind quintet. Lucy has also played in New England Conservatory Preparatory School’s youth orchestras for the past four years. She played in the Youth Repertory Orchestra 2008-09, Youth Symphony 2009-2011, and now plays in the Youth Philharmonic Orchestra. During the 2009 through 2011 MMEA All-State festivals, Lucy participated in the All-State band and orchestra, receiving a perfect score in her 2010 All-State audition. She has also played with the 2011 All-Eastern Orchestra performing in Baltimore. In addition to these groups, she enjoys playing in flute choirs and performing at retirement homes around Westborough. Lucy belongs to the Westborough High School Tri-M Honor Society, where she assists in concerts and performs in the community.
2011 Concerto Competition Winner, Winston Huang
2011 Jeanne SelanderMemorial Concerto Competition winner, Winston Huang has been playing the piano for the past ten years, studying at the Longy School of Music for the last five. His first teacher was Dorothy Shi; he currently studies with Sandra Hebert.
He has played in many venues, including Merkin Hall and Carnegie Hall in New York City. Recently, he has performed with the Newton Symphony Orchestra and has also won the Brockton Symphony Orchestra's Feinberg Competition, the Longy Senior Division Concerto Competition, and has made it to the final round of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition. His first performance with an orchestra was in 2007 when he played with the Longy Youth Chamber Orchestra after winning in the Junior Division. In 2006, he won the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Massachusetts State Competition in the Junior Category, representing Massachusetts in the MTNA Eastern Division Competition. Winston also won 1st place at the Massachusetts Music Teachers Association (MMTA) Bay State Competition in 2009.
Winston is a distinguished student of Longy, winning awards including the Michael B. Packer Prize for excellence in piano studies in 2008 as well as the Chamber Music Award in 2010. He was one of only two Preparatory students invited to perform in Longy's "Black and White" Inaugural concert for the new Steinway Piano and was the only Preparatory Student invited to perform in Longy's showcase concert series "SeptemberFest".
He is currently a sophomore honors student at Newton North High School, where he represents his class for the second year as one of three Student Faculty Administration representatives.
Kadar Qian, 13, is a native of Westford, MA. As the winner of the 2010 Boston Civic Symphony Youth Concerto Competition, he performed the 1st movement of the Prokofiev Concerto No. 3 in October. In addition, he won the Metrowest Symphony Young Artists Competition and played the same program in March 2010. Previously, in April of 2009, Qian won the Quincy Symphony Orchestra concerto competition and played the entire Chopin Concerto No. 2 with them. He later played the concerto with the Salem Philharmonic in January 2010, and the Cape Ann Symphony in September 2010 appearing as soloist both times. He also won the Invitational Award at the Lowell Philharmonic Orchestra concerto competition and will perform with them in March 2011. Kadar claimed the first prizes in the 1st Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, Connecticut, and the 2009 Steinway Society of Massachusetts piano competition in his age group.
Kadar has studied piano since the age of 4 with Ronald Kmiec. He has taken additional private lessons with A. Ramon Rivera at The Rivers School Conservatory since 2010. He also pursues independent study in musical analysis and conducting with Yoichi Udagawa. Qian has given more than 60 performances in MA, CT and New York City. Kadar appeared at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in 2008, and has performed at Jordan Hall, Boston. Kadar recently appeared on the NPR radio show, From the Top, performing from the Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach.
Kadar is a high honor roll student at Stony Brook School in Westford and has been a member of the math team since 3rd grade, winning top prizes at the Academic Math League competitions. He is also member of the Student Council, and was recently elected as Vice President of the student body. In addition to playing piano, Kadar plays violin in the Stony Brook Orchestra, and enjoys running and writing poems in his spare time.

Lucy Song, 18 - Flute
Featured soloist for Winter 2012
She was first introduced to the LPO through last year's conerto competition auditions. Read her bio below!
Featured soloist for Winter 2012
She was first introduced to the LPO through last year's conerto competition auditions. Read her bio below!

HS student player, Josh Coffey leading a 'Meet the Instruments' demo after a Family Concert

Violinst at Student Play-In

Winston Huang, 2011 Concerto Competition Winner (bio below)