Young Artists Competition
Getting Their Big Break
Each year, up-and-coming young musicians from across the region compete for the opportunity to perform as soloists in a concert with the Sarasota Orchestra. This is a valuable chance to make a professional debut, what many accomplished artists wait years for.
The Young Artists Concerto Competition winners perform at a concert in February. Tickets are available for purchase by calling the box office at (941) 953-3434 or (866) 508-0611.
Congratulations to the winner of the 2021 Young Artists Concerto Competition!
Kristian Mendoza, piano
Honorable Mention
Olivia Leichter, violin and Sophia Tarlton, bassoon
Details about performance opportunities TBA.
History
The Edward and Ida Wilkof Young Artists Concerto Competition was established in 1966. The Wilkofs wanted to plant a seed in talented youth and encourage them to aspire to professional heights. The couple’s endowment is an outgrowth of the artistic devotion Mr. Wilkof has shown to the Sarasota Orchestra for decades, as a generous philanthropist and longtime member of the orchestra’s Board of Directors.
