CMS Young Composer Winners to be Featured on Classic 107.3 June 17
June 14, 2023
On June 17, Classic 107.3 will air an interview with the two first-place winners of the 22-23 Young Composers Competition (YCC), Guest Composer Nina Shekhar, and Program Coordinator Justin Blackburn. It will air at 10 a.m. during the Classics for Kids program.
Frazar Henry from Bonita Springs, Florida, is the first-place winner of the Level I division for young composers age 12-16. Age 16 at the time of the competition, Frazar has participated in the Young Composers Competition many times, winning second place in 2020-2021 and again in 2021-2022. This year’s first-place work, Constellations, is composed for flute, oboe, bassoon, and cello.
Jonah Cohen, from Farmington Hills, Michigan, is the first-place winner of the Level
II division for young composers age 17-21. Age 18 at the time of the competition,
Jonah was and is a rising sophomore at the Juilliard School. His winning work, Leaps
and Bounds, is composed for two violins, viola, cello, and piano.
Excerpts from both Henry’s and Cohen’s interviews are available in advance of the radio premiere.
"It was a privilege to do [the interview]! I expect to hear great things about both of these young men as they pursue their careers," said Kathy Lawton Brown, host of Classic 107.3.
The interview also includes comments from 2022-2023 guest composer Nina Shekhar along with excerpts from her work, Above the Fray, performed by the JACK Quartet. Shekhar is currently the composer-in-residence for Young Concert Artists and has held guest composer residencies at New York University, University of Colorado-Boulder, Western Michigan University, and Portland State University.
The Young Composers Competition is sponsored by the Community Music School of Webster University thanks to the generosity of Arden and Harry Fisher. Since 2004, the YCC has encouraged the efforts of young composers aged 12-21, receiving submissions both nationally and internationally. Unlike most competitions of its kind, the YCC provides detailed feedback from its adjudicators on all submissions. First- and second-place winners receive a professional recording of their work from Chamber Project St. Louis, and a master class with the guest composer.
The Young Composers Competition will accept submissions for the 2023-2024 Competition Sept. 1 – Oct. 20. Winners are notified in January of 2024. For more information, visit Webster's Young Composers Competition.