Zack Lam — From Bethesda, Maryland, Zack is a 17 year-old junior at the International Baccalaureate® (IB) Magnet Program of Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland. He studies the piano with Dr. Marjorie Lee. He was recently the first prize winner of the 2023 Virginia Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Senior Piano Competition, representing Virginia in the MTNA Southern Division Piano Competition, and the second-prize winner of the 2024 Enkor International Piano Competition. Zack has won prizes at over 44 regional, national, and international competitions, performing at Van Cliburn Hall, the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, and the George Mason University Center for the Arts. In June of 2024, he attended the 44th PianoTexas International Festival in Fort Worth. He was also recently featured in National Public Radio’s From The Top, performing Ornstein’s Waltz No. 7. In the past few years, he has taken masterclasses with Arie Vardi, Robert McDonald, Stephen Spooner, Angela Chang, and Enrico Elisi, among others. Additionally, Zack is a strong proponent of venturing outside the standard repertoire. In the next few years, he plans on including several underappreciated composers for the piano in his programs. This year, he has performed works by Leo Ornstein and Hermann Goetz, but later plans on including works composed by, but not limited to, Georges Enescu, Percy Grainger, Samuil Feinberg, Nikolai Roslavets, Charles-Valentin Alkan, Sigfrid Karg-Elert, and Kaikhosru Sorabji. Outside of piano, Zack enjoys writing poetry and essays, studying history and economics, and debating current events and philosophy.
Oliver Wu — A 16 year-old junior at Friends School of Baltimore, first fell under the spell of the violin at age 10, when he spotted the high school’s concertmaster rise to tune the players. He started private lessons with Megan Bradshaw, and a year later, he earned a place in the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra’s String Orchestra, where he played for two years and performed with a chamber group. At age 13, he began playing with the BSYO Concert Orchestra, and in the summer of 2023, Oliver found a new level of inspiration on a European tour with the BSYO Youth Orchestra. He began studying with Vitaly Briskin and won a first prize in the 2023 Charleston International Romantic Music Competition (15-year-old group). He also earned a third prize in the 2023 Opus Music Competition, Maryland Strings, Category IV and an honorable mention for the BSYO Concert Orchestra’s Concerto Competition. His repertoire includes the first movement of the Sibelius Violin Concerto in D Minor, Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G Minor, the Wieniawski Polonaise No. 1 in D major, and the first movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor. In 2024, he was selected to play with other BSYO musicians and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra with Yo-Yo Ma. Along with other selected BSYO musicians, he also performed with BSO musicians for their season launch and with Grammy-winning group Time for Three. Over the summer, Oliver attended Interlochen Arts Camp’s Violin Intensive and the Philadelphia International Music Festival’s Solo Performance Program. At Friends School, Oliver is a concertmaster of the orchestra, a longtime member of the Fiddle Club, and a singer and violin soloist for the school’s Concert Chorale. He is also a development director for Music United, a non-profit that seeks to unite people through music.
Luke Zegowitz — A junior at Crofton High School in Crofton, Maryland, Luke has been playing the oboe for over six years, beginning in fifth grade. Starting lessons at 11, he has studied with Heidi Schultz, Noelle Drewes, Fatma Daglar, and Kerry Willingham. An active member of The Bay Winds Band of Annapolis and Orion Youth Orchestra (affiliated with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra), Luke has also played as Second Oboe/English Horn with the Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra, Category 5 Wind Ensemble, and the Anne Arundel Community College Orchestra. Luke has currently participated in All State Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA) ensembles for the previous four years and has been selected twice for Carnegie’s Halls National Youth Orchestra, NYO2, for the 2023 and 2024 programs. As a member of NYO2, Luke has performed in World Orchestra Week under Gustavo Dudamel. He has also been a music ambassador of Carnegie Hall, traveling and performing in places such as Carnegie Hall, the Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito in the Dominican Republic and the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center in Dallas, Texas. Outside of music, Luke also enjoys visiting amusement parks and riding roller coasters, exploring the beach or mountains, and spending time with friends and family.
Christopher Chung started his musical journey with piano at the age of four. Along with piano, Christopher started learning cello at the age of seven and joined the school orchestra in third grade.Formerly The Londontowne Symphony Orchestra
2026 Young Artists Concerto Competition
The competition is open to Maryland students in grades 9-12 and gives the winners the opportunity to learn from and perform as a soloist with established and acclaimed members of the Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra.
Prizes: Winners will be featured during the 2025-2026 season during the Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra Concert of April 18, 2026. There is also a cash prize of $250 awarded to each winner.
Date: Auditions will be held on Sunday, January 11, 2026, beginning at 2pm, at Anne Arundel Community College, 101 College Parkway, Arnold, Cade Fine Arts Center, Room 224. Warm-up rooms will be available on the lower level. Snow date: Sunday, January 18, 2026
Performance date: Saturday, April 18, 2026, 7:30pm (sound-check time, 5:30-6:30pm) at Maryland Hall, 801 Chase Street, Annapolis.
Required rehearsals with orchestra:
- Tuesday, April 14, 7 – 9:15pm: Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church (Severna Park)
- Friday, April 17, 7 – 9:45pm: Anne Arundel Community College, Cade 224 (Arnold)
Eligibility Requirements: Must be a Maryland resident; grades 9-12; not over the age of 19 as of the competition date.
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
Application Fee: $60
Repertoire Requirements: All works must be in the standard repertoire for solo instrument and orchestra. Concertos are limited to a single movement. All proposed selections are subject to approval by the NPO Music Director. Applicants must provide their own accompanist. One original copy of the music must be provided for the panel of judges. Pieces must be performed from memory.
Panel of Judges: A panel of four judges, including NPO Music Director Anna Binneweg, will choose the winners from three categories: 1. Piano 2. Strings 3. Brass, Winds, Percussion. The panel reserves the right not to select a winner from each category.
Application Information, Fees and Submission Instructions
The application form may be submitted by mail or electronically to Dr. Bill Bloomquist, competition director at 443-623-8699 or drbill88@comcast.net. Late applications will not be accepted.
All applications require a non-refundable $60 entry fee. Please enclose a check payable to NPO with your application. Electronic payment will be available soon on the NPO website.
Applicants will be notified of the receipt of their application packet, audition time and location by email. If you have questions or need more information, please contact Dr. Bill Bloomquist, competition director at 443-623-8699 or drbill88@comcast.net.