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.
Formerly The Londontowne Symphony Orchestra
2025 Young Artist Concerto Competition
We are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2025 Young Artist Concerto Competition, open to high school students in Maryland. The winners will have the opportunity to learn from and perform as a soloist with established and acclaimed members of the Naptown Philharmonic Orchestra at our season finale concert on June 7.
The winners are:
Zack Lam, piano
Richard Montgomery High School
Oliver Wu, violin
Friends School of Baltimore
Luke Zegowitz, oboe
Crofton High School
“The musical caliber of the high school students who compete each year is astounding,” said Music Director/Conductor Dr. Anna Binneweg. “We can see that classical music has a bright future in Maryland.”
Competition Details
In a addition to playing with our seasoned musicians, the winners will each receive a cash prize of $250.
To audition, each young artist must be a Maryland resident in grades 9-12, and not over the age of 19 as of the competition date, January 12, 2025. The audition required that all works be in the standard repertoire for solo instrument and orchestra. Concertos were limited to a single movement and all proposed selections were subject to approval by the Naptown Philharmonic’s Music Director. Applicants were required to provide their own accompanist and one original copy of the music was provided for the panel of judges. Pieces were performed from memory.
Panel of Judges
A panel of four judges, including NPO Music Director Anna Binneweg, chose the winners from three categories: 1. Piano 2. Strings 3. Brass, Winds, Percussion. The panel reserved the right not to select a winner from each category.