University Concerto Competition
Overview
The University Concerto Competition is an annual event designed to give outstanding undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to perform as a soloist with one of the university’s orchestras. The 2024-2025 competition will feature the CSU Orchestras. There are no limitations on the instrumentation of the accompanying ensemble within reason. The application deadline is Friday, October 11, 2024.
The Final Round of the competition will be held on Saturday, November 16, 2024, in the Organ Recital Hall. A winner chosen by the judges will be selected to perform on the May 8 concert with the Symphony Orchestra. While there will likely be only one winner, there’s a possibility of other winners who would perform on other concerts in the spring semester. Please see the Information, Rules, and Procedures document below for complete dates and times. Any auditionee must be available for any of the dates listed below. Please note: there is no guarantee of a winner (or winners).
2023 Finalists
- Ayo Derbyshire: Richard Strauss, Horn Concerto No. 1, French horn
Ayo will perform on March 7 with the University Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Rob Stahly - Quinn Harlow: Keiko Abe, Prism Rhapsody, marimba
Quinn will perform on May 2 with the University Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Rachel Waddell - Jenna Moore: Malcolm Arnold, Concerto for Flute and Strings
Jenna will perform in Spring 2024 with the Concert Orchestra under the direction of Dr. Rachel Waddell (date TBA)
Honorable Mention: Anthony Sacheli, saxophone
Quinn Harlow
Quinn Harlow was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2004 and moved to Colorado in 2008. They fell in love with drumming at a young age by playing Rock Band 2 and would spend countless hours trying to beat their high score. In fifth grade, they received the opportunity to play real percussion instruments, which they eagerly accepted. In middle school, they began to develop a passion for mallet percussion instruments, especially the marimba. They honed their skills in high school via marching band, concert band, jazz band, and orchestra. Starting at the age of 16, they began touring the country as a mallet player. They are an undergraduate music performance major and will graduate in Spring 2026.
Jenna Moore
Jenna Moore is a master’s student in Flute Performance and Arts Management at Colorado State University. She completed her Bachelor of Music at CSU studying under Dr. Michelle Stanley. Jenna has participated in many university ensembles including the University Symphony Orchestra, Wind Symphony, Marching Band, and other chamber ensembles and athletic bands. Outside of CSU, Jenna has performed with the Longmont Symphony Orchestra, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse, and the Prague Multicultural Orchestra. Jenna’s other performance honors include a 2021 masterclass selection with Lady Jeanne Galway, winning the 2022 JoAnne Kyhl Memorial Performance Competition through the Sigma Alpha Iota (SAI) Denver Alumnae Chapter, and winning second place in the international 2022 SAI Triennial Graduate Performance Woodwind Competition. As an arts management student, Jenna has completed administrative internships at arts organizations including the National Flute Association, Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities, Longmont Symphony Orchestra, and currently, the Fort Collins Symphony. As an arts management project in 2023, Jenna was proud to create and plan a free recital at the Fort Collins Senior Center for community members who rarely have access to live music. Jenna aspires to create more opportunities for music students to travel and perform internationally, an interest that was sparked by her participation in the 2017 Longmont International Friendship Exchange Band that united high school students from sister cities Chino, Japan, and Longmont, Colorado in Japan for a joint concert. After completing both master’s programs, Jenna intends to continue pursuing goals in both flute performance and arts leadership.
Ayo Derbyshire
Ayo Derbyshire is an active freelancer in Colorado, playing in chamber and orchestral settings along the Front Range. Ayo graduated from Colorado State University in 2019 with a B.A. in Music, where he studied Horn performance on a full scholarship with Dr. John McGuire and was Principal Horn of the CSU Symphony Orchestra for all four years. He is pursuing a Master’s in Computer Information Systems while taking music classes at CSU. He is a tenured member of the Fort Collins Symphony, playing second Horn after serving as fourth Horn and as a substitute. In 2017, Ayo was awarded 1st place in the Engelbert Schmid Horn Competition, presented by Siegfried’s Call. The competition was nationwide for horn players aged 18-30, and Ayo was judged and selected by iconic horn players such as Phil Myers, William Vermeulen, and Leelanee Sterrett. He was also awarded the Wendel Diebel Performance Award from the CSU School of Music, Theatre, and Dance in recognition of achieving a high level of performance. In the summers of 2017 and 2018, Ayo was a Fellow of the Texas Music Festival in Houston, playing different symphonic concerts each week while studying with Houston Symphony’s William VerMeulen and Rob Johnson. He also played as a Fellow with the Hot Springs Music Festival and the Denver Young Artists Orchestra.