Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA Unveils 2026 Young Artist Competition Winners

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA announces Alexander Zhou (piano), Ella Xu (oboe), and Elizabeth Poppy Song (violin) as the Gold Medalists of its 32nd Annual Paul & Loti Christensen Young Artist Competition following a remarkable performance from all nine finalists. These gold medal winners will perform their winning selections with the VSO under the baton of Maestro Salvador Brotons on January 16 and 17, 2026 at Skyview Concert Hall. Mr. Zhou will perform the third movement of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A Major K. 488. Ms. Xu will perform Oboe Concerto, Op. 45 by Eugene Goossens and Ms. Song will perform the first movement of Sergei Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 63.

The Paul and Loti Christensen Young Artist Competition is an important step in a young musician's artistic, academic, and professional journey and helps them develop habits that serve them throughout their education and careers. Young artists from across the U.S. compete in the Piano, String, and Woodwinds/Brass Categories. Nine finalists were chosen from nearly 100 applicants for their outstanding musical ability and virtuosity and performed on October 11 at First Presbyterian Church in Vancouver for an esteemed panel of judges that included Zuill Bailey, Natasha Paremski, Igal Kesselman, Ken Selden, and Igor Shakhman.

All finalists received generous cash prizes. Gold Medalists are awarded $5,000 each; Silver Medalists, $2,000 each; Bronze Medalists, $1,000 each. The three Gold Medalists – Alexander Zhou (piano), Ella Xu (oboe), and Elizabeth Poppy Song (violin), will perform with Maestro Brotons and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at Skyview Concert Hall early next year.

Silver Medalists were Evelyn Shengxi Yang (piano), Xueheng Wang (alto saxophone), and Aurelia Faidley-Solars (cello). Bronze Medalists were John Samuell Varcoe (piano), Sophie Dong (flute), and Neal Eisfeldt (violin).

The Paul and Loti Christensen Young Artist Competition is named in perpetuity in recognition of two of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA's most dedicated early supporters. The VSO USA would also like to thank the Realvest Corporation for their long-term support of this competition. Thank you to Michelle's Piano Company for providing two grand pianos.

All three gold medalists are particularly accomplished musicians who have already established themselves with numerous competition wins and noteworthy performances:

Alexander Zhou is a 5th-grade pianist studying under Dr. Natela Mchedlishvili at Special Music School of Kaufman Music Center. He made his orchestral debut at age six, presented a solo recital at Steinway Hall at eight, and was featured on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert. He has won top awards at prestigious international events, including Kaufman Music Center Youth Piano Competition, Chopin Piano Competition for Children and Youth in Poland, Kronberg Piano Competition for Young Pianists in Germany, and Nashville Chopin Piano Competition. Beyond classical piano, Alexander is a versatile musician passionate about musical theater, choral singing, composition, and improvisation.

Ella Xu made her orchestral debut at the Vienna Konzerthaus at 11 and has since performed with the United States Army Field Band and Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago. She has appeared at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center and presented a series of solo recitals with the Young Artist Performances. She has won the DePaul National Concerto Competition and PIMF Concerto Competition. An alumna of NYO2 and BUTI, Ella was also a fellow of From the Top's Learning & Media Lab; her performance and interview aired on NPR in March 2026. She studies oboe at Juilliard Pre-College with Elaine Douvas and Yousun Chung.

Elizabeth Poppy Song is a 16 year-old violinist studying with Dr. Masao Kawasaki at the Juilliard Pre-college. She currently serves as the concertmaster of the New York Youth Symphony. Poppy is a prize winner of the Cooper and Johansen International, the Klein String, and the Il Piccolo Violino Magico Competitions. Additionally, she was named a 2025 National YoungArts Winner with Distinction. Poppy is the first prize winner of the Aspen Festival Concerto; Elizabeth Loker Concerto with the MidAtlantic Symphony; the Suburban Music Study Club; the Riverside Symphonia Caprio Young Artists; the NJ Capital Philharmonic Youth Concerto; and the Juilliard Pre-College Concerto Competitions.

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