Spring CIM Concerto Winners Announced!

Congratulations to this spring’s Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition winners Paul Aguilar (violin, Laredo/Sloman) and SoYoon Oh (piano, Brown/Paik) and to Martin Kocev (clarinet, Cohen) and Yu-Ming Ma (violin, Zenaty/Cho) who received honorable mentions. The winners will each perform a solo with the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra this fall.

Aguilar performed Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major, Op.19, a piece he is eager to perform with the CIM Orchestra. “The Prokofiev Concerto is such a great work,” he says. “I know it will be a wonderful experience to work with the CIM Orchestra on it.” Feeling honored to be chosen a winner, Aguilar is “really looking forward to performing with the orchestra!”

Oh, who performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in c minor Op. 37, was surprised when she heard she had won. “I never thought I had a chance of winning,” she says. “Everyone who competed in the competition played wonderfully. I would like to thank my family, friends, Victor, Ms. Paik and Ms. Brown who helped and supported me in various ways.” Oh will perform the same piece with the CIM Orchestra this fall. 

The competition was judged this year by faculty members Carl Topilow, Joyce Griggs, Robert Vernon, Linda Jones, Daniel Shapiro, Marc Damoulakis and Shuai Wang.

Congratulations to all!