Violin Concerto Competition winners named

Renee Zhang was named the winner and Christine Chu the runner-up in the final round of the UW Bach E Major Violin Concerto Competition, presented January 14 by the University of Washington Strings Program.

Zhang, Chu, and fellow finalists Dalma Ashby and Randy Zhang performed from their respective homes in a competition broadcast over Zoom and streamed live to the School of Music YouTube channel. They were competing for an opportunity to play the concerto at a future performance by the UW Symphony. Rating the performances were outside judges Noah Geller (Seattle Symphony) and Lauren Roth (Tucson Symphony). Roth, a School of Music alumna and former student of Ron Patterson, was herself a Concerto Competition winner while a student at the UW. She now serves as an assistant professor of music at Arizona State University and concert master of the Tucson Symphony.

Assistant Professor Rachel Lee Priday, host of the competition, said the judges chose Zhang as the winner and emphasized that all four musicians performed beautifully.

“You all sounded wonderful,” she wrote to students in announcing the judges’ decision. “Congratulations again on a fantastic competition and your beautiful performances!”