2020-21 This competition was limited to Halton residents
1st – Emad Zolfaghari, viola
The 1st place winner will receive $500 and the opportunity to perform a full concerto for soloist and chamber orchestra with the OCO during the 2021-22 season.

Congratulations to the winners and to ALL the participants of this year's OCO Youth Concerto Competition!
The level of talent was unparalleled, and the final decision was a big challenge.
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SENIOR CATEGORY (18-21 yrs)
1st – Emily Bosenius, Violin
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JUNIOR CATEGORY (17 yrs and under)
1st – Sophie Van Der Sloot, Cello
2nd – Emad Zolfaghari, Viola
3rd – Kenneth Chen, Piano
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Finest Oakville-Based Musician Award
Emad Zolfaghari, Viola
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Honourable Mention
Elliot Sloss, Cello
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The 1st place winner will receive $500 and the opportunity to perform a full concerto
for soloist and chamber orchestra with the OCO during the 2020-21 season.
2nd place winners also receive monetary prizes and the opportunity to perform one movement
of a concerto for soloist and chamber orchestra with the OCO next season.
THANK YOU to all of the soloists, accompanists, judges, parents, teachers and volunteers
for making the OCO’s 2020 Youth Concerto Competition the best one yet!
THANK YOU #oakvilleflowers for donating the beautiful bouquets for the award winners
2018-19
Fostering excellence among young Canadian musicians, and
providing the winners with the opportunity to perform as soloists with the Oakville Chamber Orchestra!
Junior Category | Senior Category |
Grand Prize – Richard Gao, piano | Grand Prize – Veronika Manchur, violin |
2nd Place – Jason Cheng, piano 3rd Place – Yulai Duan, piano |
2nd Place – Anna Wojcik, soprano |
3rd Place – Isabella Lecomte, soprano |
Oakville’s Best: Jerry Yuan, marimba
2017-18
Junior Category |
Senior Category |
1st Sunny Zhai, Piano |
1st Myriam Blardone, harp |
2nd J.J. Bui, piano |
2nd Yu Kai Sun, violin |
3nd Jerry Yuan, Marimba |
3nd Mariya Orlenko, piano |
2016-17

Junior Category Senior Category |
|
1st Dale Jeong, cello | 1st Lynn Sue-A-Quan, viola |
2nd (tied) J.J. Bui, piano, Duncan McDougall, violin | 2nd Nicole Stocks, mezzo-soprano |
Thanks to Merriam School of Music for hosting our competition finals day.
Thanks to The Optimist Club of Oakville – Lead Sponsor of the OCO Annual Youth Concerto Competition.
2015-16
Junior Category | Senior Category |
Grand Prize – Myriam Blardone, harp | Grand Prize – Eric Guo, piano |
2nd Place (tied) – Leslie Ashworth, violin, Linda Ruan, piano | 2nd Place – Feiran Bi, flute |
3rd Place – Matisse and Aled Blundell, trumpets |
Oakville’s Best: Leslie Ashworth
Junior – Instrumental (17 and Under)
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200
Senior – Instrumental (21 and Under), Vocalists (25 and Under)
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200
Thanks to Merriam School of Music for hosting our competition finals day.
2014-15
Junior Category | Senior Category |
Grand Prize – Catherine Ma, piano | Grand Prize – Michaela Johns, cello |
2nd Place – Tiffany Yeung, violin | 2nd Place – Tiffany Tse, piano |
3rd Place – Leslie Ashworth, piano | |
4th Place – Thomas Dobrovich, piano |
Oakville’s Best: Leslie Ashworth
Junior – Instrumental (17 and Under)
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200
Senior – Instrumental (21 and Under), Vocalists (25 and Under)
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200
Thanks to Remenyi House of Music for hosting our competition finals day.
2013-14
Junior Category |
Senior Category |
1st – Marko Pejanovic, piano 2nd – Jasmine Lin, violin 3rd – Chelsie Vaillancourt, flute 4th – Arielle Silverberg, violin |
1st – Tessa Laengert, soprano 2nd – Leslie Bickle, soprano |
Oakville’s Best: Tessa Laengert, soprano
Junior – Instrumental (17 and Under)
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200
Senior – Instrumental (21 and Under), Vocalists (25 and Under)
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200
Thanks to Remenyi House of Music for hosting our competition finals day.
Jurors included Annalee Patipatanakoon, and James Parker of the Juno award-winning Gryphon Trio.
2012-13
Junior Category | Senior Category |
1st – Emma Meinrenken, violin 2nd – Leslie Ashworth, violin |
1st – Ji Soo Choi, violin 2nd – Tiffany Tse, piano 3rd – Christopher Yeung, piano |
Oakville’s Best: Leslie Ashworth, violin
Junior – Instrumental (17 and Under)
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200
Senior – Instrumental (21 and Under), Vocalists (25 and Under)
First Place: $500
Second Place: $300
Third Place: $200
Soloists performed on the BECHSTEIN piano, represented exclusively by Remenyi House of Music Ltd.
Presenting Grantor: Oakville Community Foundation
Venue Sponsor: Merriam School of Music
Scholarship Presenters:

The Optimist Club of Oakville
Ms. Georgina Langs