Shenandoah Conservatory announces the winners of the 2023/24 Student Soloists Competition (SSC) on behalf of the SSC committee. The final round of the competition was held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 21, in Armstrong Concert Hall.
Pictured left to right: Emanuele Andrizzi, Joshua Horsch, Emily Ilyes, Benjamin Figgs, MiKayla Hatfield, Fotina Naumenko, Sofia Stankiewicz, Richard Leech, Alan Cary, Jisoo Kim, Simeone Tartaglione and Colin Davin.
Category I – Undergraduate
Instrumental Division Winner
Benjamin Figgs, cello
Keyboard Division Winner
Alan Cary, piano
Vocal/Choral Division Winner
Sofia Stankiewicz, soprano
Category II – Graduate
Instrumental Division Winner
Emily Ilyes, violin
Keyboard Division Winner
Jisoo Kim, piano
Vocal/Choral Division Winner
MiKayla Hatfield, soprano
Winners of this year’s competition will be featured in a performance with the Shenandoah Conservatory Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024.
Participants performed in preliminary and semifinal rounds judged by the 2023/24 SSC Committee, which featured Shenandoah Conservatory faculty representatives from the Instrumental, Keyboard and Vocal/Choral Divisions, as well as Director of Orchestral Studies and Associate Professor of Conducting Emanuele Andrizzi, D.M.A., who also serves as SCC Committee chair. The final round was adjudicated by an all-external jury.
Student Soloists Competition Committee
Student Soloists Competition Chair
Emanuele Andrizzi, Director of Orchestral Studies; Associate Professor of Conducting
SSC Instrumental Division Representative
Colin Davin, Director of Guitar Studio; Associate Professor of Guitar
SSC Vocal/Choral Division Representative
Fotina Naumenko, Assistant Professor of Voice (Soprano)
SSC Keyboard Division Representative
John O’Conor, Distinguished Artist-in-Residence; Chair of Keyboard Division; Professor of Piano
Guest Final Jury
Richard Leech, tenor
George Mason University
Simeone Tartaglione, conductor and pianist
Catholic University
Joshua Horsch, conductor
Opera Las Vegas
About the Winners
Pianist Alan Cary ’26 (Bachelor of Music in Performance) studies with Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, Chair of Keyboard Division and Professor of Piano John O’Conor, Mus.D.
Cellist Benjamin Figgs ’25 (Bachelor of Music in Performance) studies with Associate Professor of Cello Julian Schwarz, M.M.
Soprano MiKayla Lynn Hatfield ’22, ’26 (Master of Music in Performance – Voice, Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance – Voice) studies with Opera Producing Director and Adjunct Artist-in-Residence of Voice (Soprano) Nancy Gustafson, M.M.
Violinist Emily Ilyes ’24 (Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance) studies with Victor Brown Endowed Chair in Violin and Professor of Violin Akemi Takayama, D.M.A.
Pianist Jisoo Kim ’25 (Doctor of Musical Arts in Performance) studies with Distinguished Artist-in-Residence, Chair of Keyboard Division and Professor of Piano John O’Conor, Mus.D.
Soprano Sofia Stankiewicz ’25 (Bachelor of Music in Performance) studies with Assistant Professor of Voice (Soprano) Fotina Naumenko, D.M.A.
