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

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Instrumental Division Winner

Benjamin Figgs, cello

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Keyboard Division Winner

Alan Cary, piano

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Vocal/Choral Division Winner

Sofia Stankiewicz, soprano

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Category II – Graduate

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Instrumental Division Winner

Emily Ilyes, violin

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Keyboard Division Winner

Jisoo Kim, piano

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Vocal/Choral Division Winner

MiKayla Hatfield, soprano

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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.