Featured photo: Maestro Greg Woodbridge congratulates 2024 YAC winner Daniel Huang
Celebrating young artists with superior musical ability in South Central Pennsylvania
Eligibility: The competition is open to all students enrolled in grades 7 through 11 during the 2024-25 school year who reside in the following eight counties in Pennsylvania: Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York. Those who have entered our competition in the past are encouraged to compete again (past winners are excluded).
Music Selection: Entrants should prepare one movement of any concerto for solo instrument (including operatic voice) written with orchestral accompaniment. Competitors chosen for the finals are responsible for bringing their own piano accompanists.
Prizes: $1,000 William & Ruth Cagnoli Award (divided if more than one winner)
Application: $40 application fee and audition materials must be received by the deadline to be considered. (Last year’s deadline was March 7; this year’s deadline is still to be determined but will be within a few weeks of that date.) Submissions will be accepted beginning Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
Entrants must submit a clearly recorded audition file. The audition may be submitted in one of two ways: (1) a link to an online file, (2) an MP3 emailed to yac@hersheysymphony.org. If you choose to submit a link to an online file, please be sure to grant necessary permissions for anyone with the link to view. In addition to the audition recording, entrants must complete the online form here and submit the $40 application fee via the link included in the form. The form is also available by scanning the code below:
Those selected for live audition will play in the finals before a panel of highly qualified professionals on in March of 2025 (exact date to be determined) at Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania. The winner(s) will be announced that day.
The winner will perform with the Hershey Symphony Orchestra during the orchestra’s 2025-26 season, which commences Fall 2025.
Questions may be addressed to yac@hersheysymphony.org or 717-533-8449.
The Hershey Symphony is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination. Please refer to our full statement here.
About our Prize Sponsor:
William and Ruth Cagnoli founded Cagnoli Music, offering instrument sales, repairs and more to musicians of all ages in Central Pennsylvania. The Cagnolis also owned and operated Marty’s Music in Lebanon for many years. A professional woodwind player in the region, William Cagnoli was also one of the early founders of The Hershey Symphony Orchestra and conducted the musicians on several occasions. Mr. Cagnoli also spent nearly 20 years at the Lebanon Veterans Hospital as a Registered Musical Therapist. Allan Cagnoli, their son, is honored to provide the one-thousand dollar award for the Hershey Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition winner, in memory of his parents, who deeply loved music, education, and their community.
See some images from past competition finalists in the gallery below.
