The Fischoff Chamber Music Competition concluded its final round on
Sunday May 7.  The Fischoff is considered one of the best and is the
largest chamber music competition and many of its previous winners have
gone on to major performing careers.

I was privileged to attend the full competition and was very impressed
with the exceptional level of performance of the young players.

The Fischoff results:

Junior Division
First Prize - Beat 3 (percussion ensemble from MYA Highwood, IL
Second Prize - "opus"  (string quartet) Worthington, OH  (four guys
-quite good)
Third Prize - Alethea String Quartet Madison, WI
Honorable Mention - Neptune Trio (piano trio) Walnut Hill School, Boston MA

Senior Winds Division
First Prize - ViM (saxophone quartet) Eastman School, Rochester NY
Second Prize - Arundo Winds Quintet Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO
	(flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn)
Third Prize - Element Saxophone Quartet, Mystic, Conn.

Senior Strings
First Prize - Ariel Quartet (string quartet) New England Cons. Boston, MA
Second Prize - Kailas String Quartet Rice Univ. Houston, TX
Third Prize - Hyperion String Quartet San Diego State Univ, San Diego, CA

GRAND PRIZE WINNER

The Ariel Quartet

These are (4) very young people (ages 21,21, 20 and 21) from Moscow,
the Ukraine and Israel who have been together for (8) years and who
moved to the U.S.  two years ago to study at the New England Conservatory.
It was a very close competition (as usual) but I think the best ensemble
won.  In addition to a cash prize of $10,500, the Grand Prize winning
ensemble performs on Fischoff tours in the U.S and Europe during 2006-2007.

Nick Yasillo
Norton Building Concert Series
http://home.earthlink.net/~nconcerts/