MYAC Announces 29th O’Malley Foundation Concerto Competition

Midwest Young Artists Conservatory (MYAC) will hold the 29th O’Malley Foundation Concerto Competition (formerly Walgreens)  December 28-30, 2025 at the MYAC Center in Highwood, Illinois.

This annual event is one of the Midwest’s most prestigious concerto competitions for young musicians, drawing approximately 200 students over three days. Open to performers through 12th grade, the competition offers the opportunity to appear with MYAC’s top orchestras, youth ensembles of the highest caliber nationwide. At its core, the competition is educational, offering all students the chance to stretch their abilities in a supportive setting. Participants receive written comments from a distinguished panel of judges and a professional recording of their performance. 

It grants young students the rare chance to play concertos as written, either as part of the orchestra or as soloists, and in this setting they gain true exposure to this great portion of the literature.

The three days of competition demonstrate what it means to be a student. Hundreds of young musicians, some among the best of their age, others making their first go at a concerto, perform the result of their diligent preparation. To watch them fight through their nerves, take pride in their achievements, comprehend and learn from their failures, and bring forth the music, the emotion, the thoughts, and the character developing within themselves, is a wondrous occasion. 

The concert in which we present the winning soloists, and the rehearsals in preparation thereof, are equally inspiring. We welcome as a friend the winner of the Open Division, and we cherish especially the camaraderie among MYAC’s own students as they support the two winners from our orchestras, with whom they play alongside every week.

For the most advanced students, the competition offers the chance to gain recognition, exceptional performance opportunities, and early exposure to the difficult audition and performance circumstances which these students will encounter soon. All students learn that to set a goal, to work diligently towards that aim, and to follow through with sincere effort, is the greatest success one can have. 

Registration deadline: December 1, 2025 (mya.org/omalley)

Admission: The competition is open to public audience. Hear select winners perform in recital on January 18th, 2026, 6-7 pm, at MYAC. Hear the overall winners perform at our Winter Choral and Orchestral concerts on Sunday, Feb. 15th, 2026, at Northwestern University’s Pick-Staiger Concert Hall (Evanston, Illinois).