Winners Announced at O’Malley Foundation Concerto Competition

The O’Malley Foundation National Concerto Competition—formerly the Walgreens National Concerto Competition—concluded its 2025 edition on December 30. Over three days of live performances, nearly 150 students from eight U.S. states convened at Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Center for what remains one of the largest in-person youth concerto competitions in the United States.

Hosted by Midwest Young Artists Conservatory, the competition occupies a distinctive position within the American pre-collegiate classical music landscape: national in reach, uncompromising in repertoire expectations, and diverse in scope. 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. This year’s panels included judges from top institutions such as the University of Notre Dame, Carnegie Mellon University, and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. 

Divided into Open and MYAC divisions, students compete at Junior and Senior levels. Competition categories include Strings, Piano, Other Instrument, Voice, and Early Music. The 2025 winners reflected a true command of breadth, presenting repertoire that ranged from Bach and Mozart to Shostakovich, Prokofiev, and Ginastera.

Winners of the O’Malley Foundation National Concerto Competition receive cash awards, performance opportunities with MYAC orchestras, scholarships, and additional recognition supporting their continued musical development. Select winners will perform at the Winners Recital at the MYAC Center on January 18, 2026 at 6:00 PM. Division winners Kai Isoke Ali-landing, Oliver Mah, and Todd Zhang will perform with MYAC orchestras on February 15, 2026 at Pick-Staiger Hall at Northwestern University. 

However, for young musicians, the O’Malley Foundation National Concerto Competition is not merely a prize opportunity, but rather it is a proving ground; one that facilitates growth by providing students a supportive platform through which to accomplish their goal. Whether a student aspires to build their musicality, learn a new concerto, build confidence by performing as a soloist for, perhaps, the very first time, the O’Malley Foundation National Concerto Competition nurtures the growth of all participants.

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