Each year, the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra partners with the Bellingham Music Club to invite the winners of BMC Student Competitions to participate in the BSO's Young Artist Competition. Three winners receive a scholarship prize.
This year's competitors performed a variety of challenging pieces onstage at Western Washington University's Performing Arts Center Concert Hall on Tuesday, June 17.
Read below to learn more about each of this year's talented winners.
1st place: Declan Hong, piano
Declan Hong is a rising sophomore at Anacortes High School and has played music since the age of 6. He currently studies with Dr. Judith Widrig (piano), Lisa Humphrey (viola), and Jennifer Weeks (oboe), and attended Interlochen Center for the Arts for piano performance.
“This is my first time participating in the Young Artist Competition,” Declan said, “and I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to share my passion for music with two esteemed judges!”
Declan has been honored with numerous awards, including 1st place in the Bellingham Music Club Piano Awards, 2nd place in the Bellingham Music Club Strings, and 1st place in Solo & Ensemble Regionals for viola and oboe. He especially loves playing chamber music, and recently won the Harmony Chamber Music Festival Competition with his fellow quintet members. Declan is also an avid composer and arranger. Declan's Symphony No. 1 was performed by the Fidalgo Youth Symphony, composed when he was 10 years old.
Declan has written several arrangements for the Anacortes school bands and chamber ensembles, including a movement of the All-Night Vigil by Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky's Capriccio Italien. In his free time, he can be found playing golf and besting his brother on NBA knowledge.
2nd place: Elsa Jonson, violin
Elsa Jonson is a junior Whatcom Community College Running Start student from Bellingham studying violin and piano under the guidance of Lisa Humphrey, Dawn Posey, and Dr. Kay Zavislak. Elsa is involved in a variety of local music groups including the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra, WWU Chamber Days, Marrowstone Music Festival orchestral program, and Bellingham Youth Chamber Players.
“I’ve been able to compete in the BSO’s Young Artist Competition for the past two years and both times have thoroughly enjoyed the event,” said Elsa. “It’s so nice to have a local competition, surrounded by familiar and friendly faces. By being such a positive experience, it encourages me to strive for more opportunities, festivals, and competitions; to put myself out there and see where music will take me.”
Elsa recently received awards for the WSMTA Outstanding Artist Piano Competition, BMC Strings and Piano Competitions, and the Harmony Chamber Music Festival. Music is woven through her life: attending concerts, camps, teaching, and playing for church and special events.
3rd place: Maria Horja, piano
Maria Horja is entering her senior year at Sehome High School. She began playing piano with Katie O’Rourke at age 5 and, since 2017, has studied with Judith Widrig.
“I greatly appreciated the opportunity to play on the wonderful piano in the hall,” Maria said. “I liked having the option to play a solo piece or a concerto for the competition.”
Maria was a concerto winner at the Seattle Young Artists Festival in 2023 and concerto finals alternate in 2022. She was awarded 1st place at the Outstanding Artists Competition in 2022 as well as WSMTA Chapter Competition the preceding four years. She has received recognitions at festivals and competitions including: Gold Medals at the Bach Festival in Seattle and Russian Festival in Bellevue; Laureate of the Sanja Pavlovic Memorial competition; 1st place in the BSO’s 2025 Young Artist Competition, and 2nd place at the Bellingham Music Club Competition in 2023.
She enjoys playing tennis in her free time and is on her high school’s varsity team. Maria speaks three languages fluently and loves to play the violin (she is concertmaster of the Sehome High School Chamber Orchestra), as well as a bit of jazz piano. Maria has two younger sisters who also play the piano.
Additional photos are available for download here: https://flickr.com/photos/202962977@N02/albums/72177720326934452.
About the Bellingham Symphony Orchestra
The Bellingham Symphony Orchestra is the resident orchestra of the historic Mount Baker Theatre. It performs seven concerts per season in addition to a variety of community and youth engagement programs across the calendar year. Details about the BSO and ticketing information for the current season are available at bellinghamsymphony.org.
