Singing City - 2008 Prize Winners

Singing City Prize for Young Composers
2008 Winners

This year's Singing City Prize panel was pleased to offer a second prize in the high school category, and a shared second prize in the 19-to-30 age category. These three scores in particular demonstrated talent and excellent potential in their representative composers. The prize panel chose not to offer a first prize in either category this year as it was their opinion that none of the scores were "performance-ready." As an alternative, the panel decided to offer all three second prize winners a commission for a new work to be premiered at the Fall Concert 2008.

Second prize in the high school age category went to Jason Wilber, a student from Downingtown West High School, Downingtown, PA. Jason is currently a junior at Downingtown West High School, where he is a member of the swim team and the Generation for Africa Club. He loves to ski, kick back with his family, and, of course, sing, play and write music. His submission, Hear My Cry, O God, is his first composition for four-part choir. His enthusiasm and excitement for music began measurably at age six, when he started taking piano lessons. He has continued lessons for over ten years, and currently studies with accomplished pianist, Dr. Ori Steinberg. He also began teaching himself guitar three years ago, and enjoys jamming with his friends.

Second prize in the 19-to-30 age category goes 25 year old Elizabeth Joan Kelly for her submission Pennsylvania. Elizabeth Joan Kelly is from Slidell, Louisiana. She graduated summa cum laude in 2005 from Loyola University New Orleans with a B.M. in Music Composition, studying with Mara Gibson and James MacKay. Elizabeth has also studied at the Freie Universitat in Berlin and the Bowdoin International Music Festival with Samuel Adler, and at the Norfolk New Music Work shop with Martin Bresnick. In 2007, she finished her M.M. as a student in composition at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Margaret Brouwer.

Elizabeth has received numerous awards, including the Anthony "Val" Valentino Memorial Award from Loyola University, and the Donald Erb award from the Cleveland Institute of Music. Her String Quartet, composed and premiered at the Cleveland Institute of Music in December 2005 and May 2006, was named winner of the 2007 Ohio Federation of Music Club's Young Composers Contest, and also received the Russell and Nancy Hatz Special Recognition Award from the National Federation of Music Clubs. Elizabeth's music has been performed by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Vox Novus, members of So Percussion, and by students and young professionals across the United States and Europe. She currently resides in Tallahassee, Florida.

Second prize in the 19-to-30 age category goes to 27-year old Kentaro Sato of San Francisco for Prends Cette Rose (Receive This Rose). Kentaro Sato is an LA-based composer, conductor, and orchestrator. His symphonic works have been featured in TV/Film media, game industry and concert performing groups around the world including the Philharmonia Orchestra of London. In 2005, he was appointed as a resident composer and assistant conductor of the Torrance Symphony, and continues to provide rich cultural experiences to the residence of City of Torrance, California.

In the choral music world, Sato is best known as the winner of the prestigious ACDA Raymond W. Brock Memorial Composition Contest in 2005. The winning work, Kyrie from Missa pro Pace (Mass for Peace), was premiered at the 2005 American Choral Directors Association National Convention by the Northridge Singers conducted by Paul Smith and the composer himself.

Sato holds a Master of Music in Conducting with Distinction and a Bachelor of Music in Media Writing from California State University, Northridge. In addition to his music degrees, he also holds a degree in Cinema from Santa Monica College.