Win a $1,000 scholarship and perform with the Butler County Symphony Orchestra!

The next Collegiate Concerto Competition, sponsored by the Butler County Symphony Association, will be held on Sunday, September 20, 2026. Musicians audition for a panel of judges, and one winner is selected to perform as a soloist with the Butler County Symphony Orchestra. The winner of the Competition will perform with the Butler County Symphony Orchestra, on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 7:30PM

The competition is open to high school graduates, not exceeding 25 years of age, who are residents of Butler County or attending a college or university within 100 miles of Butler County.

SUBMIT APPLICATION NOW

The Competition is open to instrumentalists and vocalists who:

  1. Are enrolled in an undergraduate program
  2. Do not exceed 25 years of age
  3. Reside in Butler County OR attend a University within 2-hour driving distance of Butler, PA

Competition Rules:

  1. Applications must be submitted by August 30, 2026 at midnight.
  2. The piece performed at the Competition must be the same piece performed with the BCSO if chosen as
    winner, subject to approval of the Music Director.
  3. Time limit for all soloists is 15 minutes. No exceptions. Instrumentalists must prepare one or more
    movements of a concerto or any piece with orchestral accompaniment, not to exceed 15 min. (A full
    concerto may be played if it does not exceed the time limit.) Vocalists must prepare 3-4 arias or a song
    cycle with orchestral accompaniment, not to exceed 15 min.
  4. Musicians must upload an initial screening video of the prepared piece, including accompaniment, with
    their application due August 30th.
  5. Musicians must provide their own accompanist for the screening video due August 30th, Competition on
    September 20, 2026 at Swope Hall, and if selected as the concerto winner, award video on September
    27, 2026 at the Butler County Symphony Building.
  6. The piece(s) performed must have an orchestral accompaniment available for rental by the Symphony.
    7. Four (4) copies of the music being performed must be provided for the judges at the Competition on
    September 20, 2026 (Photocopies are acceptable)

Winner Expectations:

  1. The winner will be announced at the completion of the Competition.
  2. The winner must be available to perform with the Butler County Symphony Orchestra on Saturday,
    November 7, 2026 at 7:30PM and attend evening rehearsals, as decided by the Music Director.
  3. The winner will be awarded $1,000.00 and will need to provide a headshot and bio to our Executive
    Director by October 1, 2026 (edesantis@butlersymphony.org).
  4. The winner will need to schedule a recording session with the Symphony videographer for publicity on
    Sunday, September 27, 2026 at the Butler Symphony Office. The winner will need to have their
    accompanist at the recording session and will be given a copy of the professional recording.

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Quin Coltman – 2026 Collegiate Concerto Competition Winner

Quin Coltman, CONCERTO COMPETITION WINNERQuin Coltman is a native of Ashtabula County, Ohio and a graduate of Conneaut High School. He is currently pursuing a degree in Music Education and Saxophone Performance at Slippery Rock University, where he is an active musician dedicated both to performance and education. 
 
At SRU, Quin is a member of the Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and the ARC Saxophone Quartet. His performance experiences include playing with the SRU Wind Ensemble at the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conference, and performances with the ARC Saxophone Quartet at the National Saxophone Symposium and the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference. Along with these performances, he has also participated in various recording projects with the SRU Jazz Ensemble. Quin has also been a part of world premieres between both the Jazz and Wind Ensembles at SRU. He also demonstrates strong leadership and service within the university and music education communities; currently he is serving as the President of the SRU Saxophone Club, and Vice president of the Pennsylvania Collegiate Music Educators Association (PCMEA) chapter.
 
Quin is just as invested in music education as he is in performance, he works as a preschool music educator with the SRU/SGA Preschool and Childcare Center, where he leads imaginative music experiences for young learners. He also serves as the marching band saxophone instructor for Seneca Valley High School, and Conneaut High School, mentoring students in musical excellence and ensemble leadership. 

 

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Past Concerto Competition Winners:

Michelle LeFevre        12/01/1979                  Viotti Violin Concerto No. 22 in A minor

Teresa Cowin              12/6/1980                    Mozart Flute Concerto No. 2

Linda Gresh                12/06/1980                  Rubenstein Piano Concerto No. 4: Mvt 1

Tawnee Bakuhn          12/05/1981                  Haydn Flute Concerto in D Major

Randall Meagher        4/20/1983                    Mozart Concerto in B flat major for Euphonium

Carla Gumpp Book     05/05/1984                 Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1

Elizabeth Tinker          4/27/1985                    Crusell Clarinet Concerto in F minor

David Conner              04/26/1986                 Kuka Concerto for Marimba

Karen Ord                   05/02/1987                  Griffes Poem for Flute

Michael Stanton          04/01/1989                Haydn Concerto for Trumpet

Jeffrey Stock               03/31/1990                  Vivaldi Concerto for Sopranino Recorder

Jenny Rose Spence   11/03/1990                  Ten Year Old Violinist- Family Concert

Zara Kenjebulatova     05/02/1992              Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1

Jason Park                  10/31/1992                  Greig Piano Concerto Mvt 1

Jodie Lynne Coyle      03/19/1994                  Greig Piano Concerto in A minor

Benjamin Smith          11/05/1994                  Copland “Old American Songs” Family Concert

Erica Saley                  03/16/1996                  Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto #4 in D minor

Angela Schehr  &       11/02/1996                  Cimarosa Concerto in G major for two flutes
Stephanie Crouch

David H. Kennedy       05/02/1998                 Arias by Puccini, Giordano and Mozart

Lauren A. Sparrow      11/07/1998                  Lalo Cello Concerto in D minor

Megan McCoy             03/25/2000                 Arutiunian Concerto for Trumpet

Matthew Shaffer          03/17/2001                 Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 1, mvt 1

Aaron Patterson          3/16/2002                   Scaramouche for Alto Saxophone – Milhaud

Ross Snyder               3/22/2003                    Barber Concerto for Violin Op. 14 mvt 1

Glenna Marie Cypher 03/20/2004               Puccini & Donizetti soprano arias

Camille O’Connor        3/19/2005                   Bizet “Carmen” two arias for mezzo-soprano

Cassandra                     03/18/2006                 Cimarosa Concerto in G major for two flutes
Rondinelli & Sarah Crouch

Edward Leonard         03/17/2007                  Conducting Schumann Overture 2 mvts

Andrew Ho                  03/15/2008                  Saint-Saens Intro & Rondo Capriccioso for Violin

Justin Ryan                 03/14/2009                  Claude Smith “Fantasia” for Alto Saxophone
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Michel Tsang              03/13/2010                  Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No. 1 mvt 1

Tom Mahovski            03/12/2011                  Wilby Concerto for Euphonium 2 mvts

Hanna Che                  03/10/2012                  Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 mvt 1

Kylee O’Donnell        03/09/2013                  Chaminade Concerto for Flute

Sophia S. Lee             03/08/2014                  Gliere Concerto for Harp in E Flat Major

Sarah Hetrick              04/11/2015                  Maurice “Tableaux de Provence” Alto Sax

Nathaniel Chen           04/09/2016                Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major mvt 1

Angela Renninger      04/08/2017                Tomasi Concerto for Alto Saxophone

Enoch Hsiao               04/14/2018                  Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2

Ellary Mede                 03/02/2019                Songs by Handel, Mozart and Gershwin

Justin Choo                 03/07/2020               Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Rachmaninoff

Calista Heidkamp      03/06/2021               Concertino op. 107 by Cecile Chaminade

Emma Kim                  03/05/2022               Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 1 mvt 1

Thomas Bachert         03/04/2023               Jacques Ibert: Concertina de Camera

Taylor Pastore            03/02/2024               Albert Perilhou: Ballade for flute

Cooper Sluka            03/08/2025                 Henri Tomasi: Concerto for Alto Saxophone

Quin Coltman           03/07/2026                 Escapades by John Williams (from Catch Me If You Can)