72nd ANNUAL YOUNG ARTIST COMPETITION
Sponsored by Capitol Federal®
Sunday, September 28th, 2025
White Concert Hall, Garvey Fine Arts Center, Washburn University – Topeka, Kansas
The Topeka Symphony again offers a special opportunity to talented young musicians. The overall winner of the Young Artist Competition will perform with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra at the concert on Wednesday, December 17th, 2025. Winners must perform the selection(s) performed at the competition.
GENERAL REGULATIONS – READ CAREFULLY
1. Contestants must be enrolled in the 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades in one of the following Kansas counties: Atchison, Brown, Doniphan, Douglas, Franklin, Geary, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Lyon, Marshall, Miami, Morris, Nemaha, Osage, Pottawatomie, Riley, Saline, Sedgwick, Shawnee, Wabaunsee and Wyandotte.
2. The competition will be conducted in four divisions: vocal; piano; wind and percussion instruments; and string instruments. Impartial judges will select the winners in each division. If, in the opinion of the judges, there is not a qualified entrant in a division, no winner will be declared.
3. An overall winner may enter the following year in a different division only. A runner-up is eligible to enter his or her same division, but must perform different repertoire.
4. Competition performances are anonymous. Each contestant will be assigned a number.
5. Contestants in the instrumental divisions may play one or more movements of any concerto or standard work for solo and orchestra which has a readily available orchestral accompaniment and which lasts from a minimum of 7 to a maximum of 15 minutes total performance time.
6. Contestants in the vocal division may sing any combination of arias or compositions from the classical or standard vocal repertoire which have readily available orchestral accompaniments and which last from a minimum of 7 to a maximum of 15 minutes total performance time. Selections should be contrasting in style.
7. Competition performances are limited to ten (10) minutes and composition(s) must be performed from memory. Judges have the option to ask a contestant to perform any section of the selected composition(s).
8. Each contestant must furnish: A) his or her own accompanist for the competition; B) four (4) copies of the composition(s) for the judges.
9. Each contestant MUST be recommended by her/his music supervisor or private teacher. Repertoire MUST be at performance level at the time of the competition and performed from memory.
10. The competition will be held in Topeka, Sunday, September 28th, 2025 at White Concert Hall, Garvey Fine Arts Center, on the Washburn University campus. The competition is open to the public.
11. Each contestant must complete the Entry Form found here: HERE!
12. Please pay the $35 NON-REFUNDABLE ENTRY FEE here: HERE!
14. DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES is midnight, Friday, September 12th, 2025. Contestants will be advised of an assigned competition time soon after the deadline. Contestants MUST appear 30 minutes prior to their assigned time and must be backstage and prepared to perform at least 5 minutes prior to their assigned time.
2025-2026 Young Artist Competition Winner
Eddison Chen, 16, is a tenth grader at Blue Valley Northwest High School in Overland Park, Kansas. He began playing piano at the age of four and has been studying with Sean Chen since 2020.
Eddison has won numerous prizes in various national and international piano competitions. Recent awards include 3rd prize of Authur Fraiser piano competition in 2025 Southeastern Piano Festival; Bronze Medal Winner in the 2025 Palm Springs International Piano Competition, where he played Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.3 with PSIPC Festival Orchestra Under the direction of Peter Wilson at the McCallum Theater; 1st Prize of 2024 KC Symphony Young Artist Concerto Competition where he made his debut with Kansas City Symphony under Michael Stern, performing Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor. He also won 3rd Prize at the 2022 Music Teachers National Association Junior Division, was a competitor in the 11th National Chopin Competition, and a quarterfinalist in the 2023 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition. He has been featured on NPR’s “From the Top” and Classical KC 91.9. He is a two-time Recipient of the Chopin Foundation Scholarship and was selected as a participant of the 2025 Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival. He is also a 3-year scholarship recipient of the Heartland/Friends of Chamber Music Young Artist Project.
In addition to piano, Eddison enjoys studying mathematics, chemistry, violin, and chess. He is a USCF-rated chess expert.
