12th Annual Coltman Competition Winners

First Place and Senior Division Grand Prize: DragonBoot Quartet
New York, New York

Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) | String Quartet in B Minor, Op. 33, No. 1
I. Allegro Moderato, II. Scherzo: Allegro di molto, III. Andante, IV. Finale: Presto

Caroline Shaw (b. 1982) | Three Essays
III. Ruby

The DragonBoot String Quartet is built on a foundation of deep musical relationships and connections that have survived the test of time. Cate Carson and Sydney Whipple first played together over ten years ago. Lila Holyoke and Katya Moeller have performed together in chamber ensembles for three consecutive years. Most recently, Lila and Cate performed together for seven weeks at Kneisel Hall. DragonBoot is the ultimate fusion of these avid chamber musicians, finally coming together at The Juilliard School. As members of the Honors Chamber Music Program at Juilliard, DragonBoot is coached by Merry Peckham and Juilliard Provost, Adam Meyer.

Katya Moeller & Catherine Carson, violins | Sydney Whipple, viola | Lila Holyoke, cello

Second Place: Resi Quartet
Houston, Texas

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791) | String Quartet No. 14 in G Major, K. 387
I. Allegro vivace assai

Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) | String Quartet No. 13 in G Major, Op. 106
III. Molto vivace, IV. Finale

The Resi Quartet is named after the Greek word for “harvest” or “reaper” and the first two notes of Dvořák’s String Quartet No. 13, a favorite piece of the group. Brought together by a shared love for chamber music, the quartet quickly formed a strong bond, both musically and personally. As a self-coached ensemble formed outside of school, they enjoy the process of rehearsing and exploring creative ideas together. Chamber music is especially meaningful to them because it allows for unique interpretations and the chance to create something truly special as a group.

Yeim Lee & Yu-Ming Ma, violins | Gabe Galley, viola | Wei-An Hung, cello

First Place: Blitz
Bloomington, Indiana

Bobby Ge (b. 1996) | To Speak As One

Joel Love (b. 1982) | In Memoriam
I. Threnody, II. Adieu

Blitz emphasizes bringing chamber music into the community. They have performed outreach concerts at the Indiana University Hospital, Bloomington North High School, and a Music for Food Benefit Concert raising thousands of dollars for local food banks. They also participated in outreach events organized by Indiana University Kokomo and the Samsung Starplus Energy plant in Kokomo, IN. Competitively, Blitz was a finalist in the 2024 North American Saxophone Alliance College Quartet Competition and a semi-finalist in the 2024 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. During Fischoff, they performed a soiree for the competition’s patrons in South Bend, IN.

Jake Simons, soprano saxophone | Johann Koh, alto saxophone | Matthew Hrinda, tenor saxophone | Wesley Taylor, baritone saxophone

Second Place: The Big Su
Bowling Green, Ohio

William Albright (1944–1998) | Fantasy Etudes
I. A Real Nice Number, II. Pypes, IV. Phantom Galop, V. Harmonium (Heiliger Dankgesang)

Gabriella Smith (b. 1991) | Spring/Neap

The Big Su is a saxophone quartet consisting of graduate students from Bowling Green State University coached by Dr. John Sampen.

Garrett Evans, Jake Loitz, Adam Hanna, Sam Valancy

First Place and Junior Division Grand Prize: Doxa Quartet
Los Angeles, California

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) | String Quartet No. 10 in E flat major, Op. 74, “Harp”
I. Poco adagio – Allegro

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) | String Quartet No. 3 in F major, Op. 73
III. Allegro non troppo

The Doxa Quartet, based in Southern California, is part of the Honors Chamber Music Program at the Colburn School of Music under the guidance of Gina Coletti. The name “Doxa”, derived from the Greek word for “glory,” symbolizes their mission for creating profound and inspiring music. Formed through a shared love for the art of music, the quartet is dedicated to expressing the composer’s intentions with precision, expression, and a spirit of collaboration. For the Doxa Quartet, chamber music is more than a performance—it is a way to tell stories, build friendships, and share something profound with their audience.

Jiyu Lee & Lena Kim, violins | Kayla Kim, viola | Noah Choi, cello

Second Place: Eura Trio
Seattle, Washington

Anton Arensky (1861–1906) | Piano Trio No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 32
I. Allegro moderato

Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975) | Piano Trio No. 2 in E Minor, Op. 67
II. Allegro con brio

Formed just this fall, the Eura Trio has quickly forged deep musical connections. They have performed at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall and will soon perform live on Classical King FM’s 98.1 Radio. As a part of the Seattle Chamber Music Society’s Pre-college Academy, the trio has received coaching from renowned artists such as Rachel Lee Priday, Efe Baltacigil and Mark Salman. They have also received masterclasses by James Ehnes and Yura Lee. Inspired by the Greek exclamation “Eureka”, the Eura Trio aspires to share musical moments that will spark discovery in the lives of audiences.

Rachel Jung, violin | Charles Lee, cello | Taiyo Oishi, piano

First Place: Astraea Quartet
Austin, Texas

Jun Nagao (b. 1964) | Quatuor de Saxophones
I. Perdre

Bobby Ge (b. 1996) | To Speak As One

The Astraea Quartet was formed with a commitment to performing classical chamber music at the highest level. Members of the Astraea Quartet have received the silver medal at the 11th Coltman Chamber Music Competition, the bronze medal at the 51st Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the gold medal at the UIL State Chamber Music Competition, and Runner-Up at the Houston Underground Chamber Music Competition. The members enjoy putting together chamber music during quartet rehearsals outside of school. Members of the Astraea Quartet attend Lake Travis High School and James Bowie High School and are under the instruction of James Sterling.

Sayaka Nabeshima, soprano saxophone | Jacob Ittycheria, alto saxophone | Eli Ward, tenor saxophone | Paige Chirempes, baritone saxophone

Second Place: Arcturus Quartet
Frisco, Texas

Guillermo Lago (b. 1960) | Ciudades
II. Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Viet Cuong (b. 1990) | Prized Possessions
II. Beggar’s Lace

Formed in the summer of 2023, the Arcturus Quartet has garnered accolades from prestigious competitions across the state through their displays of technique and passion across their performances. Students have earned top places in TMEA All-Region and All-State Bands and Orchestras and have advanced as far as the semifinal and final rounds of the Coltman Chamber Music Competition and the Houston Underground Saxophone Competition, respectively. Members of the Arcturus Quartet attend Independence High School and are coached by Dr. William Chien.

Darshan Senthil Kumar, Alex Walker, Sahishnu Sathish, Stephen Choy