The Westminster Community Orchestra (WCO), conducted by Ruth Ochs, will present the Westminster Conservatory Concerto Competition Winners Concert on Sunday, May 17, at 7 p.m. in Hillman Hall, in the Cullen Center, on the Westminster campus on Walnut Lane. There are no tickets required; a suggested admission of $10/person cash will be collected at the door.
The concert will feature the three winners of this year’s Westminster Conservatory concerto competition: Alan Li, performing Mozart’s Andante in C for Flute and Orchestra; Wei-En Erin Liao, performing the first movement of Crusell’s Clarinet Concerto No. 1; and Cherie Xu, performing the first movement of Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major. In addition, the WCO will perform Copland’s Outdoor Overture, the second movement from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, and Nelhybel’s Pavane for Brass and Percussion.
“We are thrilled to continue our long-standing tradition of presenting the winners of Westminster Conservatory’s annual concerto competition and providing them with the opportunity to perform with a full orchestra,” said Ochs. “These pieces showcase the students’ technical and artistic prowess, and we hope that the community will come out to support these young artists and applaud their achievement.”
Li, a fifth grader at Riverside Elementary School, began playing the flute in September 2023 and has been studying with John Lane at the Westminster Conservatory since July 2024. Alan performs with the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra in both the Concert Orchestra and Flute Ensemble. He has earned High Honors at the New Jersey Music Teachers Association Annual Recital, was selected for a masterclass with Nina Assimakopoulos at the Flute Center of New York, and recently performed in the Organ Plus One Concert.
Xu, a Montgomery High School junior, studies with Kenneth Ellison and has played for seven years. Xu has performed in the Wind Ensemble for both the NJ All-State Band and the Central Jersey Region Band, and has served as co-principal of the Central Jersey Region Orchestra. In addition, she is also part of the Tim Keyes Consort. She was named New Jersey State Alternate in the MTNA Senior Woodwind competition in 2024 and has won YMC in the junior division.
Liao, a Montgomery High School junior, picked up the clarinet at the age of 9. She started taking lessons at Westminster Conservatory under Kenneth Ellison in the sixth grade. Erin has been part of Region and All-State Bands and All-State Orchestras.
The Westminster Community Orchestra, now in its 39th season, is made up of professional and gifted amateur musicians from New Jersey and Pennsylvania who share a common goal: the desire to make music for themselves and their community.
Call (609) 921-7104 with questions.