Composer's Competition 2024 - Results

We are delighted to announce the results of the BTS Composer's Competition 2024.

Having received numerous entries from around the world, and after much deliberation, the judging panel of Callum Au, Alex Paxton and Dan Jenkins awarded First Place to Ian Schwalbe, from the USA, for Through the Concrete Jungle, repeating his success of 2023.

Runners-Up prizes were awarded to Shao-Tong Huang, from Taiwan, for Victory March and Sebastiano Burelli, from Italy, for Like a Madrigal.

Through the Concrete Jungle will be performed at the British Trombone Festival 2024 and will be published by Warwick Music.

                                                                 

First Place - Ian Schwalbe

Ian Schwalbe is a composer and trombonist from Alpharetta, Georgia, USA. He has recently graduated from the University of South Carolina with a BM degree in Composition, having studied composition with John Fitz Rogers and Fang Man, and trombone with Michael Wilkinson. He will continue his composition studies at Florida State University next year, working towards a master’s degree.

Whilst at USC he was a member of the USC Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra, and also a member of the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps. He has performed at the Brass Institutes of America festival in Wichita, Kansas, and with the South Carolina Brass Band. 

As a contemporary composer, Ian enjoys writing works for a variety of chamber ensembles and brass ensembles: he has had chamber works performed at the Atlantic Music Festival in Waterville, Maine, and his compositions are frequently performed by the USC Trombone Choir.

 Runner-Up - Shao-Tong Huang 

Taiwanese trombonist Shao-Tong Huang will begin undergraduate studies at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam this Autumn, having recently graduated from the Music Department of the National Taiwan Normal University Affiliated Senior High School.

He has held principal positions in the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, Golden Hymn Youth Brass Band and NTNU Affiliated Senior High School Orchestra, and in 2023 he was awarded a full scholarship to the National Taiwan Youth Orchestra and received their outstanding performance award.

 Having achieved first prizes in Taipei City and national trombone competitions, in 2023 he received a Honorable Mention from the International Trombone Association Gilberto Gagliardi Tenor Trombone Competition. He has received tuition from many world-renowned trombonists, including Joseph Alessi, Zachary Bond, George Curran, Scott Hartman, Dietmar Küblböck, Matthew Knight, Allen Lee, Peter Moore, Bradley Palmer, Jörgen van Rijen, Peter Steiner, Stefan Schulz, and Ko-ichiro Yamamoto.

Runner-up - Sebastiano Burelli

 After studying trombone with Andrea Piergentili at the Music High School of Udine, Italy, Sebastiano Burelli attended the composition course at the “B. Marcello” Conservatory of Music, Venice, in the classes of Corrado Pasquotti and Renato Miani, graduating with honours. He is currently studying choral conducting and choral composition at the same institute.

He has participated in various composition competitions in Italy, obtaining numerous awards and honourable mentions. He has attended courses and masterclasses with renowned composers, such as Emanuela Ballio, George Friederich Haas, Stefano Gervasoni and Ondrej Adàmek. He was a member of the II and III editions of the ‘Jury of Conservatory Students’ at the Venice Biennale Musica, in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

His compositions and elaborations have been performed in Italy and abroad. He has collaborated with several important instrumentalists, such as Alex Sebastianutto and Athos Castellan, and with various instrumental and vocal groups, including the Filarmonici Friulani, Intende Voci Ensemble and the MAC Saxophone Quartet

 

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