International Woodwinds and Brass Competition 2020
American Protégé International Woodwinds and Brass Competition is designed for solo performers and ensembles of all ages, nationalities and countries, who would like to challenge themselves in a very competitive environment. The Competition is open for Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Oboe, Bass Clarinet, Bassoon, Piccolo, Trumpet, Trombone, French Horn, Flugel, Tuba and other woodwinds and brass instruments. Participants are required to submit video recording of recent performance for the audition.
In 2020, American Protégé International Woodwinds and Brass Competition attracted a large number of very competitive applicants from 10 countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Poland, Russia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
Eligibility
We invite school students and adults to participate in the Competition. There is no age limit for the adult participants.
Multiple winners will be chosen in each of the following age groups:
Category: | Age: |
Young musicians | 5 - 9 |
Junior | 10 - 13 |
Intermediate | 14 - 17 |
Amateur (without Professional Degree) | 18 and older |
College students and professionals | 18 and older |
Awards
Winners can choose to perform at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City on the dates to be announced, or to receive a Winner’s Package by mail.
$300 Scholarship, Judges’ Favorite Award Trophy, Judges’ Distinction Award Trophy and other Special Awards may be granted based on the judges recommendations.
American Protégé
International Woodwinds and Brass Competition 2020 Results
American Protégé Scholarship Award Winner:

Dr. Evan Clark is an award-winning performer and researcher who discovers unknown historical music and reimagines the contemporary saxophone canon. His solo performances, ensemble tours and research projects have taken him throughout the United Stated, France, Germany, China, and Thailand. He is the 2019-2020 recipient of the Kate Neal Kinley Fellowship for post-doctoral research on music from the Weimar Republic. His dissertation and lecture-recital at the University of Illinois explore the construction of gender in Bolcom’s Lilith. Clark has received top awards from the MTNA National Solo Competition, the International Saxophone Symposium and Competition, the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition and the Young Arts Competition. Clark is the Instructor of Saxophone and Jazz Ensemble Director at the University of Illinois, Springfield. He holds the DMA and MM from the University of Illinois and the BM from the University of South Carolina. His past teachers include Debra Richtmeyer and Clifford Leaman.
Judges Distinction Award (Plaque Trophies) Winner

Katherine Kim is currently a junior at Bergen County Academies in the Academy of Performing Arts. She became passionate about music at a young age, as it has helped develop greater confidence in expressing herself. She was first introduced to music through playing the piano and later went on to win competitions and to perform twice at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Upon entering middle school, she learned to play the clarinet and further exposed herself to diverse music by studying at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege. Katherine competed in the North International Music Competition, East Coast International Competition, VIVO International Music Competition, Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, and the Golden Classical Music Awards International Music Competition, winning first prize and performing at Carnegie Hall. Currently, she is a clarinetist in the Symphony Orchestra at the Precollege and is the principal in her school’s band and pit orchestra. She is also a member of the New York Youth Symphony Chamber Music Program.
Winners by Age Category
Name | Age | Country/State |
First Place Winners: | ||
Young Musicians Category, Age 5 to 9: | ||
Jinghao Wei, recorder | 7 | Kunming, China |
Student of Oleksandr Slivinskyy | ||
Jayden Chang, flute | 8 | San Jose, CA |
Student of Gregory Melnik | ||
Junior Category, Age 10 to 13: | ||
Sophia Kim, flute | 11 | Gyonggi-do, South Korea |
Student of Changgeun Kang | ||
Nina Kasamatsu, flute | 12 | Tokyo, Japan |
Student of Jun Kubo | ||
Hannah Cho, oboe | 13 | Tustin, CA |
Student of Victoria Lee | ||
Jayden Lee, flute | 13 | Mclean, VA |
Student of Elizabeth Bentley | ||
Jiayi Angela Yin, oboe | 13 | Melbourne, Australia |
Student of Stephen Robinson | ||
Intermediate Category, Age 14 to 17: | ||
Alina Chen, flute | 14 | Auckland, New Zealand |
Student of Melanie Lancon | ||
Daniel Choi, oboe | 15 | Pleasantville, NY |
Student of Nathan Hughes | ||
Jamie Tan, flute | 15 | San Jose, CA |
Student of Xuemei Zou | ||
Kazutada Nakao, alto saxophone | 15 | Sunnyvale, CA |
Student of Shay Salhov | ||
Małgorzata Cieszko, oboe | 15 | Śląskie, Poland |
Student of Piotr Pyc and Zuzanna Cieszko | ||
Seung Hee (Sunny) Rhew, Bb clarinet | 15 | Ridgewood, NJ |
Student of Seungho Choi | ||
Ashley Zhuang, flute | 16 | Sunnyvale, CA |
Student of Xuemei Zou | ||
Caroline Gong, flute | 16 | Pleasanton, CA |
Student of Isabelle Chapuis | ||
Eric Yoon, Soprano Saxophone | 16 | Norwood, NJ |
Student of Matthew Gramata | ||
Katherine Kim, clarinet | 16 | Old Tappan, NJ |
Student of Renee Rosen | ||
Qiaoyin Bo, bassoon | 16 | Shenzhen, China |
Ashley Ko, flute | 17 | Saratoga, CA |
Student of Liling Chen | ||
Hannah Zhang, euphonium | 17 | Sugar Land, TX |
Student of Steven Vogel | ||
Hyeil Helen Kim, flute | 17 | Auckland, New Zealand |
Student of Christine Kim | ||
Hyungsoon Henry Kim, trumpet | 17 | Concord, NH |
Student of Orlando R. Pandolfi and Niels E. Heido | ||
Joanna Hsieh, flute | 17 | Los Altos, CA |
Student of Isabelle Chapuis | ||
Katherine Woo, oboe | 17 | San Jose, CA |
Student of Yeseul Park | ||
Laura Gong, flute | 17 | Campbell, CA |
Student of Xuemei Zou | ||
Advanced Category, College Students and Professionals: | ||
Evan Clark, saxophone | 28 | Urbana, IL |
Jiaqi Liu, clarinet | 27 | Columbus, OH |
Student of Caroline A. Hartig | ||
Kayla Gilmore, flute | 20 | Chester, WV |
Student of Kathryn Umble and Michael Maizels | ||
Yeji Park, flute | 25 | Gyeonggi-do, South Korea |
Student of Judith Mendenhall | ||
Amateur: | ||
Evelyn Hur, flute | 18 | Seoul, South Korea |
Student of Joohee Lee | ||
Second Place Winners: | ||
Young Musicians Category, Age 5 to 9: | ||
Apollo Premadasa, trombone | 6 | Harrow, Great Britain |
Student of Rob Burgess | ||
Daniel Ping, flute | 7 | New York, NY |
Student of Grace Thompson | ||
Junior Category, Age 10 to 13: | ||
Jiyoo Nam, flute | 12 | Irvine, CA |
Student of Kristyn Son | ||
Sahana Manikandan, oboe | 12 | Princeton, NJ |
Student of Barbara Witmer | ||
Akash Vasan, bassoon | 13 | Austin, TX |
Student of Alanna Tate Kumme and Daniel Chrisman | ||
Elise Kang, french horn | 13 | Scarsdale, NY |
Student of Ginger Lai Kokoszka and Amanda Tabor | ||
Gavin Huang, Bb clarinet | 13 | Milpitas, CA |
Student of Julianna Tzeng | ||
Michal Pasierbek, oboe | 13 | Śląskie, Poland |
Student of Piotr Pyc | ||
Intermediate Category, Age 14 to 17: | ||
Jaehyun Lim, clarinet | 14 | Saratoga, CA |
Student of Sonyoung Kang | ||
Kang Yoon, flute | 14 | Santa Clara, CA |
Student of Tina Kim | ||
Juhye (Alice) Oh, flute | 15 | San Ramon, CA |
Student of Yuna Kim | ||
Matthew Lee, clarinet | 15 | Palo Alto, CA |
Student of Hye Min Yun | ||
Aileen Wan, flute | 16 | Irvine, CA |
Student of Bolin Pan | ||
Hana Snyder, flute | 16 | San Ramon, CA |
Student of Yuna Kim | ||
Jihyeok Chang, clarinet | 16 | Los Angeles, CA |
Student of YunHee Lee and Zhou Jun | ||
Joanna Choe, flute | 16 | Glenview, IL |
Student of Hideko Amano and Evan Fojtik | ||
Kerry Zeng, flute | 17 | Chengdu, China |
Advanced Category, College Students and Professionals: | ||
Anne Kim, oboe | 22 | San Jose, CA |
Student of Sara Kim | ||
Kevin Ho, clarinet | 26 | Saratoga, CA |
Student of Tinal Song | ||
Michael Rosenblatt | 24 | Moscow, Russia |
Student of Elena Tkacheva |
Other applicants received Diploma of Participation
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS!