FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Risus Quartet and Aero Quartet
Capture Fischoff's Coveted Gold Medals

South Bend, IN - May 16, 2021 - The Fischoff National Chamber Music Association is pleased to announce the winners of the 48th Annual Fischoff Competition, held virtually,
May 14-16, 2021.

Out of 60 competing ensembles from around the world, Risus Quartet, a string quartet from the University of Texas at Austin and currently living in Seoul, South Korea, captured the Grand Prize Medal ($10,000 award). They also won the Gold Medal in the Senior String Division. Aero Quartet, a saxophone quartet from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, captured the Gold Medal in the Senior Wind Division.

In addition to prize money, Risus Quartet and Aero Quartet will participate in the Fischoff Double Gold Tour of the Midwestern United States this fall performing concerts and outreach. Risus Quartet's Grand Prize also includes performing several concerts at the Emilia Romagna Festival in Italy in 2022.
Final results of the 2021 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition:

Senior String Division

Grand Prize & Gold Medal ($13,500)
Risus Quartet from University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX and Seoul, South Korea
Haeni Lee (violin), Jieun Yoo (violin), Mary Eunkyung Chang (viola), Bobae Lee (cello)

Silver Medal ($3,000)
The Galvin Cello Quartet - Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Sihao He (cello), Sydney Lee (cello), Haddon Kay (cello), Luiz Fernando Venturelli (cello)

Bronze Medal ($2,000) Tie
Rucheri Trio - Yale School of Music, New Haven, CT; Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia, PA; Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Graz, Austria. They are currently living in New Taipai City, Taiwan.
Eric Tsai (violin), Chien-Hua Lee (cello), Yun Janice Lu (piano)

Bronze Medal ($2,000) Tie
Trio Rai - New England Conservatory, Boston, MA
Tiffany Chang (violin), Mari Nagahara (cello), Motti Fang-Bentov (piano)


Senior Wind Division

Gold Medal ($3,500 & $3,500 Double Gold Tour Prize)
Aero Quartet - The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Salvador Flores (soprano saxophone), Walt Puyear (alto saxophone), Matthew Koester (tenor saxophone), Brian Kachur (baritone saxophone)

Silver Medal ($3,000)
Eros Quartet - University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Philip Kleutgens (soprano saxophone), Jordan Savage (alto saxophone), Roberto Campa (tenor saxophone), Jason Frazier (baritone saxophone)

Bronze Medal ($2,000)
Soma Quartet - Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, IN
David Bayard (soprano saxophone), Paul Lorenz (alto saxophone), Sean Bradley (tenor saxophone), Ting-Hua Liang (baritone saxophone)

American Brass Quintet Brass Ensemble Prize ($400)
Sponsored by the American Brass Quintet, this award honors the most outstanding brass ensemble in the Senior Wind Division
KamBrass Quintet - Hochschule für Musik Luzern, Luzern, Switzerland
Guillem Cardona Zaera (trumpet), Joan Pàmies Magrané (trumpet), Maria Servera Monserrat (French horn), Xavier Gil Batet (trombone), Oriol Reverter Curt (tuba)


Junior String Division

Gold Medal ($2,300)
Aveta Trio - Young Chamber Musicians, Burlingame, CA
Sarah Yuan (piano), Eunseo Oh (violin), Elliott Kim (cello)

Silver Medal ($1,800)
Lumière Quartet - Cleveland Institute of Music’s Young Artists Program, Cleveland, OH
Célina Béthoux (violin), Moonhee Kim (violin), Henry Rogers (viola), Ania Lewis (cello)

Bronze Medal ($1,300)
Chasqui Quartet - Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras Chamber Music Program,
Bethesda, MD
Andrew Gray (violin), Will Joseloff (violin), Dana Wolpe (viola), Alexandra (Sasha) Lukashuk, (cello)


Junior Wind Division

Gold Medal ($2,300)
Aurelian Quartet - Hebron High School, Carrollton, TX
GianCarlo Lay (soprano saxophone), Jaden Coleman (alto saxophone), Andrew George (tenor saxophone), Aadarsh Balireddy (baritone saxophone)

Silver Medal ($1,800)
Carmesí Quartet - Frenship High School, Wolfforth, TX
Austin Poe (soprano saxophone), Gavin Boyer (alto saxophone), Diego Garza (tenor saxophone), Seth Leaton (baritone saxophone)

Bronze Medal ($1,300)
Quid Nunc Saxophone Quartet - Ronald Reagan High School, San Antonio, TX
John Pachikara (soprano saxophone), Cassandra Modesto (alto saxophone), Kayla Garcia (tenor saxophone), Matthew Issa-Abbas (baritone saxophone)

American Brass Quintet Brass Ensemble Prize ($300)
Sponsored by the American Brass Quintet, this award honors the most outstanding brass ensemble in the Junior Wind Division
Powerhouse Brass - Pritchard Music, Gaithersburg, MD
Adam Solomon (trumpet), Joshua Morris (trumpet), Sarah Dahlin (horn) John Tanali (trombone), Ethan Hankins (tuba)

Kenneth Geoffroy Memorial Award
Kenneth Geoffroy Memorial Prize ($800)
To encourage the participation of local chamber music ensembles in the Fischoff Competition, a special prize is awarded to the highest ranking junior ensemble from the Michiana region (60 mile radius of South Bend).

CMG Trio - Mishawaka, Indiana
Maya Kvaratskhelia (violin), Caio Gould (cello), Gabriel Zhang (piano)

Penn Brass Quintet - Penn High School, Mishawaka, IN
Caden Miller (trumpet), Michael Forry (trumpet), Anna Voros (French horn), Pete Sullivan, (trombone), Wilson Shrout (tuba)



Media Contact:
fischoff@fischoff.org
ABOUT FISCHOFF

Founded in South Bend, IN, in 1973, the Fischoff Competition is the largest and longest running chamber music competition in the nation. More than 7,400 musicians have participated, many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in music performance and education. 
 
This unique arts organization has secured its place as the nation’s premier educational chamber music competition because of the caliber of its jurors, performance venues and well-known alumni. It is also known for extensive outreach programming during the competition and throughout the year. The Fischoff uniquely partners with competition alumni to bring free, innovative music programs directly to children in their own schools and community centers. Since 1995, these programs have served more than 82,000 community children, reaching more than 4,000 underserved and at-risk youth annually.
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