About the Competition

Designed to support the development of young artists and celebrate the lifelong creativity of D.C.-area performers, the Misbin Family Memorial Chamber Music Competition is open to instrumental chamber music students, adult amateurs, and professional musicians. Participants are adjudicated by a panel of judges made up of distinguished performers, teachers, and other recognized members of the greater Washington music community.

The 2021 Misbin Competition took place virtually with video submissions. Congratulations to all participates for the remarkable achievement of producing these beautiful videos.

About the Presenters

One of the most established and honored performing arts institutions in America, Washington Performing Arts has more than a half-century history of engaging with artists, audiences, students, and civic life. The city is truly our stage: in venues ranging from concert halls and clubs to public parks, we present a tremendous range of artists and art forms, from the most distinguished symphony orchestras to both renowned and emerging artists in classical music, jazz, international genres, and more.

Washington Performing Arts deeply values its partnerships with local organizations and other arts institutions. Through events in myriad performance venues and neighborhoods, Washington Performing Arts engages international visiting artists in community programs and introduces local artists to wider audiences. We place a premium on establishing artists as a continuing presence in the lives of both young people and adults through residencies and educational programs. Our achievements have been recognized with a National Medal of Arts and with three Mayor’s Arts Awards from the D.C. Government. We have now embarked upon our second half-century, ever-inspired by the motto of our founder, Patrick Hayes: “Everybody in, nobody out.”

Levine Music was founded in 1976 in memory of Selma M. Levine, a prominent Washington attorney and an amateur pianist. Since then, Levine has grown into one of the country’s leading community music schools and is the Washington, D.C. region’s preeminent center for music education, where children and adults find lifelong inspiration and joy through learning, performing, listening to, and participating with others in music.

Levine’s core values – excellence and opportunity – infuse everything we do. Our distinguished faculty offer a broad and well-rounded curriculum that provides a strong musical foundation for students of different ages, abilities, and interests. We strive to make Levine’s education available to everyone. Hundreds of students receive substantial scholarship assistance; many hundreds more receive free instruction through fully-funded in-school programs.

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Robert Misbin for his generous support of the 7th Annual Misbin Family Memorial Chamber Music Competition.

We thank Dr. Alison Martin and the family of John Martin for their support of chamber music at Levine Music.

Thanks as well to the many donors that provide generous support for the full range of Washington Performing Arts’ educational programs.

The Chasqui Quartet (Senior Division)

String Quartet No. 1, Op. 70 by Bela Bartok 

I Lento 

Chasqui Quartet: Andrew Gray, violin, Will Joseloff, violin, Dana Wolpe, viola, Alexandra Lukashuk, cello 

Coached by Claudia Chudacoff 

Duo Con Brio (Adult Division)

Sonata in c minor, Op. 30, No. 2 by Ludwig van Beethoven

Allegro Con brio

Duo con Brio: John S. Earle, piano, Carolyn Wu, violin 

Perfect Strangers (Senior Division)

Sonata for Piano and Cello in e minor, Op. 38 by Johannes Brahms 

II Allegretto quasi Menuetto 

Perfect Strangers: Lucas Das, cello, Brigette Quan, piano 

Coached by Hai Jin 

Potomac Musica (Adult Division)

Café Music by Paul Schoenfield 

Potomac Musica: Tanya Lee, piano, Carolyn Wu, violin, Taka Ariga, cello 

Clef Hangers (Junior Division)

Gavotte from Duet No. 1, Op. 39 by Reinhold Gliere

Clef Hangers: Alex Zhao, violin, Aydan Lee, cello

Coached by Holly Hamilton

Mount Storm Duo (Junior Division)

Duo No. 1 in C Major by Ludwig van Beethoven 

Rondo  

Allegretto (Vivace) 

Mount Storm Duo: Yuri Popov, violin, Vlad Popov, cello 

Coached by Ralitza Patcheva 

Silver Strings Piano Trio (Senior Division)

Café Music by Paul Schoenfield 

Silver Strings Piano Trio: Ethan Oh, cello, Alena Hu, violin, Hannah Zhang, piano 

Coached by Jorge Orozco