About the Competition
The Youth Artists Solo Competition is intended to identify, recognize and encourage youth in the southeastern Michigan area who are pursuing the study of classical music and afford them an opportunity to perform with a professional orchestra. YASC is a prestigious solo competition that was established in 2004 under the direction of Maestro Kypros Markou and has produced nationally recognized winners such as violinist, Benjamin Beilman and clarinetist, Nicholas Hamblin.
This competition provides an opportunity for young musicians in southeast Michigan to gain valuable experience preparing, auditioning for, and executing the performance of a movement from a concerto or a challenging solo work within their instrument’s repertoire. YASC allows for any music school in the area to showcase the talent, hard work, and dedication of their students.
Auditions are open to all students ages 18 and under, who take music lessons in Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. Applicants will audition in person at Cherry Hill Presbyterian Church, located in Dearborn, for a distinguished panel of judges on April 11, 2026. Finalists will be selected to perform on April 12. The winner will receive a $500 award plus the opportunity to be featured as the soloist with the award-winning Dearborn Symphony, performing in the opening concert of the 26/27 Season on October 2, 2026.
The awards to the winners for playing at the concert are underwritten by the Dearborn Orchestral Society Endowment Fund with trusts established by Anina & Ben Bachrach, Sandra and Paul Butler, and Mary & Frank Padzieski. It is also sponsored in part by Mrs. Anne Bakalyar, and supported by other generous donors.
History
YASC is a prestigious solo competition that was established in 2004 under the direction of Maestro Kypros Markou and has produced nationally recognized winners such as violinist, Benjamin Beilman and clarinetist, Nicholas Hamblin.
In 2007, the event was renamed the Dearborn Symphony Youth Artists Solo Competition.
Our Winners
Dearborn Symphony is proud to announce cellist Brandon Gajek of Farmington Hills as the first-place winner of the 2026 Youth Artists Solo Competition. Brandon captivated both the judges and the audience with a masterful, deeply expressive performance of the first movement of Dmitry Kabalevsky’s Concerto No. 1. As the competition’s top honoree, Brandon is the recipient of the prestigious Ben & Anina Bachrach Award, which includes a $500 cash prize. In keeping with our tradition of nurturing exceptional young talent, Brandon has also been invited to perform his winning selection as the featured soloist with the Dearborn Symphony during our upcoming 26/27 Season Opener on Friday, October 2, 2026.
Brandon’s remarkable achievement is the culmination of six years of dedicated cello study, characterized by mentorship from some of the region’s finest pedagogues. He currently studies under Dr. Amir Eldan, Professor of Cello at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance, having previously refined his craft with Dr. Melissa Kraut, Wei Yu, Abraham Feder, and Samantha Farmer. Beyond private instruction, Brandon’s musical development spans major regional and national training grounds. He was a member of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra starting in 2023 under the baton of Na’Zir McFadden, served as the principal cellist of the Michigan All-State Orchestra in 2025, and has spent his summers training at top-tier institutions, including the Interlochen Arts Camp, the Philadelphia International Music Festival, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the prestigious Meadowmount School of Music in the summer of 2026.
In addition to his orchestral and solo accolades, Brandon has earned a stellar reputation as a decorated honors student and an active chamber musician. The Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA) has repeatedly recognized his talents, nominating him for the Outstanding Soloist award in both 2024 and 2025, alongside granting him an outstanding ensemble award for a demanding performance of Brahms’ Double Concerto for Violin and Cello. Brandon also channels his artistic collaborative spirit into the Trouville Quartet, an ensemble currently dedicated to exploring the rich string quartet literature of Felix Mendelssohn and Ralph Vaughan Williams. The Dearborn Symphony extends its warmest congratulations to Brandon and invites our entire community to witness his solo debut this October.
The Dearborn Symphony Youth Artists Solo Competition seeks to inspire the next generation of musicians by offering high-level performance opportunities and artistic recognition. Each year, the winner is selected through a competitive audition process adjudicated by a panel of professional musicians. The award is generously underwritten by the Dearborn Orchestral Society Endowment Fund with trusts established by Anina and Ben Bachrach, Sandra and Paul Butler, and Mary and Frank Padzieski along with many individual contributors.
For tickets and more information about the October 2, 206 concert and the upcoming 26/27 Season of “Worlds of Sound” visit dearbornsymphony.org or call (313) 565-2424.
| Name | Instrument |
|---|---|
| 2026 | |
| Brandon Gajek | Cello |
| 2025 | |
| Jisso Park | Cello |
| 2024 | |
| Shuya Zheng | Piano |
| 2017 | |
| Greg Turner | Piano |
| Nickolas Hamblin | Clarinet |
| 2016 | |
| Jubilee Wang | Piano |
| Calvin Mayman | Flute |
| 2015 | |
| Phillip Huang | Piano |
| Landon Oja | Violin |
| 2014 | |
| Isabelle Lian | Piano |
| Allen Chang | Clarinet |
| 2013 | |
| Heather Shen | Piano |
| Anna Mieczkowski | Violin |
| 2012 | |
| Yiran Liu | Piano |
| Haeji Kim | Violin |
| 2011 | |
| Heather Gu | Piano |
| Abigail Elder | Viola |
| 2010 | |
| Yesse Kim | Piano |
| Jacob Joyce | Violin |
| 2009 | |
| Allen Yuan | Piano |
| Nathaniel Pierce | Cellist |
| 2008 | |
| Christine Wu | Piano |
| Andrea Jarrett | Violin |
| 2007 | |
| Alexandra Zetye | Piano |
| Benjamin Beilman | Violin |
| 2006 | |
| Josh Romatowski | flute |
| Elizabeth Beilman | viola |
| 2005 | |
| Colleen Wang | Violin |
| June Wu | Piano |
| 2004 | |
| Tiffany Pao | Piano |
| Erik Asgeirsson | Cello |