Coltman Chamber Music Competition Announces 2023 Winners

Open to instrumental and string/piano ensembles, the 10th edition of the competition was held recently in Austin, Texas

Launched in 2010, the annual Coltman Chamber Music Competition is presented in association with the Austin Chamber Music Center and named after its founder, Felicity Coltman. In addition to performance experience and expert commentary, winners of the competition are offered a cash prize and multiple performance opportunities including a live-broadcast on KMFA 89.5.

In the Senior Division String & Piano Category, this year's First Place and Senior Division Grand Prize went to the Kodak Quartet. The New York-based group is comprised of violinists Edgar Donati and Martin Noh, violist Daniel Spink, and cellist Blake Kitayama. Currently, the group serves as the Cuker and Stern Graduate Resident String Quartet at the Mannes School of Music and has previously been in residence at Montclair State.

Hailing from the US, Canada, and France, they formed at the Eastman School of Music and performed throughout the United States and Canada. It has worked with members of the American, Beethoven, Juilliard, Pacifica, Verona, and Ying Quartets.

Second prize in the Senior Division String & Piano Category went to the Uni Quintet, established in September 2022 at the Yale School of Music.

Within the Senior Division Mixed Instrumental Category, Kodachrome won first, while Blacktop Percussion took home second.

In the Junior Division String & Piano Category, the Evie Quartet and Aster Trio won first and second place respectively.

The Junior Division Mixed Instrumental Category awarded Incendio Saxophone Trio first prize and the Centauri Quartet second prize.

This year's jury included Patrice Calixte, Rami El-Farrah, Stephen Page, Troy Peters, Gregory Sauer, Yevgeniy Sharlat, Patricia Shih, and Michael Webster.

The 11th Annual Coltman Competition will be held in-person on March 2 & 3, 2024 at The University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music.