History
The Doreen B. Hertzog Concerto/Aria Competition originated as a program of the Elmira Symphony and Choral Society, known as the Young Artists’ Competition that began in the late 1960s. It was later renamed in honor of one of its founders, Doreen B. Hertzog. The merged successor of the Elmira Symphony and Corning  Philharmonic, now known as the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, has continued the competition since its formation in 1995. Designed to showcase the finest young musicians, the Hertzog  Competition is a vehicle for the OSFL to nurture and support talented young performers throughout the region, from Rochester, NY to Mansfield, PA and beyond.

The Doreen B. Hertzog Concerto & Aria Competition for Young Artists

Award and Eligibility
The 2026 Doreen B. Hertzog Competition winner will perform one movement of a concerto or aria with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes during the 2026-27 Season.  Students in grades 9 through 12 are eligible to audition. Eligible instruments are: piano, strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, and voice.

The Audition

  • Preliminary Round
    Contestants will submit a good quality audio recording, performing one movement from a concerto or aria with accompaniment. Recordings should not exceed ten minutes; movements of longer duration must be cut appropriately. Format should be MP3 audio only. No video recordings please. The deadline for 2026 applications is April 27, 2026.

  • Final Round
    A maximum of 10 contestants will be selected for the final round, to be held in-person. The final round will take place on May 30, 2026. Contestants will perform the same movement as submitted in the preliminary round, from memory. It is mandatory that each student bring his or her own piano accompanist; the OSFL will not provide an accompanist to contestants.

​Hertzog Competition auditions are very competitive; only one student will be selected to perform with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes, and the judges may, at their discretion, decide not to select a winner. The decision of the judges is final.

Apply to be the next Hertzog Competition Winner!

The deadline for 2026 applications is April 27, 2026.

Step 1:  Submit your audio-only recording.

Submit Recording

  • Submit a good quality audio-only recording (no video recordings please).

  • Recordings should not exceed ten minutes.

  • Format should be MP3 audio only.

Step 2:  Submit your application 

Download Application

​Step 3:  Pay your application fee of $35.

  • To pay via check:  please mail a check made payable to "OSFL" to: OSFL, P.O. Box 15, Corning, NY 14830.

  • To pay via credit card: call our office at (607) 936-2873 with your credit card information.

Congratulations to our 2025 Winner!

​Ashley Park is a 14-year-old violinist from Ithaca, New York, USA. She is a freshman at Ithaca High School and is an avid member of its music program. Currently, she studies with violinist YooJin Jang, a faculty member at the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester. 

First introduced to the violin at 5 years old, Ashley has since loved to play the instrument and has won awards in several competitions, including the Charleston International Music Competition, American Virtuoso International Music Competition, Ensemble 212, Camerata Artists International Competition, STMTA Music Competition, International Grande Music Competition, Vivo International Music Competition, Venusto Korea Music Competition, Sung-Jung Music Competition, Haneum Music Competition, and Korea Times Competition. 

Through Eastman Community Music School, Ashley has recently received masterclasses from Juliana Athayde, Janet Sung, Robin Scott, and Timothy Peters. 
​
In 2024, she attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival and will return in 2025.

Past Winners

  • Jocelyn Hsu, harp
    Dances for Harp and String Orchestra, “Danse Sacrée et Danse Profane” (Claude Debussy)
    ​
    ​Austin Vitello, bassoon
    Bassoon Concerto in E Minor, RV 484, Mvmt. 1 (Antonio Vivaldi)

  • ​Riley Hubisz, flute
    Concertino for Flute and Orchestra, Op. 8 (Otar Gordeli)

  • ​Isabel Metz, violin
    Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, Mvmt. 1 (Mendelssohn)

    Runner-up:  Claire Russell, double bass
    A Carmen Fantasy (Frank Proto)

  • Christopher Tillen, piano
    Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 18, Mvmt. 1 ​(Rachmaninoff)

    Nikhil Lahiri, oboe
    Oboe Concerto in C Minor​ (Marcello)

  • No Winner Selected

  • ​Sophia Werner, violin
    Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, Mvmt. 1 (Mendelssohn)

    Runner-up: Neha Kudva, tuba
    Tuba Concerto, Mvmt. 1 (Gregson)

  • ​Raymond Feng, piano
    Piano Concerto in E Minor (Chopin)

    Runner-up: Elyse Bell, soprano
    Exsultate, Jubilate, Laudate Dominum (Mozart)

  • ​Jonathan Fenwick, violin
    Violin Concerto No. 3 in B Minor, Op. 61, Mvmt. 3 (Saint-Saëns)

  • ​Miranda Werner, violin
    Zigeunerweisen (Sarasante)

  • ​I-hao Cheng, violin

  • ​Annie Jacobs-Perkins, cello