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 the 2025 Doreen B. Hertzog Concerto & Aria Competition winner and has been playing in the second violin section of the OSFL this season as a volunteer intern.

Ashley is a violinist from Ithaca, New York, and a sophomore at Ithaca High School. She studies with YooJin Jang, a faculty member at the Eastman School of Music at the University of Rochester. In 2025, Ashley was accepted into The Juilliard School Pre- College Program but chose to continue her musical training with her current teacher.

A violinist since the age of five, Ashley has won top prizes in numerous national and international competitions, including the American Virtuoso International Music Competition, Ensemble 212, the Camerata Artists International Competition, the Sung- Jung Music Competition, the Haneum Music Competition, and the Korea Times Competition, among others. An avid chamber musician, she attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival in 2024 and 2025, where she performed in multiple chamber ensembles and worked under the guidance of renowned artists including Renée Jolles, Elinor Freer, Tao Lin, Robin Scott, and Nelson Lee. She has also participated in masterclasses with distinguished artists through the Eastman Community Music School. In the summer of 2026, Ashley will participate in one of Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Ensembles (NYO2), including a New York residency and a tour to the Dominican Republic.

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