Semper Pro Musica Competition
2026 Semper Pro Musica Winners Recital
Thursday, May 21, 2026, 8:00 p.m.
Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall
57th Street and Seventh Avenue, New York City
Solo Winners
- Daniel Robbins, piano
- Nicholas Shih-Pogrebnoy, violin
- Sofia Rohlman, soprano
Chamber Winner: Liakáda Quartet
- Jonah Bourgeois, soprano saxophone
- Robert Nelson, alto saxophone
- Hilton Bryce, tenor saxophone
- Peyton Joffre, baritone saxophone
2026 Semper Pro Musica Organ Recital
Friday, May 22, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine
1047 Amsterdam Avenue at 112th Street, New York City
Organ Winner
- Hyewon Park to be presented in a joint recital with Dr. Jens Korndörfer
Chamber Music Competition Rules
Eligibility
Students entering the Semper Pro Musica Chamber Music Competition must be enrolled at Baylor University as full-time students during both the Fall and Spring semesters and enrolled in private lessons on the instrument or voice range in which they intend to compete. Students who perform on a medium for which there is a large performing ensemble must be enrolled in an appropriate ensemble within that area (exception made for BME student teachers). Competing groups must be available in the summer after the school year finishes to perform at the Semper Pro Musica Recital Concert. Once the application has been filed, personnel or repertoire for the group cannot be changed without the approval of the Dean of the School of Music. Competition repertoire must be approved by the group faculty coach and scored for three to five performers. The duration of the group’s selection(s) must be between 20 and 30 minutes.
Procedures
The Semper Pro Musica Chamber Music Competition will be conducted in two rounds. The First Round will take place in the January of the Spring semester in Jones Concert Hall. Groups will declare their intent to enter the competition to their music faculty coach and fill out the Semper Pro Musica Chamber Music Competition Application. Approval of the faculty coach for the group is required to participate of the competition. A panel of professors from within the School of Music will judge the First Round of the competition. Two groups will be selected to advance to the Final Round of the Competition. The Final Round will take place a few weeks later in Jones Concert Hall. A panel of external judges will declare the winners of the competition to be presented at the Carnegie Hall Recital.
Round One
Three (3) scores (original scores preferred, bound photocopies accepted) of the music must be delivered to the School of Muic front office (Roxy Grove 103) by the determined date and time. Final Round: Two (2) additional scores, to be delivered to the School of Music front office (Roxy Grove 103) by the determined date and time.
Solo Competition Rules
Eligibility
Students entering the Semper Pro Musica Solo Competition must be enrolled at Baylor University as full-time students during both the Fall and Spring semesters and enrolled in private lessons on the instrument or voice range in which they intend to compete. Students who perform on a medium for which there is a large performing ensemble must be enrolled in an appropriate ensemble within that area (exception made for BME student teachers). Competing soloists must be available to perform in the summer after the school year finishes to perform at the Semper Pro Musica Recital Concert.
Repertoire
The competitor’s studio teacher must approve competition repertoire. The Final Round of the competition and the Semper Pro Musica Recital will require the repertoire to be memorized. The duration of competitors solo presentations must be between ten (10) and eighteen minutes (18). Competition repertoire cannot be changed, without the approval of the Dean of the School of Music, once the application has been filed.
Procedures
The Semper Pro Musica Solo Competition will be conducted in two rounds (each area within the school will set the date, time, and location of the First Round). Competitors will declare their intent to enter the competition to their studio teacher and fill out the Semper Pro Musica Solo Competition Application. Approval of the studio teacher is required for the competitor to participate in the First Round of the competition. Each area will convene a panel of judges to determine which competitors will advance to the Final Round. The limit on the number of soloists that can advance to the Final Round are: Vocal 3, Piano 2, Strings 2, Brass 1, Woodwinds 1, Percussion 1. The Final Round will take place on the determined date and time in Jones Concert Hall where a panel of external judges will decide on the winners of the Solo Competition. Five bound copies of the score (originals preferred) must be delivered to the School of Music front office (Roxy Grove 103) on the determined date and time for the final round of the competition. The Final Round will advance three soloists to be presented on the Semper Pro Musica Carnegie Recital.
Organ Competition Rules
Eligibility
Students entering the Semper Pro Musica Organ Competition must be enrolled at Baylor University as full-time students during both the Fall and Spring semesters and enrolled in private lessons. Competing soloists must be available in the summer after the school year finishes to perform at the Semper Pro Musica Organ Recital Concert at a selected cathedral in New York City within a day of the Semper Pro Musica Carnegie Recital Concert.
Repertoire
The competitor’s studio teacher must approve competition repertoire. The Final Round of the competition and the Semper Pro Musica Recital will require the repertoire to be memorized. The duration of competitors solo presentations must be twenty (20) minutes for Round one and thirty (30) minutes for the final round. Competition repertoire cannot be changed, without the approval of the Dean of the School of Music, once the application has been filed.
Procedures
The Semper Pro Musica Organ Competition will be conducted in two rounds: Round one on the determined date and time, with the final round at a later date and time, which will be communicated in advance.
2026 Winners
Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City - Thursday, May 21, 8:00 p.m.
Solo Winners
- Daniel Robbins, piano
- Nicholas Shih-Pogrebnoy, violin
- Sofia Rohlman, soprano
Chamber Winner: Liakáda Quartet
- Jonah Bourgeois, soprano saxophone
- Robert Nelson, alto saxophone
- Hilton Bryce, tenor saxophone
- Peyton Joffre, baritone saxophone
Cathedral of Saint John the Divine, New York City - Friday, May 22, 7:30 p.m.
Organ Winner
- Hyewon Park to be presented in a joint recital with Dr. Jens Korndörfer
2024 Winners
Kimbell Museum Renzo Piano Pavilion, Fort Worth, TX - Sunday, April 21st, 3:00 pm
Solo Winners
- Giselle Bautista – mezzo soprano
- Hutch Dunn – tuba
- Abigail Garner – flute
Chamber Winner: Brazos Trio
- Casey Hoffmire, violin
- Jesse Serpas, cello
- Cezary Karwowski, piano
Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York City - Thursday, May 16th, 8:00 pm
Solo Winners
- Gina Gravagne – viola
- Mateusz Perz – piano
- Edric Salazar – marimba
Chamber Winner: Capricho Quintet
- Amy Mora, flute
- Juan Gomez, oboe
- Mina Ahn, clarinet
- Derek Marcum, bassoon
- Javier Hernandez, horn
St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Park Avenue, New York City - Friday, May 17th, 3:00 pm
Organ Winner
- Chanmi Kim to be presented in a joint recital with Dr. Jens Korndorfer
2022 Winners
Soloists:
- Sylvia Jones – soprano
- Cezary Karwowski – piano
- Max Winningham – double bass
Chamber Ensemble:
- Fest Quartet (Darren Carter, violin; Elise Maas, violin; Freyn Downey, viola; Samuel Day, cello)
Organ:
- Chase Douthit
The solo and chamber competition winners will perform at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 26, in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, an elegant and intimate performance venue where many young musicians make their New York debuts. Chase Douthit will perform at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 25, sharing the concert with Dr. Isabelle Demers at The Brick Presbyterian Church (click here for a video of the performance).
2019 Winners
Soloists (alphabetical by last name):
- Josh Blessing, marimba
- John-Micah Braswell, piano
- Javier Castro, flute
- Megan Gackle, mezzo-soprano
- Nathan Little, trumpet
- Matthew Newhouse, tenor
Chamber Ensembles (alphabetical by ensemble name):
- Eighth Position (Nick Halbig, Connor Wooley, Dawson Ward, Adele Fuqua, Nathan Taylor, Derek Moseley, Nathan Stanfield, Jonathan Passmore)
- Flute Fleet (Javier Castro, Felicity Fulton, Jessica Peacock, Caleb Estrada Valentín)