2024 BRAVO! Competition
Details for the 2024 BRAVO! Competition will be available in fall 2023. Please check back for information at a later date.
About the Competition
Established in 2001, the BRAVO! competition was incorporated into Fontana Chamber Arts’ outreach program in 2015 and 2016. In collaboration with local arts organizations and community advocates, Fontana is excited to sponsor BRAVO! once again. Similar in format to NPR’s “From the Top,” BRAVO! is a free public recital that celebrates the talents of area student musicians who audition for spots on the program in front of a panel of professional musicians.
BRAVO! supports advanced-level student musical talent by offering a competitive performance opportunity. Performers are selected for the competition via auditions for a public performance that will showcase the highest level of musical proficiency represented by locally based students through grade 12.
Congratulations to our 2023 winners!
- Jay Balden – Voice, Millwood Middle School
- Simar Bhatia – Piano, Portage Central High School
- Alexander Bosak – Piano, Loy Norrix High School
- James Quinn – Marimba, Loy Norrix High School
- Michaela Sweis – Voice, Otsego High School
- Carly Rose Koch – Voice, Portage Central High School
- Ryan Soltanzadeh – Arabic Doumbek, Arcadia Elementary School
- Ivan Tai – Violin, Portage Northern High School
- Ellen Terzino – Voice, Loy Norrix High School
- Claire Tong – Piano, Portage Northern High School
- Salena Zhu – Piano, Portage Central High School
Supporting Organizations
It takes a village, and we are so grateful to all of the organizations and individuals who contribute their time, efforts and resources to provide our 2023 young musicians the opportunity to perform for you – our community. If you experienced a performance by this select group of students, you would agree that our artistic future is shining bright!
- Kristen Chesak – Executive Director, Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo
- Lee Fletcher – Executive Director, Kalamazoo Junior Symphony
- Margaret Hamilton – Community musician and teacher
- Danielle Lewis – Program Director, Black Arts And Cultural Center
- Audrey Lipsey – Executive Director, Crescendo Academy of Music
- Derl Oberlin – Board President, Stulberg International String Competition
- Jane Rooks Ross – Board Member, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra; Arts consultant
- Barry Ross – Community musician and teacher
- Adam Schumaker – Education Director, Gilmore Piano Festival
- Matt Schuster – Executive Director, Public Media Network
- Susan Uchimura – Community musician and teacher
- Stephen Williams – General Manager, WMUK-FM; Board Member, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
- Megan Yankee – Executive Director, Stulberg International String Competition
- Liz Youker – Education Director, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra
- Bryan Zocher – Executive Director, Education for the Arts