December 2, 2025

[Vancouver, WA. December 2, 2025] – The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA’s 2025/26 season continues with the brilliant gold medal winners of the 31st Annual Young Artist Competition. This highly anticipated performance will take place on January 17, 2026 at 7 pm and January 18, 2026 at 3 pm at Skyview Concert Hall. In October of 2025, the three young musicians competed in three categories: piano, winds/brass, and strings, each winning a $5,000 cash prize and the privilege to perform under the baton of Salvador Brotons alongside the critically acclaimed Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

This concert also features one of Strauss’s most popular tone poems, Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, and an orchestral suite from his opera Der Rosenkavalier. Both performances will be available as a simultaneous live stream at vancouversymphony.org.

The orchestra will open the program with Mothership, an expressive and innovative piece from GRAMMY award-winning composer Mason Bates. Then, violinist Hana Gottesman will perform Maurice Ravel’s fiery Tzigane followed by alto saxophonist Jacob Peizner’s performance of Ibert’s Concertino Da Camera, which translates to “little chamber concerto.” The first half will close with the orchestra's performance of Richard Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks.

The second half features pianist Wilson Liu performing the opening movement of one of Mozart’s most frequently performed concertos, Piano Concerto No. 20. The performances will close with Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier.

The 2025/26 Symphonic Series season is presented by United Grain Corporation.

What: Young Artist Showcase
When: Saturday, January 17 at 7:00 pm, Sunday, January 18 at 3:00 pm
Where:Skyview Concert Hall, 1300 NW 139th St, Vancouver, WA 98685
Tickets: Tickets available at vancouversymphony.org

Virtual-only tickets are also available at vancouversymphony.org or by calling (360)735-7278. All in-person ticket holders will have the option of viewing virtually.

The Saturday performance at Skyview Concert Hall will begin at 7:00 pm. The celebrated VSO pre-concert show, hosted by Maestro Salvador Brotons, will be available for concertgoers to attend before the performance from 6:00 pm to 6:30 pm. The virtual live stream programming begins at 6:30 pm on Saturday to air Da Capo, a pre-recorded educational discussion of the composers and pieces being performed. The Sunday performance will begin at 3:00 pm, with the pre-concert show available to attend in-person from 2:00 pm to 2:30 pm. The virtual live stream programming begins at 2:30 pm on Sunday.

All ticket holders will receive a secure email link to access the live stream performances.

Our tech support team will be on standby to assist you if you have any issues logging in during the performances.

About Wilson Liu
Wilson Liu (11) was admitted to The Juilliard School Pre-College Division, where he won the Bachauer Prize with full scholarship and Concerto Competition at the age of 7. He studies with Hung-Kuan Chen and Tema Blackstone. Wilson will be a ‘25-‘26 Fellow in From the Top Learning and Media Lab. He has participated in a film for “Now Hear This” presented by Great Performances on PBS.

Since his earliest training, Wilson has won numerous competitions, and he performed with Seen Worldwide NPO in Chicago Symphony Center at the most recent International Young Artists Concerto Competition. In his spare time, Wilson enjoys chess, swimming, and badminton.

About Jacob Peizner
Jacob Peizner (17) is a Senior at Oregon Episcopal School and a student of Phil Baldino and Kenneth Radnofsky. Jacob was one of ten saxophonists internationally selected for the 2024 BU Tanglewood Saxophone Workshop and was co-principal saxophone for the 2025 Tanglewood Young Artists Orchestra & Wind-Ensemble.

Nationally, Jacob was a finalist in the YoungArts Classical Competition and was an alto-saxophonist in Music-for-All’s Honor Band of America. He was the 2024 OSAA High-Saxophone State Champion. Additionally, Jacob plays principal saxophone in the Portland Youth Philharmonic and accompanies piano with a middle school choir. Beyond music, Jacob plays tennis, enjoys reading, and is an avid Pacific-Northwest sports fan.

About Hana Gottesman
Hana Gottesman (16) earned top honors including first prize at the Royal Maas International, UK International (Absolute Prize), Coeur d’Alene National Young Artist, MTNA National, and Seattle Young Artist Music Festival (Festival Medal) competitions. A Postacchini International Competition finalist, Hana soloed with several orchestras such as the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Northwest, and SEEN Orchestra of Chicago. She has performed on King FM radio and NPR’s Live Sessions.

Hana studies with Jan Coleman, Simon James and is a student at the Seattle Chamber Music Society Academy. She enjoys swimming and languages and holds certification and medals in Abacus mathematics.

About Salvador Brotons
Maestro Salvador Brotons returns for his 35th season as Music Director and Conductor of the VSO. In addition to the VSO, he has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Orquestra Simfònica de les Illes Balears “Ciutat de Palma” (1997-2001, 2009-2013) and the Orquestra Sinfónica del Vallés (1997-2002). He is presently the Conductor of the Barcelona Symphonic Band. In 2005, he received the Arts Council award from Clark County and the City of Vancouver as well as the Kiwanis Rose Award. He has guest conducted orchestras in countries such as the U.S., Israel, France, Germany, China, Poland, South Korea, Mexico, Uruguay, and Colombia.

About the VSO
The VSO, now in its 47th season, enriches lives in the Pacific Northwest and beyond through world-class symphonic concerts, other musical performances, and engaging educational programming. For more information, please visit vancouversymphony.org.

About Our Sponsors
The VSO is generously supported by individual donors, The M. J. Murdock Charitable Trust, Realvest Foundation, Keller Foundation, Oregon Public Broadcasting, The AC Hotel Marriott, United Grain Corporation, Columbia Credit Union, All Classical Radio, Gravitate, Dick Hannah Dealerships, The Columbian, Michelle’s Piano Co., Pacific Office Automation, Salsbury & Co., Steinway & Sons Portland, The VIC, Kiggins Theatre, Opsahl Dawson, and Willful Wine Company.

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Media contact:
Allison Van Etten
Vice President
[email protected]
8VA Music Consultancy
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