2026 Caprio Young Artists Competition

Caprio award winners

Riverside Symphonia Celebrates Emerging Talent at the 2026 Caprio Competition Finals

Lambertville, NJ — Riverside Symphonia celebrated exceptional student musicianship with a free public performance of the Caprio Competition finalists on Sunday, April 19, at South Hunterdon Regional High School in Lambertville, NJ.

Open to non‑keyboard instrumentalists age 22 and under who reside or study in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or New York, the Caprio Competition draws talented young artists from across the region.

Finalists were selected from a competitive pool of applicants who submitted recorded performances over the past three months. Conductor and Artistic Director, Mariusz Smolij reflected on this year’s field, noting, “I have witnessed many wonderfully talented students perform and benefit from the encouragement and support this competition offers.”

2026 Prize Winners

  • First Place — $2,000 and a performance with the Riverside Symphonia - Ryan Chung, Violin, Ryan is a student in the Juilliard Pre‑College program, where he studies with Catherine Cho and served as concertmaster of the Juilliard Pre‑College Orchestra.

  • Second Place — $1,000 - Devin O’Brien, Double Bass, Devin is a student at the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Hal Robinson and Edgar Meyer.

  • Third Place — $500 - Eli Gold, Marimba, Eli is a Princeton University student and winner of the 2025 U.S. Navy Band Young Artist Solo Competition.

Finalists Ella Xu and Emily Sun received performance honorariums sponsored by Barbara and Jay Belding.

A Legacy of Artistic Development

This year marks the 15th biannual presentation of the Caprio Competition, whose past recipients have gone on to distinguished careers in major orchestras, as recording artists, soloists, and educators. Established in 1996 to honor the late John Michael Caprio, founding conductor of the Riverside Symphonia, the competition remains a cornerstone of the Symphonia’s mission to support the artistic growth of young musicians and to enrich the cultural life of the region.

Partial funding for the 2026 Caprio Competition was provided by The Presser Foundation’s Advancement of Music Award. Awards Prize Sponsors include: The Arts & Letters Foundation — First Place; Barbara and Jay Belding — Second Place; ShopRite of Hunterdon County — Third Place. Barbara and Jay Belding additionally sponsored honorariums for the remaining finalists.

left to right: Mariusz Smolij, Music Director; Eli Gold, 3rd Place; Devin O'Brien, 2nd Place; Lynn Cohen, Finalist Judge; Ella Xu, Finalist; Emily Sun, Finalist; Ryan Chung, 1st Place; Greg Giannascoli, Finalist Judge