Panama City Symphony will host its second biennial Emerging Artists Competition at Gulf Coast State College’s Visual and Performing Arts Center on Friday, June 12, and Saturday, June 13, 2026. A free Emerging Artists Encore Showcase will be open to the public on Saturday, June 13, beginning at 7 p.m., featuring our eleven semi-finalists – eleven of the brightest young talents across the country.
The Emerging Artist Competition will celebrate – and judge – young artists in the categories of Violin, Cello, Piano, and Saxophone. This competition continues a tradition of excellence established by 2024 winners Victor Shlyakhtenko (Piano) and Didi Stone (Violin), both of whom performed as featured soloists with the Panama City Symphony during the 2025/26 season. Didi Stone will be the featured artist at Bella Notte, the Symphony’s annual black-tie fundraiser, on February 3, 2027.
This year’s Emerging Artists Competition comprises students competing in two divisions:
Competing in the College Division:
Two College Division contestants will compete on Alto Saxophone: Jacob Bickham, a 20-year-old student at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, MO, will perform Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra. Carter Doolittle, 22, is a student at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, NC, and will perform Concerto Pour Saxophone Alto et Orchestre.
Five College Division contestants will compete on Violin: Isabela Diaz, 21, attends The Juilliard School in New York City, and will perform Violin Concerto in D Minor, Op 46. Yeji Hwang, 23, is a student at New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, MA, and will perform Violin Concerto No. 1 in G Minor. Andrea Ignjatic, 21, attends the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, IN, and will perform Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 77. Joshua Thai, 20, is a student at Arizona State University in Tempe, AZ, and will perform Violin Concerto in D Major.
Vladimir Tsiper, 19, attends Schwob School of Music in Columbus, GA, and will perform Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82.
One College Division contestant will compete on Piano: Ian Patterson, 24, a student at Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, will perform Piano Concerto 2 in A Minor Op. 85.
Competing in the High School Division:
Three high school students will compete this year. On the Violin, Mana Takahashi, 18, attends Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School in Tampa, FL, and will perform Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35, 1st Movement. Also on Violin, Kanon Takahashi, 15, is also a student at Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School in Tampa, FL, and will perform Violin Concerto in E Minor, Op. 64, 1st Movement. On Cello, Tristan Watzlawik-Roemer, 14, is a student at LaVilla School of the Arts in Jacksonville, FL, and will perform Elgar Cello Concerto, 4th Movement.
The Grand Prize Winner will receive a $3,500 cash prize for the College Division, and $1,000 for the High School Division. Winners will also perform a public solo recital in Downtown Panama City during the 2026/2027 season at “Musically Up Close,” and each will receive professional photographs and a video recording of their performance. Thank you to our Emerging Artists Sponsors: Gulf Coast State College, Byrd Family Foundation, Mack and Eleanor Lewis Foundation, Gulf Coast Women’s Club, Kiwanis, Bay Point Women’s Club, and Panama City Rotary.
Please make plans to join us on Saturday, June 13, at the Emerging Artists Encore Showcase at Gulf Coast State College’s Visual and Performing Arts Center, 7 p.m., for this free event. For more information, visit PanamaCitySymphony.org.
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