Thank you to all participants of the 2025 Concerto Competition. It has been another great year, this time focused on applicants from all over East Tennessee. It is so wonderful to see music programs with such fine musicians.
Our amazing 2025 winners are:
• Rebecca Deal, Adult Category: Ibert Flute Concerto, Mvt. III by Jacques Ibert
• Caroline Ning, Youth Category: Pequeña Czarda by Pedro Iturralde
Both musicians will perform their winning pieces during our Fall Concert at Sacred Heart Cathedral on Sunday, September 28, 2022.
Rebecca Deal: Winner, Adult Category
Rebecca Deal is a passionate flutist currently pursuing a degree in music performance at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, where she is a third-year student studying under Dr. Maria Castillo. As a native Tennessean, Rebecca earned spots in the Tennessee All-State Bands on both flute and piccolo each year throughout high school. She had the opportunity to play principal flute in the band her junior year and perform with the Tennessee All-State Orchestra on piccolo her senior year. Additionally, Rebecca attended the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts in the summer of 2021 and played in the Curb Youth Symphony at Vanderbilt University from 2022-2023. She was a winner of the Mid-South Flute Society’s High School Soloist Competition in the years 2022 and 2023 and won the UTK Concerto Competition in 2025. At UTK, Rebecca has flourished as a chamber and large ensemble musician, and she has had the privilege of performing in masterclasses with renowned flutists such as Alexa Still, Dr. Danilo Mezzadri, Dr. Carlos Feller, Marco Granados, and Molly Barth. Driven by her love for music, Rebecca aspires to build a professional career as a performing artist. Outside of music, she enjoys reading, spending time outdoors, and sharing coffee with friends.
Rebecca will perform her winning piece, Ibert Flute Concerto, Mvt. III by Jacques Ibert.
Caroline Ning: Winner, Youth Category
Caroline Ning is currently a rising sophomore at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, Tennessee. She participated in band at both Indian Trail Middle School and Liberty Bell Middle School. During that time, she was selected for the East Tennessee School Band & Orchestra Association (ETSBOA) Junior Clinic in both 7th and 8th grades and earned first chair on alto saxophone each year. Caroline has been playing piano since 2015, alto saxophone since 2018, and guitar since early 2025, and currently studies saxophone under Dr. Brian Rodesch at ETSU. In 2022, she won 2nd place in the Youth Wind & Brass division of the Music International Grand Prix and has also earned multiple awards in the annual Bristol Music Club piano competition. Outside of music, Caroline enjoys drawing and reading. While music has been a major part of her life, she is currently interested in pursuing a STEM-related career, and at school, she is actively involved in both STEM and music clubs.
Caroline will perform the orchestral orchestration of her winning piece, Orchestral Czárdás for alto saxophone by Pedro Iturralde.