Hochstein Announces David Hochstein Recital Competition Winners
Annual Competition Honors and Celebrates Outstanding Student Musicians
ROCHESTER, N.Y.— Since 1991, The Hochstein School has commemorated the life of David
Hochstein – Rochester native and gifted violinist and composer – with a yearly competition for local
upper-level high school students. The 2022 David Hochstein Recital Competition winners are
Michael Ortiz, clarinet; Elizabeth Norris, cello; and Maxwell Sun, piano. They will perform a
free concert on Wednesday, May 11 at 7:00 pm. The program includes music by Bach, Dvořák,
Beethoven, and Mendelssohn, among others, and will be recorded for later broadcast on WXXI
Classical. See below for the winners’ bios.
The David Hochstein Recital Competition is open to advanced students in grades 10-12 in the ninecounty region surrounding Rochester. In order to compete, these talented young musicians were
required to prepare challenging music in varied styles and perform for juries of noted professional
artists. Judges included: Jeanine Beahan, flute; Kamalia Frehling, clarinet; Nikolette LaBonte, horn;
Jennifer Carpenter, cello; An-Chi Lin, violin; Ellen Rathjen, violin; Jacob Ertl, piano; Elinor Freer,
piano; and Doleen Hood, piano. Winners of the 2021 David Hochstein Recital Competition are
honored for their achievement with a $500 prize.
Additionally, the David Hochstein Recital Competition selected as runners-up: Daniel Kinney,
percussion; Catalina Wooldridge, cello; Sean Li, piano; and Lilah Costanzo, piano. Honorable
mention went to Allie Schultz, flute, and Rebecca Lee, violin. The Hochstein School is proud to
continue the legacy of its namesake by celebrating and encouraging these talented young
musicians.
The 2022 David Hochstein Recital Competition is sponsored by Paul and Marie Nasipak, in memory
of Shirley Oliver Nasipak.
Michael Ortiz, a junior at Williamson Senior High, has been playing the clarinet since fourth
grade, having only recently begun private lessons two years ago. He currently studies with Andy
Brown and has been playing with the RPYO for two seasons. Michael also plays with the Eastman
Honor Wind Quintet and has served as principal clarinet for both the Nazareth Honor Band and the
Wayne County Senior High All-County Band. This past summer, Michael was accepted into Luzerne
Music Center with a scholarship and was awarded a spot in their Solo Recital Showcase. He was
also accepted into NYSSMA Conference All-State and recently won Runner-Up in the Rochester
Philharmonic League’s Instrumental Category. In Williamson, Michael is in both Jazz and Concert
Band and has also served as an interim conductor. He was also the winner of several music
scholarships at both his home school and at Eastman Community Music School, where he is
currently completing his diploma studies in clarinet performance.
A junior at Brighton High School, Elizabeth Norris first started cello at age 6 with Keiko Ying. She
now studies with David Ying at the Eastman Community Music School. She joined the Rochester
Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (RPYO) as an eighth grader and has been principal cellist since her
sophomore year. In 2021, she won the RPYO concerto competition. She has also been principal
cellist in MCSMA High School All-County and Area All-State Orchestras. As cellist in the Telos
Quartet, Elizabeth shared best ensemble at the 2022 Syracuse Friends of Chamber Music Youth
Chamber Music Competition with other members Rebecca Lee, Noor Rouhana, and Ren Taguchi. In
the summer, she has attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Boston University
Tanglewood Institute, and Kinhaven Summer Music Program. Elizabeth shares her love for music
with amazing students at the ROCmusic Collaborative, where she volunteers to teach cello. Outside
of music, you can find her on ski trails or on the tennis courts, competing for her school’s varsity
teams.
Maxwell Sun is a senior at The Harley School. He started studying piano at age 6 with Karen
Hagberg and currently studies with Elier Suárez. In 2018, Maxwell won the Junior Division of the
Nazareth Piano Competition. In 2019, he won the Senior Division and the Junior All-Star Piano
Competition Level IV. In both 2020 and 2021, Maxwell was a runner-up for the piano division of
the Hochstein Recital Competition. In 2021, he was the runner-up for the Mildred and Julius Ness
Award for Piano of the RPO Young Artist Auditions. Maxwell is a winner of the Howard Hanson
Award and won second prize in the senior division of the 2022 Vince Lenti piano competition. In
2019 and 2021, Maxwell was a winner of the HYSO and RPYO concerto competitions on piano. In
addition to piano, Maxwell enjoys playing percussion. He studies privately with Jim Tiller and has
participated in various ensembles such as HYSO, RPYO, Hochstein Percussion Ensemble, Hochstein
Youth Wind Symphony, FLX Honor Band, and various All-County and Area All-State band and
orchestras. In 2021, he was selected as an alternate for the NYSSMA Conference All-State Concert
Band. Maxwell has participated in the United States of America Mathematics Olympiad and is also
on the varsity boys cross-country and tennis teams at his school. He plans to continue pursuing his
academic interests, like mathematics, and playing music at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Hochstein programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support
of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature.
About Hochstein: The Hochstein School was founded in commemoration of genius and is
dedicated to providing access to opportunity regardless of age, level of skill, ethnicity, or ability to
pay. Hochstein’s vibrant community of musicians, dancers, and supporters choose to come
together to develop the ability to speak and communicate through music, dance, and expressive
arts (music, art, and dance therapy). Established in 1920 as The David Hochstein Memorial Music
School, today Hochstein serves approximately 3,500 students annually from a 12-county region
surrounding Rochester, N.Y. and continues its commitment to the Rochester community by offering
a variety of free and low-cost concerts and performances in the Hochstein Performance Hall—and
locations around our city—throughout the year. For more information, visit www.hochstein.org.