1st Place Kanon Ogura, violin
Kanon Ogura, 11, is a fifth grader at Meramec Elementary School in St. Louis. Her love for the violin began at the age of five. She studies with Joo Kim.
As the youngest member of the Young People’s Symphonic Orchestra at the Community Music School of Webster University, Kanon performed with the orchestra at Carnegie Hall in April 2025. The following month, she made her solo debut with the orchestra after winning its Concerto Competition. In November, she earned First Place in the MTNA Missouri State Junior Strings Competition, and in December she performed with the Alton Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the Deborah Fox Guild Competition. She has also received recognition in several international competitions, including the Leonid Kogan International Competition for Young Violinists in Belgium and the Junior Classical Music Competition in Japan.
She is currently a member of a piano quartet with the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis and enjoys chamber music. Outside of music, Kanon is fascinated by reptiles—especially snakes—and has a deep curiosity about the natural world. She is honored and excited to perform as a soloist with the Belleville Philharmonic Orchestra this season.
2nd Place – Zoe Baldwin, violin
Zoe Baldwin is a junior at Clayton High School and studies with Joo Kim. She began studying the violin at age four with Renita Luehrman and later studied with Angie Smart for three years. Zoe has been a member of several orchestras at the Webster Community Music School, and in 2021, she was a concerto competition winner and soloist with the Young People’s Symphonic Orchestra. In 2023 and 2024, Zoe was also a co-winner of the Odyssey Pre-Collegiate Concerto Competition, First Prize Winner of the St. Louis Civic Orchestra’s Florence Frager Young Artist Competition, co-winner of the University of Missouri-St. Louis Junior Division Concerto Competition, First Prize Winner of the Alton Symphony Marie Stillwell Competition, First Prize Winner of the St. Louis Philharmonic Concerto Competition, and Grand Prize Winner of the Rader Young Artist Competition.
For the past four years, Zoe has been a member of the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra. Since 2022, Zoe has attended the Arianna Chamber Music Festival, and has also spent summers at the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, Madeline Island Chamber Music for Strings Program, and Center Stage Strings. In 2024 and 2025, she was a member of the Missouri All-State Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Zoe participated in the CMS Preparatory Program for three years starting in 2022. This year, she is a participant in the Chamber Music Society of St. Louis’ Chamber Academy. Zoe is also a founding member of the Lyra Quartet, a finalist of the St. Paul String Quartet Competition in 2025.
In her free time, Zoe enjoys reading, thrifting clothes with her friends, and watching movies. She would like to thank Joo Kim, Angie Smart, Renita Luehrman, Daniel Henderson, Davin Rubicz, Laura Holzen, Vera Parkin, and the Arianna String Quartet for their guidance as well as her friends and family for their support.
3rd Place – Eric Chang, violin
Eric Chang is a freshman at John Burroughs School. He began playing the violin at the age of five, and currently studies with Mr. Pavel Ilyashov. Eric has earned many notable accolades in competitions. He is a two-time State Winner of the MMTA String Solo Competition, and Runner-up of the MTNA State Junior String Competition, Winner of the Artist Presentation Society Young Artist Competition, and Gold Medalist of the SLAMTA Young Artist Competition. He was also a Winner of the Town and Country Young Artist Concerto Competition, and made his solo debut with the symphony orchestra in June 2025.
An avid orchestral musician, Eric served as Concertmaster of both his school orchestra and the YPCO of Webster University. He has been a member of the Saint Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra since 2023.
Eric has been selected to participate in prestigious summer institutions and festivals, such as the Vivace Music Festival in North Carolina, Bienen School of Music’s Violin Institute at Northwestern University and most recently, the Heifetz International Music Institute in Virginia.
Eric is deeply grateful for the support of his family, teachers, and the instructors at CMS and his school. Outside of music, he enjoys soccer, tennis, reading, and time with friends.