Chris Fedor is the winner of our 2018 Young Artist Concerto Competition! He will perform the 1st movement of the Dvorak Cello Concerto with the Pittsburgh Philharmonic March 9 and 10.
A senior at North Allegheny High School, Chris currently studies cello with Katya Janpoladyan and David Premo. Chris began his cello studies with Ms. Janpoladyan in the fall of 2011 and has since won multiple cello performance awards, including three awards with the Pittsburgh Concert Society – one for solo cello in 2016 and two for chamber ensembles in 2017. He has also had master classes with Mikhail Istomin, Fred Sherry, and Jeffrey Solow. Recently, Chris was named a finalist for the 2018 Duquesne Young Artists National Concerto Competition.
Before he began playing cello, Chris studied piano with Marina Lupinacci from the age of five and later, jazz piano with Ron Bickel. His piano achievements led him to win the Steinway Society of Western PA Young Artist awards in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
Chris is currently a member of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra (principal/co-principal), the Amadeus Quintet (winner of the 2017/2018 Montgomery Fellowship Award), and the Arioso Piano Trio. He was also a member of the All-National Honor Symphony Orchestra (Grapevine, Texas), All-East Division Conference Honors Orchestra (principal), the Well-Tempered Piano Trio, the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestras, the Pittsburgh Symphony EQT Student Side-by-Side orchestra, the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association orchestras, the North Allegheny High School Chamber Orchestra (principal), the North Allegheny Golden Strolling Strings (cello and piano), and the North Allegheny High School musical pit orchestra (principal).
In addition to music, Chris enjoys playing baseball and has been a catcher for eight years. Some of his other hobbies include chess, running, and science bowl. He has received several scholastic awards, including the National Honor Society, Junior Honor Society, and the President’s Education Award for outstanding academic excellence. In college, Chris plans to double major in biochemistry and cello performance.
The Young Artist Concerto Competition is open to high school musicians performing on harp, strings, brass, or woodwinds. Applicants must be between the ages of 14 and 19 and must be residents of Allegheny, Butler, Beaver, Washington, or Westmoreland counties. All applicants are required to submit a CD recording of one movement of a standard concerto to the Philharmonic. Finalists selected then appear in person before an Audition Panel and that group selects the winner of the competition.