Instrumental Concerto Competition
By EILENA DING, WILLIAM INOUE and GRACE YANG
On Sunday, Feb.16, as snow and hail covered Exeter’s campus, eight talented musicians took the stage in the Bowld, wielding various instruments. Despite the bleak weather, the annual Instrumental Concerto Competition carried on, with dedicated performers delivering captivating performances to a sizable crowd. Lower Roger Guo won the competition, and upper Benny Wang received an honorable mention.
Even before the eight musicians stepped onto the stage, they had already begun their preparation, from music picking to practicing both alone and with their teachers.
“I had to practice every single day. I aimed for at least two hours,” lower Roger Guo explained. “There were also a lot of rehearsals with my teacher because my teacher was my accompanist.” Similarly, upper Kaitlynn Farkas mentioned, “We [Accompanist and I] practiced every Monday.”
For many performers, the music selection carried a lot of weight and was a difficult decision to make. Upper Benny Wang decided to play Brom’s “Second Piano Concerto,” explaining, “There was a part in the middle I really liked.” Guo decided to play the Chopin’s “Concerto #1”. He described, “There was a deep connection to it, and my teacher recommended me to it.” Farkas played the third movement of Mendelssohn’s “First Piano Concerto in G Minor,” saying, “It was an exciting and fun piece for me.”
Many of the performers felt nervous going into the performance, as Farkas would mention: “I was definitely anxious going into the performance,” with Wang echoing her thoughts. However, they were all able to pull off a beautiful performance and overcome their anxiety.
Performers stepped into the center of the Bowld to perform their concertos after months of preparation and felt an array of emotions. Guo explained, “I was a little nervous before the performance, but I felt extremely confident because I had prepared so much and for a really long time. I was in a mindset where I was going to give it my all and really enjoy performing the piece.”
Farkas described her experience similarly, explaining, “For me, I was really nervous. I went first, and so I definitely had some anxiety about going first.” She added, “I was anxious, but I was also excited. I felt like it was a place where I could really put all of my work out and show people the work that I’d put in.”
Wang also described a similar sentiment before performing, saying, “I was pretty nervous going in, but it ended up going well. I was pretty happy with it.”
Although performers felt a sense of nervousness before performing their concertos, they were able to gain assurance in their capabilities from their lengthy preparation. Performers were able to set their anxiety and nervousness aside, give it their all, and enjoy their performances.
“I feel like I would have memories of my performance, especially at times that I would look up at the ceiling of the Bowld and just take a deep breath while the light shines on me,” upper Martin Yau reflected.
The stage lights gleamed as the first notes filled the Bowld and classical music flowed from the instruments — but no one is a harsher critic than the musicians themselves.
“After the performance, I was asking people if they heard the mistakes I made. And everyone was like, no I didn’t hear anything,” reflected Guo. “So at the end of the day, there’s always something you need to improve on, but in the general picture, [my performance] is something I should be proud of.”
For many performers, the competition was as much a test of mental endurance as it was of technical skills. Nerves, preparation, and personal expectations all played a role in shaping their experience. “I was feeling a bit nervous but I don’t think other than that I had that much feeling except during parts where I needed to portray a certain feeling on the violin,” Yau summarized on his nitpicking respect towards music.
The performers’ self-criticism reflected their deep respect for music—the thrill of executing a well-crafted piece in a single shot, balanced with the joy of being on stage. “While it was very nerve-wracking to go on stage, there was a sense of calm,” Yau added. “Having all the lights shown on you and being immersed in the music — especially during the breaks of my piece — I just took it all in and was happy to perform at all in front of all those people.”
The stage dimmed as the final performer exited, and the house lights rose, revealing the handful of audience who attended the performance despite the winter weather. Hours later, an email was sent to the whole school, congratulating Roger Guo as the winner of the Instrumental Concerto Competition 2025.
