Meet the 2026 Competition Jury
Richard Aaron, professor of cello at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the University of Michigan, and the Juilliard School since 2024, 2006, and 2007; faculty of the Aspen Music Festival since 2003
Christopher Costanza, professor of cello and chamber music at Stanford University and Director of Music Programs for Stanford Medical Humanities and Arts
Barbara Day Turner, conductor and Music Director of San Jose Chamber Orchestra
Jory Fankuchen, Music Director of the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra, and violinist and founding member of the Chamber Music Society of San Francisco
Jennifer Frautschi, violinist, two-time GRAMMY nominee, Avery Fisher career grant recipient, and professor at Stony Brook University
Suzanne Sorkin, 2026 Klein commissioned composer; professor of music (Dirk Warren ‘50 Sesquicentennial Endowed Chair) at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia
Daniel Stewart, violist and Music Director of the Santa Cruz Symphony
Past Jury Members 1986-2025
(parentheses indicate number of years served)
Richard Aaron (2)
Howard Aibel
Giancarlo Aquilanti
Adolph Baller
Cathy Basrak (2)
Lisa Bielawa
Vasile Beluska
Carlo Bussotti
Ronald Caltabiano (3)
Stuart Canin (2)
Dan Carlson
Charles Castleman
Nikki Chooi
George Cleve (2)
Robert Commanday (3)
Christopher Costanza (3)
Denis De Coteau (11)
Robert deMaine
Francesca dePasquale
Glenn Dicterow (5)
Karen Dreyfus (5)
Theodore Dollarhide (3)
Amir Eldan
Jory Fankuchen
Richard Festinger
Ethan Filner (4)
Jennifer Frautschi
Joel Friedman
Zlatomir Fung
David Froom
Jane Galante (2)
Michael Gelfand (5)
Peter Gelfand (7)
Robert Gibson
Marc Gottlieb (27)
Alan Grishman (8)
Saul Gropman (2)
Paul Hertelendy
Richard Hirschl
Joel Hoffman (2)
Janet Horvath (2)
Frank Huang
Dick Hyman
Andrew Imbrie
Byung-Woo Kim (12)
David Kim (3)
Jennifer Kloetzel (5)
Daniel Kobialka (6)
Joshua Kosman (9)
Mark Kosower (3)
Fredell Lack (2)
Patricia Taylor Lee (14)
J. Karla Lemon
Frederick Lifsitz (4)
David Liptak (4)
Melvin Margolis (13)
Jeffrey Miller (4)
Eileen Moon
Donna Mudge (9)
Alasdair Neale (3)
Zara Nelsova (2)
Eric Nowlin
Detlev Olshausen
Michael Ouzounian
David Park (2)
Paola Prestini
Milton Preves (6)
Gity Razaz
David Requiro
Stefan Reuss (2)
Channing Robbins
Hal Robinson (3)
Lesley Robertson
Margaret Rowell
Elena Ruehr
William Schoen (2)
Alice Schoenfeld (12)
Eleonore Schoenfeld (5)
Amy Schwartz Moretti
Stephen Shipps (2)
Benjamin Simon
Carlos Simon
Frank Stemper
Daniel Stewart (5)
Tom Stone (2)
Margaret Tait (18)
Reynold Tharp
Jassen Todorov
Barbara Day Turner (13)
Sakari Dixon Vanderveer
Laszlo Varga (6)
Mark Volkert (2)
Geraldine Walther (5)
Richard Webb
Camilla Wicks (5)
Sandy Wilson (5)
John Wineglass (2)
Ge-Fang Yang (3)
Paul Yarbrough (4)
Bernard Zaslav (6)
Howard Zhang