Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts held its 38th instrumental competition on March 30 at the Pasadena Conservatory of Music’s Barrett Hall. Eight finalists demonstrated their musical talents competing for monetary prizes totaling $20,000.

The panel of seven judges, professional musicians with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, was led by judging chair Cathy Karoly and included Marion Kuszyk, Akiko Tarumoto, Jenni Seo, Taylor Eiffert, James Miller and Christopher Still. Karoly has been a member of the LA Phil for 29 years and has judged several past Instrumental Competitions. She said she found the level of performances impressive and really moving. 

“They are all so disciplined and you can see the incredible hard work they have put into this competition,” she said.

The grand prize for “exceptional talent and musicianship” was awarded to Kimberly Tsou for her performance on the flute. The 18-year-old studies at the Colburn School and has played the flute since the age of 9.

Jasper Kugler, a 17-year-old tuba player from La Crescenta and a second-time finalist at the instrumental competition, took home the first prize in the brass category. The Crescenta Valley High School student plays in his school’s symphony orchestra and is in the marching band. He also plays bass trombone and sousaphone, and in 2022 founded the Crescenta Valley Brass Quartet. Kugler trains at Colburn and is in the Colburn Honors brass quintet, the Colburn Youth Orchestra, and many others. He loves “making music” and the sound of the tuba, and he feels “the tuba really fits his personality.” His dreams for the future include playing in a major orchestra and working on a movie soundtrack. 

Yejoon Kwon, an 18-year-old violinist took second prize in the strings category. She attends the Colburn School after having attended elementary school in La Cañada Flintridge and private music schools in Massachusetts and South Korea. She has been playing the violin since the age of 9.

Since the instrumental competition began in 1985, Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts has awarded more than $700,000 in prizes to promising young music students. This year, Kathryn and Charles Hofgaarden underwrote the competition prize winnings. Funding for the instrumental competition, along with the organization’s Youth Concert, Music Mobile, and Gifts and Grants programs, comes from the highly successful Pasadena Showcase House of Design, which celebrated its 60th anniversary earlier this year. 

For more information, visit pasadenashowcase.org.