Following the 54th Annual NFA Convention in Portland, the NFA is thrilled to announce the winners of our 2026 competitions!
Special thanks is owed to Virginia Broffitt Kunzer (General Competitions Coordinator), Evan Pengra Sult (Assistant General Competitions Coordinator), all individual competition coordinators (named below), and all competition judges (named below), who volunteered countless hours to make these competitions run smoothly. The NFA competitions would not be possible without their dedication.
Congratulations to all!
Convention Performers Competition:
Coordinator: James Miller. Recorded Round Judges: Dr. Kinard Douthit, María Luisa de la Cerda Rohde, and Dr. Sarah McIver.
High School Soloist Competition:
Coordinator: Lisa Wolynec. Recorded Round Judges: Beomjae Kim, Carol Dale, Charles Lewis. Final Round Judges: John Bailey, Wissam Boustany, Christina Jennings, Matthew Ross, Mihoko Watanabe.
Junior Soloist Competition
Coordinator: Allison Asthana. Recorded Round Judges: Annabel Macdonald, Benjamin Carlee, Tori Yaussy. Final Round Judges: Kari Boyer, Linda Jenkins, John McMurtery.
Jazz Artist Competition:
Coordinator: Brendon Wilkins. Recorded Round Judges: Bart Platteau, Connie Grossman, Mark Alban Lotz. Final Round Judges: Cheryl Alex, Haruna Fukuzawa, Mark Lewis.
Piccolo Artist Competition:
Coordinator: Amy Likar. Recorded Round Judges: Courtney Morton, Elizabeth Salerno, Rachel Ordaz. Semifinal Round Judges: Zart Dombourian-Eby, Nicole Esposito, Mary Kay Fink. Final Round Judges: Katherine Borst Jones, Zachariah Galatis, Regina Helcher Yost, Stephanie Lupo, Rena Urso.
Young Artist Competition:
Coordinator: Maria Fernanda Castillo. Recorded Round Judges: Carlos Feller, Cathie Apple, Kelly Sulick, Maria Gabriela Rodriguez, Rama Kumaran. Quarterfinal Round Judges: Brandon LePage, Mary Matthews, Raimundo Pineda, Ysmael Reyes, Dianne Winsor. Semifinal Round Judges: Molly Barth, Christine Erlander Beard, Jacqueline Cordova-Arrington,
Aleksandr Haskin, Julee Kim Walker. Final Round Judges: Julien Beaudiment, Michel Bellavance, Alice Dade, Brian Dunbar, Sooyun Kim.
Adult Amateur Virtual Masterclass Competition:
The winners will be featured in a virtual masterclass in our Online Event Series.
Coordinator: Linda Jenkins. Recorded Round Judges: Adrienne Tedjamulia, Dianne Spoto, Dr. Joshua Stine.
Baroque Flute Masterclass Competition:
Coordinator: Jessica Schury Peckham. Recorded Round Judges: Amanda Markwick, Eve Friedman, Michael Lynn. Clinician: Janet See.
Masterclass Performers Competition:
Coordinator: Christine Erlander Beard. Recorded Round Judges: Dr. Lauren Zwonik, Dr. Madison Booth, Dr. Rik Noyse. Clinicians: Julien Beaudiment, Aaron Goldman.
Orchestral Audition & Masterclass Competition:
Coordinator: Hannah Chiasson. Recorded Round Judges: Kara Kirkendoll Welch, Parthena Owens, Thomaz Tavares Paes. Final Round Judges: Aralee Dorough, Sarah Frisof, Lisa Garner Santa, Aaron Goldman, Timothy Hagen. Clinician: Gareth Davies.
Collegiate Flute Choir Competition:
Coordinator: Krista Jobson. Recorded Round Judges: Dr. Brielle Frost, Dr. Christopher Vaneman, Dr. Erin Murphy.
High School Flute Choir Competition:
Coordinator: Alaina Clarice. Recorded Round Judges: Brian Dunbar, Dr. Joshua Stine, Linda Jenkins.
Professional Flute Choir Competition:
Coordinator: Meerenai Shim. Recorded Round Judges: Alicia Kosack, Laura Scarlata, Lish Lindsey.
Flute Choir Call for Scores Competition:
Coordinator: Tammara Phillips. Judges: Angela Muller, Nathalie Simper, Sarah Jane Young.
Graduate Research Competition:
Coordinator: Heidi Álvarez. Judges: Elizabeth Robinson, Erin Torres, Farah Zolghadr, James Thompson, Kelariz Keshavarz, Lidia Chang, Lisa Chaufty.
C.R.E.A.T.E. Project Competition
Coordinator: Rose Bishop. Preliminary Judges: Cris Dohler Rodas, Emily Harrington, Vanessa Lopez. Final Round Judges: Alyssa Mercedes Mena, Elizabeth Robinson, Arturo Rodriguez.
Newly Published Music Competition
This competition recognizes the publishers of the selected works, which were evaluated for the quality of the publication and the quality of the musical content.
FLUTE & PIANO
Winners
Idylle, op. 14
Composer: Théodore Fedir Akimenko, Arr. by Anton Kushnir and Maria Pukhlianko
Publisher: Musikverlag Zimmerman
Fantaisie Brilliante sur Carmen inspired by Georges Bizet
Composer: Jean-Christophe Maltot
Publisher: Maltot RLF Editions
FLUTE ALONE
Winners
Matisseries
Composer: Valerie Coleman
Publisher: Coleman Page Publishing
Complete Collection of Virtuosic Etudes, Vol. 1
Composer: Henryk Wieniawski, arr. Gina Kutkowski
Publisher: Iris Sheet Music
FLUTE DUETS & TRIOS
Winners
Escamas
Composer: Daniel Cueto
Publisher: Chaska
Inspiring Flute Duets
Composer: Karen North
Publisher: Allegro Music
TWO FLUTES & PIANO
Winner
Melodies of the Open Road: Variations on Three Roma Melodies
Composer: Eugene Magaliff
Publisher: Alry
QUARTETS & QUINTETS
Winner
Shush O'Clock
Composer: Nicole Chamberlain
Publisher: Spotted Rocket
FLUTE CHOIR
Winners
The Skeleton Dance
Composer: Carl Stalling, arr. Erin Spencer
Publisher: Nourse Wind Pubications
Popcorn
Composer: Julie Stone
Publisher: Emerald Rock Publication
LOW FLUTES
Winner
Vicuña
Composer: Nicole Chamberlain
Publisher: Spotted Rocket
PICCOLO
Winner
Caprice for solo piccolo
Composer: Adolphus Hailstork
Publisher: Presser
MIXED CHAMBER MUSIC
Winners
to be determined
Composer: P. Brent Register
Publisher: Alry
Glimpses of a Better World
Composer: P. Brent Register
Publisher: Alry
PEDAGOGY
Winners
Into the Depths
Composer: Nicole ChamberlaIn and Mary Matthews
Publisher: Spotted Rocket
The Joy of Breathing, Vol. 1
Composer: Gaspar Hoyos
Publisher: Tetractys
Judges: Adrienne Tedjamulia, Hannah Porter-Occena, Julia Barnett, Lorie Scott, Nicole Riner, Noah Pool, Pamela Bereuter, Rose Bishop, Shelley Martinson.