Whether it is playing in a high stakes game or taking an important test, every student knows the feeling of having to operate under stress. Two high school students took on the challenge of an important musical performance, ultimately finding success.
Sophomores Jonah Davis and Everett Martin earned first and second place, respectively, in the Concerto Division of the Columbus Symphony Young Musicians Competition Saturday, Feb. 28 and Sunday, March 1 at the Capital University Conservatory of Music. Davis plays the violin and Martin plays the cello.
Davis received a $1,000 cash prize and Martin received a $500 prize. Additionally, Davis will perform with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra at one of their Young People’s Concert series.
The competition consisted of a preliminary round on Saturday with 22 competitors from Central Ohio, Martin said. Four musicians advanced to the final round held the next day.
Paula Korak, Davis’s violin tutor, said the Concerto Division of the Young Musicians Competition is a long-standing annual event held by the Columbus Symphony. It is very competitive because it is open to students who play all instruments, she explained.
“It’s a big accomplishment and a great opportunity for Jonah to perform with the Columbus Symphony next year,” Korak said.
Davis said the competition was judged by Columbus Symphony musicians who also gave competitors individual feedback on their performances.
“The feedback is very important for a lot of people,” he said. “It’s valuable professional musician feedback, and it’s coming at things from a different perspective than what a private teacher might normally give you advice for.”
Martin said he played the piece “Variations on a Rococo Theme” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, which he began learning in early 2025.
In addition to practicing the piece on his own, Martin said he took lessons on the piece with local music tutor Wendy Morton, as well as Julia Yang and Benjamin Hughes, who are music professors at The Ohio State University and University of Cincinnati, respectively.
Martin said his piece had been performance ready since November, and he had performed it several times prior to the concerto competition.
Davis said he performed the first movement of Samuel Barber’s “Violin Concerto.”
“It sounds like movie music,” he explained. “It’s very beautiful and has a lot of different passages that are playful and emotional.”
Davis said he prepared extensively for his performance and began to refine his piece months before the competition.
“There’s a lot of time in the practice room,” he explained. “That’s unavoidable for anyone that wants to be serious at this level.”
Prior to the competition, Davis said his last major performance was at the University of Michigan last summer. He explained he spent a month learning his piece only to have a memory slip during the performance.
“It was the worst performance in my life,” he said. “I felt terrible. I was ready to quit the whole instrument.”
Because of that experience, he was very nervous going into the concerto competition, Davis explained. However, talking through it with his teachers helped him get over the mental barrier.
Davis said when it came time for him to perform, he was able to get rid of his nerves and thought he played well.
Martin said he had to borrow a new cello and bow just days before the competition. This threw him off mentally, but ultimately he felt pleased with his performance. Martin said he also appreciated the support he received from friends.
When Davis learned he was the winner, he said it was an exciting and unreal experience.
“It was a big surprise,” he said. “I’m really honored and so happy that so much work has paid off.”
Martin said he would like to play cello in college and join an orchestra later in life, but he does not see himself pursuing music professionally.
Davis said even though he does not plan to become a professional musician, he does not intend to stop playing violin anytime soon.
“I absolutely want to keep it as a part of my life,” he said.
Published and digitized April 2026.
