GSO 's 2026 Ronald F. Vernon Young Artists Concert

Join us for the GSO's 26th Ronald F. Vernon Young Artists Concerto Competition winners: Vo, Carter, Martin, and Lei. The Germantown Symphony Orchestra is delighted to begin our new journey under the baton of Dr. Jonathan Schallert. While Dr. Schallert has occasionally led the orchestra for a piece or two, this summer he accepted the permanent baton from our conductor of 25 years, Dr. Ronald F. Vernon. Please join us in a warm welcome for Dr. Schallert to our conductor's podium. In May, 2026 students from Shelby, Tipton and Fayette (TN) counties competed for the Germantown Symphony Orchestra's (GSO) Ronald F. Vernon Concerto Competition for students 18 and younger. With brisk competition, there were four clear winners: • Sophia Vo performing the Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22 by Saint-Saënz. • Ashton Carter performing the Viola Concerto, Mvt. 1 by Walton. • Levi Lei performing the Cello Concerto No. 1 by Saint-Saënz. • Myles Martin performing the Viola Concerto in D Major, Op. 1 by Stamitz. Ashton Carter Ashton Carter is a senior at Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee, where he is a member of the Honors Academy, National Honor Society, and Honor Roll. An accomplished violist, Ashton has been selected to the Tennessee All-State Orchestra for three consecutive years and has earned All-West honors multiple times. He performs with regional youth orchestras, including the Memphis Youth Symphony Orchestra, and has participated in chamber ensembles throughout the Mid-South. Ashton was a scholarship recipient at Interlochen Arts Camp and was awarded Second Place in the Beethoven Club Young Artist Competition. His passion for music continues to grow through orchestral performance, chamber music, and private study. In addition to his musical pursuits, Ashton enjoys exploring science, research and medicine and recently completed the High School Research Immersion Program at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He is honored to be recognized as a concerto competition winner and is grateful for the support of his teachers, mentors, and family. Myles Martin Acclaimed “a great violist” by maestro Giandrea Noseda and credited with possessing a warm, controlled sound by colleagues, Myles Martin maintains a reputation as one of Memphis’ premier young musicians. Since 7th grade when he began taking lessons with Professor Jane Schranze, Myles has held principal positions in his regional All-West Orchestra in 2024 and 2025 respectively as well as Tennessee All-State in 2024 and 2026. However, outside of orchestra clinics he has been a member of the Memphis Youth Symphony since 2023 in which he recently won the 2026 MYSP Concerto Competition and in which he has acted as an alternating principal since Spring of 2024. Beyond Tennessee’s borders, Myles has participated in the 2026 Sphinx Performance Academy (SPA), a summer string program for Black and Latino string students to advance their playing as a chamber and solo musician, where he studied under Jason Amos, and has joined the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) for its 2025 and 2026 season tours to Asia and Europe. Outside of leading viola sections, Myles teaches lessons to younger violists each week, but when he’s not practicing viola, Myles spends time immersing himself in the Spanish language and running as a way to reflect on the day. Levi Lei