The Dolphins Quartet took top honors Saturday at Chesapeake Music’s 12th Biennial Chesapeake International Chamber Music Competition, earning the Lerman Gold Prize of $10,000 and a paid return appearance at the Chesapeake Chamber Music Festival this June. They also received the $1,000 Audience Choice Prize.
The Anne D. Moran Silver Prize of $5,000 went to the Synchrony Quartet. The remaining finalists each received $1,000 per ensemble.
The live final round, held at the Ebenezer Theater at Prager Family Center for the Arts, brought five groups to Easton for what turned into a long, full day of music. With only a short break in the middle, each ensemble had 45 minutes to hold the room—performing for judges Catherine Cho, Robert McDonald, and Peggy Pearson, as well as a full audience that stayed from late morning into the evening, some moving between the theater and the livestream, forming opinions and casting votes of their own.
All five ensembles were strong, and that was clear early. But when the Dolphins stepped on stage, there was something just a little different— a level of intensity and connection in their playing that made it feel as if they were one instrument.
(A small detail that I’m not sure everyone noticed, but I was close enough to see it—their socks: Matching, ocean-themed. It fit.)
Afterward, once they were announced as winners, violinist Isaac Park didn’t overplay it. “It’s humbling. It’s exciting,” he said. “We’re just looking forward to having more fun.” He then added a human component to this team, “We’re so fresh, but we’re good friends too.”
That relaxed tone (but one that felt fully locked in to me) was there earlier in the day as well when Park said their goal going in was simply “to try to sound like we sound as much as possible,” which, in a competition setting, is probably harder than it sounds.
“It’s only joyful,” said violist James Preucil, talking about the chance to play for what he called “such a loving audience.”
The Synchrony Quartet, which took the Silver Prize, brought something entirely different to the stage. A saxophone ensemble in a field mostly made up of strings, they leaned into a program that moved between contemporary work and their own arrangements without making a point of it. Their set felt expansive—moving easily from one style to another—and it stood apart for that reason.
Their approach also underscored how broad the definition of “chamber music” has become, a point evident across the entire field.
Saxophonist Matthew Johnson said that at this stage, the competition is less about winning and more about what comes next. “This is most certainly the biggest competition we’ve done so far,” he said, adding, “We’re starting to build connections… that show that we can continue and really make this work.”
That idea—whether this can become something lasting—came up more than once throughout the interviews. These are young ensembles, many of them recently formed, still figuring out what the future looks like and whether it includes staying together.
Candide Quartet violist Amelia Krinke called being part of the competition “a real pat on the back” for the time the group has put in—a recognition of the hours behind what the audience sees on stage.
For the Brompton Quartet, one of the newer ensembles in the competition, just performing already felt important. “We had no expectations to even be here,” said violinist Anne-Marie Wnek.
That sense of surprise and gratitude was shared across the field.
“I feel like we’ve won something just by participating,” said violist Julian Seney from the Trio Animoso, with its flute, viola, and harp lineup..
Earlier in the day, in the opening remarks, Chesapeake Music Artistic Director Marcy Rosen explained that the field had been narrowed to five finalists. Forty-two ensembles applied, and the first round was judged blindly—no names, no visuals, just sound. “We’re just listening for ensemble and musicianship and integration and something that grabs you,” she said.
That process brought the number down to five. From there, the differences get smaller—and harder to define.
“Everybody did their best,” she said after the last performance. “They were all incredibly engaging.”
That felt right. This wasn’t a case where one group clearly separated itself early on. But the Dolphins did what winners tend to do—they sounded like themselves, just as they said they would.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins will be back in June. This time, not as competitors, but as part of the festival.
For more information, go to https://chesapeakemusic.org/
For those who want a fuller and more comprehensive look at the five finalist ensembles, Chesapeake Music has detailed bios available here:
https://chesapeakemusic.org/competition/2026-finalists/
