Lawrence University Violinist Wins State Chamber Orchestra Competition

Lawrence University violinist Burcu Goker earned first-place honors in the recent Concord Chamber Orchestra competition. The 19th annual competition, held Dec. 18 in Glendale, featured 16 string, woodwind, brass, and percussion players. Musicians 25 years of age or younger who are residents of Wisconsin or attend a Wisconsin high school, college or university are eligible to compete. A sophomore from Istanbul, Turkey, Goker received $500 for her winning audition and will perform Aram Khachaturian’s “Violin Concerto” in concert with the Concord Chamber Orchestra Wednesday, March 9 and Saturday, March 12. Goker, who took up the violin at the age of eight and spent seven years studying the instrument in Paris, is a student in the studio of Lawrence Assistant Professor of Music Stephane Tran Ngoc. She is the third student of Tran Ngoc’s to win the CCO competition in the past four years, joining Julien Poncet, who won the competition in 2002 and Charlotte Maclet, the 2001 winner. In addition, Leslie Boulin-Raulet, who also studied under Tran Ngoc, was the CCO’s competition’s runner up in 2003. The Concord Chamber Orchestra, featuring volunteer adult players from various professions and age groups, was founded in 1975 and performs under the direction of conductor Jamin Hof