About the competition

The Nico Toscano Young Musicians Competition supports emerging musicians at the high school and college levels. The competition offers the opportunity to perform solo with Cordancia and provides financial support through an award to students who plan to pursue music either as a career or avocation. The competition celebrates the power music can have for healing, connection, and community. Named in honor of Nico Toscano, this competition reflects the significant role music played in his short life, providing him with community participation and emotional and spiritual sustenance. Even as Nico's physical abilities progressively decreased as a result of a long term mitochondrial disorder, attending student performances, RPO concerts, faculty recitals, and especially Cordancia concerts gave him great joy and comfort and progressively became his main source of communication with the world around him.  

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The competition, which is held annually in the fall, is centered around a program theme which will be announced along with the posting of the competition details.