Mesa Shubeck took the top prize at the Midcoast Symphony Orchestra’s Judith Elser Concerto Competition held April 8 in Lewiston.

Schubeck is a graduate student studying piano at the University of Southern Maine. The competition honors the late Judy Elser, a Maine Symphony Orchestra cellist and board member. Students attending a Maine college or university are eligible to compete.

Schubeck, a Blue Hill native, performed the first movement of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A Minor for a panel of judges live at the Gendron Franco Center. Schubeck will perform the same piece as soloist with the MSO during their 2022-23 season and will receive $1,000 from the Judith Elser Fund.

Schubeck is pursuing a Master of Music degree and studying with Professor Laura Kargul. She received a Bachelor of Music in piano performance from the University of Maine in Orono. In addition, she is a trained singer and teaches piano, voice and ukulele lessons.

Brian Liu, a student at Bowdoin College, was the competition’s runner up with his performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3. He is finishing his first year there studying with artist in residence George Lopez.

The other finalists, chosen through an audition process were Kate Ishida, violinist, Bowdoin College; Mathieu Moutou, violinist, Bates College; Jonathan Pekdey Prak, pianist, USM.

The Midcoast Symphony Orchestra is a community orchestra founded in 1990. Started as a chamber orchestra, there are now more than 80 members. Under the baton of Rohan Smith, the orchestra brings top-notch performances to the Orion Center in Topsham and the Gendron Franco Center in Lewiston. Members are volunteer musicians from many communities in Maine.