Come be thrilled by the musical fireworks of 2025 Frances Walton Competition Winners Micah Cheng, saxophone, and Lisa Choi, flute! These young classical musicians beat out top peers from across the country to win the May 2025 Competition and are excited to return for this winners’ outreach tour in Central and Eastern Washington. This 1-hour concert is free and open to the public at the Omak Performing Arts Center (20 S Cedar St).
Hear music by a range of composers from C.P.E. Bach to Chick Corea to Debussy in this dynamic program!
About the Musicians:
Micah Cheng is a versatile saxophonist and educator from Tulsa, Oklahoma, known for his work in both classical and jazz performance. He holds a BM and BME from the University of Oklahoma and an MM from Florida State University. In fall 2025, he begins his DMA at Arizona State University as a graduate teaching assistant. Micah has won the OU Concerto Competition, OU Young Artist Competition, and the Florida State MTNA Competition. He previously led The Jazz Exchange, producing studio albums through OU’s Undergraduate Research Fellowship. As soprano chair of the Close Quarters Saxophone Quartet, he has placed 2nd at MTNA and won the 2024 Housewright Small Ensembles Competition. Dedicated to expanding the saxophone repertoire, he has commissioned works blending classical and popular styles from composers including Caleb Arredondo, Anthony Barcio, David Huang Mailman, and Jacob Nance. His primary teachers include Geoffrey Deibel, Jonathan Nichol, and Ryan Gartner. 
Flutist Lisa Choi is currently in her third year of the DMA program at the UMD, where she studies with Sarah Frisof. She earned her MM degree from the CCM under the tutelage of Demarre McGill and a BM degree from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Jeffrey Khaner. She recently won First Prize in the University of Maryland Concerto Competition with her performance of Joan Tower’s Flute Concerto, which she will perform with the UMD Symphony Orchestra in fall 2025. She was also a winner of the 2024 Mid-Atlantic Young Artist Competition. In earlier competitions, she was a finalist in both the 2019 New York Flute Club Competition and the 2021 Philadelphia Flute Society Competition. Ms. Choi has spent summers at festivals including the Aspen Music Festival, Korean Symphony Academy and the National Orchestral Institute. She was included on the substitute list for the New World Symphony in Miami for the 2022-2023 season.
Read more about the 2025 National Frances Walton Competition Finals.
