CONROE, TX – March 15, 2007 - The Young Texas Artists held its Concert of Finalists, the final round of the three-day event, on March 10, 2007 at the Crighton Theatre in downtown Conroe, Texas. The 23rd annual competition was generously underwritten by Entery. Other sponsors were Streater-Smith Honda Nissan, Southwestern Furniture, Insurance Associates of Texas and Beta Delta Sorority.

Eight finalists competed for cash prizes and performance opportunities. Master of ceremonies Bob Stevenson, producer of "The Front Row" on KUHF 88.7 FM Houston Public Radio, announced the winners from the four divisions: piano; voice; strings; and winds, brass and percussion.

This year's grand-prize winner is pianist Anastasia Markina, who takes home $2,000 for placing first in the piano division and another $2,000 for the grand prize for her interpretation of Beethoven's "Rondo Capriccio." Markina also receives a recital in Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston's Theater District.

First place winners of $2,000 each in prize money are strings division winner cellist Madeleine Kabat; voice division winner soprano Laurelle Gowing; and winds, brass and percussion division winner clarinetist Sarunas Jankauskas.

Runners up, who receive $1,000 each, are pianist Peter Steigerwald, violinist Rachelle Hunt, soprano Maria Thomas and clarinetist Jonathan Jones, who also garnered an additional $1,000 for the Audience Choice Award.

Pianist David Jaesung Kim is winner of the Jackie and Raleigh Barker Honorable Mention Award for Special Merit.

Judges for this year's competition were: Emelyne Bingham, assistant conductor of the Nashville Symphony and professor of conducting and aural studies at Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University; Karen Buranskas, associate professor of music at University of Notre Dame; Alecia Lawyer, founder, director and principal oboist with the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra; Miyoko Lotto, associate professor of piano, Manhattan School of Music and piano instructor with The Perlman Institute; and Keith A. Wolfe, managing director and artistic administrator of Fort Worth Opera.

Anastasia Markina was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and now lives in Denton, Texas where she studies with Vladimir Viardo at the University of North Texas. She was a finalist in the Music Teachers National Association competition in 2004. She won the 2004 Concerto Competition at the University of North Texas and in 2007 was a prizewinner of the Boesendorfer International Piano Competition.

Cellist Madeleine Kabat is studying at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, where she is in the symphony and chamber orchestras. She attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and made her solo debut with Cleveland Orchestra in 2005. She is currently a substitute cellist for the Houston Symphony Orchestra.

Soprano Laurelle Gowing has a bachelor's from Wheaton College Conservatory of Music in and a master's in vocal performance from the Shepherd School of Music. A winner in the Metropolitan Opera District Auditions and the Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competition, she also received, in 2005, the Metropolitan Opera Regional Encouragement Award and the Metropolitan Opera District People's Choice Award.

Sarunas Jankauskas, clarinetist, studied at the Vilnius Conservatory and Lithuanian Academy of Music before coming to the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. He won second prize in the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Young Artist Competition in 2006 and a first place in the Grand Valley State University Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition in 2003 and 2004. He is working toward a master's degree in performance.

David Jaesung Kim was born in Portland, Oregon and began his musical studies at age 10. As a sophomore, he was the winner of the 2006 Moores School Piano Concerto Competition at the University of Houston.

The Young Texas Artists Music Competition is a division of the Montgomery County Performing Arts Society and is open to Texas residents or students, age 18-30, enrolled in a Texas college, university or music school. This year's competition received a record number of 90 applicants, 70 of whom were selected to compete.

About The Texas Young Artists Competition

The Young Texas Artists Music Competition was created in 1983 by the Montgomery County Performing Arts Society, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, to promote excellence in musical performance, to encourage young musicians in their pursuit of high artistic standards, and to foster a love for the performing arts in the community and throughout the state of Texas. The Montgomery County Performing Arts Society is funded in part by the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Conroe Commission on Arts and Culture.