Judges of the 2009 Competition

Doris Goltzer has been the solo English Hornist of the New York City Opera for fifty one years. She has been a member of the St. Louis Symphony, American Ballet Theater Orchestra, toured the United States with the Concertgebouw, been a member of the Cardinal Woodwind Quintet for Young Audiences and, in 2008, performed the world premiere of a solo English Horn work at Carnegie Hall, Mourning by William Zinn, a piece dedicated to her. Born and raised in New York City, she attended the High School of Music and Art and Juilliard School of Music. She studied with Bruno Labate, Lois Wann, Fernand Gillet, and Robert Bloom. She has taken great joy in performing on Live At Lincoln Center with the likes of Marilyn Horne, Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. She has performed with many ensembles and made many recordings. Mrs. Goltzer teaches privately. Albert Goltzer, her late husband, had a long and distinguished tenure as associate principal oboist of the New York Philharmonic.

Flutist Jeanne Baxtresser has held principal positions with three major orchestras, culminating in her 15-year tenure as Solo Flutist of the New York Philharmonic. Making her heralded debut with the Minnesota Orchestra at age 14, Ms. Baxtresser began her professional career as Principal Flutist of the Montreal Symphony immediately following her graduation from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Julius Baker. She was subsequently appointed Principal Flute of the Toronto Symphony before being invited to join the New York Philharmonic. Ms. Baxtresser appeared as soloist with the New York Philharmonic on more than fifty occasions, and has been featured as a soloist across North America and Europe. Recipient of the National Flute Association's Lifetime Achievement Award for significant, lasting contributions to the flute world, Ms. Baxtresser was also awarded the National Medal of Arts from the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She is recognized internationally as a leading recording artist, author, and lecturer. While in New York, Ms. Baxtresser served on the faculties of The Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. In 1998, she was appointed the Vira I. Heinz Professor of Flute at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she has attracted many outstanding flute students from around the world. Ms. Baxtresser was also named University Professor, Carnegie Mellon University's most distinguished professorial position awarded to those individuals who have achieved exceptional international recognition.

Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman's virtuosity, musicianship and sheer personal magnetism have made this two-time Grammy Award winner one of today's most sought-after concert artists. As soloist with more than 100 orchestras, as a captivating recitalist and chamber music performer (performing the first clarinet recitals in the histories of both the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall), and as an innovative jazz artist, Mr. Stoltzman has defied categorization, dazzling critics and audiences alike while bringing the clarinet to the forefront as a solo instrument. A prolific recording artist, Mr. Stoltzman's acclaimed releases can be heard on BMG/RCA, SONY Classical, MMC, NAXOS and other labels, and include the Grammy winning recordings of Brahms' sonatas with Richard Goode; and Trios of Beethoven, Brahms and Mozart with Emanuel Ax and Yo-Yo Ma; as well as Hartke's "Landscapes with Blues," a New York Times "Best of 2003".