The Judges for the 2026 Jackie McGehee Young Artists’ Competition are experts in Piano and String performances and will decide the winners in the February 20 and 21, 2026 Competition.
Judges for the piano section will include Eunbyol Ko, Cindy St. Clair and Silvan Negrutiu. They will judge 13 contestants.
Eunbyol Ko
Dr. Ko is a Professor of Piano at Middle Tennessee State University. She maintains an active schedule as an adjudicator and master class teacher.
Cindy St. Clair
Dr. St. Clair| has performed extensively throughout the U.S. and Europe as a soloist and collaborator. She currently serves as Area Coordinator of Keyboard Studies and Associate Professor at Samford University (Alabama).
Silvan Negrutiu
Dr. Negrutiu serves as Professor of Piano and Director of Piano Studies at Northern Arizona University. He is the founder and Artistic Director of the Flagstaff Piano Festival and the Northern Arizona Piano Competition.
Judges for the strings section include Jonathon Winter, Theodore Buchholz and Jonathon Moerschal. They will judge 16 contestants.
Jonathon Winter
Dr. Winter is a solo, chamber, ensemble and studio musician, as well as a formally trained Suzuki Method teacher. He is a faculty member of Boulder Suzuki Strings and performs with ensembles in Colorado. He is also a member of the Timberline Quartet.
Theodore Buchholz
Dr. Buchholz is the Cello Professor at the University of Arizona and Co-Artistic Director of the Zephyr Music Festival in Italy. A fervent believer in the power of music to transform lives, he is the Founding Director of the University of the University of Arizona String Project.
Jonathon Moerschel
Dr. Moerschel is a Lecturer of Viola and Chamber Music at the University of California Santa Barbara. He has collaborated with eminent musicians and is a very active studio session player in Los Angeles.