Winner of the 2025 Youth Concerto Competition
Apr 1, 2025 | Announcements
The Bucks County Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce that Isabella Muñoz was awarded first place in the 2025 Youth Concerto Competition for her extraordinary performance of the Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor (1st movement) by Max Bruch. She receives the prestigious Jeanne Marvin Phillips Prize and an invitation to perform with the BCSO at the 2025 Family Concert in December.
Isabella Muñoz is an eighth-grade violinist at Wissahickon Middle School. She began playing the violin at the age of six, inspired by her older sister’s musicianship, and has since pursued an ambitious musical career. She has been a Philadelphia Music Alliance for Youth artist for two years and has studied under Mr. Lee Snyder at Settlement Music School for four years.
Isabella is an active performer in both orchestral and chamber settings. She is a member of the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra and the Schoenbach Pre-Advanced Study Scholarship Chamber Ensemble at Settlement Music School. She also performs with her school orchestra and chorus. She has been a Settlement Music School Scholarship recipient since 2023.
In 2022-23, Isabella served as Concertmaster of Philadelphia’s Prysm Strings. This April, she will perform with the Pathways Symphony Orchestra, playing alongside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and serving as a panelist. She has further honed her skills at summer programs, including the Sphinx Performance Academy at Juilliard, where she studied under Mrs. Jacqueline Jove. She has participated in masterclasses with renowned musicians such as Randall Goosby and Sibbi Bernhardsson.
Beyond music, Isabella is a dedicated athlete and STEM enthusiast. She competes in fencing tournaments and is an active member of her school’s track and field team. Her passion for science and technology is evident through her involvement in her school’s robotics and STEM clubs. She has received notable recognition, including the First Lego League Breakthrough Award and runner-up honors in Montgomery County’s “Dream It, Design It” STEM competition.
In addition to her academic and extracurricular commitments, Isabella is fluent in Mandarin and Spanish. She is also an avid reader and writer.
