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1st Place Winner of the 2026 Laszlo and Fran Veres Young Composer’s Competition
Ryoto Brumitt From Sunset to Nightfall LISTEN (live recording coming in December, 2026)
Ryoto Xavier Brumitt was born in April 17, 2009 in Abiko, Japan. In 2014, he moved to
Tucson, Arizona. His main instrument is the violin and has been studying it for 10 years.
He started composing in 2020 at the Tucson Symphony Orchestra’s Young Composers
Project, and it is currently his fourth year as an advanced student there. Outside of this
program, he writes music for a professional string quartet, and other community
ensembles. He is also a member of The Foothills Philharmonic of Tucson which he
joined from 2025, who won first place in their inaugural Laszlo and Fran Veres Young
Composers Competition in 2024. This year is his second time winning first place in this
competition.
Over the span of 6 years, he has written a total of 28 pieces: 5 brass quintets; 5 wind
quintets; 2 string quartets; 2 string quintets; a sextet for flute, clarinet, and strings; a
septet for clarinet, piano, and strings; 3 piano solo pieces; a canon for 2 violins and
piano; a percussion quartet; a spiegelkanon for 2 violins; a harp solo piece; a horn
quartet; and 4 symphonies. In Fall 2024, he started a perfomposer (performer +
composer) duo with his music friend, and in May 2025 they had their first performance
The Laszlo and Fran Veres
2026 Young Composer’s Competition
Welcome to the Foothills Philharmonic’s biennial young composer’s competition!
This contest is an opportunity to receive critiques on your completed draft-compositions. The winner will be mentored by our two conductors, and have their piece performed by our orchestra in December! Winner will attend some rehearsals, receive educational feedback, interact with musicians, and be recognized at the performance.
The contest is named in honor of Laszlo Veres, the Foothills Phil maestro for 27 years, and Fran Veres, who contributed a lifetime of support to the Phil. Both Fran and Laszlo are pillars of our musical community, supporting music performance and education, and leaving an indelible impact on generations of Tusconans.
The 2026 Competition is open to submissions, closing on Jun 15, 2026. Please click on the link below to find full information, apply, and upload your files! Winners will be announced by August 15, 2026.
~ 2026 Competition Information ~
Please contact us if you have any questions, at: phil@foothillsphiltucson.com
If you’d like to print our flyer to share:
2026 WINNER: Ryoto Brumitt, From Sunset to Nightfall LISTEN (digital recording, live recording coming in December, 2026)
2024 WINNERS:
First Place: Ryoto Brumitt, Accordionist’s Fantasy LISTEN
Second Place: Dylan Webber, The Peak of the Stars LISTEN
Third Place: Nathaniel Friesen, Fantasia LISTEN
