[Home]

Pethrus Gardborn, born in Stockholm, Sweden, was awarded 1st prize in the NFA Piccolo Artist Competition of 2006.  Most recently, he won the Frank Bowen Young Artist Competition in March of this year.  Pethrus is also a first prize winner in the following competitions: COFA (Central Ohio Flute Association) Young Artist Competition of 2007 and the Scandinavian Championship for Wind Instruments of 2005.  He has performed extensively in and outside of Sweden and several times before the Swedish King and Queen.  He is currently studying with Dr. Bradley Garner at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.

1st Runner-Up:

Bonnie Ham

Bonnie Ham holds a Master of Music and Artist Diploma from the Royal Northern College of Music in England, and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Louisville.  She was runner-up at the 2007 Myrna Brown Competition, winner of the 2006 Young Artist Competition for the Flute Society of Kentucky, a finalist at the 2005 New York Flute Club Young Artist Competition, and has competed in the final rounds of several orchestral auditions.  Ms. Ham is an adjunct faculty member of the Music Departments of Marist College and SUNY Dutchess, and maintains a full studio of private flute students.

2nd Runner-Up:

Hilary Abigana

Hilary Abigana received her Bachelor of Music degree with Distinction in 2006 from The Eastman School of Music, where she also was awarded the Performer's Certificate in Flute.  In 2003, she was the winner of the Eastman Flute Concerto Competition, performing with the Eastman Chamber Orchestra in a gala concert honoring Professor Emeritus, Joseph Mariano.  In 2008, she won the Houston Flute Club's Byron Hester Young Artist Competition and will perform a recital at their Flute Fest next year.  She received her Masters Degree in May 2008 from the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University studying with Leone Buyse.

The 2008 Myrna W. Brown Artist Competition was sponsored in part by Gemeinhardt Flutes, The Texas Flute Society, The Texas Commission on the Arts, and The National Endowment for the Arts.