2024 Competition Judges
Catherine Lehr Ramos, strings
 Catherine Lehr Ramos, cello, relinquished her position with the St. Louis Symphony in the fall of 2013 to pursue a more active teaching and solo career. For 38 years she was assistant principal cello with the St. Louis Symphony. She has appeared as soloist with orchestras in the United States, Canada, and Mexico and is the featured cello soloist on Chuck Mangione’s album Land of Make Believe. Ramos joined the faculty of the National Conservatory of Music in Mexico City in 2017 and also serves on the faculties of Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory and the Community Music School of Webster University.
Martha Hart, voice
 Warmth, richness and clarity of tone coupled with sincere, expressive communication of text distinguishes the artistry of mezzo-soprano Martha J. Hart. Known for her stylistic interpretation of music spanning the Baroque to Contemporary, Hart has sung to critical acclaim throughout North America and France. She is highly regarded for her performances of oratorio, art song and chamber music and has extensive performance credits with orchestras across the US and Canada, and is a respected vocal pedagogue. Hart has served on the faculties of Graceland University, The Ohio State University and the Bay View Music Festival and is currently a professor of voice and director of vocal studies at Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri.
Dana Hotle, woodwinds
 Dana Hotle, clarinet, performs with Illinois Symphony and around the St. Louis area with Chamber Project St. Louis, an ensemble she co-founded in 2012. As the executive director of Chamber Project St. Louis, she leads an innovative collaborative of musicians in unique chamber music programs. She is currently the coordinator of the Woodwinds, Brass, and Percussion Department and Clarinet Faculty at Washington University and also teaches at the Community Music School of Webster University. Hotle has performed with the St. Louis Symphony, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Winter Opera St. Louis, Union Avenue Opera, and The Cedar Rapids Symphony (now Orchestra Iowa). She holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and a Master of Music from The Manhattan School of Music.
Daniel Shene, piano
 Pianist Daniel Schene has long been known as a consummate artist and a superlative teacher. Having performed on four continents, concert-goers have come to admire his comprehensive musicianship and formidable technique. Schene made his debut at age fifteen with the Charlotte Symphony, and has performed as recitalist and concerto soloist in numerous venues, including the Salle Cortot, Teatro da Paz and the Indiana University Summer Music Festival. Schene has collaborated with many fine artists, including Eva Szekely, Zara Nelsova, Denes Kovacs, Jacques Israelievitch, David Halen, the Arianna String Quartet and Trio Americas. He is professor emeritus at Webster University and a founding faculty member of the Indiana University Summer Academy and has given guest master classes in the U.S., France, Brazil and Taiwan.
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