After a record number of submissions and months of review, Garth Newel Piano Quartet is thrilled to announce their selection of Michele Allegro’s Rush as the winning piano quartet for 2026.
Based in Agrigento, Italy, Michele will receive the Glorvina and Richard Lynn New Music Prize along with a travel stipend to attend Garth Newel Piano Quartet’s premiere of his new piano quartet on Saturday, July 11th, 2026. In addition, Michele will be in residence at Garth Newel Music Center’s 2026 Summer Festival from July 7-11th, 2026.
“We loved Rush’s energy,” says Jeannette Fang, Garth Newel Piano Quartet’s pianist and the director of the competition,”it grabbed our attention right away with its bold expressiveness, rhythmic strength, and brilliant ensemble writing.”
Michele had become aware of Garth Newel’s Composition Competition through the American Composer Forum, and had intended to participate for years. When he finally decided to write a piano quartet, he elaborates that:
“In composing Rush, I wanted to create music deeply rooted in the late Romantic tradition of the piano quartet, yet simultaneously modern and dynamic, where the rhythmic and lyrical aspects of the string instruments are sharply contrasted and simultaneously blended with the shifting harmonies and accordal texture of the piano. The key feature of this piece is its emotional contrast, betwen two different state of mind in the piece, a sort of primordial battle between the anxieties and fears that characterize our time and the search for both emotional and spiritual stability. The performers are asked to deliver an energetic, vital, rhythmic, intensely passionate and expressive interpretation.”
As longtime patrons and friends of Garth Newel, Glorvina and Richard Lynn wanted to support the creation of new works at the music center.
“We sponsor this prize because creating music must always be an ongoing thing. It is important to remind people that new music IS music and the best place to experience it is at Garth Newel. No one performs it better than the Garth Newel Piano Quartet,” said Glorvina Lynn.
Garth Newel Piano Quartet received 115 submissions from all around the globe to this year’s composition competition, reaching as far as Venezuela, Germany, Greece, Japan, Hong Kong, and Ukraine in addition to submissions from around the U.S. The Quartet expresses their great appreciation to all of the talented composers who shared their creativity for the competition.
Founded in 1973, Garth Newel Music Center – located in Hot Springs, Virginia – is one of the most active chamber music organizations in the country. Its resident ensemble – the Garth Newel Piano Quartet – performs over 50 concerts annually both at the Center and on tour. Through this competition, the Quartet seeks to broaden the piano quartet repertoire and to support the Center’s ongoing commitment to contemporary music.
