The 2011 Zellmer-Minnesota Orchestra Trombone Competition was held on May 29th at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis, and this year’s $5,000 Grand Prize winner was Christopher Wolf.  Christopher has recently completed his Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School, where he was a student of Per Brevig.  Christopher is also a former student of Chris Dudley and Milt Stevens.  This year’s competition saw a tie for second place with both Adam Rainey, a student of Douglas Yeo at the New England Conservatory, and Douglas Rosenthal, a graduate from Northwestern University currently playing with the New World Symphony, each taking home a $2,000 prize.  This year’s $500 Finalist Awards went to Samuel Armstrong, a student of Joseph Alessi at the Juilliard School, and Timothy Hilgert, a student of Doug Farwell at Valdosta State University.  The judges of the 2011 Zellmer Competition, Douglas Wright, Kari Sundstrӧm, and David Herring, wish to thank all those who entered and congratulate this year’s finalists for sending in outstanding recordings, propelling them to the Final Round.  The next Zellmer Competition will take place in the spring of 2013.  All pertinent information regarding the Zellmer Trombone Competition past, present and future can be found at www.zellmer-competition.com.