Congratulations to Eastman School of Music students Alex Gagne and Austin Shilling for being top prize winners of the 2025 Nico Toscano Young Musician Competition, placing first in separate divisions. Each was awarded a cash prize of $400 and the opportunity to perform with the Cordancia Chamber Orchestra in 2026. A first-year student from the studio of Professor Peter Kurau, Alex is pursuing a dual degree at the University of Rochester in Horn Performance from Eastman and Brain and Cognitive Science from the College of Arts and Sciences. Austin, a fifth-year saxophonist studying with Professor Chien-Kwan Lin, is also in the dual degree program, working toward a Bachelor of Music from Eastman and a degree in Mathematics from the College of Arts and Sciences.