ONE OF the U-M's best-kept secrets is the School of Music's January concerto competition in which outstanding student musicians compete for the honor of performing in a series of public winter-spring recitsls.

The January competition is public, too, but it isn't widely publicized. This year's seven winners from a field of 17 were graduate students Mark Timmerman, bassoon and Gretchen Roberts, piano (seated, right); and undergraduates Tomoko Uchino '96 of Fukuoka, Japan, piano; Kirsten Yon '96 of Flushing, Michigan, violin; and Timothy McAllister '95 of Houston, alto saxophone. (Winners not pictured were MA candidate Kelland Thomas, alto saxophone, and Gabriel Bolkosky '95 of Ferndale, Michigan, violin.) The students played works by von Weber, Britten, Chopin, Berg, Glazunov, Lennon and Welcher.

The four public recitals began in February; the second is scheduled for March 22 at 8 p.m. in Hill Auditorium. Contact the School of Music for dates of the final two performances.