Music to your ears: The Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra holds its 54th Annual ECSO Instrumental Competition Finals on Sunday afternoon in Connecticut College's Evans Hall. This year, nine finalists will perform, and they hail from the country's top-tier conservatories.

What they could win: Whoever wins the whole thing walks away with $3,000 and the possibility of soloing with the ECSO in the 2013-2014 season. But second and third place finishers get something, too - $1,500 and $750, respectively.

Who makes the call: The judges are concert pianist Eva Virsik, ECSO concertmaster Stephan Tieszen, and ECSO principal cellist Alvin Wong.

A winning performance: Last year's winner was violinist Chelsea Starbuck Smith, who went on to wow the audience at the Jan. 12, 2013 ECSO concert.

- KRISTINA DORSEY

ECSO Instrumental Competition Finals, 1 p.m. Sunday, Evans Hall, Connecticut College, Mohegan Avenue, New London; free; (860) 443-2876.