For a lot of competitions, winning gets you, what, a ribbon? A medal? Bragging rights?

The ECSO Instrumental Competition, on the other hand, offers the victor the possibility of performing with the esteemed Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra in concert. For any young musician, that is a remarkable opportunity.

Cellist Justin Park, who won the 2018 competition, will take to the stage with the orchestra on Saturday at the Garde Arts Center. He’ll play Sergei Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante for cello and orchestra.

ECSO Music Director and Conductor Toshiyuki Shimada said in a statement, “Justin Park was voted unanimously as the winner of 2018 ECSO Competition because of his impeccable technique and extraordinary lyricism on one of the most difficult cello concertos, Prokofiev's Sinfonia Concertante, which was written for the legendary Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich.”

Saturday’s concert will also feature Ludwig van Beethoven’s Egmont Overture and Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7.

And speaking of the annual competition, which is run by the Friends of the Symphony: This year’s is coming up soon, and it’s open to the public. You can go and watch the performers vying for the title at 1 p.m. March 9 at Evans Hall on the Connecticut College campus.

Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; $31-$65; also $12 tickets for people under age 40 and for active or retired military members; (860) 443-2876.