The Museum of Danish America, today (Monday), announced this year’s winners of the Victor Borge Legacy Award in Omaha and southwest Iowa. Named in honor of the beloved comedian and musician, the Victor Borge Legacy Award is designed to encourage young pianists in the Omaha and Southwest Iowa regions. Four talented piano students have earned cash prizes of $1,000 and $500 dollars and will perform in public recitals at the Museum of Danish America.

The first-place winners, each receiving a $1,000 cash prize, are Emily Zhang of Omaha, Nebraska, and Emily Umphreys of Council Bluffs, Iowa. Second-place winners, each receiving a $500 cash prize, are Katherine Payne of Woodbine, Iowa, and Moriah Hellstrom of Omaha, Nebraska.

The winners were selected in piano competitions organized by the Southwest Iowa Music Teachers Association and the Omaha Music Teachers Association. Each competitor performed multiple piano solo works in front of a judge, and winners have also prepared a written essay about the legacy of Victor Borge.

All four winners will perform at the Museum of Danish America in public recitals. Emily Zhang and Emily Umphreys will perform on April 26 and Katherine Payne and Moriah Hellstrom on June 1st. The public is invited to enjoy these talented musicians as they perform on Victor Borge’s own piano, part of the museum’s collection. Each recital will begin at 2 p.m. and will be followed by a reception.

This is the third year of the Victor Borge Legacy Award, a program organized by the museum and funded by R. James and Janet Borge Crowle of Saint Michaels, Maryland, with additional support from the Eric and Joan Norgaard Trust.