Every year, one deserving Children's Orchestra Society member is chosen through a competition to perform as a soloist with the Young Symphonic Ensemble in the annual COS Discovery Gala Concert. The recipient shares the stage with a professional concert artist at a major concert venue in New York. Past guest artists have included Emanuel Ax, Cecile Licad, Richard Stoltzman, Soovin Kim, Jaime Laredo, Sharon Robinson and Yo-Yo Ma.

Pamela Sundelacruz, the 11th Discovery Winner, describes the experience:
"...everybody that enters would like to win. But there are no guarantees. While winning the competition can serve as motivation, I think each participant needs to have another aim - a focus on improving. These two ideas are related but not at all the same. Only one person wins the competition. However, every participant can succeed in improving - whether in technique, expression, or even performance. Once he or she is determined to improve, I have no doubt that there will be positive results."

Junior Discovery Awardee

Two students were 2011 Junior Discovery Winners: violinist Kathryn Leung and pianist Stephanie Sun. They performed at the Winter Concert recital, December, 2010.

Senior Discovery Awardee

Highest honors go to this student, who was presented at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall on May 26, 2011. The 2011 Senior Discovery Winner is flutist Hinano Ishii, who shared the stage with guitarists Eliot Fisk and Zaira Meneses.