Coincidentally or not, all four of this year's finalists were born on the East Coast, though Stephen Paulus (represented by his Violin Concerto) has spent his career in Minneapolis. Paulus is one of the three Friedheim finalists born in the New York area-Summit, N.J. [George Rochberg] was born in Paterson, N.J., in 1918 and Joan Tower, composer of "Silver Ladders," was born in New Rochelle in 1938. Christopher Rouse, represented by his Symphony No. 1, is a native of Baltimore. He and Paulus are the youngest of this year's Friedheim finalists. Both will be 40 next year.