Single Movement Concerto Division

Name: Oliver Chen
City/Country: Plano, Texas, USA
Age: 16
Performing: Liszt, Totentanz

Oliver Chen began playing piano at age four. Many teachers thought he was too young to begin lessons and needed to “wait till he grows up a bit,” but even then, he wanted to play the piano. He loves that it is like a one-man orchestra. “While other instruments, like the violin and clarinet, can only focus on one line of music, the piano has the freedom to focus on multiple levels: the melody, the accompaniments, and the many colors and nuances of classical music. It's all possible with the piano.” Additionally, according to Oliver, there are so many fun techniques unique to the piano, such as glissandos, and the pedals allow for wider ranges of expression unseen in any other instrument. Oliver thinks the piano is the greatest instrument!

Name: William Glasnapp
City/Country: Ames, Iowa, USA
Age: 11
Performing: Haydn, Piano Concerto No. 11 in D Major, Hob. XVIII/11, first movement

William Glasnapp began playing piano at age six. He tied in winning the Iowa State Level E pre-college category in 2024, and he received a superior rating from the National Federation of Music Clubs for his concerto and solo performances that same year. He won 1st prize in Category B (Piano Concerto) at the Florida Young Artists International Piano Competition and 2nd prize in Category C (Solo Division). He has earned Honor Roll in Music Theory each year for taking the Iowa Music Teachers Association’s test. He also enjoys playing chess and designing and building custom Lego creations.

Name: Kevin Ho
City/Country: Dallas, Texas, USA
Age: 16
Performing: Schumann, Concerto A-minor, Op.54, first movement

Semifinalist in Solo (Level B) and Single Movement Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level B).

Name: Victoria Huang
City/Country: San Jose, California, USA
Age: 13
Performing: Beethoven, Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58, first movement

Semifinalist in Solo (Level A) and Single Movement Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level A).

Name: Maxwell Ji
City/Country: Sandy, Utah, USA
Age: 9
Performing: Mozart, Concerto No. 20 in D-minor, K. 466, first movement

Semifinalist in Solo (Level A) and Single Movement Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level A).

Name: Andrew Liu
City/Country: McKinney, Texas, USA
Age: 16
Performing: Chopin, Concerto No. 1 in E-minor, Op. 11, first movement

Andrew Liu, a 10th grader at St. Mark’s School of Texas, studies under Dr. Grace Long and has received numerous accolades. He is an eight-time TMTA Theory Gold Medalist, a 2024 TMTA Concerto Competition finalist, and won the Grand Prix from the Texas Chopin Society in 2022 and 2024. Andrew secured 1st place in the 2023 TMTA Piano Solo Competition, RMTA Jazz Competition, and Dallas Symphonic Competition. He participated in the PianoTexas International Festival & Academy in 2021 and 2022, winning the PianoTexas Concerto Competition in 2021. Andrew debuted with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and was a finalist in the TMTA Piano Solo Performance in 2021 and 2022. He also achieved 2nd place at the 2021 Dallas Symphonic Festival, 1st place at the 2020 AFAF Concerto Competition, and performed at Weill Recital Hall and in Russia with the Kostroma Symphony Orchestra. Andrew made his recital debut at Carnegie Hall in 2020.

Name: Eric Qian
City/Country: Plano, Texas, USA
Age: 16
Performing: Chopin, Concerto No. 1 in E-minor, Op. 11, first movement

Semifinalist in Solo (Level B) and Single Movement Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level B).

Name: Faith Eugenia Villar-Córdova Scott
City/Country: West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Age: 8
Performing: Mozart, Concerto No. 8 in C Major, K. 246, first movement

Faith Eugenia Villar-Córdova Scott has been studying piano since age four, and at the age five, she won her first International Piano Competition. Since then, she has received 1st prize at the Florida Young Artists International Piano Competition, the Clara Schumann International Music Competition, the Fanny Mendelssohn International Music Competition, the Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition, The Royal International Piano Competition, and Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition. She has received scholarships to attend the Palmetto Piano Festival and the Sewanee Music Festival as the youngest participant. In 2023, she made her orchestra debut, playing a complete Haydn Concerto in C Major under the baton of Maestro Alberto Bade. In the same year, she made her debut in Carnegie Hall. Faith continues her piano studies with Dr. Marion and Rosa Scott and performs regularly at student recitals and community concerts.

Eric Wang
City/Country: Plano, Texas, USA
Age: 16

Eric Z. Wang, a talented pianist and violist, has cultivated a passion for music from a young age, resulting in impressive accomplishments. In 2024, Eric claimed 1st prize at the Texoma Piano Competition and the International Music Competition “Vienna” Grand Prize Virtuoso, earning a performance at Gläserner Saal, Musikverein. In 2023, he won 1st place at the Elite International Music Competition, making his debut at Weill Recital Hall. Eric has excelled in piano competitions, securing 2nd place in the Collin County Young Artist Competition twice, and has been a frequent top finisher at the annual Dallas Symphonic Festival Competition. He was 5th chair viola in the All-State Symphony Orchestra for two years; he recently earned 1st place in the concerto category for strings at the 2024 Dallas Symphonic Festival Competition and was selected for the 2024-2025 Greater Dallas Young Orchestra. Eric’s academic achievements include induction into the National Honor Society and AP Scholar from CollegeBoard. His interest in science and mathematics was recognized with a 2nd place at University of Texas STEM Camp. He is committed to community service, volunteering regularly at food banks and libraries, and organizing performances at senior living facilities.

Name: Eddie Zhou
City/Country: Schaumburg, Illinois, USA
Age: 16
Performing: Tchaikovsky, Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23, first movement

Semifinalist in Solo (Level B) and Single Movement Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level B).

Complete Concerto Division

Name: Jiarui Cheng
City/Country: Nanjing, China
Age: 25
Performing: Rachmaninoff, Concerto No. 3 in D-minor, Op. 30

Semifinalist in Solo (Level C) and Complete Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level C).

Name: Seolyeong Jeong
City/Country: South Korea
Age: 27
Performing: Prokofiev, Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26

Semifinalist in Solo (Level C) and Complete Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level C).

Name: Seonghun Jeong
City/Country: South Korea
Age: 27
Performing: Schumann, Concerto in A-minor, Op. 54

Semifinalist in Solo (Level C) and Complete Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level C).

Name: Simon Karakulidi
City/Country: Siberia / USA
Age: 26
Performing: Prokofiev, Concerto No. 2 in G-minor, Op. 16

Semifinalist in Solo (Level C) and Complete Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level C).

Name: Gahyun Kim
City/Country: South Korea
Age: 29
Performing: Rachmaninov, Concerto No. 2 in C-minor, Op. 18

Born in South Korea, Gahyun Kim began playing the piano at age six. She studied with HeeSung Joo and earned her Bachelor’s at Seoul National University. Gahyun moved to the United States to earn her Master’s at the Peabody Institute while studying with Benjamin Pasternack. She is working on her D.M.A. at the Frost School of Music with Santiago Rodriguez. Gahyun has performed solo and with orchestras at renowned venues, including Carnegie Hall, Bösendorfer Hall, Seongnam Arts Center, and Mozart Hall. She won top prizes in the American Protégé International Piano Competition, the Germany-Korea Brahms Association Competition, and The 1st Korea-Asia Piano Open Competition. She has improved her skills in masterclasses with pianists such as Jerome Lowenthal, Gabriela Montero, and Claire Huangci. Gahyun has also been part of prestigious festivals, including the Eastern Music Festival, International Scriabin 150 Festival, Music Fest Perugia, International Summer Academy, and the Busan Music Festival.

Name: Artem Kuznetsov
City/Country: Russia
Age: 33
Performing:  Tchaikovsky, Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor, Op. 23

Semifinalist in Solo (Level C) and Complete Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level C).

Name: Yiying Niu
City/Country: Anyang, China
Age: 26
Performing: Chopin, Concerto No. 2 in F-minor, Op. 21

Semifinalist in Solo (Level C) and Complete Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level C).

Name: Madison Yan
City/Country: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
Age: 20
Performing: Chopin, Concerto No. 2 in F-minor, Op. 21

Madison Yan studies with Kevin Kenner in the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. She began her musical studies at age five under the tutelage of Dr. Irena Kofman. Madison is a three-year National Chopin Foundation Scholarship recipient and has received many accolades in national and international competitions, including 1st prize in the William Knabe International Piano Competition and 3rd prize at the International Chopin Competition in Hartford, Connecticut. She has performed in masterclasses with renowned musicians, such as Maria João Pires, Robert McDonald, Dang Thai Son, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Ewa Pobłocka, and others. Madison also enjoys writing, dance, and martial arts.

Name: Chong Zheng
City/Country: China
Age: 27
Performing: Ravel, Concerto in G Major

Semifinalist in Solo (Level C) and Complete Concerto Divisions. Biography previously listed under Solo (Level C).

Name: Etienne Haitian Zhou
City/Country: Hyattsville, Maryland, USA
Age: 27
Performing: Liszt, Concerto No. 2 in A Major, S. 125

Etienne Haitian Zhou is a dynamic classical pianist passionate about captivating audiences through his performances across Asia, Europe, and North America. Zhou’s versatile repertoire has graced the stages of prestigious venues, such as The Forbes Center of the Performing Arts, Bradshaw Hall in England, Hong Kong Cultural Center, Shenzhen Concert Hall, and many others. Recently, Zhou received 3rd prize at the 2024 New York International Artists Piano Competition and won the Luciana Montanari a Mendola Award from the Italian Cultural Society, further recognizing his musical artistry. He now serves as the Minister of Music at the Episcopal Church of Ascension in Gaithersburg, Maryland. He is currently a doctorate candidate in piano performance at The Catholic University of America.

Name: Yuan Zhuang
City/Country: Covington, Kentucky, USA
Age: 32
Performing: Ravel, Concerto for the Left Hand in D Major, M. 82

Yuan Zhuang is a concert pianist with a vibrant presence in the musical sphere. Praised as “a pianist of well-rounded virtuosity and uncompromising expressions'' (Alexander Gavrylyuk), with her “graceful musical interpretation and commanding mastery of the keyboard” (Anton Nel), Yuan’s musical career spans prestigious venues across the Tri-state area and the East Coast, including renowned concert halls such as Werner Hall in Cincinnati, Trinity Episcopal Church in Covington, Kentucky, Weill Recital Hall in New York, and Jordan Hall in Boston. Renowned for her dynamic collaborations, Yuan has performed chamber music alongside esteemed musicians from Shanghai, Boston, Cincinnati, and New York. Yuan's artistic passion extends to exploring and disseminating contemporary repertoire, where she captivates audiences with the works of modern composers. She gave the U.S. premiere of MarkAnthony Turnage’s piano quintet “Slide Stride '' featured in the Prelude Series by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.