2025 COMPETITION SEMI FINALISTS

City/Country: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Age: 13

Studying under Professor Marilyn Engle, Jacob Cai has successfully participated in numerous national and international piano competitions and festivals. His competition successes include winning both the first-place Solo Prize and Best Concerto Award at the sixth WPTA Singapore International Piano Competition, prizes at the tenth Seattle International Piano Competition, and first place in both the International Youth Elevato Piano Competition and Concerto Competition (2022, 2024). Jacob was a 2024 Jeune Chopin Competition (Lugano) finalist. He was invited to perform with the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra (Czech Republic) in 2023. Earlier achievements feature performances with the Calgary Civic Symphony at age eleven, the Special Award at the 6th International Franz Liszt Competition (Weimar), first place and Overall Prize in the Steinway Piano Competition (2020, 2023), first prize (age 9 category) at the Canadian Music Competition (2021), and selection for the Coimbra World Piano Meeting at age eight.

City/Country: Ames, Iowa, USA
Age: 12

William began playing piano at the age of six. He has excelled in the last two years under the instruction of Dr. Marion Scott, winning the Iowa Music Teachers Association Level E competition in 2023, and the Music Teachers National Association competition for Iowa in 2024. He was a 2024 Odyssiad® semi-finalist in the single movement concerto category and won the single movement concerto category for the Florida Young Artist Piano Competition. William also participates in local piano festivals and events including performances at the historic Hoyt Sherman Place, the Salisbury House & Gardens, and the Des Moines Area Piano Festival. goes here

City/Country: Gainesville, Florida, USA
Age: 10

Maxwell Ji has studied piano since age five with Drs. Ning Lu and Jie Lu. He won first prizes in the University of Utah SummerArts Piano Solo Competition (2021–2024) and Concerto Competition (2022, 2024), UMTA Piano Concerto Competition (2022–2024), FSMTA Piano Concerto Competition (2025), Ogden Piano Concerto Competition (2022), Salt Lake Piano Solo (2023) and Concerto Competitions (2024), the Helen Taylor Johannesen International Piano Festival Solo Competition (2023, 2024), Seattle International Piano Competition (2024), and OPUS Piano Competition State Level (2024, 2025). He also received second prizes in the XV Chopin International Piano Competition (Hartford, 2024) and 11th ENKOR Piano Competition (2024), and Merit Prizes in OPUS (2024, 2025). He performed with American West Symphony and American Fork Symphony in 2022, and with Chamber Orchestra Ogden and American West Symphony in 2023. In January 2025, he played Mozart’s Concerto No. 20 with the University of Utah Orchestra. 

City/Country: McKinney, Texas, USA
Age: 11

Emily Yitong Jiang is a fifth-grade pianist who has studied under Dr. Louise Liu since age 8. A finalist at the 2024 International Chopin Competition for Children in Poland, she has performed at Carnegie Hall (2023, 2024) and Vienna’s Musikverein (2024). Her awards include first place in the Elite International Music Competition (2022, 2023), Vienna Grand Prize Virtuoso (2024), and OPUS State Competition (2025), along with top honors in DMTA, Carmel Klavier, and Texoma competitions. She also plays violin, accompanies her school choir, and enjoys tennis and drawing.

City/Country: McKinney, Texas, USA
Age: 8

Steve Jicheng Jiang is a talented third-grade pianist who began studying under Dr. Louise Jiayin Liu at age five. He has performed at Carnegie Hall (2024) and Vienna’s Musikverein and was a 2025 finalist at the International Chopin Competition for Children in Poland. His accolades include first place in the Elite International Music Competition (2023), Vienna Grand Prize Virtuoso (2024, plus Exceptional Young Talent Prize), and OPUS National Competition (2025), as well as top placements in Carmel Klavier, Texoma, and DMTA competitions. Beyond piano, Steve enjoys soccer and tennis.

City/Country: Allen, Texas, USA
Age: 12

Semifinalist in Solo Level A and Junior Young Artist Complete Concerto Divisions.

Jenna Tran, a seventh grader at Murphy Middle School, is the grand prize winner of the 2024 Collin County Young Artist Competition for the Plano Symphony Orchestra. She also earned first prize in the Junior Division at the 2024 Lewisville Vernell Gregg Young Artist Competition and followed up with second prize in 2025. In addition to her accomplishments on the piano, Jenna is also a talented violinist, and is first chair in her school’s Chamber Orchestra. She has been selected to perform in All-Region 25 for two consecutive years, in 2024 and 2025. Jenna is proud to call North Texas home and loves the opportunity to perform live for her community.

City/Country:Johnston, Iowa, USA
Age: 9

Faith Eugenia Villar-Córdova Scott won her first international piano competition at the age of five. She has received first prize at many national and international piano competitions which include the Clara Schumann and Fanny Mendelssohn International Music Competitions (2024), Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition (2024), The Royal International Piano Competition (2023), the Florida Young Artists International Piano Competition (2021, 2023), the Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition (2022 & 2024) and the Central Iowa Symphony Concerto Competition (2025) among others. She made her debut with orchestra at age seven playing a complete Haydn Concerto in Miami, Florida. In November 2024, she returned to perform Mozart’a Concerto No. 8 in C Major K. 246 under the baton of Maestro Alberto Bade. Ms. Scott made her debut in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in December 2023. She is a recipient of the Coral Gables Music Club Scholarship.

City/Country: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Age: 12

Semifinalist in Solo Level A and Junior Young Artist Complete Concerto Divisions.

Fengtian Wang, studies piano with Charlotte Hu. She is a winner of the 2024 Philadelphia International Piano Competition. She obtained First Honorable Mention in the 2025 West Chester University Pre-Collegiate National piano competition. In 2023, she was admitted to the Manhattan School of Music pre-college as an award winner of the Rochlis Family Foundation Scholarship. She began studying piano at age four with her mother. She has won countless awards and is frequently invited to concerts, such as the Shanghai Open Competition, Mendelssohn International Piano Competition, Pearl River-Caesarburg International Piano Competition, Xinghai National Elite Competition, Huaxia International Piano Open Competition, and so on.

City/Country: Walnut, California, USA
Age: 11

Olivia Ye lives in Walnut, California. Her piano journey began at the age of 6, and she currently studies with Ms. Jenny Shin. Olivia’s honors include being the Regional Winner of the 2025 and 2024 MTAC State Concerto Competition; first prize of the 11th and 9th editions of the ENKOR International Music Competition, as well as the Young Pianist Category of the Southwestern Youth Music Festival; Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Satori Summer Music Festival; first place of the American Protégé International Competition of Romantic Music 2022, the 5th International Moscow Music Competition, and the 2022 Charleston International Piano Competition. Aside from piano, Olivia enjoys composing, singing, and competitive math. 

City/Country: Riverside, California, USA
Age: 16

Erik Chen attends Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California. Born in Durham, North Carolina, Erik began his musical journey at the age of four. Under the current mentorship and guidance of Ms. Jenny Shin, Erik has won numerous regional, state, and international piano competitions. His eye-opening award cabinet consists of the LA Liszt International Piano Competition, Enkor International Piano Competition, MTAC State Solo Competition, Southern California Junior Bach Festival, Southwestern Youth Music Festival, and more. Off the piano bench, Erik is an avid tennis player and serves as the president of his school’s Speech and Debate team. In addition, Erik conducts research on molecular biology at a wet lab. As a writer for the Riverside newspaper, Erik aims to promote stories on the accomplishments of the youth in his community. 

City/Country: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Age: 16

Charlotte Giraudeau began her music studies at the age of five and is currently under the instruction of Professor Marilyn Engle of the University of Calgary. Charlotte is a prize-winner in numerous competitions. Her most recent accomplishment is the third place in the Intermediate Division of 2025 Canadian Chopin Competition. Charlotte has made appearances as a soloist in the High River Music Young Musicians Concert Series and performed Rachmaninoff’s 4th Concerto with the Calgary Civic Symphony as a winner of the 2025 Calgary Concerto Competition. Charlotte has participated in many festivals and masterclasses, including the Morningside Music Bridge (2022), and the Gina Bachauer Piano Festival (2023, 2025). She studied with distinguished artists Arie Vardi, Marina Lomazov, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Wha Kyung Byun, Nicolas Namoradze, and Sir Stephen Hough. Besides her piano studies, she regularly performs within her own organization, the Capriccio International Young Artists for Calgary's senior communities. 

City/Country: Bothell, Washington, USA
Age: 17

Jason Nam, an 11thgrader at Bear Creek School in Washington, studies with Rufus Choi. He recently performed with the Seattle Symphony as 2025 Seattle Symphony Young Artist. He has also performed with the Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Orchestra, and the Bellevue Symphony. He has received the Chopin Foundation Scholarship, grand prize at the Aloha International Piano Competition, KMA Music Scholarship, and Josephine Bryant Scholarship at PAFE. He also earned first prizes at American Virtuoso International Music Competition and Odin International Piano Competition. Additionally, he won top prizes in the Chicago International Music Competition, San Francisco International Piano Competition, and Bellegrande International Piano Competition. Jason has won three consecutive state recitalist competitions and received gold in the solo and concerto categories at the Chopin NW competition. He was selected as a finalist at 2025 Arthur Fraser Piano Competition at SPEF, and he will attend Piano Texas.

City/Country: Albany, New York, USA
Age: 15

Rinchen Posel is a classical pianist with a deep passion for music. Her journey with the piano began at the age of four, inspired by watching her cousins play the instrument. This exposure ignited her own musical curiosity, and she developed a love for the piano from a young age. Currently, Rinchen is honing her musical talents at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin School of Music in London, a renowned institution known for nurturing young, exceptional musicians. At the school, she has the opportunity to collaborate with other gifted students from around the world. Rinchen's ambition is to continue developing her abilities in both performance and composition, with the ultimate goal of sharing her love of music with audiences on a global scale.Portrait of a Piano Prodigy

City/Country: Los Angeles, California, USA
Age: 17

Winner of the 2025 Interlochen Concerto Competition, Mia Safdie is a pianist at the Interlochen Arts Academy and Regional Director of the Back to BACH Project. She was featured on NPR’s From the Top, performed at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, and won top prizes in the Palm Beach Atlantic Young Artist Competition, Joseph Bologne International Piano Competition, MMTA Concerto Competition, and the Singapore International Music Competition. She participated in the Amalfi Coast Piano Festival and performed in masterclasses for Robert McDonald, HaeSun Paik, Christopher Harding, and Bernadene Blaha.

City/Country: Des Moines, Iowa, USA
Age: 17

Veronica Smith began studying piano at age six under Sophia Ahmad through the Des Moines Symphony Academy. She studied with Jessica Anderson at the Drake Community school of music for three years, and then studied with Dr. Mei-Hsuan Huang at Iowa State University for six years. For the past two years she has studied under Dr. Marion Scott. Veronica has participated in the Iowa Music Teacher Association district and state auditions, winning levels B, C, D, and F at the local level and was named state winner in Level F this past March. Veronica was the third-place winner of the Terrace Hill Piano competition in March 2025. Additionally, she was the first-place winner of the Truman State Piano Festival and Competition in February 2025. This fall, Veronica plans to attend the University of Missouri Kansas City Conservatory to study piano performance under Sean Chen. 

City/Country: Iowa City, Iowa, USA
Age: 16

Kento Sugiyama began playing piano at the age of five. He currently studies with Dr. Jack Winerock and Feilin Lin Murray. A recipient of the Chopin Scholarship from the Chopin Foundation of the United States for 2023/24, Kento has garnered multiple accolades. He won first place at the MTNA State Piano Competition in the Senior Division (2024, 2023) and Junior Division (2022). He won the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Young Artist Concerto Competition in 2024. His accomplishments also include a solo performance with Orchestra Omaha in 2023 as a winner of the Young Artist Competition and a prizewinner at the Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition and the Bruce P. Carlson Student Scholarship Competition by the Schubert Club.

City/Country: Walnut, California, USA
Age: 15

Tian Yu Tammy Ye began playing the piano at age seven, and she studies with Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov. A rising sophomore at the Orange County School of the Arts, pianist program, Tammy was the first prize winner of the Charleston International Piano Competition, second prize winner of the International Concours pour le Grand Prix, and winner in several Satori Summer Music Festival categories. She was also the winner of the American Fine Arts Festival and was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall. Tammy has won several first prizes in competitions held by the Music Teachers’ Association of California, the Southern California Junior Bach Festival, and the Southwestern Youth Music Festival. Tammy has also participated in masterclasses with renowned artists such as Dr. Oxana Yablonskaya and Dr. Olga Kern. In addition to piano, Tammy enjoys playing the cello, reading, and writing. 

City/Country: Nacogdoches, Texas, USA / China
Age: 20

Antonio “Nio” Ajero, has garnered many accolades such as the 2021 and 2022 National YoungArts Award for Classical Piano, third prize in the National MTNA Senior Piano Competition, and performed Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Keith Lockhart in the Brevard Music Center Concerto Competition winners concert. He has also performed Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Saint Saens Piano Concerto No. 5 with the Central Texas Philharmonic under Maestro Stefan Sanders. Nio recently was awarded the third prize in the 2024 Takacs Beethoven Competition. He has studied in masterclasses and lessons with renowned teachers such as William Grant Nabore, Kirill Gerstein, Logan Skelton, Julian Martin, Vadym Kholodenko, Aviram Reichert, and Alexander Moutouzkine. Nio is currently a junior at the Oberlin College and Conservatory under the tutelage of 2001 Van Cliburn gold medalist, Professor Stanislav Ioudenitch.

City/Country: South Miami, Florida, USA / South Kore
Age: 30

Semifinalist in Solo Level C and Professional Young Artist Complete Concerto Divisions.

Acclaimed by Australian author and classical musician Michael Moran for her “crystalline tone and refined touch,” South Korean pianist Da Jin Kim stands among the most sensitive and expressive musicians of her generation. Her artistry has been recognized with awards at prestigious competitions, including the XII Darmstadt International Chopin Piano Competition in Germany and the 50th Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in the United States. Kim holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and Master’s degrees from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, where she studied under the guidance of Naoko Takao, Kevin Kenner, and Santiago Rodriguez, receiving full scholarships. She graduated summa cum laude from Seoul National University with a Bachelor’s degree, where she studied with Hee Sung Joo. Beyond the stage, Kim is a dedicated pedagogue, having served as a teaching assistant at Frost and currently nurturing young talent through the Frost Preparatory Program.

City/Country: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA / South Korea
Age: 28

A native of South Korea, Mee Ji Kim began studying piano at the age of six. She has received numerous accolades, including first prize at the NSAL Competition, Ariel Chamber Competition, and recognition as a laureate of the Franz Liszt International Festival and Competition. In South Korea, she earned top prizes in major competitions such as the Busan Music Competition, Suri Music Competition, Samick-Seiler Piano Competition, and the Seoul Orchestra Competition. She has performed in winners’ concerts and presented solo and chamber recitals at various venues. She earned her undergraduate degree from Seoul National University under professor Hee Sung Jo, her master’s degree from Indiana University under Professor Norman Krieger, and is currently pursuing a D.M.A. at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, studying with Professors Soyeon Kate Lee, Daniel Shapiro, and Sara Daneshpour, supported by a full scholarship.

City/Country: Bloomington, Indiana, USA / South Korea
Age: 25

Nayeon Kim began her formal piano studies at Yewon School and graduated with honors from Seoul Arts High School and Seoul National University, where she studied under Professor Aviram Reichert. Alongside her undergraduate studies, she pursued musicology, deepening her artistic understanding and performance skills. In South Korea, she won first prize at the Ewha Kyunghyang Competition, third prize at the Korea Steinway Competition, and performed in the Kumho Prodigy Concert. Her international career started at Indiana University with Professor Arnaldo Cohen, where she won the Jacobs School of Music Concerto Competition. She also took first prize at the 7th Ruthmere International Piano Competition, performing in the winner’s concert in Elkhart, Indiana. Kim recently completed her Master of Music in piano performance and will begin the Artist Diploma program in Fall 2025 at Indiana University.

City/Country: Austin, Texas, USA
Age: 29

Engaging audiences with his charismatic and moving performances, pianist Aaron Kurz enjoys a burgeoning career. Aaron has soloed with numerous orchestras and across three continents, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Salle Cortot, and the Palace of Peace and Harmony in Kazakhstan. His performances have been lauded by the press, called both “nuanced musical journeys” (Belgium’s "Le Soir") and “a lesson in pianism” (England’s "Cambridge Independent"). Most recently, Aaron has just completed a tour of Asia, where he performed and taught at numerous venues across Indonesia and China. Aaron’s playing has also garnered recognition in competitions, winning top prizes in the New York, Los Angeles, Virginia Waring, and World Piano Teachers Association International Piano Competitions, among others. He holds recent degrees from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, studying with Jon Nakamatsu and Jeremy Denk, and from Yale, studying with Boris Berman. He is now pursuing his D.M.A. at the University of Texas with Anton Nel. 

City/Country: New York, USA / Russia
Age: 22

Semifinalist in Solo Level C and Professional Young Artist Complete Concerto Divisions.

Daria Podorozhnova is a Russian pianist pursuing her bachelor's degree at Manhattan School of Music in New York, where she studies with Alexandre Moutouzkine. She is a recipient of the prestigious Harold and Helene Schonberg Pianist Scholarship. Born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, Daria began studying piano at the Special Music School affiliated with the Rostov State Conservatory. She trained under Inna Serebryanskaya and later with the renowned professor Sergei Osipenko. Daria has received international recognition through numerous competitions. Recent highlights include sixth prize at the 69th Maria Canals International Competition in Barcelona and first prize at the 2025 Ann & Charles Eisemann Young Artist Competition in Dallas, leading to a solo performance with Richardson Symphony Orchestra. In February 2025, she was named a winner of Eisenberg-Fried Concerto Competition and will perform Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 2 with Manhattan School of Music Symphony Orchestra in the 2025-2026 season.

City/Country: Hino-shi, Tokyo, Japan
Age: 24

Yuka Tsunemoto is studying at Musashino Academia Musicae under Masanori Sugano and Kemal Gekic. She graduated with honors and is now a second-year graduate student. From 2022–2023, she participated in the Frost Chopin Academy as a scholarship recipient and was selected to perform in student concerts. Her awards include the Grand Prix in Group B2 at the Paderewski In Memoriam International Piano Competition (2021), third prize at the Julius Zarebski International Music Competition (2021), and fourth prize in the AlPAF Concerto Competition in Korea. She has performed with the Primavista String Quartet and received the Bronze Prize at the 40th PTNA Piano Competition (2016). Earlier, she won the Gold Prize and Bärenreiter Prize at the 6th Japan Bach Competition (2015) and many more. She has performed in Japan, the U.S., Korea, and Norway, and is a recipient of the Moritani Scholarship Foundation for 2024–2026.

City/Country: Rochester, New York, USA / China
Age: 24

Pusheng Wang showed great musical talent from childhood, starting piano at seven and winning awards like gold and silver at the Zhongxin International Piano Competition, first in the Asia International Piano Open, two golds and a silver in the Hong Kong Liszt Piano Memorial Award, first in the Steinway and Macau International Piano Competitions, and an Excellence Award in the Tchaikovsky Youth Competition. At age 12, he entered Sichuan Conservatory’s middle school, studying with Professors Jingya Sun and Zhaoyi Dan, holding his first solo concert, and performing Mendelssohn’sFirst Piano Concertowith the Sichuan Conservatory Symphony Orchestra. At age 15, he studied in the U.S. with Chufang Huang, won first prize at the New York Metropolitan International Music Competition, and performed at Lincoln Center. At 16, he joined Juilliard under Ernest Barretta, winning first in Juilliard’s 2019 Piano Concerto Competition. In 2021, he entered Eastman School of Music under Douglas Humphreys.

City/Country: Forest Hills, New York, USA / China
Age: 28

Semifinalist in Solo Level C and Professional Young Artist Complete Concerto Divisions.

Praised as “especially impressive” and “a thoughtful, sensitive performer” who “balanced lyrical warmth and crisp clarity” (Tommasini–The New York Times), pianist Zhu Wang was awarded first prize in the 2020 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, Gold Medalist at 2024 New Orleans International Piano Competition. Zhu was one of the finalists in the 2019 Clara Haskil International Piano Competition, and one of the prizewinners of 2024 Cleveland International Piano Competition. The world-renowned pianist Fou Ts’ong recognized Zhu as an “excellent pianist with a natural sense of harmony and imagination,” whose sensitive and engaging performances exhibit a remarkable depth of musicianship and poise beyond his age. A native of Hunan Province, China, Zhu started learning piano at the age of five following his grandfather’s love of music. He graduated from Curtis Institute of Music and The Juilliard School and received Gina Bachauer Scholarship, Mieczyslaw Munz Scholarship, and Mehlin Prize. Zhu is pursuing his Master of Music degree at Juilliard, under the tutelage of Emanuel Ax and Robert McDonald. He gratefully acknowledges the support of the Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts. Zhu currently lives in New York City with his wife Chloe and their beloved two cats, Chaz and Tùzi. 

City/Country: New York, USA / China
Age: 25

Semifinalist in Solo Level C and Professional Young Artist Complete Concerto Divisions.

Xiaoru Wen is a Chinese pianist who received the first prize at the DEBUT International Piano Competition in New Jersey and was awarded a solo piano recital at Carnegie Hall in 2014. Since 2013, she has signed the contract with Chinese Poly Grand Theater and performed in recitals arranged by this music business company, based in Beijing, including concert tours throughout China. he has played 40 recitals in the last few years. In addition, Xiaoru won the first prize in the Rosario Marciano International Piano Competition in Vienna in 2012. She is pursuing her D.M.A. at the Manhattan School of Music. She has been a student of Marc Silverman since 2021 as a graduate student at the Manhattan School of Music; as an undergraduate, she studied with André-Michael Schub (2017-2021).

City/Country: Dallas, Texas, USA / China
Age: 26

Semifinalist in Solo Level C and Professional Young Artist Complete Concerto Divisions.

Driven by a profound belief in the healing power of music, Chuanyi Xiang aims to use her piano playing to alleviate suffering from life, and to bring hope to people's lives. Described by Yoheved Kaplinsky as, “a sincere, emotionally communicative performer, who makes every note meaningful." Chuanyi has showcased her exceptional talent across continents, collaborating with orchestras such as the China Philharmonic Orchestra and China Academia Orchestra, with conductors such as En Shao, Peter Burwic, and Yi Huang. Recent highlights include captivating recitals at important venues like Paul Hall at The Juilliard School, Benedict Music Tent at the Aspen Summer Festival, and Klavierhaus in New York City. Born in China into a musical family, Chuanyi received her Bachelor of Music from the China Conservatory in Beijing, studying under Hong Fu and Ruoyu Huang, and her Master of Music at The Juilliard School, studying under Yoheved Kaplinsky and Jerome Lowenthal. She will be studying at SMU Meadows School of Arts with Sergei Babayan in Fall 2025.

City/Country: Cincinnati, Ohio, USA / China
Age: 26

Semifinalist in Solo Level C and Professional Young Artist Complete Concerto Divisions.

Born in Wenzhou, Chinese pianist Liming Yang has been consistently acclaimed for his passionate and sensitive interpretations, marked by deep emotional expression. After making his concerto debut at the age of thirteen, Yang continued his professional studies in Shanghai, where he won numerous competitions and received multiple music scholarships. He has performed at notable venues such as the Wenzhou Grand Theater and He Luting Concert Hall at the Shanghai Conservatory. Yang studied with Kathryn Brown at the Cleveland Institute of Music and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree on a full scholarship at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), under the guidance of Dror Biran. He was recently invited to participate in Pianofest in the Hamptons, where he studied with renowned pianists Paul Schenly and Jerome Lowenthal.

City/Country: East Lansing, Michigan, USA / China
Age: 27

Jingwei Yuan is a talented pianist known for his refined technique and expressive interpretations. He began his formal music training at Oberlin College, studying under the esteemed pianist Robert Shannon, where he developed a strong foundation in classical piano performance. After completing his undergraduate studies, Jingwei continued his musical journey at Indiana University, where he earned his master’s degree, working with renowned pianists Arnaldo Cohen and Roberto Plano. Their mentorship further deepened his technical skills and broadened his artistic vision. Currently, Jingwei is pursuing his D.M.A. at Michigan State University, where he studies under the guidance of Eric Zuber. Throughout his academic career, Jingwei has given numerous solo and chamber recitals, showcasing his versatility as both a soloist and a collaborative musician. His performances have been noted for their emotional depth and technical precision, drawing audiences into the heart of the music.

City/Country: New Haven, Connecticut, USA / China
Age: 22

Jiusi Zhang studied under professor Dang Thai Son at Oberlin Conservatory of Music and graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree in spring 2024. Currently, he is pursuing a Master of Music degree under Professor Wei-Yi Yang at Yale School of music with full scholarship. In 2024, he received an Honorable Mention at the Wideman Concerto Competition in Shreveport, Louisiana, and was a finalist at the Los Angeles Liszt International Piano Competition. Earlier that year, he won first prize (Marilyn Fischer & Joan Marie Scherer Scholarship) at the Tuesday Musical Association Scholarship Competition in Akron, Ohio. In the subsequent winners’ recital, he received the most audience votes, earning the John M. Ream Jr. DDS People’s Choice Award. Previously, he was awarded full scholarships to attend the 2022 PianoTexas International Piano Festival, where he was selected as one of three winners of the PianoTexas Concerto Competition.