ONLINE CLASSICS COMPETITION 2020 FINALISTS
SUNDAY DECEMBER 27th @ 1:00pm EST
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CATEGORY I - Ages 5-7
Maggie Chen, piano
Maggie is thrilled to participate in this year's Progressive Competition. Born in Illinois and lives in Oklahoma, Maggie has been playing piano since age 4 and been studying with Sukyoung Kwon for the past one year. She was awarded First Prize in the Hubbard-Males Piano Competition 2020, Elementary 1 Division and Second Prize in the 2020 Piano League Piano Star International Competition, Group A. Maggie's favorite composer is J.S.Bach. She likes to draw, put together puzzles and bicycling in her leisure time.
CATEGORY II - Ages 8-10
Jodi Brielle Brown, piano
International Competition 2020 Gold Award
Jodi Brielle is a fun-loving girl who loves to play the piano and the violin. She was awarded Gold in the Progressive Musicians Piano, Violin & Guitar Competition 2020, 8-10 division, and will be playing at Carnegie Hall in 2021. She was also awarded second prize in the Group II division of the Great Composers Artist of the Year Competition, 2020, and was the winner of the Best Bach Performance, Great Composers Competition for Age Group 1, 2020. She is a Strings Orchestra ensemble member, and an RCM Certificate of Excellence recipient for Preparatory B Piano. She loves to sing, and is a member of the children’s choir at her church. She also loves to eat, dance and cook.
Louisa Marie Cordes, violin
International Competition 2020 Silver Award
Louisa started to play violin in the Suzuki violin class of Isabel Morey Suau in Kiel in 2016. She played in the youth Orchestra “Junge Camerata Academica” in Kiel for 3 years. In 2018 she changed to the class of Ralf Kröger in Itzehoe. From October 2019 to October 2020 Louisa was also in the class of Prof. Christiane Hutcap at the YARO Program at the HTM Rostock. Now Louisa also has lessons with Prof. Axel Strauss, Montreal.
Louisa Valentina Schewe, violin
Born in Munich, Germany, lives in Westerrönfeld, Schleswig-Holstein. Started to play the violin at the age of 6 with Ralf Kröger. First Prizes in several local competitions. Master classes with Maria Egelhof (Lübeck, Germany) and Luz Leskowitz (Salzburg, Austria). Member of the Fanny Mendelssohn Junior Orchestra in Hamburg, Germany.
Luke Eggert
, violin
Luke Eggert, age 9, began his violin journey with Jennifer Morette Jackson, who inspired his passion for music. Luke loves to express his feelings in his music. Currently, Luke studies with Grace Youn at Austin Suzuki Music School. Luke was a Gold Award Recipient for the 2020 Season 2 London Young Musician Competition. He was a soloist at Greater Austin Suzuki Institute’s Honor Recital and chosen to perform the National Anthem for the Round Rock Express opening game. Luke was also a finalist for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation Military Kids Got Talent competition. Luke is a junior black belt in Taekwondo, loves fencing, drawing, video games, and learning fiddling music. Luke maintains an "A" honor roll status and was nominated to attend Envisions NYLF Pathways to STEM at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Max Ding, piano
Max Ding was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2011. He started his piano lessons at age of six with Ms. Sukyoung Kwon.Under her professional guidance, Max won the 1st prize in elementary 1 division and the 2nd prize in elementary 2 division of the 2019 and 2020 Hubbard-Males piano competition, respectively. He is also invited to perform at the Carnegie Hall in December 2021. During this pandemic, Max performed at several driveway piano concerts with his friends and brought joy to the community. He also enjoys swimming and has been on aswimming team for six years.
Olivia Liang, piano
Olivia Liang started her piano lessons at age of five. She is a third grade student now. She likes to painting and doing art crafts during her spare time. She loves unicorns and mythical creatures. She enjoys playing outdoor activities.
CATEGORY III - Ages 11-13
Agnes Nguyen, piano
Agnes Nguyen is 13 years old and is in 8th grade at Meadow Park Middle School. She plays clarinet in her band and has been playing piano for 9 years now. She has participated in Oregon Music Teachers Association festivals, including the Junior Festival and Classical and Romantic Festivals. She was the recipient of the Dottie Lambertson Merit Award by the Piano Santa Foundation in 2019.
Andrei Lyle Bautista, piano
Andrei’s musical journey started serendipitously when a piano teacher heard him playing in a keyboard at age 6. Since then, he has developed a love and passion in different rhythms and melodies. He has joined and won several competitions under the guidance of Jennifer Mihee Song. His most recent accomplishments include winning Second Place (Young Musicians Category) of the American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition 2019; youngest First Place Winner in OKC Orchestra League's Gilliam Competition; Division I First Place in the Steinway 2018 Junior Piano Competition; First Place, Elem 2 Division, 2018 SWOSU Hubbard-Males Piano Competition; Winner, Oklahoma Music Teachers Association Junior Competition. He has also won in the James Breckenridge Invitational in solo and duet categories.
Christine Kim, piano
I have been playing piano since I was 6 years old. Since then, I have had many ups and downs. Even though I sometimes had a hard time I never wanted to quit piano, my dream. I had three teachers and one of the teacher, Sukyoung Kwon, influenced my piano dream the most. I've learned many pieces from her. I've competed in the Oklahoma Music Teacher Association Junior Piano Competition and was a winner. I also competed in the SWOSU Hubbard Males Piano Competition and won the 2nd place in Elementary 2 division. I am blessed for having this talent and I hope to learn more in the future.
Karla Valeria Leyva Peralta, piano
Karla Valeria Leyva Peralta was born in Mexico City in 2006. She began to play piano at five years old with the pianist and composer Canek León Moreno. In 2013, she continued her piano studies with the wonderful pianists María Cecilia Montiel Llaguno y Camelia Goila at the Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli in Mexico. She has participated in several piano competitions since she was seven years old. She got 1st place in four editions of the Internal Piano Competition at the Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli. She also was awarded 3rd Prize in the “XIII Concurso Nacional Abierto de Jóvenes Pianistas Parnassós 2020” and 2nd Prize in the “Concurso Nacional para Jóvenes Intérpretes. Universidad de Colima, 80 años-Petrof” in Mexico. She won Honorable Mentions at the V Krystian Tkaczewski International Piano Competition", “Linda Bustani International Online Piano Competition" and “Primer Concurso Latinoamericano de Piano “América para todos”. Recently, she was a Finalist and Winner of the special Like Prize in the 2020 Young Edition Stayhome International Piano Competition, Third prize in the International Piano Competition-Festival "Villahermosa" 2020, Second Prize at the “Concorso Internazionale per Giovani Musicisti Città di Barletta”, and First Prize at the “Concorso Internazionale di Musica Online Friends of Music” and in the “2020 Bonn Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition”. When she is not playing piano, she loves swimming and has also participated in National Swimming Competitions in Mexico.
Maria Ostromogilskaia, violin
Maria was borned in Moscow in family of physicists. She loves to compose and create partitures, early music, barock and modern composers. She reads a lot and loves to paint. Maria is the winner of some Music competitions. The last one is Viva Musica International 1 prize, August , 2020.
Ryan Jin, piano
Ryan Jin started playing the piano with Sukyoung Kwon 6 years ago. He has always loved learning piano, but the thought of practice made him want to puke for many years. But he made it through many hard times with Ms. Kwon's unwavering support, so here he is now! Stay-at-Home time this year has shown him the power of practice and his musical competence through "Waterfall" by Chopin and "Clair de Lune" by Debussy. He was 4th Alternative in the 2018 OMTA Junior Piano Competition, 4th Place in the 2018 SWOSU Hubbard-Males Piano Competition, and 4th Place in the 2019 SWOSU Hubbard-Males Piano Competition.
Sherry Fei, piano
Sherry Fei began playing the piano since she was four and a half. She really enjoys playing compositions by Schumann, Rachmaninov, and Bach. In the past years, Sherry received several first place in local and international competitions such as the EMTA Scholarship Competition, as well as Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside. She also got first place in Elite international piano competition in December 2019 and has been invited to play in Carnegie Hall. She enjoys the happiness that music brings to her and wants to pass that joy to more people.
Tiger Stepinski, piano
I am Tiger Stepinski and I just turned thirteen years old in November, 2020 and really enjoy playing piano. I started playing when I was nine. My piano teacher is Sukyoung Kwon who I really like because she is intelligent, talented, fun and makes me work really hard. I have been in several competitions. My first was OMTA in October 2018 where I received a winner’s award. Recently, I was named the First Place Winner of American Protégé International Music Talent Competition Fall 2020, and will perform in Carnegie Hall in December 2021. I also won the MTNA-Kawai Junior Piano Competition 2020 and will represent Oklahoma in the MTNA Southern Central Division competition. My public performances include playing for seniors several times at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Edmond, OK; twice playing at the Arrowhead Restaurant in Avon, Colorado; and performing several driveway concerts. I’ve gotten in the habit of asking to play in various restaurants where my family stops to eat, just for fun and have done so in South Dakota, Washington state, Canada and Colorado.
CATEGORY IV - Ages 14-18
Amadeusz Maksymiuk, piano
Amadeusz Maksymiuk - born in 2003 in Poznań, Poland. At the age of six he started playing the piano. He graduated Cathedral Music School of first degree in Poznań. Then continued in Cathedral Middle School in Poznań. Currently he studies in Jadwiga Kaliszewska State Music High School in Poznań. He studied under the direction of Henryka Żmijowska and for two years he has been studying with Barbara Jarantowska. He took part in courses and masterclasses run by Professors like Andrzej Tatarski, Niccolo Ronchi, Dina Yoffe. He is the winner of polish and international piano competitions: "Roztańczony Fortepian" Polish Piano competition in Inowrocław (III prize and special prize for the best performance of dance piece), Bela Bartok International Piano Competition in Warsaw (I prize), The International Piano Festival "Chopin\'s Mazovia" (Laureate). Regularly he performs in many concert halls in Poznań and around, taking part in school, charity and other music projects. He received a scholarship of Poznań and other local prizes for music achievements.
Abby Reed, violin
International Competition 2020 JURY DISTINCTION AWARD
Abby Reed is a 16 year old violinist from Nashville, Tennessee. She studies at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music as a Myra Jackson Blair Honors Scholar under the tutelage of Christina McGann. Currently she is 1st violin in Vanderbilt's Curb Youth Symphony and has been concertmaster and co-concertmaster in multiple youth and honors orchestras. Abby has performed at Carnegie Hall as a soloist and concertmaster for the Honors Performance Series and is the winner of the 2020 Chicago Chamber Music Festival Concerto Competition and a Jury Distinction Award winner of the 2020 Progressive Musicians International Piano, Violin, & Guitar Competition. Most recently she has had the privilege of performing in masterclasses for Hirona Ok, Ilya Kaler, Paul Kantor, Violaine Melancon, and Blair Milton.
Alexander Ning & Grant Li, piano duo
Alexander Ning began taking piano lessons with Dr. Olga Chichova since age 5. Since the beginning of his successful journey, Alexander has never abandoned his love for sharing music with an audience, nor his love for the stage. In 2014, Alex was nominated as the winner of the Il Pozzolino International Piano Competition in Italy and was rewarded with a first place scholarship. In 2015, Alexander became a finalist of the San Jose International Piano Competition and in the same year, he won 1st place in the America Protégé competition, performed in New York Carnegie Hall. In 2016, Alex won the first place of Canadian Music Competition in 9 years group. In 2017, he won the first place of Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, had the honour to perform in Vienna, Austria. He also got invited to play live on air for 96.3 FM Classical Radio Station in March 2017. In 2018, Alex won the 2nd place of Canadian Music Competition in 11 years group with mark of 95%. Not only does Alexander have love for music, he also enjoys volleyball, breakdancing, and video games.
Grant Li began his piano studies at the age of 8 and began lessons with Olga Chichova at the age of 11 ½. In the 2018-2019 season, he won numerous medals from the Peel Music Festival, Rotary Burlington Music Festival and North York Music Festival. Additionally, he won scholarships from those festivals. He was an OMFA Provincial contender and won an award. Notably, he won the 2019 RCM Grade 10 piano gold medal (provincial level) with the highest mark in Ontario. He has already completed all of the RCM theoretical levels.
Clara Abrahams, soprano
Clara Abrahams started taking music lessons seriously at the age of 11. She started taking lessons from Alina Ilchuk at the Sacramento Academy of Musical Arts in 2020. Since then she received the Grand Prix Prize at the Pajamas Theatre 2020 International Online Competition for Young Artists (Ukraine), became the 1st place winner at the International Festival “Melodies of the Sea” organized by the World Organization of Folklore Associations and the 2nd place laureate at the Jiskra 2020 Competition (Czech Republic). In 2020, Clara was accepted into the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Summer Program and completed a vocal intensive at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she studied with famous voice teacher Cesar Ulloa and participated in a public masterclass with the internationally renowned Frederica von Stade. Additionally, she is studying lyric diction with Marcie Stapp, the Italian language with Sandro Naglia and is taking acting classes from Yefim Maizel and piano from Noriko Meguro.
Elisabeth Skorba, voice
Elizabeth Skorba 21.10.2006
Since 2015 I have been singing in the choir "Pearls of Odessa" I take part in such performances of the Odessa National Opera House as "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", "Carmen", "Turandot.”
2015 – «Crystal Fest»(laureate 1 degree); «Star youth of Odessa»(laureate 2 degree); 2016-2017 – «Star youth of Odessa»(laureate 1 degree); 2017 – «Singing pearl»(laureate 1 degree); 2017-2019 – «Odessa Bel Canto»(laureate 1,3 degree); 2019 – «Star Bel Canto»(laureate 1 degree); 2020 — «Odesa Music Olymp»(laureate 2 degree); «Samocvity - Online»(laureate 1 degree); «Wien melody»(Austria) (laureate 2 degree); «The Beautiful B Flat»(Italian) (price for the best Bel Canto).
Illia Rybitskyi, voice
My name is Illya Rybitskyi. І'm sixteen. I am from Odesa, Ukraine. When I was seven years old I started to take piano and vocal music lessons. Since 2015 I'm a soloist of the choir "Pearls of Odesa". We have traveled a lot with a choir, to Poland, Itally, France, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, the Netherlands and others. I was honored to perform on stage of the Odesa National Opera and Ballet Theater and am a winner and laureate of a large number of international competitions such as : "Gold Europe Festival", "The Beautiful B Flat", "Made in Ukraine", "Samocvity" "Odesa's belcanto" "Odesa Music Olymp". In the theater I played the roles of the lad in opera Ilia,of the voice of mercury from Dido and Aeneas. Sang with ensemble in Carmen and The Queen of Spades. When I have free time I like read the books and do sports. My favorite composers are Peter Chikovsky especial his symphonic creativity, Frederick Chopin conquered me by his Vals and Mazurkas and my favorite Ukrainian composer is Miroslav Skoric. I have a dream to be a famous opera singer, so my big goal for the next years is to become a student of the Odesa national academy of music.
Ioana Voaides, piano
Ioana Voaideș began playing the piano at six years of age under the tutelage of Raluca Sabău and Moriczi Magdolna at the Târgu Mureș Vocational School of Arts. There, she studied until the age of ten, and participated at various national piano competitions where she repeatedly won the first place. At eleven years old she moved to Kansas City, where she continued her piano studies at the Young Artists Music Academy with Tatiana Ioudenitch. Since 2016, Ioana has been guided by piano teacher Silvia Sbârciu from Cluj Napoca, and, in the spring of 2017, won first place in the international competition “Dinu Lipatti”, in Rome. Ioana has participated at masterclasses held by professors of international prestige such as: Stanislav Ioudenitch, William Grant Nabore, Dang Thai Son, Denis Pascal, Gottlieb Wallisch, Alessandra Torchiani, and Cordelia Hofer-Teutsch. From a young age, she has participated at numerous recitals and concerts held in Romanian cities such as Târgu Mures, Cluj Napoca, and Alba Iulia, in American halls in Kansas City and in the Italian city of Dongo.
2019 - Second Place - International Mozart Competition organized by Romanian Mozart Society and ”Gheorghe Dima” Music Academy; 2018 - First Place- International Competition of Interpretation “Equal Chance” (“Șansa Egală”), Târgu Mureș, România; 2017- First Place- International Music Competition for Youth “Dinu Lipatti”, Rome, Italy; 2014- Special Merit Diploma, Highest Honors – at Fall Festival 2014 by the KCMTA – Kansas City, USA; 2013- First Place- National Competition of Interpretation of Art Schools, Regional Level- Sibiu, România; 2013- First Place- National Competition of Interpretation “Young Pianists” (“Tinerii Pianisti”), Târgu Mures, România; 2012- First Place- National Competition of Interpretation “Young Pianists” (“Tinerii Pianisti”), Târgu Mures, România; 2012- First Place- National Competition of Interpretation of Art Schools, Regional Level – Brașov, România; 2011- Diploma of Excellence – Friends of Music Festival ProPiano, Cluj Napoca, România.
Nóirín Isbrecht, violin
Noirin Isbrecht (born Nov. 2004) has been playing the violin since the age of six. From 2010 till 2019 she received violin lessons from Nathalie Gadow and Dragomir Zahariev. She annually took part in the nation wide competition “Jugend Musiziert“ and has won the first price several times. She also participated in the „Tschaikowski Wettbewerb Hamburg“ and the„Mai Festival Young Rellingen“. Since 2020 Ralf Kröger is her violin teacher. Noirin took part in workshops with Nina Reddig, Heime Müller, Maria Egelhof and Daniel Sepec. In addition to that, she is part of the youth orchestra Schleswig-Holstein as a 1st violin and concertmaster in the „Auguste-Viktoria“ High School orchestra. The German organisation "Verband Deutscher Musikschulen" accepted Noirin Isbrecht for a scolarship, beginning in 2021.
Sasha Murray, piano
Sasha Murray is a native of Seattle and now resides just outside of Philadelphia, PA. She has been studying piano since age 4, and has been a student of Marianna Prjevalskaya at the Nelly Berman School of Music since 2017. She also enjoys competitive swimming, science olympiad, reading and being outdoors.
Tara Zhong, piano
International Competition 2020 Honorable Mention
Tara has been studying the piano since age 5, currently under the tutelage of Dr. Li-Cheng Hung. Tara used to be the piano accompanist at school choir. Besides piano, Tara also plays cello and studies with Ms. Janice Lee; she also enjoys singing, and has been coached by Dr. Liz Frazer. Currently she is a member of Seattle Youth Opera project.
CATEGORY V - Adult Amateur
Francheska Joy Pondevida, guitar
Her guitar journey started in October 2013 at the University of the Philippines – College of Music Extension Program where she flourished as a student under the tutelage of her first teacher, Peter Bautista. The mentorship she received was incomparable to any other -- Francheska’s firm, purposeful practice, and smart approach to classical guitar in a prestigious music school in the Philippines, allowed her to shine in California, Washington, and Italy. In the San Francisco Bay Area, she studied privately with prominent classical guitarist Yuri Liberzon. Yuri was a student of the legendary Manuel Barrueco at the Peabody Conservatory of Music. At the University of Washington, she got admitted to study with Michael Partington, who is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most respected classical guitarists. Both her teachers have adjudicated high level international competitions and masterclasses with organizations like the Guitar Foundation of America, and whose skills and artistry are cordially sought after by chamber music groups and orchestras around the world. Francheska was also a teaching assistant for the guitar department at De Anza College, CA. In July 2018, she was selected as 1 of 14 students in the world to participate in an international guitar workshop, which is held annually in Volterra, Italy (http://www.volterraguitar.org/). The workshop was facilitated by top-caliber educators in the classical guitar industry: Antigoni Goni, authority figure, artistic director and outstanding professor at the Conservatory of Brussels, Laura Snowden who is among UK’s award-winning female classical guitarists and chosen for the Julian Bream’s Trust fund concerts, and Stephen Robinson of Stetson University who was described by Andres Segovia (Father of Classical Guitar) as one of the world’s brilliant classical guitarists.
Larissa Gabriel, violin
Larissa Sophie Gabriel has had violin lessons since 2009. She won first and second prizes in the Jugend Musiziert competition at regional and state level. She has been a member of the State Youth Orchestra since 2018. For the year 2019/20 she received a scholarship from the Youth Chamber Music Initiative Hamburg. 2020 she took a master class by Prof. Maria Egelhoff in Lübeck. She regularly plays concerts in her state.
Ursina Boehm, piano
Ursina Boehm was born in Stuttgart, Germany. She starts to learn the piano at the age of 6. Having studied Industrial Engineering, she continues her academic career with a PhD in Business Administration on “Environmental Management of MNCs in China” before becoming a faculty member of the department of International Business at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Mannheim, Germany. After many years dedicated to the accompaniment of lieder (Brahms, Schubert, Schumann, Mendelssohn) under the guidance of Burkhard Schaeffer, Musikhochschule Mainz, she enlarges her solo repertoire when moving to France in 2016 by taking private lessons with Christine Girard, who was formed by France Clidat and Anne Queffelec. In 2017, Ursina receives the special price Schubert at the International Piano Competition Ile de France in the category Amateur Concert Pianist. In 2018, she meets the Fleurons de l’Entreprise Musicienne and their founder Françoise Parrot-Hanlet, former professor at the École Normale de Musique in Paris. The activities and concerts of the Fleurons (« Debussy au piano », 2018 and « Peintures - Piano - Portraits », 2019) gives her piano play new inspirations. In September 2020, she joins AMA (Associations Musiciens Amateurs) Ile de France and starts to actively participate in their concert series.
Vishal Raman, piano
Vishal studies Mathematics and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He has been practicing and performing since the age of 5. He has competed and won awards in several competitions, such as the NJMTA Young Artist Competition, the NJMTA Piano Festival, the Steinway Society Piano Competition, and was a finalist in the 2017 Princeton Festival Competition and a winner in the 2018 competition. He has performed in many venues, such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and more. Vishal has passed ABRSM Grade 5 and 8 with Distinction, and has earned the dipABRSM with distinction and the Licentiate of the Royal School of Music(LRSM) diploma.
CATEGORY VI - Collegiate
Adina Martin, soprano
Adina Martin, soprano, graduated from SUNY Fredonia with a B.A. in Music Education in May 2018, and is currently finishing a M.M. in Conducting (also at SUNY Fredonia). During her time at Fredonia, she played Angelina (Trial by Jury) in the Student Opera Theatre Association's Opera Scenes, and performed as a soloist in the Western New York Chamber Orchestra's Mozart Concert in 2016. Martin attended the Rocky Ridge Young Artist Seminar in 2017, and Resonanz Opera's Big Voices Program in 2018. In 2019, she was the understudy for the role of Ann in The Astronaut’s Tale with the Society for New Music. This year, she is the Choirmaster for the ensemble in the Hillman Opera’s production of Beatrice & Benedict (Berlioz). She is a proud voice student of Dr. Patricia Corron.
Marta Misztal & Jan Staruch, piano & violin
Marta Misztal and Jan Staruch - a newly emerging duo of classical music. Young, ambitious and brave musicians found their happiness playing together and giving concerts. They are always welcomed by the audience. They suprises them by showing the palette of emotions and guiding the listener through a musical novel. Their repertoire includes works written by the most outstanding composers, ranging from Ludwig van Beethoven, through Edward Grieg to Maurice Ravel. The duo has already achieved many achievements, including distinction in Music Vitale - Le strade d'Europa
Julia Eliashov, soprano
Julia Eliashov, Soprano, was in an Outstanding Young Singers program in Jerusalem. Currently finishing a B.A in The Buchmann Mehta School for Music in Tel Aviv University. Julia got a full scholarship for study of The Diana Mary Steyer scholarship for excellence in music performance, and scholarship from the America Israel Cultural Foundation. Performed the solo soprano in Schubert – Mass No 2 in G major, D 167, and the solo of soprano in Stabat Mater – Poulenc.
Lourdes de la Pena, cello
Lourdes de la Peña is a Chilean-Born Mexican-American cellist. She studies with National Symphony Orchestra Principal Cellist, David Hardy. During her one year at Oberlin Conservatory, she studied with Darrett Adkins. In January 2020 she performed with her string quartet, the Kulas Quartet, at the Embassy of Colombia, Embassy of Argentina, Inter-American Defense Board, Art Enables Gallery and Vocational Program, Central Union Mission, DC Library, Terra Centre Elementary School, Sunrise Assisted Living, and the Children’s Inn of the National Institute of Health. Their last performance premiered a new work by Brazillian Composer, Guto Brinholi, at the Brazillian Ambassador’s Residence. Lourdes was a National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellow for three years where she performed solo and chamber works ten times on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. She was a principal cellist of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and performed in master classes with German cello soloist, Alban Gerhardt, and National Symphony Orchestra cellists, Jim Lee and David Teie. In 2017, in front of 18,000 people, she performed as principal cellist of The Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestra at the Microsoft Inspire International Convention. On behalf of the National Symphony for the Kennedy Center’s SHIFT Festival, she performed in two DC public schools. She has studied chamber music with musicians from the Ensemble de Camera of Washington, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Muir String Quartet.
Maki Yamagata, viola
Maki Yamagata started playing the Violin at the age of five in Japan. Maki completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Viola Performance at the University of Victoria, Canada, under the mentorship of Joanna Hood, a founding member of the Lafayette String Quartet. She is currently completing her Master’s degree while holding a graduate fellowship at UVic. In addition to her frequent solo performances, Maki is an avid chamber musician. She has taken intense chamber music lessons by the renowned LSQ. As a member of the Wisteria String Quartet, she received the first prize at Young Musicians Competition 2019 at Friends of Chamber Music in Vancouver. As a soloist, she participated in Triple Viola Masterclass 2019 in Blonay, Switzerland, taking lessons with master musicians: Nobuko Imai, Veit Hertenstein, and Peijun Xu. She was also invited to study with Prof. Imai at Festival Young Talent in Schiermonnikoog 2019. As a winner of the Johann Strauss Foundation Scholarship 2018 (which supports musicians to receive advanced study in Austria) Maki has been privileged to work with a number of prestigious musicians and educators: She studied with Thomas Riebl, Hariolf Schlichtig, and Jean Sulem at the Mozarteum Summer Academy in 2018. She participated in Master Classes for String Soloists in Semmering (ISA) in 2018, and studied with Lars Anders Tomter, and Gilad Karni. She further developed her knowledge of the baroque performance practice through her experiences at the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute 2018, and her interpretation of Bach was praised as a shared first prize winner of the 2017 regional solo Bach competition in Canada.
CATEGORY VII - Professional
Yu-Chia Hsu, violin
Yu-Chia, Hsu is currently a second-year full scholarship DMA student in Uniersity of Minnesota, and he is studying with Prof.Sally O’Reilly and also her teaching assistant. Yu-Chia has participated in numerous master classes such as Hu Nai-Yuan, Lynn Chang, Gerardo Ribeiro, Dennis Kim, Oleh Krysa, David Takeno, Huang Bin, Pierre Amoyal, Eduard Granch, Daniel Phillips, Catherine Cho, Krzysztof Wegrzyn, Takacs Quartet, Kut Sassmannshaus, Clara Jumi Kang. Furthermore, he also attended several festivals with full Scholarship such as Shanghai International violin sonata festival, Bowdoin International music festival, Schlern International music festival, Qingdao International violin festival, Great Mountain International Music Festival, Sewanee International music festival and University of Music Franz List Weimar master class. As a prize winner, he won Grand Tainan Music Competition first prize in 2009, Japan Classical Music Competition first prize in 2011, honorable mention prize in Schlern International music festival and Yong Siew Toh conservatory of music concerto competition first prize in 2014. Furthermore, Yu-Chia has been accepted by Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Boston University, Depaul University and Indian University Jacob School of Music in 2017 fall. Yu-Chia has performed as a Soloist and Orchestra player in Boston Jordan hall, Harvard Sanders Theater, Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Concert hall, Singapore Esplanade Concert hall, Singapore Victoria Hall, Taiwan Eslite Performance hall, National Taiwan Concert Hall, and LuChou KHS Hall.
Andrew Egbuchiem, countertenor
Mr. Andrew Chukwuka Egbuchiem made his opera debut with the Brooklyn Opera Works in 2016 under the tutelage of Lina Tetriani performing several roles as the Sorceress in Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas and participated in the Amherst Early Music Festival’s Erismena by Cavalli in 2017. Andrew’s most recent performances were as a soloist with the Vertical Players Repertory Brooklyn in a secular oratorio “The Constitution” by Ben Yarmolinsky and a soloist in Pergolesi’s Magnificat and Charpentier’s Messe de Minuit pour Noel with the Brooklyn Philharmonia Chorus in December 2019. Amongst Mr. Egbuchiem’s awards are a second place in the Classical repertoire category by the American Protégé International Vocal Competition 2018 and a bronze prize winner at the New York Classical Music Artists International Voice Competition in May 2019. He was the audience prize winner for the 2020 World Bach Competition by the Boulder Bach Festival and third prize at the Music competition online 2020 in France.
Arielle Pollatschek, piano
I started playing the violin as a child after listening to Heifetz and Oistrakh on TV. I was so impressed by their playing and the magnificent sound, that I knew that the violin is my chosen instrument. My parents wanted to make my dream come true so they sent me to the top conservatory so I could live up to my potential. My private teacher in the conservatory started arranging concerts for me after a short time, so that everyone could see and hear my talent. I got used to performing on stage at an early age. Later on I won several scholarships from Boston, awards from the American Cultural Foundation, I won first prizes in competitions in Hungary, in Germany, in Italy and in USA. I took part in many Master classes with Zakhar Bron, Maxim Vengerov, Takashi Shimizu, Gernot Winischhofer, Vadim Gluzman, Itzhak Rashkovsky, Miriam Fried, Mauricio Fuks and others. Chamber music is also part of my education. I played trios by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Ravel, quintets by Mozart, Prokofiev, Schubert. I participate regularly in Festivals in Hungary, Austria, Germany and more. I study at the Hebrew University and at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance.
Bruce Leto Jr. & Scott Allen Cohen, piano duo
Professor Scott Cohen began his studies at the age of six in Orlando, Florida at Ruby Holland School of Music with Elizabeth Fullington, then earned his Bachelor of Music Degree from Stetson University with the Tinsley scholarship having studied under Dr. Michael Rickman. He then earned is Masters Degree from Tulane University with a Full Scholarship and Assistantship studying with Professor Faina Lushtak, former faculty member of Moscow Conservatory. He is now completing his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at The University of Kansas with a Full Scholarship and Assistantship under Dr. Steven Spooner. During this time he won in several national and international competitions which include being top 7 in the country as a finalist for Music Teachers National Association in Chicago, first prize Orfeo International Music Competition Vipiteno, Italy, and First Prize Debose National Piano Competition. Piano Chair of Tulane University, Downman/ Eminent Scholars Trust Fund Chair, Professor Faina Lushtak describes his performances as “emotional, with extremely high level of technique. His knowledgeable and captivating playing commands attention both as a performer and pedagogue.” He has broken records at three institutions by performing the complete Transcendental Etudes by Franz Liszt.
As a pedagogue, Professor Cohen has taught a wide range of students from beginners serious competition performers. His music school has branches in three locations throughout Central Florida, including a studio penthouse by Walt Disney World. He is described as “a remarkably gifted teacher and classical pianist. He has an impressively broad repertoire that flows into his ability to adapt to teaching a high school student like our son or an advanced college student like our daughter. His passion for piano inspires his students and his meticulous approach prepares them well for competition. His academic and competitive achievements are remarkable, and we expect they are only the beginning.”(Kay and Dr. Alan Forbes)
He is an active concert pianist and pedagogue. He has participated and performed in numerous music festivals including Brandywine International Piano Festival, West Chester University, Goldansky Institute, Princeton University, Orfeo International Music Festival, Italy, Musicfest Perugia, Italy. At the present moment he performs regularly, is completing his Doctorate, serves on faculty at Orfeo International Music Festival in Northern Italy, and runs a music school. His doctoral research is focused on the Pianists of the Golden Age and adopting their ideas to present day performance practice.
International Competition 2020 Bronze Award
Bruce Leto Jr.: As a prize-winner in scholastic (Dora Khyatt); Collegiate (Bi-Co Concerto Competition); national (West Chester National Piano Competition, Seattle International Virtuoso Artists); and international (Quebec Music Competition; Progressive Musicians International, V ODIN) piano adjudications - Bruce's music tenure has enabled him to perform in PA, NJ, FL, NY, and Italy. During his collegiate years, Bruce's piano study under Linda de Pasquale and Curtis Cacioppo led to acceptance at the Chautauqua Music Festival and the Orfeo International Music Festival - where he studied in 2011. Presently, he studies under Scott Cohen on a performance-based scholarship at the Cohen School of Music and is signed with Navona Records (an imprint of PARMA and Ravello). Bruce's playing has been described as "kaleidoscopic," "refined," "intelligent," and "highly skilled" by piano department chairs of music schools, critically-acclaimed international pianists, and Navona-affiliated composers. He has been featured in masterclasses with concert artists such as: Steven Mayer, Riccardo Piacentini, Veda Zuponcic, and Leon Bates! "[In Seasonal Sonorities] Bruce demonstrates an impressive ability to interpret music from different eras, from romantic to "[In Seasonal Sonorities] Bruce demonstrates an impressive ability to interpret music from different eras, from romantic to impressionist, to 21st century." - David Carpenter, Composer (Navona Records) "Played with great care and sensitivity...Bruce Leto is an intelligent and highly-skilled musician." - Charles Abramovic, Department Chair Piano Studies (Temple University).
Emily Tate-Daniel, soprano
Soprano Emily Tate Daniel is a recent graduate of the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, graduating with a Master’s degree in Voice Pedagogy and Performance under the tutelage of Dr. Steven Rainbolt. During her time at Peabody, Emily was seen as the Mother in Humperdinck’s Hansel and Gretel with Peabody Opera Outreach, Aunt Norris (cover) in the U.S. premiere of Jonathan Dove’s Mansfield Park, Greta Fiorentino in Street Scene at the Modell Lyric Opera House, and Fiordiligi (cover) in Così fan Tutte. Emily also appeared as Female Soloist #5 in the world premiere of Stinney by Frances Pollock and Donna Anna in Don Giovanni with Brooklyn Summer Opera Institute. Emily received her Bachelor’s degree in Voice Performance from Palm Beach Atlantic University. While in South Florida, Emily won the Walt Disney World Outstanding Soloist Award in 2009, placed second in NATS District Competitions in 2010 and 2011, and performed as a chorus member in Palm Beach Opera’s 2014 production of Macbeth. Emily was a Young Artist with Asheville Lyric Opera, where she later made her professional debut singing Erste Dame in Die Zauberflöte. She also covered Micaëla in Bizet's Carmen with Long Island Opera. During Summer 2020, Emily attended CoOPERAtive as a Voice Fellow. Emily currently studies with Laura Brooks Rice. Emily currently resides in Oklahoma City with her husband Kevin, and their two dogs, Jack and Pico.
Haeun Jang, soprano
Haeun Jang is a Soprano, she has appeared in series of concerts and as well as opera productions. She performed solo recitals in South Korea and in the United States singing repertoire by composers such as Mozart, Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and Verdi. In 2015, she sang the soprano solo in Beethoven’s oratorio, Christ on the Mount of Olives with orchestra. She participated in the Chamberfest Asia, as a Soprano Soloist, performing in various countries in Asia including Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, and Japan. She sang a role of Despina from Cosi fan tutte in concert version with Prime Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also sung, as a soprano soloist, at David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts. Haeun has also played roles in opera productions such as Die Fledermaus (Adele), Die Zauberflöte (Pamina), Suor Angelica (Genoveffa), and La Traviata (Violetta).
Jamie Loftus, piano
I'm a British pianist who graduated with a Master’s cum laude at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre, studying under prof. Peep Lassmann, a student of the legendary Russian pianist Emil Gilels. I am humbled to have received 2nd Prize at the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition 2020, 2nd Prize at the Callegaro International Piano Competition 2020, 3rd Prize at the 5th ODIN International Music Online Competition 2020, and 3rd prize at the Theodor Stein Piano Competition 2019. I've given recitals as a soloist, chamber musician and accompanist in the UK, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Spain, with a recording featured on Latvian state TV channel LTV1. I received a BMus (Hons) from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama on scholarship, and was invited to spend an Erasmus year at the Sibelius Academy, Helsinki, studying under renowned Finnish pianist Juhanni Lagerspetz and Juilliard School chamber coach Matti Raekallio.
Nathaniel De la Cruz, string bass
Double bass player Nathaniel De la Cruz was born in Huanuco, Peru in 1992. He started learning the piano at the age of 6 from his father, and he also enjoyed learning Peruvian traditional instruments and music. He started to play the double bass in 2008 at the age of 15 with professor Dante Bereche from the National Symphony Orchestra of Peru. A year later he was accepted to study at the National Conservatory of Music of Peru with Ricardo Otarola, and later on with Henry Santander. In 2010, Nathaniel has played Beethoven’s 5th Symphony with the Caracas Youth Symphony conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, in a concert to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Development Bank of Latin America. During his time in Lima while studying at the conservatory, he served as Principal Bass of the National Youth Symphony Orchestra of Peru. In 2012, Nathaniel has been awarded a music scholarship to study at the University of Southern Mississippi - School of Music with Dr. Marcos Machado. During this time in Mississippi he was the winner of the first place at the MMTA Strings Solo Competition in 2014. In 2016, he won the first prize at the MTNA Young Artists Strings Solo Competition, and was the first prize winner of the Annual William T. Gower Concerto Competition at his university. In addition, in 2016, he has been awarded as Orchestral Musician of the Year and Undergraduate Student of the Year by the USM School of Music faculty and the dean of students. Nathaniel was also the principal double bass player of the USM Symphony Orchestra, and a member of the Meridian Symphony and Gulf-Coast Symphony. Nathaniel has also been selected as one of five participants to the Annual Pirastro Strings Elite Soloists Program under Prof. Jeff Bradetich in 2016 and 2017 at University of North Texas. In 2017, he has been awarded a scholarship and a teaching assistantship position at the School of Music, Dance and Theater of Arizona State University to study his masters degree with Catalin Rotaru. He is now currently working on his Doctor of Musical Arts degree, and he also serves as the double bass instructor of Harmony Project Phoenix, a non-profit organization that offers music education to children of all ages. He is currently a member of the West Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Arizona Broadway Theater, and principal double bass of the ASU Symphony Orchestra. Throughout his career, Nathaniel has appeared in concerts with renowned conductors and soloists like Case Scaglione, Manuel Lopez-Gomez, Midori, Nadja Salerno-Sonnemberg, Lynn Harrell, Amit Peled, Juan Diego Florez, Paul Badura-Skoda, Anthony McGill, Deboarh Voigt, and The Beach Boys. Nathaniel took private lessons and master classes with world-class double bassists Leonid Finkelshteyn, DaXun Zhang, Thierry Barbe, Michael Cameron, Owen Lee, and George Speed. In 2019, he was one of the finalists for a Diversity Fellowship offered by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. The same year, he has participated in the legendary Giovanni Bottesini International Double bass Competition in Italy. In January 2020, he was the 1st prize winner of the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra National Young Artists Competition. He was going to have his solo debut with the Coeur d’Alene Symphony in Idaho in March, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic. Nathaniel is also a food enthusiast and enjoys cooking and exploring different kinds of foods. He loves biking, reading, watching movies, and making music with his girlfriend Dr. Rosa LoGiudice who is his pianist and duet partner.