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2O26 HILTON HEAD INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION FOR PIANISTS AGES 13–17 MARCH 16–21, 2O26
The mission of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition is to encourage and support excellence in the performance of classical piano music by showcasing the talents of young pianists on the threshold of their careers in a competition adjudicated by internationally acclaimed judges, and to offer additional performance opportunities.
Alink-Argerich Foundation Member since 2005
Artistic Partner of the HHIPC
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Your paragraph text with Congratulations to each competitor
For a 12-mile-long by five-mile-wide barrier island, Hilton Head Island o ers numerous arts and cultural experiences. With some of the finest art galleries, live music venues, and dance and theater productions happening year-round, Hilton Head Island’s arts and culture scene is second to none. Bravo!
On behalf of the entire Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra family, welcome to the 2026 Hilton Head International Piano Competition! From a modest beginning in 1996, we are today celebrating 30 years of excellence in piano performance. You will find an article highlighting HHIPC’s three-decade journey in this beautiful program. What remarkable history has already been created.
We fully expect more history will be made this week! The stage has been set. From a record number of initial applications for the young artist cohort to a highly competitive Competitor Selection Jury round in November, all activities to date suggest we will experience masterful performances throughout the competition. And, as our Music Director is fond of saying, Remember, you saw it here on Hilton Head Island first
Getting to this point has required much work; not just by the competitors who have been practicing their repertoire for months, but also by the dedicated and hard-working HHIPC Committee, our irector, Steven Shaiman, the rest of the staff, our volunteer host families, meal providers, chauffeurs, and many others. Thank you to everyone who has played a role in the 2026 Competition!
We are also so grateful to Steinway & Sons, our Artistic Partner; the Town of Hilton Head Island; our accommodating venues, our business sponsors and individual and foundation supporters; John Morris Russell and the HHSO musicians; our esteemed judges; and, course, our competitors.
Whether you are a year-round or seasonal resident, or just visiting Hilton Head Island for the competition, we hope you will take advantage of as many HHIPC events as you can, and that you will take away wonderful memories of amazing performances.
Please enjoy the 2026 Hilton Head International Piano Competition!
Sincerely,
Alan Jordan President and CEO
ALAN JORDAN President and CEO
Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra
Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence
For 30 years, CAV Integrated Home has been designing technology and lighting experiences across the Lowcountry that feel as refined as a perfectly played note.
As HHIPC celebrates its 30th anniversary, we’re honored to stand alongside the young artists, families, and organizations who make this event extraordinary.
We wish every competitor the very best and thank the Hilton Head community for continuing to champion the arts. Audio Video Lighting Smart Home Elevated Living
Greetings and welcome to the 28th Hilton Head International Piano Competition! 2026 is a special year for the HHIPC as we celebrate 30 years since our founding. Beginning with the first competition in 1996, we have welcomed outstanding young pianists from around the world to compete for valuable prizes and performance opportunities. From humble beginnings, we have proudly established the HHIPC as one of the premier international competitions, respected for our dedication to support, nurture and promote the next generation of young pianists wherever they may reside.
As irector of the HHIPC, I stand on the shoulders of the visionaries who inaugurated the competition in 1996, along with all those who have developed and enhanced the organization since then. You can learn more about our history in this program, but I find it meaningful that our 30th year features Young Artists ages 13-17 , which is the seventh time we have showcased talented teenage pianists since 2011.
And speaking of talented teens, I extend a very warm Lowcountry welcome to our twenty competitors Hailing from six countries, these highly gifted youngsters were selected from a group of 166 applicants representing 20 countries. So, our ’20 for 2026’ have already achieved a measure of success
STEVEN SHAIMAN Competition Director
I must acknowledge our amazing panel of judges, including the three respected professionals who had the monumental task of distilling the pool from 166 to 20, along with the five esteemed artists serving on the Competition ury this week. In addition to their adjudicating duties, we also benefit from watching them in action on Friday, as they lead master classes with our non-advancing competitors. Plus, our jury chair, Ian Hobson, will treat us to an engaging presentation dedicated to Chopin’s beloved Études. Please plan to join us for that!
It is important to recognize the wonderful people who support the HHIPC in many different ways. Heartfelt thanks to the members of our community who have opened their homes and hearts to all those involved in the Competition. First, to the host families and over 100 volunteers who take such great care of our competitors, jurors and audience. Next comes a rousing ovation to our remarkable Competition Committee, whose incredible dedication and hard work in support of the HHIPC year-round continually amazes me. Then, let me say BRAVI TUTTI ’ to Maestro ohn Morris Russell and our own Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra for their performance in the Concerto Finals, with added acclaim for my wonderful HHSO staff colleagues Also, we recognize our generous prize sponsors, along with the many businesses who support us through program ads and contributions, both in-kind and cash. The magnificent pianos are delivered to us from New York City by our Artistic Partner, Steinway Sons. Our two spectacular venues St. Luke’s Anglican Church and First Presbyterian Church welcome us into their homes like family. And, of course, I thank all the generous donors whose financial support throughout the year enables us to maintain the highest standard of excellence in all we do.
In closing, let me express admiration to you our audience members who offer vigorous applause to encourage each competitor I know you will enjoy this exceptional week of world-class music
Steven Shaiman
Competition Director
Dear Distinguished Competitor,
On behalf of Steinway & Sons, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations on your selection for the 2026 Hilton Head International Piano Competition. Reaching this stage is a re ection of your exceptional talent, unwavering dedication, and passionate effort to advance your piano artistry.
We are proud to have Steinway as the official piano of the Competition and to support an organization with such a noble mission—promoting the appreciation of classical piano music and highlighting the achievements of accomplished musicians.
I wish you all the best this week and in your future musical endeavors, and I hope your time at Hilton Head will be a memorable experience that you will treasure for many years. May your passion for the piano and its repertoire continue to grow and inspire you throughout your journey.
Best regards,
Gavin English, President
Steinway & Sons Americas
President
Steinway & Sons Americas
Friday, March 20, 2026
St. Luke’s Anglican Church • 50 Pope Avenue
10:00 am - 3:30 pm
$20 admission for the public Free admission for 88 Key Society and Piper members
10:00 - 10:45 am • Angela Cheng
10:45 - 11:30 am • Daria Rabotkina
LECTURE/RECITAL
11:45 am - 12:45 pm
AFTERNOON
2:00 - 2:45 pm • Spencer Myer
2:45 - 3:30 pm • Marian Hahn
Ian Hobson, 2026 Competition Jury Chair, will give a Lecture/Recital entitled CHOPIN’S ÉTUDES (Op. 10 and 25): Technical Exercises Transformed into High Art
On Friday, March 20, four competitors who did not advance to the finals will have the opportunity to perform in Master Classes with one of the competition judges. Each judge will select a competitor and give a 45-minute public lesson on selections from the competitor’s competition repertoire. The pairings of judges and competitors will be announced by the Jury Chairman following the announcement of the five finalists on the evening of Thursday, March 19 at the conclusion of Round II.
Underwritten by Dr. Karen and Stephen Ball
The Great Frame Up
Monday, March 16 & Tuesday, March 17
1:30 pm - 4:35 pm & 7:00 pm - 9:05 pm
St. Luke’s Anglican Church — Open Seating
Wednesday, March 18 & Thursday, March 19
1:30 pm - 5:05 pm & 7:00 pm - 9:25 pm
St. Luke’s Anglican Church — Open Seating
Finalists announced Thursday at approximately 9:45 pm
Friday, March 20
Master Classes 10:00 am - 11:30 am
Lecture/Recital 11:45 am - 12:45 pm
Master Classes 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
St. Luke’s Anglican Church — Open Seating
Saturday, March 21 - 7:00 pm • Doors open 6:30 pm
5 finalists play with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra John Morris Russell, Music Director
First Presbyterian Church — Reserved Seating Reception hosted by the HHSO Board of irectors and the League of the HHSO following awards
Tickets may be purchased at all Competition venues, online at www.hhipc.org, or by calling the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Office at 843 842-2055.
Please silence all electronic devices.
Refrain from conversation and remain in your seat during all performances.
Audience members may enter or leave only between competitors’ performances and not between pieces. Please do not applaud until competitors have concluded the performance of the final selection of their programs.
Children must be 8 or older and accompanied by an adult to be admitted.
No eating or drinking is permitted in the Competition Hall.
Only authorized use of cameras and recording e uipment is permitted.
John Morris Russell’s embrace of America’s unique voice and musical stories has transformed how orchestral performances connect and engage with audiences. In his fourtheenth season as Music Director of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, he continues to invigorate the musical life of the Lowcountry as conductor, collaborator, and educator, and leads the orchestra’s classical subscription series as well as the prestigious Hilton Head International Piano Competition. Mr. Russell concurrently serves as Conductor of the world-renowned Cincinnati Pops Orchestra.
The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra has enjoyed unprecedented artistic growth under Maestro Russell’s leadership, and performs regularly throughout the region. Under his guidance the HHSO has sparked collaborations with regional ensembles and performers that continue to widen its reach, including Georgia Southern University, Cla in University, Charleston Southern University, Hilton Head Dance Theatre, The Sherrill Milnes VOICExperience, Hilton Head Ballroom Dance Studio, Legacy Irish Dance Academy, Abeni Cultural Arts Performing Dance Studio, Savannah Children’s Choir, Historic Savannah Theater, American Traditions Competition, I Cantori, May River High School Schola Cantorum, Effingham County High School Chorus, and members of the Parris Island Marine Band.
A popular guest conductor, Maestro Russell has worked with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, and the National Symphony of Washington, D.C. He frequently conducts Canadian orchestras including Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver, and has led the orchestras of Pittsburgh, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Dallas, and Minnesota, as well as the Utah, Oregon, Colorado, and New Jersey symphonies, and the New York City Ballet.
For over a decade, Maestro Russell has regularly led the National Orchestral Institute and Festival in College Park, Maryland, one of the nation’s premiere training orchestras. In 2024 JMR and the NOI collaborated with Wolf Trap Opera on a production of Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins in a program that was also performed with the HHSO. Dedicated to sharing the American musical experience with the newest generation, he helped develop and conducted the Link Up educational concert series at Carnegie Hall, a continuation of the program launched by Walter Damrosch in 1891 and continued under Leonard Bernstein. He will lead the fifth year of Link Up program in the Lowcountry with the HHSO this spring.
A GRAMMY®-nominated artist, JMR has worked with leading performers from across a variety of musical genres, including Aretha Franklin, Emanuel Ax, Amy Grant and Vince Gill, Garrick Ohlsson, Rhiannon Giddens, Hilary Hahn, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Cynthia Erivo, Sutton Foster, George Takei, Steve Martin, Brian Wilson, Leslie Odom, Jr., Lea Salonga, Paul Shaffer, Norm Lewis, and Mandy Gonzalez. Last season, he worked with Rick Steves on a national PBS broadcast of “Rick Steves’ Europe: A Symphonic Journey.“
Maestro Russell earned degrees from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and Williams College in Massachusetts, and has studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.
FIRST PRIZE
SECOND PRIZE
THIRD PRIZE
MEDALISTS
SASCHA GORODNITZKI
MEMORIAL PRIZE
$12,000
Mary and Mike Briggs /Joan and Charles Dattelbaum
Return performance with the HHSO during 2026-2027 season
$6,000 Mary Ann and Tarrant Putnam
$3,000
$1,000
$1,000
Laura and Bret Jacobowitz
Linda and Ray Moloney
Joan and Bob Koenig
$1,000 Sascha Gorodnitzki Foundation
In 2014, the Sascha Gorodnitzki Foundation endowed a new prize for the Hilton Head International Piano competition. It is a judges’ discretionary award for which all non-finalist competitors may be considered.
Sascha Gorodnitzki, pianist and Juilliard faculty member for more than half a century, was born in Kiev, Ukraine in 1904. He studied piano with Edwin Hughes at the Institute of Musical Arts which later became The Juilliard School. Mr. Gorodnitzki joined the faculty of The Juilliard Summer School in 1932 graduating with highest honors. He was appointed to the piano faculty in 1948, where he remained until his death in 1986. Prominent artists who worked with him include Garrick Ohlsson, Eugene Estomin, Dennis Russell Davies, Janina Fialkowska, Herbert Stessin, James Barbagallo, and Albert and Miyoko Lotto. He has long been recognized as one of the finest pianists and piano teachers in the world in his time. In funding this prize, the Gorodnitzki Foundation is recognizing the prestige of the HHIPC and its commitment to helping young pianists develop their careers.
THE PETER TAKÁCS
CLASSICAL SONATA PRIZE
$1,000
Dr. Peter Takács
The winner of this prize will be deemed by the Competition Jury to have given the best performance of a Classical sonata Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven during the first two rounds of the competition. First awarded in 2017, the prize is funded by Peter Takács, who joined Oberlin’s faculty in 1976, retiring in 2024 after 48 years. Dr. Takács has been a member of the HHIPC jury several times, including serving as Jury Chair. He has recorded the complete sonatas of Beethoven and performed them around the world. Says Takács, “I have always felt that the music of the great Classical composers of the 18th century form the basis of all the piano music that followed. This is repertoire that remains fresh, startling, and revelatory. By funding this prize, I hope to encourage young pianists to explore and embrace this style that remains so relevant today.”
We’re proud to support the vibrant places we call home through our sustainable business practices and contributions to local education and community-building initiatives.
Red Cedar Elementary, Bluffton
Hilton Head Preparatory School
Hilton Head Island Elementary-IB
Hilton Head Creative Arts Academy
M.C. Riley Elementary School, Bluffton
River Ridge Academy, Bluffton
St. Francis Catholic School, HHI
Bluffton Elementary
Hilton Head Christian Academy
Rotary Club of Hilton Head
The Cypress
The Seabrook
Tidepointe
These educational visits are made possible through a generous grant from Gulfstream Aerospace.
First offered in 2003, the Ambassador Program will again be part of the 2026 Hilton Head International Piano Competition. How does it work? Competitors visit Beaufort County schools to perform for groups of students, elementary through high school age. They choose what to play—usually selections from their competition repertoire as well as favorite indigenous works. Competitors interact with the students to convey information about the pieces/composers, and to engage in conversation about their musical studies and life in their home countries. Not only do these sessions assist schools in satisfying several state curricular requirements, but they can also be quite entertaining since the students may ask unexpected questions. A few years ago, HHIPC added seniorliving communities to this community engagement program.
The Ambassador Program is a central part of the HHIPC’s mission and one of the most impactful things it does.
The Ambassador Program is a quintessential win-win. For competitors it is a valuable opportunity to perform, sharing their artistry and virtuosity in a relaxed setting with people both young and old. It also gives them a taste of the educational encounters they are likely to be involved with in the future. As for the students, it is the first time many will hear classical music or attend a LIVE musical performance of any kind. Teachers confirm that the visits awaken musical excitement and inspire students to strive and excel at whatever endeavors they wish to accomplish.
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Today people everywhere in the world can experience the drama and excitement at the core of the HHIPC, something only live audiences could enjoy a few years ago. Streaming provides competitors with an opportunity to perform for international audiences—a critically important part of advancing their careers, and a principal motivation for applying to our competition.
This year’s competitors hail from six countries. By livestreaming both the solo rounds and the concerto finals, supporters back home can participate in the excitement of watching performances in real time. Last year for the first time, Amadeus TV, an authoritative classical music platform in China, was a partner, with over 200,000 confirmed veiwers of the HHIPC in China.
DURING THE PAST SEVERAL COMPETITIONS, PEOPLE IN AS MANY AS 60 COUNTRIES LOGGED INTO THE HHIPC VIA STREAMING.
Our local audiences and host families also benefit from livestreaming, being able to enjoy more of the competition than they might be able to attend in person. At the times you cannot attend this week, we encourage you to livestream. It’s fun, it’s easy, and your grandchildren will be impressed! Access the livestream on our website www.hhipc.org.
When the application period for the 2026 Competition closed on September 30, 2025, there were 166 submissions from 20 countries. You may wonder how the 20 pianists who come to Hilton Head in March are selected. This daunting responsibility rests with the Competitor Selection Jury (“CSJ”). The three piano professionals who comprise the Selection Jury are as accomplished as members of the Competition Jury who adjudicate in March, and they work just as hard.
Competitor selection is a two-part process. First, the jurors spend six weeks or so in their hometowns reviewing all the audition videos. No one has an affiliation with any of the applicants this is against HHIPC rules. All evaluations are done blind jurors know the applicants only by a number assigned by a computer program. Jurors do not have access to applicants’ written applications, nor to any other information that might reveal identities and so inadvertently introduce bias.
THE LARGELY INVISIBLE, BEHINDTHE-SCENES WORK THE CSJ DOES LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR A SUCCESSFUL COMPETITION.
Applicants submit at least three video files re ecting works of contrasting styles totaling 20-30 minutes in length, and all pieces must be played from memory. At the end of the remote evaluations, the pool is reduced in size if all three judges independently rate an applicant as not ready to compete at the HHIPC. At this or at any other point in the remote process, judges cannot see their peers’ ratings, nor do they communicate with one another.
In November, CSJ members travel to Hilton Head to complete the task. They settle into a comfortable home theater with state-of-the-art equipment. Eloise and Bob Mason, who reside in Long Cove, were this year’s gracious hosts. The judges listen again, sometimes more than once, to the multiple pieces of repertoire the applicants remaining in the pool have chosen to showcase their talents. At the end of two intense 10-hour days, the jury selects the 20 competitors who will be invited to play in the HHIPC, plus a slate of alternates. A numerical scoring system is employed, allowing for discrimination among applicants of similar talents. The rigorous, unbiased and transparent way our juries select competitors is one of the HHIPC’s acknowledged strengths in the world of international piano competitions. It is instrumental in helping us attract both top-drawer competitors and judges.
The HHIPC is extremely grateful to this year’s Competitor Selection Jury — Robin McCabe, Robert Shannon, and Christopher Taylor — professionals with “great ears” whose collective efforts ensure a successful competition.
Celebrated pianist Robin McCabe has established herself as one of America’s most communicative and persuasive artists. McCabe’s involvement and musical sensibilities have delighted audiences across the United States, Europe, Canada and in nine concert tours of the Far East. The US epartment of State sponsored her two South American tours, which were triumphs both artistically and diplomatically.
As noted by The New York Times, What Ms. McCabe has that raises her playing to such a special level is a strong lyric instinct and confidence in its ability to reach and touch the listener. The Tokyo Press declared her a pianistic powerhouse. Richard yer, the eminent critic of The Boston Globe, said Her brilliant, natural piano playing shows as much independence of mind as of fingers. Her recordings have received universal acclaim. McCabe earned her Bachelor of Music degree summa cum laude at the University of Washington School of Music and her master’s and doctorate degrees at The uilliard School. She joined the uilliard faculty in 1978, then returned to the University of Washington in 1987 to accept a position on the piano faculty. In 1994, McCabe was appointed irector of the School of Music, a position she held until 2009. With colleague Craig Sheppard, she launched the highly successful Seattle Piano Institute, an intense summer immersion experience for gifted and aspiring classical pianists.
McCabe performs regularly throughout the United States and has made several tours of South Korea, apan, Taiwan, and China. She often appears as a jurist for international piano competitions. She served on the juries of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition 2016 and the Hilton Head International Piano Competition 2022 . In October of 2023, she made her fifth concert tour of China.
Robert Shannon has been Professor of Piano at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music since 1976. He has performed and given master classes in Europe, South America, Asia, and throughout the United States. His continuing series of recordings for Bridge Records has been widely praised in the world press.
Mr. Shannon’s repertoire ranges from Bach to Boulez, but he has been particularly noted for his performances of twentieth-century American composers. He has commissioned and premiered works by ohn Harbison, Charles Wuorinen, Tod Machover, onald Erb, and George Crumb, among others. His recordings of solo and violin sonatas of Charles Ives, with long-time duo partner Gregory Fulkerson, have received rave reviews. He has been involved in expanding the repertoire for isklavier interfaced with other media, which represents a new gamut of sounds and textural possibilities for a single performer.
In recent years, Mr. Shannon has performed in London, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Caracas, Houston, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Los Angeles, Paris, Rome, New York, and Seoul. He often performs in duo recitals with his wife and faculty colleague Haewon Song, and as part of the George Crumb Ensemble.
Mr. Shannon is Director of the Thomas and Evon Cooper Competition. This unique event combines master classes and concerts by Oberlin professors and special guest faculty, lectures by prominent musicologists, and an international competition for high school students, with concerto finals with the Cleveland Orchestra. In addition, Mr. Shannon often serves as a judge of American competitions such as the Cleveland International Piano Competition, the Concert Artists Guild of New York Competition, and the Sorantin and Wideman Competitions.
Mr. Shannon graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy in 1967. He received degrees from Oberlin College and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music and from The Juilliard School.
Hailed by critics as “frighteningly talented” (The New York Times) and “a great pianist” (The Los Angeles Times , Christopher Taylor has distinguished himself as an innovative musician with a diverse array of talents and interests. He is known for a passionate advocacy of music written in the past 100 years Messiaen, Ligeti, and Bolcom figure prominently in his performances — but his repertoire spans four centuries and includes the complete Beethoven sonatas, the Liszt Transcendental Etudes, Bach’s Goldberg Variations, and a multitude of other familiar masterworks.
Mr. Taylor has concertized around the globe, with international tours taking him to Russia, Western Europe, East Asia, and the Caribbean. In the United States, he has appeared with such orchestras as the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Detroit Milwaukee Symphonies. As a soloist, he has performed in New York’s Carnegie and Alice Tully Halls, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Ravinia and Aspen festivals, and dozens of other venues. In chamber settings, he has collaborated with many eminent musicians. His recordings feature works by Liszt, Messiaen, and present-day Americans William Bolcom and Derek Bermel. Numerous awards confirm Mr. Taylor’s high standing in the musical world. He was named an American Pianists’ Association Fellow (2000), before which he received an Avery Fisher Career Grant (1996), and the Bronze Medal in the 1993 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. In 1990 he took first prize in the William Kapell International Piano Competition and became one of the first recipients of the Irving Gilmore Young Artists’ Award. He currently serves as the Paul Collins Professor of Piano Performance at the University of Wisconsin. He pursues a variety of other interests including mathematics (he received a summa cum laude degree from Harvard University in this field in 1992 , philosophy, computing, linguistics, and biking, which is his primary means of commuting. Christopher Taylor is a Steinway artist.
Pianist and conductor Ian Hobson — called “powerful and persuasive” by The New York Times — is recognized internationally for his command of an extraordinarily comprehensive repertoire, his consummate performances of the Romantic masters, his deft and idiomatic readings of neglected piano music old and new, and his assured conducting from both the piano and the podium. Maestro Hobson currently serves as Guest Conductor of the esteemed Sinfonia Varsovia and Music Director of the Sinfonia da Camera, a professional chamber orchestra affiliated with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where Mr. Hobson is the Swanlund Emeritus Professor of Music.
Mr. Hobson has dedicated himself to studying such lesser-known masters as Ignaz Moscheles, Johann Hummel, and Richard Stöhr. He has also been an effective advocate of works by several noted contemporary composers, including Benjamin Lees, ohn Gardner, avid Liptak, Alan Ridout, and Yehudi Wyner. Mr. Hobson has to date amassed a discography of some 60 releases, including the complete piano sonatas of Beethoven and Schumann and a complete edition of Brahms’s Variations for Piano. Recently, Mr. Hobson has been recording the solo and orchestral works of Polish composer Moritz Moszkowski the first volume of orchestral works was awarded a 2020 iapason d’or couverte’ by the French magazine Diapason.
As guest soloist, Ian Hobson has appeared with many of the world’s major orchestras, including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Florida, Houston, Indianapolis, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and the American Symphony Orchestra and Orquesta Sinfónica de Puerto Rico. Abroad, he has been heard with Great Britain’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, The London Philharmonic Orchestra, Scottish National Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and Hall Orchestra, ORF-Vienna, Orchester der Beethovenhalle, Moscow Chopin Orchestra, Israeli Sinfonietta, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.
One of the youngest ever graduates of the Royal Academy of Music, Mr. Hobson began his international career in 1981 when he won First Prize at the Leeds International Piano Competition, after having earned silver medals at both the Arthur Rubinstein and Vienna-Beethoven competitions. Born in Wolverhampton, England, he studied at Cambridge University, and at Yale University, in addition to his earlier studies at the Royal Academy of Music.
Consistently praised for her brilliant technique, tonal beauty, and superb musicianship, Canadian pianist Angela Cheng is one of her country’s national treasures. In addition to regular guest appearances with virtually every orchestra in Canada, she has performed with the symphonies of Saint Louis, Houston, Indianapolis, Colorado, Utah, San iego, Fort Worth, and acksonville, as well as the philharmonic orchestras of Buffalo, Louisiana, Rhode Island, London, Israel and Minas Gerais in Brazil.
Recent performances include a return to the Edmonton Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic, Minas Gerais Philharmonic, Music Toronto and the Vancouver Recital Society for the Brahms Festival. Next season will include the Richmond Symphony, Akron Symphony, Regina Symphony, and a recital at Art Spring, among others.
Angela Cheng has performed recitals and concertos at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center Washington, .C., the 92nd Street Y New York and Wigmore Hall in London. She appears regularly on recital series throughout the United States and Canada and has collaborated with numerous chamber ensembles including the Tak cs, Colorado, and Vogler uartets. North American festival performances include Banff, Chautau ua, Colorado, Great Lakes Chamber Music, Vancouver, Toronto and the Festival International de Lanaudi re in uebec.
Ms. Cheng has made several recordings for CBC, including discs of Mozart and Shostakovich concerti and a C of four Spanish concerti with Hans Graf and the Calgary Philharmonic. In addition, an all-Chopin recital C has been released by Universal Music Canada.
Angela Cheng was the Gold Medalist of the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Masters Competition, as well as the first Canadian to win the prestigious Montreal International Piano Competition. Other awards include the Canada Council’s coveted Career evelopment Grant and the Medal of Excellence for outstanding interpretations of Mozart from the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria.
A native of Hong Kong, Ms. Cheng studied extensively with Menahem Pressler at Indiana University and with Sascha Gorodnitzki at The uilliard School. She is currently on the artist faculty of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she was honored with the 2011-12 Excellence in Teaching Award.
HONG KONG CANA A
Marian Hahn holds the Singapore Conservatory of Music Chair in Piano at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore where she has been on the piano faculty since 1987. As a liaison with the new Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, she has performed and given master classes in Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, and Thailand and is in fre uent demand as a competition juror and for master classes on campuses throughout the U.S.
Hahn’s solo career was launched in 1976 when she became a winner in the International Leventritt Competition. She made her Carnegie Recital Hall debut as a Concert Artists Guild winner and subse uently appeared in New York recitals at the Metropolitan Museum and Merkin Hall.
A top prizewinner in the University of Maryland, and Kosciuzko competitions, Hahn has toured nationwide, performing recitals on prestigious series in Washington .C., Boston, Chicago, and Minneapolis, and as a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Pops, and five appearances with the acksonville Symphony. Critically acclaimed European tours have taken her to England, France, Italy, Holland, Belgium, and Germany.
An avid chamber musician, Hahn has been a participant in the Marlboro, Sedona, Grand Canyon, and Aria festivals, and is on the faculty of the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Maine. She toured extensively as the pianist of the Amadeus Trio and was also a founding member of the Amabile Piano uartet. Her recordings with the Amabile uartet and Amadeus Trio appear on the Summit and Kleos labels respectively.
A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Oberlin College with a major in Comparative Religion, she received her MM degree from The uilliard School her teachers have included ohn Perry, Leon Fleisher and Benjamin Kaplan.
Lauded for “superb playing” and “poised, alert musicianship” by The Boston Globe, and labeled definitely a man to watch by London’s The Independent, American pianist Spencer Myer is one of the most respected and sought-after artists on today’s concert stage.
Spencer Myer’s orchestral, recital and chamber music performances have been heard throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia. He has been soloist with, among many others, The Cleveland Orchestra, Boise, ayton, Louisiana and Rhode Island philharmonic orchestras, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, the Baton Rouge, Bozeman, Canton, Chattanooga, Flagstaff, Indianapolis, uneau, Knoxville, New Haven, Phoenix, Santa Fe, Springfield MA, MO, OH , Traverse, Tucson and Wyoming symphony orchestras, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra, Ohio’s ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, New York City’s The Park Avenue Chamber Symphony, Mexico’s Or uesta Filarm nica de alisco, South Africa’s Cape Town and ohannesburg philharmonic orchestras and Beijing’s China National Symphony Orchestra. His 2005 recital orchestral tour of South Africa included a performance of the five piano concerti of Beethoven with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa, followed by six return orchestra and recital tours.
Spencer Myer’s recital appearances have been presented in New York City’s Weill Recital Hall, 92nd Street Y and Steinway Hall, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and London’s Wigmore Hall, while many of his performances have been broadcast on W R New York City , WHYY Philadelphia , WCLV Cleveland and WFMT Chicago . An in-demand chamber musician, he has appeared multiple summers at the Lev Aronson Legacy Festival with cellists Lynn Harrell, Ralph Kirshbaum, Amit Peled, Tom Landschoot and Brian Thornton, and has enjoyed a recurring partnership for over a decade with the Miami String uartet at the Kent Blossom Music Festival. Other artistic partners include clarinetist avid Shifrin, sopranos Nicole Cabell, Martha Guth and Erin Wall, the upiter and Pacifica string uartets and the orian Wind uintet.
Spencer Myer’s career was launched with three important prizes First Prize in the 2004 UNISA International Piano Competition in South Africa, the 2006 Christel eHaan Classical Fellowship from the American Pianists Association and the Gold Medal from the 2008 New Orleans International Piano Competition. He is also a laureate of the 2007 William Kapell, 2005 Cleveland and 2005 Busoni international piano competitions. He enjoys an esteemed reputation as a vocal collaborator since winning the 2000 Marilyn Horne Foundation Competition. Mr. Myer was a member of Astral Artists’ performance roster from 2003-2010.
A renowned pedagogue, Spencer Myer is currently Associate Professor of Piano at the Indiana University acobs School of Music, where he was named a recipient of the 2024 Trustees Teaching Award. Previously, has served as a guest faculty at the Oberlin and Baldwin-Wallace Conservatories of Music, and was a member of the piano faculty at Boston’s Longy School of Music of Bard College from 2016 to 2022.
Since 2017, Spencer Myer has released six recordings on the Steinway Sons label Piano Rags of William Bolcom, Chopin The Four Impromptus , and four discs with cellist Brian Thornton encompassing repertoire of Brahms, Chopin, ebussy, Schumann and Rachmaninoff.
Spencer Myer is a Steinway Artist.
RUSSIA USA
Born in Kazan, Russia, into a family of musicians, aria Rabotkina gave her first solo recital at the age of 10. Her education started at the Specialized Music School under the guidance of her parents and Nora Kazatchkova. Later, it continued in Kazan State Conservatory and Mannes College of Music in New York City under the tutelage of Vladimir Feltsman. In addition, she holds a octor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music where she studied with Natalya Antonova.
Concerto highlights include San Francisco and New World symphonies, Kirov Mariinsky Orchestra, Moscow State Symphony, Winnipeg Symphony, Hudson Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony, Harrisburg Symphony, Or uesta Sinfonica de Concepci n, and Turku Philharmonic Orchestra. Rabotkina has collaborated with Michael Tilson Thomas, Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Feltsman, ulian Kuerti, oAnn Falletta, Benjamin Shwartz, and Giancarlo Guerrero.
As a soloist, she has given recitals at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, Kennedy Center, Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Concert Hall in New York City, Ravinia’s Rising Stars, and ame Myra Hess in Chicago. Her appearances abroad include enmark, Switzerland, Germany, France, Mexico, and apan.
Winner of the 2007 Concert Artists Guild International Competition, Rabotkina received top prizes at several international competitions and participated in Russia’s White Nights, Finland’s Kuhmo, and Copenhagen’s Summer festivals. In the United States, Rabotkina has appeared at the Rockport Chamber Music, International Keyboard Institute, PianoSummer at New Paltz, and San Francisco International Piano festivals. Her first three recordings were done with CAG Records as part of the Victor Elmaleh Collection. The debut recording features Tchaikovsky’s Grand Sonata and Prokofiev’s Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet. Her second C contains Beethoven’s iabelli Variations and Schubert’s Moments Musicaux. Rabotkina’s third project involved live recording of three concerti. The latest C MSR Classics , with humores ues by vo k, Reger, Rachmaninov, and Schumann, was released to critical acclaim in 2018.
Rabotkina joined the piano faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Music in the fall of 2024 where she also serves as the irector of Academy Piano Studies. Previously, she presented master classes, private lessons, and lectures at the Kazan State Conservatory. Passionate about early piano education, Rabotkina founded the FunKey Piano Project at Texas State in 2018, where she was an associate professor of piano 2016-24 .
COUNTRY China
AGE 13
HOST FAMILY Marleen ack Cain
Chenxi Cao was born in Shanghai in 2012 and began his piano education under the guidance of Li Didi in 2017. In 2018, he began studying under Professor Luo iao of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Affiliated High School and has been doing so ever since. In 2022, he was admitted to the Shanghai Conservatory of Music High School as the top scorer in the piano major. Since entering the school, he has received the Special Award of the Niu Endi Scholarship and the People's Scholarship on multiple occasions.
In 2022, he won Second Prize in the Piano A group at the 4th Zhuhai Mozart International Youth Music Week. As the youngest winner in the history of the event, he was invited to perform Mozart's ouble Piano Concerto with Russian prodigy Elisey Mysin and the Salzburg Symphony Orchestra at the opening concert of the 5th Zhuhai Mozart International Youth Music Week in 2023.
In May 2024, he recorded the seventh part of the vinyl record Ode to the Red Flag by Lu iming with pianist Chen Sa the record was officially released in October. He also won Second Prize in the Professional Children's Group and First Prize in the Modern Works group at the International Youth Piano Performance and China-Switzerland Modern Piano Works performance at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music High School in 2024. In anuary 2024, he held his first solo concert at the Bosi Changjiang River Music Hall.
ROUND I
Bach
Prelude and Fugue No. 19 in A Major, BWV 888, WTC II
Haydn Sonata in B- at Major, Hob. VI 41 Medtner Sonata tragica, Op. 39, No. 5
Hamelin Étude No. 6 in minor, Omaggio a Domenico Scarlatti
ROUND II
Liebermann Nocturne No. 4, Op. 38, To Andrew Wilde
Chopin Variations on Là ci darem la mano, Op. 2, from Don Giovanni
Ravel Miroirs: IV. Alborada del gracioso, M. 43
ROUND III
Chopin Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
Matthew Chang is studying under the guidance of Dr. Martin Labazevitch and Dr. Ian Hobson. In 2024-2025, Matthew received the Silver Prize and the Special Award for the best performance of a Chopin piece at the final round of the Music Teachers National Association senior piano competition, as well as the Silver Medal and the Special Award for the best performance of a Chopin mazurka at the 31st International Chopin Piano Competition in Szafarnia, Poland. He has also received numerous accolades including winning the National YoungArts with Distinction award, the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition, and the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition for Young Pianists, among others.
Matthew gave his first livestream solo recital at age 11 and the second at the Polish ambassador’s residence at 12 years old. He has performed in venues across the world including in Puerto Rico, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Taiwan, South Korea, and more. Matthew has been featured with the Sinfonia da Camera Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Ian Hobson in Illinois and appeared on NPR’s From the Top. Recently, he was selected to be a third-year Chopin national scholarship recipient.
Comments by the NY Concert Review at the Rosalyn Tureck winner’s concert: “Chang projected the life of each distinct phrase with a joyful and intense involvement. His rhythm was not merely solid, but also full of dance-like energy.”
COUNTRY – United States AGE – 17
HOST FAMILY – Barbara & Jay Ellis
ROUND I
Ravel Gaspard de la nuit: III. Scarbo, M. 55
Chopin Variations on Là ci darem al mano, Op. 2, from Don Giovanni
ROUND II
Bach Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 870, WTC II
Ligeti Étude No. 4 in C Major, Book I, Fanfares Beethoven Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53, Waldstein
ROUND III
Chopin Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
COUNTRY – United States/Australia
AGE – 16
HOST FAMILY – Barbara Sorkin
Sixteen-year-old pianist Anwen Deng was born in Brisbane, Australia. She began piano at three years old and was accepted into Juilliard’s Pre-College program at six, currently studying with Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky. Anwen has received top prizes in numerous piano competitions including the 2025 and 2026 YoungArts Winner with Distinction, Chopin Foundation of the United States Year 1 and Year 2 Scholarships, Second Prize at the 2025 Thomas and Evon Cooper International Piano Competition, and others in Australia, Poland, the United States, and Germany. At the age of ten, Anwen was invited to perform with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. Since then, she has performed as a soloist with the Cleveland Orchestra, Sarasota Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Lumos, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Chamber Orchestra, New York Little Orchestra Society, and Brisbane Symphony Orchestra under the batons of Maestros Samy Rachid, David Alan Miller, Michael Stern, Salvador Brotons, and Antoni Bonetti.
Anwen has attended renowned international festivals such as the Aspen Music Festival and School and Piano Texas International Festival and Academy, performing in master classes for acclaimed pianists including Arie Vardi, Tamás Ungár, Angela Cheng, and Sa Chen. Anwen has also performed in chamber ensembles at the Kennedy Center’s Sounds of US festival and as part of Juilliard’s New Music Ensemble.
Beyond her virtuosity as a pianist, Anwen’s passion for music extends to composition. With numerous original pieces, including nocturnes, sonatas, ballades, waltzes, quartets, and a symphony, Anwen continues to push the boundaries of musical expression, showcasing her creativity and versatility.
ROUND I
Bach Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in G Major, BWV 860, WTC 1
Beethoven Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, Appassionata
ROUND II
Chopin Mazurka in A minor, Op. 59, No. 1
Thomas Adès Mazurka, Op. 27, No. 1
Ravel Le Tombeau de Couperin: VI. Toccata, M. 68
Liszt Rhapsodie espagnole, S. 254
ROUND III
Beethoven Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
Isabel is a 9th grader from Folsom, California. She began piano lessons at the age of four with Carol Chuang and from the age of seven, also studied privately with Ilana Vered. Currently she is a student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College, where she studies under Yoshikazu Nagai.
Isabel made her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of six and has since performed across the United States, Canada, China, and Italy. She is a prizewinner of numerous national and international competitions, including the MTNA Junior Piano Competition (California and Southwest Division winners and 2026 National Finalist), San Jose International Piano Competition (First Prize), Xinghai Cup National Piano Competition in China (Grand Prize), Vancouver International Music Competition (First Grand Prize across all categories), and the International e-Piano Junior Competition (Fourth Prize). She has also earned First Prizes at all three CAPMT California State Competitions and the MTAC Piano Concerto Solo State Competition, as well as a Special Prize at the Kaufman International Piano Competition. Her orchestral appearances include solo debuts with the Folsom Lake College Youth Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Virtuosi Brunenses, Orchestra Europa Musica, Orchestra delle Cento Città, and the Florence Conservatory Orchestra.
Isabel has also been selected to participate in prestigious music programs and master classes to study with world-renowned pianists including Ruth Slenczynska, Jerome Lowenthal, Mikhail Voskresensky, Arie Vardi, John Perry, Christopher Elton, Ian Jones, Alexander Kobrin, Marcus Groh, Kevin Kenner, Dina Yoffe and many others.
Besides piano, Isabel enjoys swimming, baking, writing, and playing chess.
COUNTRY – United States
AGE – 14
HOST FAMILY – Dede Bethke
Haydn Sonata in E Major, Hob. XVI:31
Rachmaninoff Prelude in G Major, Op. 32, No. 5
Evans Koçja Prelude No. 1
Chopin Scherzo No. 2 in B- at minor, Op. 31
ROUND II
Handel Suite in F Major, HWV 427
Ravel Sonatine, M. 40, I. Modéré
Chopin Nocturne No. 2 in - at Major, Op. 27
Chopin Variations Brillantes in B- at Major, Op. 12
ROUND III
Chopin Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
COUNTRY – United States
AGE – 16
HOST FAMILY Elizabeth Edward Simmons
David Gatien, from Bellevue, WA, studies piano with Professor Yoshikazu Nagai at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Precollege. He has received top prizes at numerous competitions including First Prize awards at the American Protégé International Music Competitions (with Judges’ Distinctions), ENKOR International, AADGT International, and the San Francisco and Seattle International Piano Competitions. More recently, he was a semifinalist at both the Palm Springs PSIPC and Cooper International Piano Competitions and received Third Prize and the Ashkenazi Award for Promising Young Musician at the YeonCheon MK Young Artists International Piano Competition in South Korea. David is a current National MTNA Senior Piano Finalist and was also named a 2026 YoungArts Award Winner with Distinction in Classical Music.
David was a featured solo artist in the Rising Stars Concert Series at the 2024 Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival and has had master classes with renowned pianists such as Michelle Cann, Jon Nakamatsu, Aviram Reichert, Boris Slutsky, Awadagin Pratt, Boris Berman, Alvin Chow, and others. A dedicated chamber musician, avid is a member of the Academy for Chamber Music at the Seattle Chamber Music Society and has appeared on the Seattle-based radio show Northwest Focus Live on 98.1 Classical KINGFM, performing both chamber and solo works. In April 2025, avid had the extraordinary opportunity to meet and work with Evgeny Kissin after being selected as the pianist to perform the U.S. premiere of the esteemed pianist’s own composition, Piano Trio, Op. 6, during Kissin’s concert event at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall.
ROUND I
Bach
Prelude and Fugue No. 16 in G Major, BWV 860, WTC I
Vine Five Bagatelles: I. Darkly, II. Leggiero e legato, V. Threnody
Liszt
ROUND II
Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514
Haydn Sonata in C Major, Hob. VI 48
Schubert rei Klavierst cke, . 946, I. Allegro assai Stravinsky/Agosti Three Movements from L’Oiseau de Feu
ROUND III
Beethoven Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37
Junye Huang (born in 2011) is a young pianist recognized for his exceptional artistry, disciplined musicianship, and rapidly growing stage presence. He began piano studies at the age of nine with Professor Vivian Li, under whose guidance he developed a refined technical foundation and a distinctive musical voice. He is currently a ninth-grade piano major at the Affiliated Middle School of the Xinghai Conservatory of Music and is a participant in the school’s Top Innovative Talent cultivation program.
At only fourteen, Junye has already distinguished himself at major national and international competitions. In 2023, he won First Prize in Professional Group A at the National Finals of the 11th Steinway Youth Piano Competition. In 2024, he was an award recipient in both solo piano and chamber music at the 3rd Xinghai Steinway Scholarship Audition and went on to win First Prize in the school’s Yamaha Scholarship Competition. That same year, he earned First Prize in Group B of the 8th Israel Scherzo International Piano Competition in Tel Aviv.
In 2025, Junye was awarded a full scholarship to the exclusive Morningside Music Bridge program in Boston. He has also been accepted as a competitor for the 2026 Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition and the Hilton Head International Young Artists Piano Competition (USA).
Outside of music, he enjoys reading, listening to both classical and contemporary music, and playing badminton.
COUNTRY – China
AGE – 14
HOST FAMILY – Anita Hotchkiss
ROUND I
Thomas Adès Mazurkas for Piano, Op. 27: Nos. 1 and 2 Haydn Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50 Albéniz Navarra
ROUND II
Rameau Pièces de clavecin, RCT 3: Suite No. 2, No. 1 Les tendres plantes, No. 8, Les cyclopes Liszt Années de pèlerinage I, S. 160: IX. Les cloches de Genève Liszt Réminiscences de Don Juan, S. 418
ROUND III
Prokofiev Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26
COUNTRY – Canada/United States
AGE – 15
HOST FAMILY – Jan & Bill Raisch
Ryan Huang is a Young Steinway Artist and a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. Celebrated for his artistry and maturity, Ryan recently received a standing ovation for his encore performance at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Gala Celebration concert-Lang Lang’s Emperor.
A laureate of numerous international competitions, Ryan has earned top prizes at the XXII Nutcracker International Television Music Competition (Russia), the Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition for Children and Youth (Poland), the Jeune Chopin Competition (Switzerland), and the Kaufman International Piano Competition (United States), as well as the Steinway Junior Piano Competition and the Canadian Music Competition in Canada.
Since making his Carnegie Hall Stern Auditorium debut at age seven and his solo recital debut at the Shanghai Symphony Hall at age eight, Ryan has performed with prestigious orchestras and ensembles including the Moscow Philharmonic (Russia), Wuhan Philharmonic (China), Vienna Opera Ball Orchestra Austria , and Newfoundland Symphony Canada , among others. He has also appeared with orchestras across Italy and Poland. In February 2026, he will be featured with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Roy Thomson Hall.
An alumnus of the Phil and Eli Taylor Performance Academy for Young Artists, Ryan currently studies in the studio of Dr. Michael Berkovsky and receives additional guidance from Dr. Marilyn Engle.
During his formative years he was under the tutelage of Dr. Olga Chichova.
Beyond the concert stage, Ryan is a passionate volunteer who performs regularly for charity and teaches music to primary school students weekly. He remains dedicated to the philosophy that every child deserves the opportunity to explore the beauty of music and musical instruments.
ROUND I
Scarlatti Sonata in D Major, K. 491
Hough Fanfare Toccata in C Major
Bach/Busoni Chaconne in D minor, BWV 1004
ROUND II
Haydn Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50
Schubert/Liszt Auf dem Wasser zu singen, D. 774
Scriabin Fantasy in B minor, Op. 28
ROUND III
Grieg Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Jueon started to play the piano at age seven. He studied at Yewon School, a prestigious arts middle school in South Korea, which he entered as an excellent scholarship student. His solo debut recital was in the Kumho Prodigy concerts at age 12.
Jueon has earned awards in many competitions. In 2025, he won First Prize at the Steinway Youth Piano Competition Southeast Asia-Pacific Regional Finals in Bangkok. He was invited to the Steinway Festival in Hamburg, Germany and performed in Laeiszhalle’s Grand Hall. In 2024, he won prizes at the Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany and the Ishikawa International Piano Competition in Japan. He won the Grand Prize at the Henle Piano Competition and First Prize at the Ewha-Kyunghyang Competition. Demonstrating his talent in chamber music, he won Grand Prize at the Music Journal Competition.
Jueon Lee has given many recitals and concerts in Korea including at the Seoul Arts Center and Lotte Concert Hall. In 2025, he had a solo recital at Shanghai Conservatory in China, at the invitation of the Shanghai International Piano Conference.
He has participated in master classes with Sir András Schiff, Nelson Goerner, Peter Jablonski and others. He has performed with both the Prime Philharmonic and the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestras.
COUNTRY – South Korea
AGE – 14
HOST FAMILY – Lori & Bobby Tyson
Mozart Sonata No. 12 in F Major, K. 332
Ravel Gaspard de la nuit: III. Scarbo, M. 55
ROUND II
Bach Prelude and Fugue in C-sharp Major, BWV 848, WTC I
Liszt Ballade No. 2 in B minor, S. 171
Unsuk Chin Six Piano Études: No. 5 in C Major, Toccata
Balakirev Islamey: Oriental Fantasy, Op. 18
ROUND III
Chopin
Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
COUNTRY – United States / South Korea
AGE – 15
HOST FAMILY – Eileen & Jerry Durkin
Kaiden is a sophomore at Northview High School in Johns Creek, Georgia. He began studying piano at the age of seven and became seriously involved in music after beginning studies with Professor Liza Stepanova at the University of Georgia in 2024. Kaiden is a 2026 YoungArts Winner and earned Third Prize in the 2025 MTNA National Junior Division. His awards also include First Prizes from the Steinway Avanti Piano Competition, Georgia MTNA, EVMTA, DVMTA, GMTA, Sejong Piano Competition, Ralph Stilwell Piano Competition, Opus Music National Competition, and Angelo/ Micheline Addona Young Artists Piano Competition.
Beyond competitions, Kaiden pursues artistic growth through festivals and master classes. He has participated in master classes with Victor Rosenbaum, Jasmin Arakawa, Grace Huang, Robert McDonald, and Jay Hershberger through the American Liszt Society Festival at the University of Georgia. In 2024, he attended the Brevard Music Festival, and in the summer of 2025, he studied with Professor Julian Martin at the Bowdoin International Music Festival.
In addition to piano, Kaiden is an active percussionist and has performed in both the Georgia All-State Band and Georgia All-State Orchestra. Beyond music, he is deeply passionate about science. He is a two-time winner of the IAC National Science Bee (2023 and 2024), and his school Academic Bowl team earned first place at the USA National Tournament in 2024 and second place in 2025. He is currently deeply committed to the USA Biology Olympiad, with the goal of representing Team USA.
ROUND I
Bach
Ligeti
Prelude and Fugue No. 8 in E- at minor, BWV 853, WTC I
Étude No.13, Book II, L’escalier du diable . Peja evi The Life of Flowers, Op. 19, V. Rose
Chopin
ROUND II
Scherzo No. 3 in C-sharp minor, Op. 39
Beethoven Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, Appassionata Stravinsky
ROUND III
Rachmaninoff
Three movements from Petrushka: lll. Shrovetide Fair
Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18
Verity Leung studies piano with Wayne Weng in Vancouver, Canada. She has participated in master classes with Wha Kyung Byun, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Krzysztof Jablonski, Boris Slutsky, Dang Thai Son, Ilana Vered, and the late John Perry. Verity’s playing has been described as “sensitively nuanced” and artistically thoughtful with beautiful uency and facile air.
Verity is the recipient of many piano awards on the provincial and national levels. She won First Prize in the 2021 and 2022 Canadian Music Competition, and the 2021, 2023 and 2024 British Columbia Provincials. In 2024, she won the solo piano category in the Canada West Performing Arts Festival, which was open to provincial winners from British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. She was a finalist in the Kaufman International Youth Piano Competition in New York City in 2024. Verity is a three-time Gold Medalist of the Royal Conservatory of Music in 2018, 2022, and 2024 for National ARCT Piano. In 2025, she was the overall prize winner in the Steinway Competition Canada and was selected to participate in Morningside Music Bridge held at the New England Conservatory.
Verity seeks to communicate the beauty of classical music to enrich the community at large. Her CD album Childhood Memories through the Ages (2020) and her charity concert entitled In Veritate et Caritate (2024) raised over $45,000 to support refugee claimants in Vancouver.
Outside of piano and philanthropy, Verity is a passionate parkour practitioner, percussionist, and poet. She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and she coaches debate weekly.
COUNTRY – Canada
AGE – 15
HOST FAMILY – Judy & Joe Gimbel
Haydn Sonata in E- at Major, Hob. VI 52
Liszt Concert Waltz on two themes from Donizetti's Lucia and Parisina, S. 401
ROUND II
Scarlatti Sonata in C-sharp minor, K. 247
Scarlatti Sonata in A Major, K. 113 Hamelin Étude No. 6 in D minor, Omaggio a Domenico Scarlatti Prokofiev Sonata No. 2 in minor, Op. 14
ROUND III
Mendelssohn Concerto No. 1 in G minor, Op. 25
COUNTRY – China
AGE – 17
HOST FAMILY – Lauren & Van Schwiebert
Born in Shanghai, Zhehao Li began his piano studies at the age of five. He currently attends the Middle School Affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music where he was awarded the Niu Ende Scholarship in 2023. His notable competition achievements include First Prize in Group I at the International Competition Young Virtuosos 2023 in Bulgaria and the Paris Animato Award at the 2023 China Lanzhou International Piano Competition, which earned him an invitation to perform at Salle Cortot in Paris in October 2023. As the recipient of the Audience Award, he was also invited to the Prix Animato Tarnow in Poland in April 2024, where he won First Prize. In August 2024, Zhehao made his concerto debut with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra at the 6th Shanghai International Music Festival Professional Piano Competition, winning First Prize in the professional junior group. He also collaborated with the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and received Third Prize at the 2024 Khachaturian International Youth Competition.
In November 2024, Zhehao was selected by the Music Prodigy Search Foundation to perform Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 at the Shanghai Concert Hall. In 2025, Zhehao had his solo recital at Infinite Music Hub under the Morning Star Plan charity initiative, followed by another solo performance as part of Lang Lang Hangzhou Art World's Starry Sky Project. He also served as a student delegate in the music exchange program with the Musikschule Ehingen in Germany.
Zhehao's artistic development has been enriched through master classes with internationally acclaimed pianists and pedagogues. Besides playing the piano, he also enjoys reading, calligraphy, aviation, cycling, and traveling.
Beethoven Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57, Appassionata Hamelin Étude No. 9 in F minor, After Rossini
ROUND II
Bach Prelude and Fugue No. 18 in G-sharp minor, BWV 887, WTC II
Rachmaninoff Variations on a theme of Corelli, Op. 42
Sancan Toccata In G minor
ROUND III
Prokofiev Concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26
Zihan Li began studying piano at the age of four with Liang Larisa from Russia. In 2021, she was admitted to the Piano Department of the Middle School affiliated with the Central Conservatory of Music CCOM in Beijing, studying under Professor Lai Yupei. She is a laureate of multiple Chinese and international competitions. In 2019 at age ten, she won First Prize in the E. Timakin International Competition for Young Pianists in Moscow, and Second Prize in the Junior Age Group of Astana Piano Passion, an international competition for young pianists in Kazakhstan.
In 2020, she won First Prize and Special Prize in the 10-14 age group of the first International Moscow Music Competition, and Second Prize in the junior group of the Kawai Asia Piano Competition. In 2021, she received a Finalist award in the Klenev Moscow International Piano Competition junior group, online. Awards in 2022 include Second Prize in the professional group of the Chopin International Youth Piano Competition, and First Prize in the professional youth group of the German Ronisch International Piano Competition. In 2024, she won Second Prize in the professional group of the Khachaturian International Youth Competition.
Zihan is an active participant in music festivals including the Poland Arthur International Music Festival, the 16th Summer Music Festival in rzern, Germany, and the Oberlin School of Music Piano Arts Festival in 2025. She has taken master classes from Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron, Wojciech wita a, ifang Li, Bernd Goetzke, Hinrich Alpers, Ernest Barretta, effrey Cohen and others.
COUNTRY – China
AGE – 17
HOST FAMILY – Susan Stewart & Gregg Bryant
ROUND I
Prokofiev Étude No. 1 in minor, Op. 2
Rameau Gavotte et Six Doubles
Ravel Gaspard de la nuit: I. Ondine, M. 55
Gao Ping Wu Kuang
ROUND II
Beethoven Sonata No. 17 in minor, Op. 31, No. 2, Tempest Rachmaninoff Six Moments Musicaux, Op. 16, No. 4 in E minor
ROUND III
Saint-Saëns Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 22
COUNTRY – South Korea
AGE – 16
HOST FAMILY – Linda & David Dreisbach
Yeseo Nam is emerging as one of the most promising young talents of her generation. She began her piano studies at an early age and quickly demonstrated remarkable musical ability. A laureate of national and international competitions, she has performed widely as both soloist and chamber musician. In 2023, she gave her debut recital at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul as part of the Kumho Young Artist Concert Series, presenting works by Mozart, Liszt, and Chopin. The performance was noted for its maturity, sensitivity, and brilliance.
She has also participated in master classes with distinguished pianists, gaining valuable artistic insight and inspiration. Yeseo has appeared as a soloist with orchestra, performing concertos by Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin and Tchaikovsky. Her repertoire ranges from Bach and Beethoven to Romantic and contemporary works, including Liebermann’s Gargoyles.
Yeseo continues to pursue artistic growth with dedication and passion. With her expressive depth, technical mastery, and commitment to music, she aspires to share her artistry with audiences around the world.
Bach Prelude and Fugue No. 9 in E Major, BWV 854, WTC I
Chopin Polonaise-Fantaisie in A- at Major, Op. 61
Balakirev Islamey: Oriental Fantasy, Op. 18
ROUND II
Beethoven
Sonata No. 17 in D minor, Op. 31, No. 2, Tempest
Liebermann Gargoyles, Op. 29
ROUND III
Tchaikovsky
Concerto No. 1 in B- at minor, Op. 23
Yixin Shen is from Shanghai, China. She began her piano studies at the age of five. Since 2020, Yixin has been pursuing studies in Piano Performance with Professor Kuanwen Wang at the Music Middle School affiliated with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music Elementary epartment . In 2023, she was recommended as one of the top students to the Middle School epartment, exempted from the entrance examination.
Yixin has participated in several major international piano competitions for young artists. In 2025 she took part in the Cooper International Piano Competition, winning Fourth Prize. In 2024, she was selected among 440 applicants to compete in the 19th Ettlingen International Piano Competition. In 2023, she was one of the 16 contestants in the unior Class of the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists. She has also won numerous competitions, including the First Prize at 2022 Irvine Conservatory International Music Competition Piano Category C and the Gold Prize at 2021 St. Petersburg International Music Competition unior Class , among others.
Beyond solo performances, Yixin is also a passionate chamber musician, leading the Modern Trio piano ensemble, which has won top honors in several Chamber Music Competitions, including the First Prize and Best Contemporary Work Interpretation Award at the 13th SHCMMS International Chamber Music Competition in 2025.
Yixin has performed on prestigious stages, including the closing concert of the 2nd Chinese Young Musicians Art Festival with the Shenzhen Bay Orchestra, at Carnegie Hall Weill Recital Hall , Shanghai Symphony Hall, Shanghai Concert Hall, and Zhuhai Huafa Grand Theater, and others.
COUNTRY – China
AGE 14
HOST FAMILY Trish Hussey
Bach Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 893, WTC II N. Shekhar Postcards: III. Merry-go-round Mozart Sonata No. 15 in F Major, K. 533 494 ROUND II
Schumann Humoreske in B- at Major, Op. 20 ROUND III
Grieg Concerto in A minor, Op. 16
Country – United States / South Korea
Age – 15
Host Family – Patsy Brison & Scott Camp
A dedicated and accomplished Korean-American pianist, Christina D. Sung, currently studies under Professor Charlotte Hu at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. She made her concert debut at age twelve with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall. Since then, she has performed with various orchestras, including the American West Symphony, Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra, American Fork Symphony, Chamber Orchestra Ogden, Utah Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Fort Collins Health and Wellness Orchestra in Colorado, where she performed the complete Grieg Concerto. Selected recent performances include solo recitals at the PYPA Festival, Steinway & Sons in Philadelphia, and Puffin Cultural Forum in New ersey Trio-Freesia Chamber recitals at the Gifted Music School and a collaboration with Amy Yang of the Curtis Institute.
Christina is a Chopin Foundation Scholarship recipient and a National YoungArts winner. Most recently, she was chosen as a competitor in the 2026 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and the Cleveland International Piano Competition. Additionally, Christina received the Steinway Sons Special Award at the Kaufman International Piano Competition, top prizes at the Philadelphia International Piano Competition and MTNA National Finals, First Prizes in the Emory Young Artist Piano Competition and International Keyboard Odyssiad , and the Grand Prix at the 11th ENKOR International Music Competition. Her performances have been broadcast on Classical 89.1 FM and ABC4 Television.
Christina is a frequent outreach performer for Gina Bachauer's ‘Piano Inspirato’ and was a featured soloist in the Bachauer Collaboration Concert at the Gallivan Center. She is a passionate chamber musician and speaks five languages uently, demonstrating her extraordinary linguistic intelligence.
ROUND I
Bach
Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 REPERTOIRE
Toccata No. 5 in E minor, BWV 914
Chopin Fantaisie in F minor, Op. 49
Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in - at Major, Op. 87
ROUND II
Beethoven Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
Scriabin Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor, Op. 19
Kapustin Variations for Piano, Op. 41
ROUND III
Fourteen-year-old pianist Yong-En Teng, born in Taipei in 2011, began her musical journey with early guidance from her parents, starting formal piano training at the age of five. She is currently a student in the unior High ivision of the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University, studying with Professor Chiao-Han Liao. She has also benefited from guidance from distinguished artists including Ewa Pob ocka, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Natalia Trull, Bernd Goetzke, iaohan Wang, Markus Groh, Alexander Moutouzkine, Rolf-Peter Wille, Boris Slutsky, MengChieh Liu, Ning An, Ching-Yun Hu, and Steven Lin, among others. These experiences have broadened her artistic perspective and deepened her musical expression.
In 2025, Yong-En received the Third Prize and the Carl Nielsen Prize at the Aarhus International Piano Competition Category A, enmark . The same year, she was awarded an Honorable Mention at the International Master Piano Festival Rising Stars Competition and was selected for the NTSO International Music Top Talent Program 2026-2027 , as well as the International Cultivating and Sustaining Musical Talent Program in Taiwan 2024-2025 . Previous distinctions include the Second Prize and the Steinway Award at the 2019 Hamamatsu PIARA International Piano Competition, alongside top prizes at the Taipei International Piano Competition, WPTA International Competition, Kawai Piano Competition, and the National Student Music Competition.
Her recent performances include a solo recital at the National Recital Hall in Taipei in November 2025 Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21 by Chopin 1st Movement with the iangjiang Symphony Orchestra uly 2025 and the Concerto No. 1 by Mendelssohn August 2024 . She made her recital debut in 2023 and performed at the Wiener Konzerthaus in 2020.
Beyond music, Yong-En enjoys table tennis and reading, balancing her studies with moments of relaxation.
Beethoven Sonata No. 11 in B- at Major, Op. 22
ROUND II
COUNTRY – Taiwan
AGE – 14
HOST FAMILY Marty Neumeister
Bach Prelude and Fugue No. 3 in C-sharp Major, BWV 848, WTC I ebussy Images: Book 1, L. 110, e ets ns l e
Ligeti Étude No. 4 in C Major, Book I, Fanfares
Chopin Étude in C-sharp minor, Op. 10, No. 4
Chopin Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op. 52
ROUND III
Chopin Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21
COUNTRY – China
AGE 16
HOST FAMILY – Laura & Bret acobowitz
engjie was born in Shanghai, China in ecember 2009. His first contact with the piano was at the age of seven and he immediately fell in love with its sound. At the age of ten, he began formal studies under r. Shuo Huang, who taught at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music's affiliated secondary school.
engjie was admitted to the Piano Performance department of The Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music at the age of 12 with excellent grades. This is one of the best music middle schools in China. He is now a student in Grade 10. uring his time there, engjie has participated in master classes conducted by renowned international pianists including Wojciech wita a, Pascal Nemirovski, Elzbieta Pasierowska, William Fong, Ning An, and others. These experiences provided much positive feedback and have encouraged engjie to pursue his path in piano performance.
Awards include sixth place in the professional group of the 2024 Singapore International Young Pianist Competition and first place in the 2024 Royal International Competition. Although engjie does not yet have much experience in international competitions, he constantly strives to improve himself and looks forward to this opportunity at the Hilton Head Competition. Besides classical music, engjie also enjoys traveling and playing Chinese chess.
ROUND I
Bach Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in G Major, BWV 860, WTC 1 Zhang Zhao Numa Ame 2017 Brahms Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Op. 35, Book1
ROUND II
Mozart Sonata No. 9 in Major, K. 311 Liszt Réminiscences de Norma, S. 394
ROUND III
Chopin Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
Zhixuan Wang was selected in 2025 for the Central Conservatory of Music’s Top Talent Training Program (“Best of Best”), a program for students with topnotch and innovative talent.
Zhixuan began piano at age four and is currently studying at the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) Middle School in Beijing. She previously studied under Professor Xinning Zhang, Deputy Director of the Piano Teaching and Research Department at CCOM, and now studies with Professor Danwen Wei, Director of the Piano Department. She has been awarded multiple scholarships during her studies.
At age nine, Zhixuan gave her first piano recital and has since performed on prestigious stages including the National Centre for the Performing Arts of China and in the Beijing Zhongshan Concert Hall. In 2024, she held piano recitals in Munich and Aachen, Germany. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Cross-Strait Art Youth United Symphony Orchestra, Xiamen Song and Dance Symphony Orchestra, Wuxi Symphony Orchestra, Youth Symphony Orchestra of the Central Conservatory of Music and Sichuan Symphony Orchestra. Her awards include First Prize at both the 11th Mendelssohn International Piano Competition Asia-Pacific Finals and the 18th Central Conservatory of Music "School Cup", Second Prize at the 87th Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition in 2023, Third Prize at the María Herrero International Piano Competition and Second Prize at the Gulangyu Piano Competition in 2025.
Beyond music, her interests include 16th–19th century European court and folk dances, badminton, table tennis, swimming and reading.
COUNTRY – China
AGE – 16
HOST FAMILY – Janet Stallmeyer & Don Flora
Haydn Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:48
Liszt Transcendental Études, S. 139: No. 5 Feux Follets
Scriabin Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor, Op. 19
ROUND II
Bach Prelude and Fugue No. 24 in B minor, BWV 893, WTC II
Chopin Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, Op. 54
Albéniz Iberia, Book I, No. 2, Puerto
Vine Sonata No. 1, 1st movement
ROUND III
Chopin Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11
COUNTRY – Australia
AGE 13
HOST FAMILY Victoria Holdren
Melbourne-born Charlie Wu is a Year 7 student, and Concertmaster of the School Orchestra at Caulfield Grammar School in Melbourne, Australia. He studies piano with Glenn Riddle at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. In 2024, Charlie made his concerto debut performing Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Russian State Academic Symphony Orchestra in Moscow, conducted by Ivan Nikiforchin. Since then he has performed Haydn’s Piano Concerto in with Les Solistes de Neuch tel in Geneva, Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 2 Melbourne Sinfonia , Beethoven’s Triple Concerto Cloud Concert Orchestra , Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 Preston Symphony and Whitehorse Symphony Orchestras , and most recently, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Camerata Orchestra, winning First Prize in the Boroondara Open Concerto Competition. Internationally Charlie was awarded First Prize and Best Performance of a work by a Swiss composer in the Concours International Musicale de Gen ve in Switzerland and was a iplomate in the Grand Piano International Piano Competition Moscow . Locally he has been awarded the Musical Society of Victoria’s Nehama Patkin and Eda Schurmann Awards, and numerous First Prizes in various other competitions.
Charlie has presented solo recitals for the St. Paul’s Cathedral, Scots Church, St. Geroge’s Church, and the iamond Creek Concert Series. In 2026 he will perform Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Maroondah Symphony Orchestra, Mozart’s Concerto K. 414 with the Mozart Festival Chamber Players and give a solo recital for Camberwell Music Society’s Subscription Concert series.
Charlie is a keen chamber musician, and enjoys playing tennis, swimming and chess.
ROUND I
Scarlatti Sonata in E Major, K. 162
Vine Sonata No. 1, 1st movement
Chopin Liszt Six Polish Songs, S.4 80, No. 5 in G- at Major, Mes joies Liszt Transcendental Études, S. 139 No. 4, Mazeppa
ROUND II
Haydn Sonata in B- at Major, Hob VI 41
Prokofiev Sonata No. 7 in B- at Major, Op. 83, I. Allegro inquieto Granados Goyescas, Op. 11 No. 7, El Pelele
Liszt Valse de l'opéra Faust in Major, S. 407
ROUND III
Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 in minor, Op. 30
Kongyan Xin was born China in 2008 and has since emerged as one of the most promising pianists of his generation. Currently a student at the prestigious Central Conservatory of Music Middle School in Beijing, he studies under Professor Jianing Kong, a distinguished pedagogue at both the Central Conservatory of Music and the Royal College of Music.
Kongyan's exceptional talent is evidenced by his remarkable achievements in international competitions. He recently passed the preliminary selection for the 2026 Takamatsu International Piano Competition. He won First Prize at the 2025 Shenzhen Piano Open Competition, was a finalist at the 2025 International Jeune Chopin Competition for Young Pianists, and advanced to the preliminary round of the Warsaw Chopin International Piano Competition. His other achievements include the Encouragement Award at the 2024 Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany and the Audience Prize at the 2024 SIMA Classics Masterclass in Poland. In 2023, Kongyan won the En-Teh New and Fan Jianqin Scholarship.
Kongyan has appeared at renowned venues worldwide, including Teatro di Giovanni in Brescia, SIMA Classics Masterclass Gala Concert in Poland, Beijing Forbidden City Concert Hall, and Zhuhai Mozart Concert Hall. Yamaha has invited him to perform in Japan in mid-January. His artistic development has been significantly enhanced through master classes with legendary pianists such as Dang Thai Son, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron, Matti Raekallio, and Piotr Paleczny.
COUNTRY – China
AGE – 17
HOST FAMILY – Ingrid & Craig Boatright
Bach Capriccio on the departure of a beloved brother in B- at-Major, BWV 992
Chen Peixun Autumn Moon Over a Placid Lake Chopin Étude in A minor, Op. 10, No. 2
Chopin Ballade No. 1 in G minor, Op. 23
ROUND II
Schoenberg Six Little Piano Pieces, Op. 19
Beethoven Sonata No. 31 in A- at Major, Op. 110
ROUND III
Beethoven Concerto No. 4 in G Major, Op. 58
Playing with our cats… endless joy.
Baking, especially NY-style cookies.
Traveling and discovering beautiful scenery.
Traveling and visiting new places.
Traveling to different countries.
Photography and drawing.
Thrilling activities when traveling.
Gathering with family to enjoy delicious food.
Exploring new cultures like Australia, my birth country.
Exploring the globe. I’m in Switzerland.
Playing Mahjong with my brother, grandmother and aunt.
Saturday, October 25, 2025
Engagement underwritten by the Mona Huff Carnegie Hall Recital Fund
Edisher Savitski
Konstantin Soukhovetski
Chu-Fang Huang
Andrew Le
Di Wu
.Dmitri Levkovich 2007
Ran Dank
.Eric Zuber 2008
Michail Lifits
Luk Vondr ek
Jin Uk Kim
Shen Lu
Chang Yong Shin
2019
2022
.Chaeyoung Park
Jaeden Izik-Dzurko 2025
.Jonathan Mamora
The 2025 winner, Jonathan Mamora, performed ma nificently on ctober to a ll o se pop lated it ilton ead s pporters riends rom is days at illiard and astman and many discernin e or piano aficionados. o can read ic erdian s lo in re ie at ne yor classicalre ie .com. e ne t opport nity to attend t e inner s recital in e or ill be in b t yo can ear onat an at t e last concerts o t e season pril and .
In 2001, the competition introduced a recital at Carnegie’s Weill Hall as a component of the first prize for pianists 18-30. The goal was to attract applicants who were ualified to perform on the New York stage. The recital and resulting media exposure are extremely valuable for a pianist’s resume, enhancing the possibilities for future performances. Acknowledging the value of this performance prize, in 2022 the HHSO conducted a successful endowment campaign in honor of retired Director Mona Huff to recognize her leadership of the HHIPC. The Mona Huff Carnegie Hall Recital Fund was established as a permanent fund that will support the triennial Carnegie Hall recital for the senior division winner.
The Incredible 30-Year Journey of the Hilton Head International Piano Competition 1996 – 2026
It’s February 3, 1996, and the inaugural Hilton Head International Piano Competition is about to begin. Forty-one (41) applications had been received. Sixteen pianists (ages 18- 28) were selected. They represented eight countries: the United States, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Poland and Uruguay. Each competitor played a 20-minute program consisting of two pieces from contrasting periods. Ruth Laredo, a highly distinguished concert pianist of the day, was the sole judge. Heather Conner, age 20 from Pennsylvania, drew the 10 00 am slot and the first notes rang out in First Presbyterian Church—Scarlatti’s Sonata in F Major. Ms. Conner won the competition, receiving $1,500 from a prize pool of $3,000, and an invitation to return to play with the Hilton Head Orchestra the following year. She went on to earn a doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music, balances performance and teaching careers (she is the Chancellor’s Chair of Piano at Vanderbilt University), and now proudly sends her students to Hilton Head to compete.
The Board of Directors of the Hilton Head Orchestra, as it was known then, first entertained the idea of a piano competition in 1995, at the suggestion of Music Director, John Gosling.
Many things about this grand proposition did not add up, including the obvious: an event of international scope focused on classical piano in a southern town of barely 30,000 souls known primarily for its beaches and golf courses? Not to mention that the Hilton Head Orchestra had been in existence for only a dozen years and was still in the process of growing beyond its community roots. What were the odds that the HHIPC would be thriving three decades later?
Willis (“Bud”) Shay and Valerie Curry, with support from Board Chair Charles Taylor, got the ball rolling and began planning the infrastructure required for this ambitious undertaking. Curry, the Competition’s first Chair, was assisted in the early years by Barbara Cain, Gene Griz, and Nancy Hansman who created key components in place today including judging panels and community housing for competitors. Much needed financial support was provided by Walter Graver (Youths’ Friends Association, a private foundation), John and Geneva Griz, Kathleen and Brock Rowley, and Nan and Charles Strauch. This group held the reins for nearly a decade.
For the next 20 years, the HHIPC was shepherded by three consequential individuals.
Nina Rodman stepped into a leadership role in 2003, serving the HHIPC for eight years. During these years, the competition grew considerably in scope and stature, posting numerous firsts, including Steinway Sons becoming the official competition piano. Notably, Nina was the impetus for the Young Artists competition, which she promoted passionately. Her vision came to life in 2011. This is the age cohort (13-17) we celebrate in 2026.
Nina’s successor, Mona Huff, led the HHIPC for 12 impactful years and staged the next Young Artists competition in 2013. She designed, programmed, and launched the BravoPiano! Festival, which was added to HHIPC’s 3-year rotation in 2018. Mona also implemented livestreaming worldwide, an essential feature of top-level international competitions.
Steve Shaiman became Director in 2023. Drawing on his musical training at Oberlin College and career experience in artist management, he is adding exciting new dimensions to the HHIPC including professional management services for the winner of the 18-30 cohort. Last year, the HHIPC undertook its first commission, another characteristic of top-level competitions. This new-to-the-world piece from composer Lowell Liebermann received its world premiere on March 10, 2025, the first day of last year’s competition. These are but a few highlights of HHIPC’s impressive growth and ascendance to the top echelon of international competitions.
The HHIPC could not have succeeded without financial support, both direct contributions and in-kind donations. Its roster of sponsors is robust, foremost among them Steinway Sons, the competition’s Artistic Partner, which supplies the competition pianos Steinway Piano Gallery of the Carolinas eff Herrin, owner of Piano Gallery by Herrin, our able 247 technician and provider of loaner pianos for host families who need them our amazing venues, St. Luke’s Anglican Church and First Presbyterian Church. Generous grantor, Gulfstream, underwrites the Ambassador program, enabling competitors to visit Beaufort County public and private schools and senior living communities to perform at no cost. Philanthropic impresarios step forward to underwrite competition prizes and engagements featuring well-known artists. Add hundreds of individual donors, especially our cherished 88 Key Society and Pay-for-APiper members, and the HHIPC stands on a solid foundation.
Family is a perfect metaphor for the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. More than 1,000 individuals have volunteered their time and talents across the years. They are the heart and soul of the HHIPC and the engine that makes it run. Of special note are the more than 100 host families who have opened their homes and hearts to competitors from around the globe. uring competition week, it’s all hands-on deck. Venues are buzzing with activity day and night and chauffeurs are crisscrossing the island getting everyone where they have to be on time.
At the center of it all are more than 500 aspiring artists, now spanning three generations, who took a chance applying to a piano competition in a place they had never heard of. They came from North and South America, western and eastern Europe, all over Asia, the Middle East, even Africa and Oceania - a total of 54 countries
And so we return to the present when the HHIPC is both quintessentially the same and also substantively different. Applications now number in the hundreds annually. The schedule has expanded to more than a week. From one judge in 1996, there are now three-judge selection panels, a five-judge panel for young artists and seven judges for the 18-30-year-old cohort. The value of the cash prize pool is 13 times larger than in 1996 and includes numerous performance opportunities and professional management services. We are especially proud of the Mona Huff Carnegie Hall Recital Fund, recently endowed by generous HHIPC supporters in perpetuity. The first Carnegie recital took place in 2002 and was supported for many years by Nan and Charles Strauch
The HHIPC’s mission has been the same from Day 1:
“To encourage and support excellence in the performance of classical piano by showcasing the talents of young pianists on the threshold of their careers.”
Are we succeeding? Since gracing our stage, HHIPC competitors have:
■ Won top prizes at many other acclaimed international competitions.
■ Earned advanced degrees at renowned universities and conservatories.
■ Joined the faculties of the institutions where they once studied.
■ Performed in prestigious venues with the world’s best orchestras.
■ Recorded for respected commercial labels.
■ Become Steinway and Yamaha artists.
■ Started their own competitions and festivals.
Was it luck? Not at all. Vision, strong leadership and steadfast support have made the HHIPC what it is today.
The welcome message in the 1996 program began this way:
“Today symphony orchestras and lovers of classical music look ahead to the next century and wonder who will fill the concert halls. One of the components of perpetuating the vitality of classical music is to encourage and showcase young musical talent.” We’re confident that the founders would be proud of the organization to which they gave life.
HHIPC is an integral part of the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra family and we are thrilled you have joined us to celebrate our 30th birthday!
PROFESSIONAL THEATER
- MAY
It’s 1962 Baltimore, and Tracy Turnblad is about to shake things up! From dreaming of the dance floor to fighting for racial integration on TV, this spirited teen sparks a revolution as she chases her dreams of stardom and tries to win the heart of teen idol Link Larkin. The Tony Award-winning “Hairspray” is a vibrant, feel-good musical packed with hit songs that will make you want to get up and dance! Come see why you “Can’t Stop the Beat!”
BY MARCH 20
DIRECTED BY DAVID GRINDROD MAY 18 | 4 & 7:30 PM
Prepare to be amazed, amused, and completely ba ed. World-class mentalist Matt Cooper invites you into a thrilling, high-energy show where the secrets of the human mind are brought to the stage.
MARCH 25 - APRIL 5, 2026
WEEK ONE
MARCH 25-30, 2026
PAT METHENY SIDE-EYE III+ • LARKIN POE
RICHARD THOMPSON W/ MUIREANN BRADLEY
THE LONE BELLOW • THE INFAMOUS STRINGDUSTERS • PLENA LIBRE
JOHN SCOFIELD TRIO FEAT. BILL STEWART & VICENTE ARCHER
TANK AND THE BANGAS • DANIEL DONATO’S COSMIC COUNTRY
STEFON HARRIS & BLACKOUT • YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND
SAVANNAH PHILHARMONIC WITH PHILIP DUKES • DOBET GNAHORÉ
DIRK & AMELIA POWELL • ALICIA OLATUJA & CHRISTIAN SANDS
CALEB KLAUDER & REEB WILLMS TORD GUSTAVSEN TRIO
JONATHAN MAMORA • MIKE MARSHALL & ALESSANDRO PENEZZI
SAROD TRILOGY WITH AMJAD ALI KHAN, AMAAN AND AYAAN ALI
BANGASH • PHILIP DUKES & FRIENDS
WEEK TWO MARCH 31-APRIL 5, 2026
OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW • ROBERT CRAY BAND
LUCIUS • SIERRA HULL & JOHN CRAIGIE
CHRISTONE“KINGFISH” INGRAM
LEE FIELDS / MONOPHONICS • DAN TYMINSKI BAND
JULIAN LAGE QUARTET FEAT. JOHN MEDESKI, JORGE ROEDER & KENNY WOLLESEN • SAHA GNAWA • DARRELL SCOTT STRING BAND WITH ROB ICKES • SEBASTIAN KNAUER • MAXIM LANDO • ATC'S
DIVINE HARMONY • REVERIE ROAD • ESCHER STRING QUARTET LE VENT DU NORD / BREABACH • UNLIMITED MILES SEXTET: MILES
DAVIS AT 100 • DWAYNE DOPSIE & THE ZYDECO HELLRAISERS / SALLY BABY’S SILVER DOLLARS • PHILIP DUKES & FRIENDS
Eteri Andjaparidze • Georgia/USA
Natalya Antonova • Russia
Joseph Banowetz • USA
Hui-Qiao Bao • China
Jonathan Bass • USA
Fabio Bidini • Italy
Andrea Bonatta • Italy
Bruce Brubaker • USA
Angela Cheng • Canada
Alan Chow • USA
Alvin Chow • USA
Lucille Chung • Canada/USA
Arnaldo Cohen • Brazil
Heather Conner • USA
Mirian Conti • Argentina/USA
Jane Coop • Canada
Ran Dank • Israel/USA
Simone Dinnerstein • USA
Pavlina Dokovska • Bulgaria
Irina Edelstein • Russia
Christopher Elton • UnitedKingdom
José Feghali • Brazil
Peter Frankl • UnitedKingdom
Kemal Gekic • Croatia
John Giordano • USA
Bernd Goetzke • Germany
Martin Goldsmith • USA
Enrique Graf • Uruguay/USA
Marian Hahn • USA
Kevin Hampton • USA
Gayle Martin Henry • USA
Ian Hobson • England
Leslie Howard • Australia/England
Douglas Humpherys • USA
Choong-Mo Kang • S. Korea
Olga Kern • USA
Daejin Kim • S. Korea
Alexander Korsantia • Russia
Norman Krieger • USA
Gabriel Kwok • China
Ruth Laredo • USA
Soyeon Kate Lee • S. Korea/USA
Cecile Licad • Phillipines
Marina Lomazov • Ukraine/USA
Miyoko Lotto • Japan
Jerome Lowenthal • USA
Faina Lushtak • Ukraine/USA
Julian Martin • USA
Robin McCabe • USA
Robert McDonald • USA
Dominique Merlet • France
Evans Mirageas • USA
Yong Hi Moon • S. Korea
Yoshikazu Nagai • Japan/USA
Hiroko Nakamura • Japan
Pavel Nersessian • Russia
Vladimir Ovchinnikov • Russia
John O’Conor • Ireland
Ronan O’Hora • Great Britain
Ursula Oppens • USA
Haesun Paik • S. Korea
Piotr Paleczny • Poland
Jon Kimura Parker • Canada
John Perry • USA
Daniel Pollack • USA
Paul Pollei • USA
Antonio Pompa-Baldi • Italy
Jorge Luis Prats • Cuba
Awadagin Pratt • USA
Menahem Pressler • Israel/USA
Joseph Rackers • USA
Matti Raekallio • Finland
Edith Finton Reiber • USA
Santiago Rodriguez • Cuba/USA
Jerome Rose • USA
Ann Schein • USA
André-Michel Schub • France
Orli Shaham • USA/Israel
Robert Sherman • USA
Lori Sims • USA
Logan Skelton • USA
Boris Slutsky • USA
Mykola Suk • Ukraine
Peter Takács • Romania/USA
Zhe Tang • China
Erik Tawaststjerna • Finland
Christopher Taylor • USA
Nelita True • USA
Valerie Tryon • England
Tamás Ungár • Hungary/USA
Blanca Uribe • Colombia/USA
Irma Vallecillo • USA
Arie Vardi • Israel
Mikhail Voskresensky • Russia
Alan Walker • England
Janice Weber • USA
Nancy Weems • USA
Frank Weinstock • USA
Robert Weirich • USA
Terrence Wilson • USA
Jack Winerock • USA
Amy Yang • China/USA
Wei-Yi Yang • Taiwan/USA
Xu Zhong • China
Yafen Zhu • China
2000
1st Prize Petronel Malan • South Africa
2nd Prize Coung Hung Van • Vietnam
3rd Prize Georgi Slavchev • Bulgaria
2001
1st Prize Edisher Savitski • Republic of Georgia
2nd Prize Uri Blinov • Belarus
3rd Prize Hea Jung Cho • S. Korea
2002
1st Prize Konstantin Soukhovetski • Russia
2nd Prize Dustin Gledhill • USA
3rd Prize Esther Jung-A Park • S. Korea
2003
1st Prize Chu-Fang Huang • China
2nd Prize Sean Kennard • USA
3rd Prize Jean-Francois Latour • Canada
2004
1st Prize Andrew Le • Vietnam
2nd Prize Hong Xu • China
3rd Prize Elizabeth Schumann • USA
2005
1st Prize Di Wu • China
2nd Prize ChenXin Xu • China
3rd Prize Ryo Yanagitani • Canada
2006
1st Prize Dmitri Levkovich • Ukraine
2nd Prize Diyi Tang • China
3rd Prize Daniil Sayamov • Russia
2007
1st Prize Eric Zuber • USA
2nd Prize Alexey Koltakov • Australia/USA
3rd Prize Charlie Albright • USA
2008
1st Prize Ran Dank • Israel
2nd Prize Yelena Beriyeva • Republic of Georgia
3rd Prize Takashi Yamamoto • Japan
2009
1st Prize Michail Lifits Germany
2nd Prize Chetan Tierra • USA
3rd Prize Marouan Benabdallah • Hungary/Morocco
2010
1st Prize Luk Vondr ek Czech Republic
2nd Prize Ilya Maximov • Russia
3rd Prize Rina Sudo • Japan
2011
1st Prize Zhu Wang • China
2nd Prize Drew Petersen • USA
3rd Prize Jin-Hong Li • China
2012
1st Prize Jin Uk Kim • S. Korea
2nd Prize Wai Yin Wong • Hong Kong
3rd Prize Steven Lin • USA
2013
1st Prize Leonardo Colafelice • Italy
2nd Prize Jinhyung Park • S. Korea
3rd Prize Tony Yike Yang • Canada
2014
1st Prize Shen Lu • China
2nd Prize Miao Huang • Germany
3rd Prize Eunae Lee • S. Korea
Gorodnitzki Prize Brian Lin • China
2015
1st Prize Elliot Wuu • USA
2nd Prize Xiaoxuan Li • China
3rd Prize Elisabeth Tsai • USA
Gorodnitzki Prize JaeHong Park • S. Korea
2016
1st Prize Chang Yong Shin • S. Korea
2nd Prize Tristan Teo • Canada
3rd Prize Sae Yoon Chon • S. Korea
Gorodnitzki Prize Hee Jun Han • S. Korea
2017
1st Prize Ray Ushikubo • USA
2nd Prize Andrew Li • USA
3rd Prize Jaeden Izik-Dzurko • Canada
Gorodnitzki Prize Biguo Xing • China
Takács Classical Sonata Jaeden Izik-Dzurko • Canada
2019
1st Prize Chaeyoung Park • S. Korea
2nd Prize Jakub Kuszlik • Poland
3rd Prize Anna Han • USA
Gorodnitzki Prize Arisa Onoda • USA
2020
1st Prize Kevin Chen • Canada
2nd Prize Pyotr Akulov • Russia
3rd Prize Tyler Kim • USA
Gorodnitzki Prize Catherine Huang • USA
Takács Classical Sonata Tyler Kim • USA
2022
1st Prize Jaeden Izik-Dzurko • Canada
2nd Prize Illia Ovcharenko • Ukraine
3rd Prize Seongwoo Moon • S. Korea
Gorodnitzki Prize Anthony Ratinov • USA
2023
1st Prize Zonghua Wei • China
2nd Prize Donghwi Kang • S. Korea
3rd Prize Xinran Shi • USA
Gorodnitzki Prize Zarin Mehta • USA
Takács Classical Sonata Zonghua Wei • China
2025
1st Prize Jonathan Mamora • USA
2nd Prize Piotr Alexewicz • Poland
3rd Prize Jan Nikovich • Croatia
Gorodnitzki Prize Jiarui Cheng • China
GIFTS OF $10,000 AND ABOVE
Mary and Mike Briggs
Charles and Joan Dattelbaum
Mila Sheeline and Ryan Huff
Bret and Laura Jacobowitz
GIFTS OF $5,000 TO $9,999
Peggi Moon and Bill Hutchinson
Mary Princing and Bill Clark
Tarrant and Mary Ann Putnam
Barbara Harris Sorkin
GIFTS OF $2,500 TO $4,999
Chris and Mary Catherine Albright
Dr. Karen and Stephen Ball
Nancy and David Borghesi
Bob and Heather Cherichella
Todd and Liz Clist
Marty and Richard Davis
Cary Fleming
Frederick and Carol Hack
Michael and Susan Harter
Mona Huff
Ray and Linda Moloney
Marty Neumeister
Van and Lauren Schwiebert
GIFTS OF $1,000 TO $2,499
Dede Bethke
David and Romy Coquillette in honor of Mrs. Lorene Thornbury
Clair Craver
Ralph Drayer
Eileen and Jerry Durkin
Mary Ann and John Goodrich
Dahlia and Arthur Handman
Barbara Holmes
Michael Jukofsky and Bonnie Brill
Laura and Michael Kling
Robert and Joan Koenig
Sarah Meyer
William and Jane Murray
Janine Nelson
Jack Sprague and Colleen Zimmerman
William and Judy Thorpe
Jane and Fred Tolhurst
Carol Tucker
Donna Varner
Julie Williams
GIFTS OF $500 TO $999
John Austin and Susan Hartmann Austin
Judy Bluestone
Darle Booher
Brenda Cahill
Michael and Ginger Caporal
William and Linda DeArment
David and Linda Dreisbach
Chuck and Linda Eberly
Karen and Buck Edwards
Wayne Effron and Gail Kaess
Jay and Patricia Elliot
Barbara Fleisher
Don Flora and Janet Stallmeyer
Kathy Grote
Lynn Gustafson
Ted Haslam and Jeffrey Roberts
Karin and George Haupstein
Anita Hotchkiss
Alan and Karen Jordan
Christine Lacerda
Myla Lerner and Larry Kramer
Clare Mackie
Laura Marks
Joann McElravy and Fred Wolf
William and Anne Millhaem
Jane and Bill Murray
Mary Noonan
Susan Parrish
Fred and Alice Pitts
Tarrant and Mary Ann Putnam
Sponsoring Memorial Keys for Bud Shay and Jim Way
Tim and Mona Ridge
Stu and Nina Rodman
Charles and Frances Sampson
Craig and Sue Sigler
Ed and Elizabeth Simmons
Pat and Charles Sinatra
Mieke Smit
Patricia and Dennis Smith
Lorene Thornbury
This list was compiled as of February 6, 2026. Occasionally, omissions and errors occur. Please let us know if there is an error in your listing.
Marilyn Torrens
Trudy Tucker
Jim and Florence Willard
Lois Wilson
Paul Winum
Barbara Wolf
Kathy and Bill Zurilla
GIFTS OF $100 TO $499
Pam and Peter Cooper
Kirsten Hotchkiss
Rick and Laurel Johnson
Deborah and Larry Lee
Joy McNeill
Nancy Millette
Barbara and Harwood Nichols
Regina and Harry Silletti
Ann Wolfe
GIFTS UP TO $99
Barbara Altman
Jesus Barra
Barbara Borg
Ann Cafferty
Sprite Crawford
Jason Economides
Tacy Edwards
Andrew Emmett
Micah Gangwer
Scott Garrett
Rafe Goldman
Vasily Gorkovoy
Anne Holmi
Mario Incorvaia
David Katz
Paul Lott and Lorraine Jones
Lizhou Liu
Angie Loizides
Stephanie Mason
Daniel Mumm
Sandra Nikolajevs
Kelly Odell
Matt Peebles
Carl Polk
Gerome Stewart
Cynthia Sulko
Pam Titus
Vadim and Marina Volynets
Jeff and Mary Ann Watson
The 88 Key Society is limited to a maximum of 88 members, each of whom owns one or more specific keys on the competition “piano.” You can become a member of this exclusive group with an annual donation of $500 per key. Members enjoy special recognition and benefits including
• Their name on their key(s) of the 88 Key Society Keyboard displayed at all HHIPC and HHSO events throughout the concert season.
• Preferred seating for HHIPC events.
• Listing in the HHIPC program book and on the HHIPC and HHSO websites.
• Invitations to exclusive 88 Key Society special events held throughout the season including Movie Night, a casual evening featuring hors d’oeuvres, libations, and a film screening.
Chris and Mary Catherine Albright
Dr. Karen and Stephen Ball
Dede Bethke
Darle Booher
Nancy and David Borghesi
Mary and Mike Briggs
Bob and Heather Cherichella
David and Romy Coquillette in honor of Mrs. Lorene Thornbury
Clair Craver
Charles and Joan Dattelbaum
William and Linda DeArment
David and Linda Dreisbach
Eileen and Jerry Durkin
Charles and Linda Eberly
Karen and Buck Edwards
Wayne Effron and Gail Kaess
Jay and Patricia Elliot
Barbara Fleisher
Cary Fleming
Mary Ann and John Goodrich
Kathy Grote
Lynn Gustafson
Frederick and Carol Hack
Michael and Susan Harter
Ted Haslam and Jeffrey Roberts
Karin and George Haupstein
HHSO Musicians
Mona Huff
Mila Sheeline and Ryan Huff
Bill Hutchinson
Bret and Laura Jacobowitz
Michael Jukofsky and Bonnie Brill
Laura and Michael Kling
Robert and Joan Koenig
Christine Lacerda
Myla Lerner and Larry Kramer
Clare Mackie
Laura Marks
Ray and Linda Moloney
Peggi Moon
William and Jane Murray
Marty Neumeister
Mary Noonan
Susan Parrish
Fred and Alice Pitts
Mary Princing and Bill Clark
Tarrant and Mary Ann Putnam also sponsoring Memorial Keys for Bud Shay and Jim Way
Tim and Mona Ridge
Stu and Nina Rodman
Charles and Frances Sampson
Van and Lauren Schwiebert
Craig and Sue Sigler
Edward and Elizabeth Simmons
Pat and Charles Sinatra
Mieke Smit
Patricia and Dennis Smith
Barbara Harris Sorkin
Jack Sprague and Colleen Zimmerman
Lorene Thornbury
William and Judy Thorpe
Jane and Fred Tolhurst
Marilyn Torrens
Carol Tucker
Donna Varner
Florence and Jim Willard
Julie Williams
Lois Wilson
Paul Winum
Barbara Wolf
Kathy and Bill Zurilla
This list was compiled as of February 6, 2026.
Occasionally, omissions and errors occur. Please let us know if there is an error in your listing.
Our fabulous conductor and HHSO musicians are an “instrumental” part of the piano competition as they accompany the finalists’ concerto performances. Pay for a Piper offers competition supporters the chance to salute their favorite instruments and instrumentalists. We proudly present 2026’s Piper Patrons.
CELEBRATE THE CONDUCTOR
Frederick and Carol Hack
VIE FOR A VIOLIN
Cary Fleming
Mary Ann and John Goodrich
Mona Huff
Mila Sheeline and Ryan Huff
Joann McElravy
Peggi Moon
VALUE A VIOLA
Brenda Cahill
Bob and Heather Cherichella
CHOOSE A CELLO
Todd and Liz Clist
Marty and Richard Davis
Anita Hotchkiss
Donna Varner
BANK ON A BASS
Bob and Heather Cherichella
William and Judy Thorpe
FAVOR A FLUTE
Charles and Joan Dattelbaum
Cary Fleming
Ray and Linda Moloney
Barbara Harris Sorkin
OPT FOR AN OBOE
Mona Huff
Mary Princing and Bill Clark
Tarrant and Mary Ann Putnam
Colleen Zimmerman
CLAMOR FOR CLARINET
Judy Bluestone
Bret and Laura Jacobowitz
Mary Princing and Bill Clark
Jane and Fred Tolhurst
BOOK A BASSOON
Michael and Susan Harter
HIGHLIGHT A HORN
Barbara Holmes
TARGET A TRUMPET
Karen and Buck Edwards
Dahlia and Arthur Handman
TREASURE A TROMBONE
John Austin and Susan Hartmann Austin
Bill Hutchinson
TOUT A TUBA
Alan and Karen Jordan
Marty Neumeister
TAP INTO TIMPANI
Ralph Drayer
POWER THE PERCUSSION
Michael and Ginger Caporal
HAVE A HARP
Frederick and Carol Hack
Julie Williams
This list was compiled as of February 6, 2026. Occasionally, omissions and errors occur. Please let us know if there is an error in your listing.
We are grateful to these generous donors whose gifts helped us underwrite HHIPC 2026 Prizes as well as 2025-26 guest artist expenses.
Chris and Mary Catherine Albright
Dr. Karen and Stephen Ball
Mary and Mike Briggs
Liz and Todd Clist
Charles and Joan Dattelbaum
Mila Sheeline and Ryan Huff
Laura and Bret Jacobowitz
Joan and Bob Koenig
Lois Masteller / Junior Jazz Foundation
Linda and Ray Moloney
Peggi Moon and Bill Hutchinson
Tarrant and Mary Ann Putnam
Barbara Harris Sorkin
Peter Takács
The BravoPiano! Recital Series Finale features HHIPC alum, Elliot Wuu. It is just over ten years since his First Prize victory here as a 15-year-old, in HHIPC’s third Young Artists Competition (2015). A 2025 finalist for the American Piano Awards
APA , Elliot will present a program of keyboard masterworks by Beethoven, Debussy, Liszt, and Rachmaninoff.
Elliot is a Young Steinway artist. His debut album, Onward, features works of Bach, Debussy, Schumann, and Schubert. It is available on popular streaming platforms, including Spotify, and on CD.
Tickets are on sale now. Please join us for what will be a very special evening of music, followed by a reception.
Thanks to all who attended A Musical Feast, HHIPC’s annual benefit held January 20, 2026, at the Hilton Beachfront Resort and Spa in Palmetto Dunes. The audience of nearly 140 was highly appreciative of our magnificent performers who shared their artistry across multiple genres. Pianist George Li’s virtuosic recital featured favorite composers of the Romantic era (Ravel, Chopin, Liszt . The newly established HHSO String Quartet played Haydn and a movement of Schumann’s Piano Quintet with Li at the keys. The uartet is composed of HHSO string players, featuring principals Micah Gangwer, Brian Allen, Lizhou Liu, and aniel Mumm.
George has a special relationship with HHIPC. He came to the island in 2010 at the age of 14 to give a recital in support of the first Young Artists’ Competition, which debuted the following year 2011 . This year’s event is the seventh Young Artists competition. George has won numerous awards including a Silver Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition and an Avery Fisher Grant. Now 30, he is building an impressive career, collaborating recently with Gustavo udamel and Michael Tilson Thomas. His performance schedule keeps him on the road for seven to eight months of the year.
Special thanks to those who donated auction and raf e basket items and to the people who bid on them. One lucky group is headed to Rome, and two groups are going to Tuscany The HHSO’s effervescent Maestro MR was in attendance and can take credit for the aggressive bidding on two packages which featured him a special Pops concert in Cincinnati and a Lowcountry Boil dinner party. The event raised record-breaking funds which will be put to work immediately to livestream the 2026 competition. A stellar volunteer committee, headed by Joan Dattelbaum, made it a great success.
Musical Feast has established itself as one of HHI’s hottest tickets. We look forward to celebrating with you again next year.
The Hilton Head International Piano Competition is more than a competition—it is an interweaving of world-class music, southern hospitality and close relationships. HHIPC strives to deliver extraordinary memories for artists and audiences alike by providing unique opportunities to be part of the experience.
• DONATE TO SUPPORT THE HHIPC
The 88 Key Society and Pay-for-a-Piper programs provide essential funds for expenses including retaining the HHSO and conductor for the Concerto Finals. A $500 donation entitles you to priority seating at all HHIPC performances plus exclusive access to special events. Our Fund-A-Need campaign supports the considerable expenses associated with livestreaming the competition worldwide; it also helps fund the Ambassador Program, which takes competitors and visiting artists into schools and senior residences to share their talents with the community.
• BECOME A HOST
Hosting a competitor during the competition provides the opportunity to share our beautiful island home. These experiences build special relationships that last well beyond the event. If you have a piano, you may consider hosting a judge for practice time while here on the Island. These one-on-one opportunities are a fabulous chance to get involved while also being rewarded with memorable musical experiences in your home.
• VOLUNTEER AT THE COMPETITION ROUNDS
In addition to being an usher, there are other fun jobs such as greeting competitors as they arrive to perform, staffing the judge’s room (the coffee must be hot and the candy dishes full!), selling tickets or merchandise in the lobby, and more. There are afternoon and evening “shifts” available.
• JOIN THE HHIPC COMMITTEE
This leadership group of about a dozen piano enthusiasts meets monthly starting in September. There are a variety of positions available such as helping with the Ambassador Program, working with host families, transportation, planning “A Musical Feast,” and more. Newcomers are always welcome!
• TELL YOUR FRIENDS ABOUT THE HHIPC
Word-of-mouth is one of the most effective forms of promotion. Even after 30 years, there are probably still locals who are not aware that Hilton Head hosts an internationally renowned piano competition. Plus, new people move here every day. Perhaps you belong to a group that would welcome someone to speak about the HHIPC — piano competitions are fascinating! Or simply bring a friend or neighbor with you when you attend.
• ATTEND THE BRAVOPIANO! RECITAL SERIES AT SOUNDWAVES
Each season we present several performances at SoundWaves featuring acclaimed pianists and HHIPC alumni. Themes vary. Holiday Jazz in December has been a perennial sellout.
• ATTEND “A MUSICAL FEAST” GALA
This annual benefit celebrates our longstanding commitment to excellence in promoting and nurturing talented young pianists. The funds raised are critically important to maintaining the HHIPC’s high standards. An engaging and entertaining evening, Musical Feast is a delight for both the ears and the palate!
• BECOME A PROGRAM SPONSOR OR ADVERTISER
Every not-for-profit depends on sponsor support, both monetary and in-kind. HHIPC sponsors include a variety of local businesses and individuals. If you can introduce us to someone who might want to become a sponsor or take an ad in the program, please contact Steve Shaiman at sshaiman@hhso.org.
Count me in to support the Hilton Head International Piano Competition! Please contact me:
NAME PHONE
With the drastic cuts in funding for school music programs, it is more important than ever to expose students to live music whenever and wherever possible. Your support not only benefits the students experiencing these performances, but also helps HHIPC competitors by providing them with the opportunity to engage personally with young audiences. We also engage with seniors and others throughout the community.
_____ $2,000 underwrites a solo recital at SoundWaves and includes an in-school performance earlier in the day by the featured soloist
_____ $1,000 underwrites a solo recital at a community center/senior living community
_____ $500 sponsors a school’s music class to attend the HHIPC in person
_____ $250 sponsors an in-school performance by an HHIPC competitor
_____ $100 “Adopt a Piano” program helps maintain a recital venue’s piano to performance ready condition
_____ $50 provides tickets to a student and escort to attend an HHSO concert
BECOME A MEMBER OF “THE 88 KEY SOCIETY” OR “PAY FOR A PIPER”
ee es n or ro r m es ri tions n bene ts
88 KEY SOCIETY
_____ Number of Keys ($500 per key) Preferred Key _____ _____ _____ _____
_____ Celebrate our Conductor ($1000)
_____ Vie for a Violin ($500)
_____ Value a Viola ($500)
_____ Choose a Cello ($500)
_____ Bank on a Bass ($500)
_____ Favor a Flute ($500)
_____ Clamor for a Clarinet ($500)
_____ Opt for an Oboe ($500)
_____ Back a Bassoon ($500)
_____ Highlight a Horn ($500)
_____ Target a Trumpet ($500)
_____ Treasure a Trombone ($500)
_____ Tout a Tuba ($500)
_____ Have a Harp ($500)
_____ Power the Percussion ($500)
_____ Tap into Timpani ($500)
I am interested in volunteering at a future Competition or hosting a Competitor
_____ I want to volunteer
_____ I would like to host a competitor
Dede Bethke
Isabel Feng
Ingrid and Craig Boatright
Kongyan Xin
Patsy Brison and Scott Camp
Christina D. Sung
Marleen and Jack Cain
Chenxi Cao
Linda and David Dreisbach
Yeseo Nam
Eileen and Jerry Durkin
Kaiden Lee
Barbara and Jay Ellis
Matthew Chang
Judy and Joe Gimbel
Verity Leung
Victoria Holdren
Charlie Wu
Anita Hotchkiss
Junye Huang
Trish Hussey
Yixin Shen
Laura and Bret Jacobowitz
Dengjie Wang
Marty Neumeister
Yong-En Teng
Jan and Bill Raisch
Ryan Huang
Lauren and Van Schwiebert
Zhehao Li
Elizabeth and Edward Simmons
David Gatien
Barbara Sorkin
Anwen Deng
Janet Stallmeyer and Don Flora
Zhixuan Wang
Susan Stewart and Gregg Bryant
Zihan Li
Lori and Bobby Tyson
Jueon Li
Mona Huff
Ralph Drayer
Chris and Mary Albright
Peggi Moon and Bill Hutchinson
Eloise and Bob Mason
Mary Noonan
Eileen and Jerry Durkin
Cynthia and George Popiel
Maggy-Pierre and Jean-Luc Pellissier
Mona Huff
Eloise and Bob Mason
Lavonne Hales
Mieke Smit
Competition Director
Steven Shaiman
Grants/Special Projects
Linda Dreisbach
Hospitality
Marianne Blaine, Mary Wilcox
Host Families
Barbara Holmes, Peggi Moon*
Members-at-Large
Mary Briggs, Bret Jacobowitz*, Chad Martin*, Barbara Sorkin
Musical Feast
Joan Dattelbaum, Eileen Durkin, Peggi Moon*
Production
Jerry Durkin, Bill Hutchinson, Mike Kling
Program Book
Gayle Lang, Julie Williams
Social Media
Tim Ridge
Tickets and Merchandise Sales
Lynn Gustafson
Transportation
Mike Caporal
Volunteers
Kathy and Mike Emery
* Member of the HHSO Board of Directors
Stephen Ball - Owner, The Great Frame Up
Alan Bise - Audio and Streaming Engineer, Azica Records
Vivian Chiu - Steinway & Sons
Chocolate Canopy
Jean-Marie Coté - thefrenchguy photography
Joan and Charlie Dattelbaum
Andrew Davis, WSAV-TV
Linda and Dave Dreisbach
Kelley Finley - HHSO Marketing
First Presbyterian Church
Peter Forbes
Mark Gilmour - Videorecording Engineer
Charles Grace - Designer, LocalLife Magazine
Susan Hartmann
Heritage Shortbread Hiton Head
Jeff and Jennifer Herrin - Owners, Kawai Piano Gallery by Herrin
Hilton Beachfront Resort and Spa
Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra String Quartet
Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra/SoundWaves
Mario Incorvaia
Laura and Bret Jacobowitz
Laura and Mike Kling
Bob Koenig
Gayle Lang
Lean Ensemble Theater
George Li
Maestro John Morris Russell and Thea Tjepkema
Michael Anthony’s Cucina Italiana
Peggi Moon and Bill Hutchinson
Tim Ridge - HHIPC Social Media
Nina Rodman
Rollers Wines & Spirits
Savannah Hilton Head International Airport
Savannah Music Festival
St. Luke’s Anglican Church
Steinway & Sons
Steinway
Piano Gallery – Columbia, South Carolina
Studio One Awards & Engraving
Jean Tharin - First Presbyterian Church
Robert Tindle - Director of Music Ministries, St. Luke’s Anglican Church
Julie Williams
Diane Anderson
Janet England Bender
Marianne Blaine
Sue Blake
Mike Caporal
Carol Couch
Suzanne Crippen
Joan Dattelbaum
Linda Dreisbach
Cheryl Duren
Eileen Durkin
Jerry Durkin
Kathy Emery
Mike Emery
Andrea Fister
Eileen Fitzgerald
Mary Ann Goodrich
Look for our volunteers throughout our venues. They are here to welcome and assist you. This dedicated group has been recruited and trained by Kathy and Mike Emery. Thanks to all!
Lynn Gustafson
Carol Gyllenhoff
Bobbie Hall
Mark Hall
Ann Harrison
Morgan Harrison
Susan Hartmann
Terry Hicks
Barbara Holmes
Jan Hunter
Emeline Hunting
Dinah Kitteridge
Mike Kling
Ed Landis
Judy Landis
Janet Lessem
Jan Magrane
Karen Malecha
Peg McCann
Joy McNeill
Mark Mitchell
Peggi Moon
Jeffrie Natale
Lou Natale
Sally Nicastre
Andrea Pfaef e
Tim Ridge
Catherine Sartorius
Pam Schofield
Barbara Sorkin
Christine Thumm
Betty Welt
Mary Wilcox
Julie Williams
Marti Willits
Bill Zurilla
Kathy Zurilla
This list was compiled as of February 6, 2026.
EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH SPONSOR
Town Of Hilton Head
Gorodnitzki Foundation
LIVESTREAMING SPONSORS SILVER LEVEL
The Mona Huff
Carnegie Hall Recital Fund
LEVEL
HHCS
Friday, December 5, 2025 CELEBRATE RENEWAL
Friday, March 27, 2026
Sunday, May 24, 2026
MUSIC DIRECTOR
John Morris Russell
VIOLIN I
Micah Gangwer, Concertmaster Charleston, SC
VIOLIN II
Brian Allen, Principal Atlanta, GA
SECTION VIOLIN
Karel Abo
Savannah,GA
Barbara Borg Charleston, SC
Ann Cafferty
Savannah, GA
Jason Economides * Macon, GA
Martha Gardner
Savannah, GA
Rafe Goldman
Charleston, SC
Catherine Klimoff Hardy ^ Hilton Head Island, SC
Mario Incorvaia
Savannah, GA
Tomas Jakubek
Charleston, SC
David Katz
Crossville, TN
Angela Loizides
Charleston, SC
Corey Mike
Charleston, SC
C. Gerome Stewart
Charleston, SC
Marina Volynets
Savannah, GA
VIOLA
Lizhou Liu, Principal
Savannah, GA
Scott Garrett
Fort Mill, SC
Vasily Gorkovoy
Charlotte, NC
Matthew Peebles
Charleston, SC
Jeffrey Watson
Columbia, SC
CELLO
Daniel Mumm, Principal Charleston, SC
Barbara Altman ^ Macon, GA
Hyeok Kwon
Savannah, GA
Lee Richey
Greensboro, NC
Cynthia Sulko
Atlanta, GA
Mary Ann Watson
Columbia, SC
BASS
Maurice Belle, Principal Atlanta, GA
Joseph Farley
Winston-Salem, NC
Vadim Volynets
Savannah, GA
FLUTE
Lorraine Jones, Principal
Savannah, GA
Tacy Edwards
Charleston, SC
OBOE
Reid Messich, Principal Athens, GA
Kelly Moziek Charleston, SC
Kelly Odell Augusta, GA
CLARINET
Charles Messersmith, Principal
Charleston, SC
Russell Floyd, Co-Principal Hilton Head Island, SC
Gretchen Roper Charleston, SC
BASSOON
Katherine St. John, Principal Charleston, SC
Sandra Nikolajevs Charleston, SC
HORN
Stephanie Mason, Principal Statesboro, GA
Brandon Nichols Charleston, SC
Debra Sherill-Ward Charleston, SC
Anne Holmi Charleston, SC
TRUMPET
Paul Wesley Lott, Principal Savannah, GA
Antonio Marti Charleston, SC
Todd Jenkins
North Augusta, GA
TROMBONE
Carl K. Polk, Principal Savannah, GA
Mark Spradley Savannah, GA
Hollie Pritchard Marietta, GA
TUBA
Christopher Bluemel, Principal ^ Charleston, SC
TIMPANI Vacant
PERCUSSION
Stephen Primatic, Principal Savannah, GA
Mathew Fallin ** Statesboro, GA
Ryan Leveille Charleston, SC
KEYBOARD
Charles Ancheta, Principal Savannah, GA
HARP
Mary Duplantier, Principal Cincinnati, OH
The Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra proudly presents the Hilton Head International Piano Competition’s 2025 FIRST PRIZE WINNER
MAMORA in a landmark performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2.
This monumental concerto—one of the ultimate tests of musical stamina, collaboration, and interpretive depth—showcases the artistry that earned Mamora top honors on the international competition stage.
First Presbyterian Church 540 William Hilton Parkway (Business Route 278) For
SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2026 AT 4:00 PM
MONDAY, APRIL 27, 2026 AT 7:30 PM
John Morris Russell, conductor Jonathan Mamora, piano
842-2055.
ELLIOT WUU IN RECITAL
Friday, April 17, 7:30 pm
SOUNDWAVES
Read more about this former HHIPC competitor on page 69.
JONATHAN MAMORA PLAYS BRAHMS WITH THE HHSO
Sunday, April 26, 2026, 4:00 pm & Monday, April 27, 2026, 7:30 pm
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The HHSO is excited to welcome back Jonathan Mamora, HHIPC’s First Prize winner in 2025. He will play Brahms Concerto No. 2 under the baton of John Morris Russell.
“MOVIE NIGHT”
Thursday, May 7, 2026
SOUNDWAVES
Private Event for 88 Key Society and Pay-for-Piper Members.
“A MUSICAL FEAST”
Date and location to be announced. The HHIPC’s Annual Benefit
2026 WINNER’S RETURN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE HHSO Sunday, February 14 and Monday, February 15, 2027
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
This year’s winner will return to play with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra during the 2026-2027 Orchestra Series season. Program to be announced.
FESTIVAL
Thursday, March 11 – Monday, March 15, 2027
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AND OTHER VENUES
Join us in celebrating the piano in its many wonderous forms. There will be something for everyone!
Tickets for Elliot Wuu’s SoundWaves recital and the Mamora concert at irst resbyterian rc are on sale at so.or or call t e bo o fice - .
Over nineteen out of twenty professional pianists choose to perform on steinway . steinway & sons is proud to support the Hilton Head International Piano Competition.
STEINWAY .COM