ZHONGHUA WEI

COUNTRY – People’s Republic of China

AGE – 14

HOST FAMILY – Eileen and Jerry Durkin

Zhonghua Wei was born in Guangzhou, China and began his piano studies at the age of five with Chinese American pianist Jay Pengjie Sun, the piano department Chair at Xinghai Conservatory Middle School in Guangzhou. At 14 years of age, Zhonghua is a carefree, thoughtful boy who has avidly devoured significant portions of the piano repertoire including the 48 Prelude and Fugues of Bach’s Well Tempered Clavier, Mozart’s complete piano sonatas and the complete Chopin and Liszt etudes.

Zhonghua has been awarded numerous prizes at the national level including first prize at the Irmler-Klavierwettbewerb National Piano Competition, first prize at the Sterinborgh National Piano Competition, second prize at the Steinway National Piano Competition (2017), first prize at the Pearl River Kayserburg National Piano Competition (2019), second prize at the Steinway National Piano Competition (2019), first prize at the Xinghai Cup National Piano Competition, and third prize at the Futian National Piano Competition for young pianists.

In 2017 he was invited to Bad Hamburg to perform two separate half recitals, and in 2018 he gave his first solo recital at Yamaha Hall in Guangzhou. In 2022, he won the first prize at the Pearl River Kayserburg National Piano Competition and was admitted to the Morningside Music Bridge. Currently, Zhonghua is at the Xinghai Conservatory Middle School in Guangzhou.

In his spare time, he enjoys watching films, reading, billiards, swimming, and fencing.

ROUND I

Repertoire

Bach Prelude and Fugue in C Major, BWV 870/WTC II

Wang Lisan Prelude and Fugue in A minor [circa 1980]

Brahms Variations on a Theme by Paganini, Op. 35/Book I

ROUND II

Bach/Hess Chorale Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring

Beethoven Sonata No. 13 in E-flat Major, Quasi una fantasía, Op. 27, No. 1

Medtner Sonata Tragica in C minor, Op. 39, No. 5

ROUND III

Rachmaninoff Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 21

Ruby Wu

COUNTRY – Hong Kong

AGE – 16

HOST FAMILY – Patsy Brison and Scott Camp

Ruby Wu is the scholarship recipient of the Robert Black Trust Fund, Grantham Scholarships Fund, the Grantham Music Awards (GMA), and was selected as a Young Scholar of Lang Lang’s International Music Foundation (2020-2021). She is now studying in the GMC Academy in the Young Pianist Program with principal Ms. Rizzo Chung. Ruby has won several prizes in piano competitions both locally and internationally, including the Silver Prize (Elementary Category) in The Chopin International Piano Competition in Asia (Japan, 2017), first prize as well as the Grand Prize at the Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition (2017). Ruby was also awarded the Encouragement Prize at the 4th Hanoi International Piano Competition (2018).

In 2022, Ruby was invited to participate in the 4th Zhuhai Mozart International Music Competition, advancing to the semi-final round. She was also a finalist at the International Piano Competition for Young Musicians based in Enschede, Netherlands (2022).

In addition, she has won numerous first prizes at the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, including the Junior Exhibitioner Award where she was invited to perform in the Winners Concert (2019), and first prize of the Tom Lee Scholarship Award (2022). In 2018, she was invited by IMC Music Company Japan to give her concerto debut concert in Tokyo’s Kyurian Hall with Filharmonia Śląska im Henryka Mikołaja Góreckiego Polish, conducted by Mirosław Blaszczyk, where she performed Mozart’s Concerto No.12, K414. Ruby has also performed on RTHK 4 radio in Hong Kong, sharing her passion for music with audiences.

Repertoire

ROUND I

Haydn Piano Sonata in C minor No. 33, Hob. XVI/20

Chopin Scherzo in E Major, No. 4, Op.54

ROUND II

Vine Bagatelles, Nos. 2 and 3

Chopin Nocturne in E-flat Major, Op. 55, No. 2

Bach Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825

Bartók Suite, Op. 14

ROUND III

Chopin Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Op. 21