Lee University's Department of Instrumental Music welcomed 17 high school pianists from around the country Wednesday for its annual piano competition.
The competition officially began with a reception Wednesday evening. Participants, who were invited to the campus based on an audition CD, made final preparations for the opening competitive round at 9 a.m. Thursday.
The annual contest features guest judges, in addition to Lee faculty judges, who teach master classes between rounds of the competition and give a special recital Friday night. The final round will take place in the Squires Recital Hall at 9 a.m. Saturday. Winners are presented in the closing ceremony at 11:45 that morning. All sessions of the event are free and open to the public.
Katherine Elise Benson, Jonesborough, Tn., is a ninth grader at ETSU’s University School with a strong interest in science and math. She has been studying piano since age six, and is currently taking lessons with Jerilyn Paolini and Chih-Long Hu. Recently, Katherine was invited to perform at the Paramount Center for the Arts at the Young Artist’s Concert in Bristol and at the Knoxville Choral Arts Society. Besides piano, she studies violin and composition.
Naomi Ruth Causby, Columbia, SC, is a ninth-grade student at Ben Lippen High School. She currently studies with Marina Lomazov and Joseph Rackers. A frequent competitor, Naomi has been a prize winner at MTNA-sponsored competitions and the Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition. She has studied at the Interlochen Center for the Arts and participated in numerous master classes, including those with Norman Kreiger, Ian Hobson, Nelita True, Ann Schein, and Olga Kern.
Elaine Yi-Ning Chen, Herndon, VA, is a freshman at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She began piano lessons at the age of five and has studied with Rosita Kerr Mang since 2001. The first place winner of Bach Competition and Miriam S. Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition, Elaine also won first place at the 22nd International Young Artist Piano Concerto Competition and was featured as guest soloist with The Maryland Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2007.
Crystal Soojung Cox, Summerfield, NC, is a sophomore at Northwest Guildford High School. She was introduced to the piano by her parents, who are also pianists. In 2007, she moved from South Korea to North Carolina and began studying with Clifton Matthews. Crystal has been recognized at several piano competitions, most recently at East Carolina University. She hopes to carry music throughout her life.
Frederick Naison Dong, Lilburn, GA, has studied with Frederic Hsiang since November of 2005. He has participated in and been a prize winner in many competitions, including those sponsored by MTNA, the Atlanta Chopin society, and various universities. In addition, he was the recipient of the 2007 Atlanta Steinway Society’s C. Merrell Calhoun Prodigy Award. Frederick is a rising senior at Parkview High School.
George Xiaoyuan Fu, Frederick, MD, studies piano with Susan Starr in Philadelphia, PA. George has been a prizewinner in numerous piano competitions, taking first prize in the 2007 International Young Artists Piano Competition, and the 2008 National Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition in Washington, D.C. He has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and the Montgomery (AL) Symphony Orchestra. George will attend Harvard College this coming fall and continue private piano studies with current Curtis Institute of Music faculty member Meng-Chieh Liu.
Clara Zhang Guo, Great Falls, VA, is a rising freshman at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She studies piano with Rosita Kerr Mang. Clara has been a prize winner at the 2009 NVMTA Piano Concerto competition, 2008 Maryland MTA Miriam Shields Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition, and numerous other state and local competitions in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Clara has appeared in recitals at the Goodwin House and at the Alden Theatre in Virginia. She also volunteers at local senior centers and as a piano teacher for young children.
Zachary David Hughes, Abingdon, VA, started playing piano at the age of nine. Since moving to Virginia in 2004, he has studied with Chih-Long Hu. Zachary has been the recipient of awards in the Bristol Music Club Scholarship Competition, the TMTA State Competition, and the 2008 Lee University Piano Competition. He was selected to perform the past four years in the Young Artists Concert at the Paramount Center for the Arts in Bristol. He also is the pianist for the Runaway Piano Trio, an award winning chamber group. After high school, he intends to pursue a career in music.
Stella Ioana Roznovan, Gaithersburg, MD, was born in Moldova and started playing the piano at the age of seven. In Romania, she placed third in the National Piano competition, the George Georgescu Competition and the National “Carl Czerny” Competition. She moved to the U.S. in 2005, eventually entering the studio of Svetlana Aliyeva. Here, her awards continued, including first prize at the Buckeye Competition in Ohio. Currently a junior in high school, she also participates in a music outreach group called “Share the Music.”
Lara Veronique Saldanha, Cincinnati, OH, is a rising junior who began studying piano at age six. Currently a student of Inna Terekhov, she has been a prize winner in competitions sponsored by OMTA, De Pauw University, and the Clifton Music Club. She has also performed in many venues around Cincinnati and Boston. This summer, she will move with her family to Switzerland, where she plans to attend the International School of Geneva.
Kevin H. Shu, Fairfax Station, VA, is a sophomore attending Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. Kevin was the winner of MTNA Senior Performance Competition in Maryland and received “honorable mention” at the Division level. He has performed in concerts at the Alden Theater and Young Artist Musicales at George Mason University.
Derek Christopher Vann, Norcross, GA, is a rising senior in high school. He currently studies piano with Lois Finlay at the Cambridge Academy of the Arts. Earlier this year, he was awarded the Grand Gold Cup from the National Federation of Music Clubs. Derek also won the Atlanta-Bauru Piano Competition, and will tour three cities in Brazil in May 2010 as a concert performer. In 2008, he was the recipient of the NFMC Thelma Byrom Award and first place at the Bach Competition in Atlanta.
Bonnie Ellen Walker, Oak Ridge, TN, is a rising, home-educated sophomore. As a student of Celeste Varagona, she has participated in National Piano Guild and received superior ratings for three years. At Tennessee Federation of Music Clubs competitions, Bonnie was the state winner for Difficult Level 2 (2008), Very Difficult Level 1 and Difficult Sonata (2009). She was also the first runner-up in Difficult level 1 in 2007 and Difficult Baroque in 2009. Bonnie also enjoys playing the cello and piano for her church.
Richard Hou Jay Wan, Milton, GA, is a rising junior, who studies piano with Lois Finlay. Enjoying a wide variety of academic and extra-curricular pursuits, Richard also plays the French horn and is a member of his high school swim team. He has competed in numerous piano competitions including those sponsored by the Georgia Music Educators Association, MTNA, and National Piano Guild. In the future, he plans to attend college and major in a computer-related field.
Albert Jening Wang, Solon OH, is a high school freshman and studies piano with Emanuela Friscioni. He began his piano study at age four. Since then, he has played in Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall and the youngest pianist to play on live broadcast radio on WCLV. He made the finals at competitions such as the 2009 International Young Artist Piano Competition, the 51st World Piano Competition 2007 Solo and Concerto divisions, the 2008 MTNA competition, and the 2008 Oberlin International Piano Competition. He won the 2008 OMTA Scholarship competition and the 2007 National Walgreens Concerto Competition.
Matthew Steven Wilkinson, Mebane, NC, is a graduate of Western Alamance High School. He has studied the piano for ten years and his most recent teachers are Victor Recondo (a student of Vladimir Horowitz and Claudio Arrau) and Jason DuRoy. He gave his first piano recital at the age of 14 and recently performed at Trinity Worship Center.
Pamela Yau, Cincinnati, OH, is a junior at Wyoming High School, who began studying the piano at age five. Currently, she studies with Sergei Polusmiak. Pamela was a first place winner of the 2009 DePauw Young Artist Piano Competition, the 2009 Graves Piano Competition, and the 2007 World Piano Competition, among others. In 2007, she performed the Liszt Concerto No.1 as a guest soloist with the Clermont Philharmonic Orchestra and at Carnegie Hall. In 2008, Pamela performed Bach’s Double Piano Concerto with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic at the Grand Hall in St. Petersburg, Russia.
For more information on the Lee University Piano Competition, please contact the Department of Instrumental Music at 614-8264 or the School of Music at 614-8240.