2022 Winners Biographies

Colin, age 9, began violin lessons at age 3 with David Mallory and Ayke Agus. At age 6, Colin began studying viola with Madeline Prager at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Pre-college Division. As a soloist, he has won 1st Place CalASTA San Francisco Solo Competition - Novice Division (ages 12 and under), 1st Place in the Classical Masters Music Festival Competition, 1st Place in the CAPMT Sacramento Go For the Gold Competition, and 1st place in the 2022 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition. Since 2018 Colin has performed as a soloist and with his sibling quartet at Iguazú en Concierto festival in Argentina and at Festival Alfonso Ortiz Tirado in Mexico.

Calliope Smith, age 10, studies violin at the San Francisco Conservatory Pre-College with Natasha Makhijani. She attends Synapse School in California and is a member of the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (“PACO”). Calliope has been a winner of the PACO Concerto Opportunity for three years in a row and will be soloing with the orchestra this Spring. She recently performed at Weill Hall and will be returning to Carnegie several times this year. Her awards include First Prize in the Vivo Competition; the Great Composers Competition Rising Talents of the Americas, Bartók, Beethoven, Haydn, Vivaldi and Music of the Seventeenth Century Competitions; and the King’s Peak Music Competition. She also received the Judges’ Distinction Award in the American Protégé Piano and Strings Competition, First Prize in the Crescendo International and Little Mozart Competitions and Second Prize in the New York International Artists’ Association Praelusio Competition and the Odin Competition. She will be attending Heifetz Junior this coming summer, as she did last year.

Anya Finsterle is a fourth grader at The Crowden School in Berkeley. She began playing the cello at the age of five with Rebecca Rogot under the Suzuki program. Anya currently studies with Jean-Michel Fonteneau in the Pre-College Program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Apart from music, Anya likes reading and running. Friday is her favorite day of the week because she gets to run a mile at school with her friends!

Valery, age 12, began violin lessons at age 2 with David Mallory. By the age of 5 Valery started studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Pre-college Division under William Barbini, and currently studies with Zhao Wei. Additionally Valery is coached by her accompanist, Ayke Agus. Valery has soloed eight times with 9 different orchestras since the age of six. She has won numerous solo competitions, including winner Parnassus-San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, Fremont Symphony Nafisa Taghioff Award, winner Livermore-Amador Symphony Concerto Competition, 1st Place U.S. International Music Competition, 1st Place ASTA-San Francisco Competition, 1st Place ASTA-Sacramento Competition, 1st Place CAPMT-Sacramento Competition, 1st Place DVC-HNU Strings Competition, 1st Place Classical Masters Competition, and a winner of the 2021 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition. Valery is a recipient of the 2021 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award.

Rebekah Sung, 13, 8th grader at Fremont Christian, started playing the viola at 7, under Sujung Seok, and currently with Minji Kim. Rebekah has won awards at various competitions such as KAMSA Music Competition, SVYMC, USIMC, and more. She has also been invited to play at the Junior Bach Festival and at Carnegie Hall following the American Protégé International Competition. She has been playing with the California Youth Symphony since 5th grade, entering the Associate Orchestra. The next year, she was promoted to Senior Orchestra as the youngest player, and she is currently with the SO. This summer, she will be going on tour with them and will be attending Music@Menlo. This season, she served as a principal violist both at KAMSA YO and the All-State JHS String Orchestra. At school, she plays solos/accompaniments for choirs, musicals, etc. She has been performing at Nahnoom Benefit Concert since 2017.

Jeffrey Bao is attending Joaquin Miller Middle School in San Jose, CA. He began his violin lessons at the age of five, and currently studies with Alexander Eisenberg, a violinist of the Russian Violin School, who received his training from Moscow Conservatory and Hochschule fur Musik, Vienna. Jeffrey also plays in prestigious orchestras for young musicians, including the Capriccio Chamber Orchestra and the California 2022 Junior High School All-State Orchestra. It was not until last year that Jeffrey started to play competitively when he won second place in USIOMC organized by the Bay Area Music Association. Classical music is such an important part of Jeffrey’s life. In addition to the violin, he also loves playing the oboe.  He is the principal oboist in Miller Middle School Advanced Band. Apart from music, Jeffrey actively competes in water polo tournaments with his team, the San Jose Water Polo Foundation. 

Starla, age 14, began cello lessons at age 3 with Yoshie Muratani. By the age of 6 Starla started studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Pre-college Division under Jean-Michel Fonteneau. Additionally Starla is coached by her accompanist, Ayke Agus, and by cellist Christine Walevska. Starla has soloed with 9 different orchestras since the age of six. She has won numerous solo competitions, including winner Parnassus-San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, 1st Place ASTA State Competition, winner Palo Alto Philharmonic Concerto Movement Competition, 1st Place U.S. International Music Competition, 1st Place U.S. Open Music Competition, 1st Place Livermore-Amador Symphony Concerto Competition, 1st Place CAPMT-Sacramento Competition, 1st Place DVS-HNU Strings Competition, and a winner of the 2021 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition. Starla has participated in master classes with Amit Peled, Darrett Adkins, and Bonnie Hampton. Starla is a Beare's International Violin Society artist and recipient of a ½ size Lorenzo Ventapane cello, 1808 generously on loan by J & A Beare Ltd., London.

Elliott Kim is a junior at Archbishop Mitty High School. He has played the cello and studied with Mrs. Kyeong Hwa Kim since he was seven. Elliott has won many awards from numerous competitions. To name a few, he is an Honorable Mention winner of the 2022 National Young Arts Competition, MTNA California State competition and the First Place winner of CAPMT State Concerto Competition north region. Elliott is the principal cellist in the California Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and made his solo debut at age twelve in 2017.  Also, as an avid chamber musician, his piano trio, the Aveta Trio at Young Chamber Musicians, won the 2021 Gold Medal in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition (Junior Division) and was invited to perform at New Millennium Concert Series, Rossmoor Chamber Music Society, SF International Piano Festival, and SF Music Day 2022. This summer, he will join NYO-USA and tour Europe with the orchestra.

Hiro Yoshimura, a sophomore at Cupertino High school, began playing the violin at age six. Hiro has won top prizes in numerous competitions including: 2020 and 2022 KAMSA, 2021 ENKOR, 2020 DVC-HNU, 2020-2022 USIMC, 2021 Silicon Valley Music Competition, and 2021 Houston International Music Competition; and performed at the Junior Bach Festival in 2020-2022. Hiro attended Meadowmount School of Music in 2019 (Kikuei Ikeda) and 2021 (Gerardo Ribeiro on scholarship). In summer 2021, his performance appeared in The Violin Channel as part of the Meadowmount presentations. He was with the California Youth Symphony in 2016-2019, and is currently a Co-Principal in the second violin section of San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and a member of Pueri Quartet at Young Chamber Musicians. This summer, Hiro will attend the Music@Menlo program. Hiro has been studying with Chen Zhao of SF Symphony and Tomomi Matsumoto, and previously studied with William Barbini.

Dustin, age 15, began violin lessons at age 4 with David Mallory. By the age of 7, Dustin started studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Pre-college Division under William Barbini, and currently studies with Zhao Wei. Additionally Dustin is coached by his accompanist, Ayke Agus. Dustin has soloed with four different orchestras since the age of six. He has won numerous solo awards, including winner Parnassus-San Francisco Conservatory of Music Concerto Competition, 1st Place MTAC State VOCE Competition, winner Palo Alto Philharmonic Concerto Movement Competition, 1st Place U.S. International Music Competition, 1st Place U.S. Open Music Competition, 1st Place ASTA-San Francisco Competition, 1st Place ASTA-Sacramento Competition, 1st Place CAPMT-Sacramento Competition, 1st Place DVC-HNU Strings Competition, 1st Place Classical Masters Competition, and a winner of the 2021 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition. Dustin is a recipient of the 2021 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award.

Elijah de la Motte is in tenth grade and studies cello with Jean-Michel Fonteneau at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Pre-College Division. Elijah enjoys participating in music competitions and won first place in the Music Teachers Association of California VOCE state finals. He has performed in masterclasses with Lynn Harrell and Amit Peled and has appeared on NPR’s From The Top and America’s Got Talent. His music has also attracted over 50,000 Instagram followers. One of nine children, Elijah performs with his four oldest siblings throughout San Francisco, and he also enjoys playing cello duets with his nine-year-old sister. Outside of music, Elijah’s hobbies include cooking, reading, and drawing.

Cellist Celina Chen, 17, is a junior attending Valley Christian High School. She has a passion for music and finds joy in sharing music with others, as she believes that it is a gift that should be shared with everyone. As a cellist she has appeared as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra musician, and in the recording studio. Celina has won awards in the Cal-ASTA, BIMC, DVC/HNU, KAMSA, ENKOR, USIMC, GCC, and American Protege competitions, among others. She also received a “Command Performance” solo award from ACSI. Outside of cello playing, she delights in singing.

Violinist Yuli Choi, 15, started playing violin at age 5. She was the concertmaster of the Junior High School All State Orchestra in 2020. Yuli was also the concertmaster of the High School Symphony All State Orchestra in 2022. Right now, she is a musician in the California Youth Symphony, the Senior Orchestra. Yuli is also an active member of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and the Young Chamber Musicians. In 2021, Yuli was awarded 1st place for the KAMSA competition, and Honorable mention in the Nova Vista Concerto Competition. In the summer of 2021, Yuli participated in NYO2, and this year, she will be going to Music@Menlo. Yuli had a masterclass with Midori, and she has studied with Eugenia Wie and Elbert Tsai.

Isabel Feng, a 5th grader from Folsom, started learning piano at age four with Ms. Carol Chuang. She is currently studying with Ilana Vered and Carol Chuang.

Isabel was awarded First Place in the CAPMT Honors Competitions State Final and Contemporary Competitions State Final at the age of 6 and 7. She won First Place in the CAPMT Concerto Competitions State Final in 2021, and became the youngest winner who has won all three CAPMT California State Competitions. Isabel is the Grand Prize winner of the Xinghai Cup National Piano Competition in Anhui, China. She is also the First Place winner of numerous other local, national, and international piano competitions including USIMC Young Artist Award, USOMC Showcase Piano Solo, and Auburn Symphony Young Artist Competition. Her recent achievements include Winner of the Pacific Musical Society & Foundation 2021 Competition, First Place in the MTAC 2021 Piano Solo Concerto Competition State Final, First Place in the 2021 San Jose International Piano Competition, Fourth Place in the 2021 International E-Piano Junior Competition, First Place in the 2021 Harmonium OnlinePlus International Piano Concerto Competition, and First Grand Prize (among all the categories from the age of under 8 to 35) in the 2021 Vancouver International Music Competition.

At the age of 7, Isabel made her orchestral debut with Folsom Lake College Youth Chamber Orchestra and was invited to perform in five concerts. In 2019, Isabel opened the Prodigy Concert with Florence Conservatory Orchestra at Music Fest Perugia in Italy. In 2021, Folsom Lake College Youth Chamber Orchestra invited her back to perform Bach Keyboard Concerto No.2 in a special virtual concert. As the First Place winner of the 2021 Harmonium OnlinePlus International Piano Concerto Competition, she will be performing with the Armenian National Philharmonic Orchestra in the 2022-2023 concert season.

While not practicing piano, Isabel can be found with her nose in a book, or playing ‘school’ with her sister and 56 stuffed animal students and chaperones in her ‘school’. Her dream is to be a teacher when she grows up.

Lisa started piano lessons at age four and violin lessons at age 3. She moved to the SF Bay Area from Japan in 2018 and currently studies with Ms. Nagisa Ariza. Lisa has received numerous piano awards and prizes, including First Place in the AFAF International Competition 2021, First Place in the US International Open Music Competition 2020, First Place in the Bay Area Piano Competition 2020, Second Place in the US New Star Music Etude Competition 2020, Second Place in the Young Artist Award in US International Music Competition 2020, First Place in the Special Theme Award (Mozart), and the Chinese Music Award in the USIMC 2020. Lisa was selected to perform at Junior Bach Festival in both the violin and piano in 2021 and 2022. She is actively involved in Girl Scouts and spends her spare time creating DIY crafts using her 3D printer.

Ming-Yi Tang, a 10-year-old California girl, began to play the piano at the age of 6. She is currently studying with Su-Hui Yang. She has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in NY multiple times since 2020. Her next appearance at Carnegie Hall is scheduled in August 2022, as a Grand Prize recipient and the solo winner of Junior Category in 2021 Pacific Rim Music Competition (North America Region). She has won multiple awards and scholarships in major international competitions, including First Place Winner (Young Musicians Category) of the 2022 American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition, Grand Prize in the 7th IMAS Annual Talented Young Musician Olympia Competition, First Place in the 2021 28th United States International Music Competition, First Place in the 2021 East Bay Music Foundation Competition, Third Place in the Professional Category at 2021 Chicago International Music Competition and Festival, Outstanding Gold medalists in the United States Open Music Competitions 2016-20, and three scholarships from MTAC Alameda County and Pacific Rim Music Foundation. Besides piano, Ming-Yi enjoys traveling, reading, playing soccer and skiing with her family and friends.

Andrew Yin, 9, began studying piano performance at the age of 5 and currently studies with Hans Boepple. He is a 4th grader at Valley Christian School in San Jose, USA. Andrew was the First Prize winner at the Chicago International Music Competition 2021, KAMSA Piano Competition 2021 and Spotlight National Youth Music Competition 2021; the Second Prize winner at the CAPMT Honors and Contemporary Competition 2022, 2021 Spotlight International Piano Competition and ENKOR International Music Competition 2021; Honorable Mention in the 2021 Music Teachers' Association of California State Concerto Solo Competition Regional Audition; and selected for the Junior Bach Festival 2022. Andrew has also performed and received various awards at USOMC, USIMC, New Star, and Youth Focus. Besides piano, Andrew enjoys violin, reading, math, chess, swimming. Andrew is also an impact soccer player at the LFC academy team at Los Gatos.

Roger Guo, age twelve, is a student of John McCarthy. He has previously studied with Kate Metcalf and Daniel Cheng, and performed in a masterclass for renowned pedagogue Gabriel Kwok. In 2019, Roger received first prize in the Chopin Category of the Hong Kong International Music Competition for Young Pianists. Roger has won top prizes in several categories of the 28th Annual United States Open Music Competition, and was also selected to perform at the Junior Bach Festival Concert in 2020. Roger was named winner of Golden State Youth Orchestra Piano Concerto Competition in 2021 and was selected to perform as concerto soloist with them this coming May. In addition to the piano, Roger plays the cello, composes his own music, and enjoys painting, reading, and writing stories. He is currently attending 7th grade at Crystal Springs Uplands School in Hillsborough, CA.

Katelyn Deng is a 7th grader in Fremont, California. She began playing piano at the age of four, and she has been studying piano with her current teacher, Mrs. Kai Chi Zhu, for six years. Katelyn has participated in and won prizes in numerous competitions. Most recently, she won First Place for Solo Showcase and First Place for Junior Concerto in the United States Open Music Competition, First Place in the 2022 Marian Filice Youth Piano Competition – Junior Category, Second Place in the 2022 KAMSA Competition, and Third Place in the 2021 International New Star Piano Competition. She was also awarded the Runner-Up prize in the 2022 Young Artist Competition by Fremont Symphony and participated in the Junior Bach Festival for 2022. Other than playing solo piano, Katelyn also participates in the Santa Clara Chamber Music Program. She won Second Place for the chamber category in the United States Open Music Competition. Besides music, she also enjoys reading and watching movies and documentaries about history and the arts.

Jonathan Szeto is an 8th grade student at the Harker School in San Jose, CA.  He has been studying piano with Ms. Natalia Hanukai since he was four and a half years old.  As a pianist, Jonathan has won awards in various competitions including the Pacific Music Society Music Competition, United States Open Music Competition, American Fine Arts Festival with performance at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Korean American Music Supporters Association Competition, Great Composers Competition, and U.S. International Music Competition. He has also studied with Professor Antonio Pompa-Baldi as a participant of San Jose Piano Competition's summer workshop. Besides playing the piano, Jonathan enjoys playing the violin, soccer, swimming, and studying science.

Born in the USA in 2008, Jacob Rockower began studying piano performance at the age of three. He currently studies under the direction of Professor Hans Boepple and previously studied with Lena Grozman. At 13 years of age, Jacob has won national and international awards including Winner in the 2022 Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) State Concerto Solo Competition Regional Audition, First Place in the state finals of the 2021 MTAC State Concerto Solo Competition, First Place in the state finals of the 2021 and 2015 California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) Contemporary Music Competition, First Place in District 2 of the 2017 CAPMT Contemporary Music Competition, First Place in District 2 of the 2022 and 2021 CAPMT Honors Competition, First Alternate in 2021 MTNA Junior Performance Competition California, and Winner in 2021 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Annual Competition. He also enjoys frisbee, table tennis, and math.

Samantha Wuo (15) is a sophomore from Homestead High School. She has been studying piano with Mrs. Rose Chen since the age of 5. Recently she was awarded first prize in the 2022 KAMSA Competition and the 2021 US New Star Competition. She has also received prizes from numerous other competitions such as the 2021 United States International Music Competition, 2021 Spotlight International Music Competition, and 2020 Golden State Youth Orchestra Piano Concerto Competition. Aside from her solo studies, Samantha also enjoys playing chamber music with her friends in a piano trio. Before the pandemic, the trio participated in chamber music competitions and received second prize in the 2020 State VOCE Competition, and first prize in the 2020 US Open Music Competition. In her free time, Samantha likes speedcubing, playing video games, and eating cookies.

Grace Feng is a 9th grader from Folsom. She began her piano lessons at the age of 4, and is currently studying with Ilana Vered and Carol Chuang.

Grace is the First Place winner of numerous competitions including MTAC Northern California Piano Solo Concerto Competition, CAPMT Honors Competition State Final, CAPMT Concerto Competition State Final, USOMC Showcase Piano Solo, and USIMC Young Artist Award. She is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2020 Auburn Symphony Young Artists Competition. Grace’s most recent achievements include First Prize in the 2022 Henry and Carol Zeiter Piano Competition, Winner of the 2021-2022 MTNA Junior Piano Performance Competition California State, Winner of 2021 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition, and Top Prize Winner in 2021-2022 MTNA Junior Piano Performance Competition Southwest Division and the 2021 San Jose International Piano Competition. Grace made her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of eight. She returned to Carnegie Hall in 2018.

At the age of nine, Grace made her orchestral debut with the Folsom Lake College Youth Chamber Orchestra performing the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 9. She performed the Mendelssohn Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Florence Conservatory Orchestra in Italy in 2019. This coming May, she will be performing the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Auburn Symphony.

Grace loves to share her music with everyone. She plays regularly in senior homes. Besides piano, Grace loves swimming, ballet, and writing. She also plays viola.

Riko Ando, age 14, is currently studying with Hang Li at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Pre-College Division. She has enjoyed playing the piano since the age of 5. She started learning piano performance under Eiko Nagano in Japan before she moved to the US. In 2020, she was nominated as the student of the Piano Academy founded by Sony Computer Science Laboratories, Inc(SCSL) and was invited to the selected concert held by SCSL. She will participate in the Young Performers Program 2022 provided by Menlo Music as a chosen pianist. Riko has earned awards in competitions, including Second Prize in the 72nd All Japan Student MusicConcours in Kitakyusyu in 2018 for the primary school category, Semi-Finalist in the Seattle International Piano Competition in age group 10-13 in 2019, and First Prize in the MTAC Piano Concerto Solo Competition in age group 13-15 in 2020.

Ryan Wang, 15, currently studies with Professor Hans Boepple. Ryan has received numerous awards, including the 2022 National YoungArts Merit award, semifinalist in the 2021 Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, winner of the 2021 MTNA State and Southwest Division piano performance competitions and national finalist, first place in the CAPMT Contemporary Competition, first place in the Los Angeles International Liszt Piano Competition, first place in the Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition, first place in the KAMSA competition, winner of the Marilyn Mindell competition, first place in the San Francisco Chopin competition, second place in the Henry and Carol Zeiter Piano Competition, first alternate in the MTAC piano solo competition and concerto competition, second place in the United States International Music Competition, and third place in the San Jose International Piano Competition. Ryan performed as a soloist with the Golden State Youth Orchestra in 2018 and the Palo Alto Philharmonic in 2019.

Mayu Tayama is a soprano from San Jose, CA. She found her passion for singing during the COVID-19 pandemic and has been studying with Dr. Justin Montigne for a year. During the summer of 2021, she participated in the Online Gilbert and Sullivan Scenes Program at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She also sang at the CS Music 2021 Summer Showcase in Chicago, IL. This month, she will be making her debut performance at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall as a winner of the American Protégé International Vocal Competition. Prior to singing, Mayu was a competitive solo figure skater and track athlete. She also represented Team USA as a member of the San Francisco Ice Theatre and continues to lead volunteering activities at her home club. Alongside music, Mayu enjoys doing art as a hobby.

Lucie Lin is a Mezzo Soprano vocalist; she has trained with Ms. Eun-Mee Ko for the past six years. She majors in Classical Voice at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and is currently a junior at the Nueva School. She engages in a myriad of learning opportunities, including a masterclass with Frederica Von Stade Distinguished Chair in Voice, Catherine Cook. She has been recognized by the United States International Music Competition, Pacific Musical Society & Foundation, Junior Bach and more. Beyond singing, Lucie enjoys physics, piano, learning languages, and painting.

Soprano singer Anushka Basu is a high school senior at Gunn High School in Palo Alto. She has studied classical singing for six years and has been selected for the Metropolitan Opera Guild High School Singers Intensive and The Washington National Opera Institute. She has also played the piano for thirteen years, received multiple MTAC Honors, and attended The Peabody Summer Institute. Encouraged by the inquiry of undiscovered paths, Anushka has performed works of female composers often left out of traditional repertoire, researched connections between math and music theory, and studied symmetries between music and the brain. Founder and President of her school’s social justice club, Titans for Justice, Anushka strongly believes that music has the power to rebuild dispirited communities, motivating people to feel, react, and engage more deeply within themselves and with others around them. Anushka plans to study music and math in college, aspiring to spread inspiration and awareness in her community through artistic efforts.

Saman de Silva is a baritone from Palo Alto, California. He is a senior at Gunn High School and studies vocal arts under the tutelage of Jace Wittig. An avid musician, Saman has been awarded frequently for his classical singing and performed in several summer institutes across the nation. As an alumnus of the YoungArts Foundation, Saman also has an emphasis on the intersectionality of the performing arts and how interdisciplinary collaboration is vital to the success of arts in social movements. Saman also prides himself on his work in the theatre as an actor, director, and costume designer; he is also a long-time climate advocate and an ardent environmental activist.

Spencer Cha, 17, is a composer and pianist from Los Altos, CA. He currently studies composition with John Syzygy and piano with Dr. Frederick Weldy and Jon Nakamatsu. A two-time YoungArts winner in classical music, Spencer has won prizes in multiple national and international competitions, including first place in the Music Teachers National Association Composition Competition and third prize in the San Jose International Piano competition. His pieces have been premiered by ensembles across the country, and he was inducted into both the Music Teachers Association of California Young Composers Guild and Young Artists Guild in 2021. Spencer had his orchestral debut with the Palo Alto Philharmonic in 2019 and will perform with the Golden State Youth Orchestra and the Harker School Orchestra in 2022. A senior at the Harker School and principal oboist in his school orchestra, Spencer also enjoys skiing, playing tennis and serving in student government.

Pianist-composer Jonathan Wang Hou hails from the San Francisco Bay. A first year at Columbia University, he studies with Joseph Kalichstein of the Juilliard School while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Most recently a Donna and Edwin Kornfeld Piano Fellow at the Aspen Music School and Festival’s 2021 season and a 2020 U.S. Presidential Scholar nominee, he has spent summers performing at the Colburn School, the Curtis Institute, and Tanglewood, where he has worked with such artists as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Jon Nakamatsu, and Nico Muhly. Wang Hou’s own works are suffused with the airs and colors of northern California. His 2 Rhapsodien (2016) and Klavierstücke (2018) won praise from Thomas Kotcheff and Zhou Long and took first in the Vienna Golden Key Composition Competition, while his 2 Balladen (2020) put him on the RMN classical label after winning their 2020 call for scores.