2024 Winners Showcase

Our talented young applicants to the 2024 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Annual Competition submitted video performances for review by our esteemed judging panel: Dmitri Berlinsky, Moni Simeonov, Leon Livshin, Orion Weiss, Sheri Greenawald, and Mason Bates. 22 students were selected as scholarship winners with 5 honorable mentions across 8 categories.

We are pleased to present the 2024 winners in this Virtual Showcase — please enjoy and share these stunning performances by our talented winners! You can read each winner’s biography by clicking on their name.

Jump to category: Instrumental-1 | Instrumental-2 | Instrumental-3 | Piano-1 | Piano-2 | Piano-3 | Vocal | Composition

2024 Instrumental Winners

Instrumental-1 (ages 8-10)

1st Place: Jessie Shang, violin

J. S. Bach, Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major: II. Loure

W.A. Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major: I. Allegro

C. de Beriot, Scène de Ballet

A. Previn, Two Little Serenades: I. “Noah”

2nd Place: Unyew Kim, violin

J. S. Bach, Violin Partita No. 3 in E Major: I. Preludio

W.A. Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 2 in D major: 1. Allegro moderato

F. Kreisler, Praeludium and Allegro in the Style of Pugnani

D. Shostakovich, “Romance” (from The Gadfly)

Instrumental-2 (ages 11-13)

1st Place: Sonya Moomaw, cello

J. S. Bach, Suite No. 6 in D Major: Prelude

J. Haydn, Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major: I. Moderato (original cadenza)

C. Saint-Saëns, Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor: I. Allegro non troppo (cadenza by David Popper)

A. Ginastera, Pampeana No. 2 for Cello and Piano

Hon. Mention: Sydney Li-Jenkins, violin

J. S. Bach, Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor: II. Fuga

W. A. Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major: I. Allegro

N. Paganini, Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major: I. Allegro maestoso

W. G. Still, 3 Visions: II. “Summerland”

2nd Place: Lisa Saito, violin

J. S. Bach, Sonata No. 2 in A Minor: I. Grave

L. van Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major: I. Allegro con brio

N. Paganini, Violin Concerto No. 1: I. Allegro maestoso

J. Montgomery, Rhapsody No. 1

3rd Place: Colin Breshears, viola

J. S. Bach, Suite No. 6 in G Major: I. Prelude

F. A. Hoffmeister, Viola Concerto in D Major: I. Allegro

F. Schubert, Sonata in A Minor "Arpeggione": I. Allegro moderato

D. Milhaud, Quatre Visages: I. “La Californienne,” II. The Wisconsinian

Instrumental-3 (ages 14-17)

1st Place: Valery Breshears, violin

J. S. Bach, Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor: III. Sarabande

W. A. Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 4: I. Allegro

M. Bruch, Scottish Fantasy: I. Introducton, Grave - Adagio cantabile

D. Shostakovich, Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Major: I. Andante

Hon. Mention: Benjamin Jiang, cello

J. S. Bach, Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011, Prelude

L. van Beethoven, Sonata No. 4 in C Major: I. Andante - Allegro vivace

S. Prokofiev, Sinfonia-Concertante in E Minor: I. Andante

K. Penderecki, “Per Slava”

2nd Place: Melissa Lam, cello

P. A. Locatelli, Sonata in D Major: I. Allegro, II. Adagio

J. Haydn, Cello Concerto in C Major No. 1: III. Allegro molto

A. Dvořák, Cello Concerto in B Minor: I. Allegro

Shostakovich, Cello Sonata in D Minor: II. Allegro

3rd Place: Rubi Lee, violin

J. S. Bach, Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor: III. Sarabande

L. van Beethoven, Violin Sonata No. 8 in G Major

P. Tchaikovsky, Violin Concerto in D Major: I. Allegro moderato

P. Hristoskov, “Danubian Horo Folk Dance”

2024 Piano Winners

Piano-1 (ages 8-10)

1st Place: Frederick Chen

J. S. Bach, Partita No. 2: I. Sinfonia

L. van Beethoven, Sonata No. 17 in D Minor: I. Largo-Allegro

F. Chopin, Fantaisie-Impromptu in C♯ Minor

E. Toch, “Der Jongleur”

2nd Place: Raymond Jiang

J. S. Bach, Italian Concerto In F Major: I. Allegro

J. Haydn, Sonata in C Major: I. Allegro

M. Glinka/M. Balakirev, “The Lark”

E. Toch, “Der Jongleur”

3rd Place: Melissa Zhao

J. S. Bach, French Suite No. 5 in G Major: I. Allemande, II. Courante, III. Sarabande

L. van Beethoven, Sonata No. 3 in C Major: I. Allegro con brio

F. Chopin, Nocturne in B-Flat Minor

Tan Dun, Memories in Watercolour: II. Staccato Beans, III. Herdboy's Song

Hon. Mention: Avery Armstrong

J.S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue No. 5 in D Major

J. Haydn, Piano Sonata in E-Flat Major: I. Allegro

F. Liszt, Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 in A Minor

R. Muczynski, Six Preludes

The Shirley M. Beckett Piano Division (Piano-2, ages 11-13)

2nd Place: Andrew Yin

J. S. Bach, Partita No.4: I. Ouverture

J. Haydn, Sonata in C Major: I. Allegro

F. Schubert, Impromptus, No. 3

N. Kapustin, Concert Etude No. 6, “Pastoral”

3rd Place: Jessi Lin

J. S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue in C# Major

L. van Beethoven, Sonata No. 3 in C Major: I. Allegro con brio

F. Chopin, Ballade No. 2

S. Prokofiev, Sonata No. 3 in A Minor

Hon. Mention: William Chen

J. S. Bach, Partita No.1 in B-Flat Major: II. Allemande, IV. Sarabande, VI. Gigue

W. A. Mozart, Piano Sonata No. 18 in D Major: I. Allegro

M. Glinka, “The Lark”

N. Kapustin, Sonatina, Op. 100

Piano-3 (ages 14-17)

1st Place: Claire Chang

J. S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue in F-Sharp Major

J. Haydn, Piano Sonata E-Flat Major : I. Allegro

F. Liszt, “Grandes Études de Paganini”

D. Garner, Three Etudes: I. “Labyrinth”

2nd Place: Natalie Burr

J. S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue in B Minor

L. van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, "Appassionata": I. Allegro

F. Chopin, Etude No.4 in C# Minor

S. Prokofiev, "Suggestion Diabolique"

3rd Place: Brian Lin

J. S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue in A Major

L. van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, "Appassionata": I. Allegro assai, II. Andante con moto, III. Allegro ma non troppo

F. Chopin, Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor: I. Allegro maestoso

A. Babadjanian, Six Pictures: V. “Chorale”

Hon. Mention: Xinran Shi

J. S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue in D Major

L. van Beethoven, Sonata No. 26 in E-flat Major: I. Adagio-Allegro

F. Chopin, Ballade No. 4 in F Minor

L. Liebermann, “Gargoyles”

2024 Vocal Winners (ages 16-18)

1st Place: Mikaela George

G. Caccini, “Amarilli Mia Bella”

R. Schumann, “Widmung”

R. Hahn, “Si Mes Vers Avaient des Ailes”

F. Price, “I Grew A Rose”

2nd Place: Akshi Malhotra

J. S. Bach, “Mein Glaübiges Herze Frohlocke”

B. de Laserna, “Tirana del Trípili”

G. Puccini, “O Mio Babbino Caro”

S. Barber, “The Crucifixion”

3rd Place: Eve Nudd

G. Caccini, “Amarilli Mia Bella”

F. Schubert, “Die Forelle”

R. Hahn, “Si Mes Vers Avaient des Ailes”

B. Britten, “Come you not from Newcastle?”

2023 Composition Winners (ages 8-25)

1st place: Nathaniel Lee

“Ode on Melancholy” (from a poem by John Keats)

2nd place: Karen Matsui

“Awakening”

3rd place: Kiran Thole

“Piece on a Progression by Messiaen”