2025 Winners Biographies

Jasper, age 10, started cello at the age of 3 with Dr. Justin Dougherty. His studies continue with Dr. Fang Fang Xu, and currently he is under Prof. Yoshika Masuda’s instruction. He has won numerous awards, including the Ron Leonard Award and first place in the Los Angeles Violoncello Society Thirty-fifth Annual scholarship; MTAC 2023 VOCE state finalist; and the 2024 SYMF Young Musicians Cello Concerto Competition, 15-and-under category, 2nd place. He plays chamber music with his pianist sister, Jasmine Ji, winning the SYMF Ensemble/Duo, 13-andunder category, 1st place. Along with chamber music, Jasper has composed music in a wide variety of forms since he was 7, including minimalist pieces, piano trios, and cello sonatas under the instruction of Prof. Knar Abrahamyan of Columbia University. He has received masterclasses from Ron Leonard, Ko Iwasaki, and Jason Lippmann. Outside of music, he loves math, attending AMC 10/12 math circles and mock tests.

Unyew Kim is a student at Saratoga Elementary. She studied with Zhao Wei and is currently studying with Wonhee Bae. She has won first place in the 2023 USIMC, 2024 KAMSA Competition, and 2025 DVC Competition. In 2025, she became the youngest finalist in the Palo Alto Philharmonic Concerto Competition and was invited to perform at the Junior Bach Festival 2025 and the Junior Bach Festival Honor Concert. Alongside her violin, Unyew expresses herself through singing. Her single album <Kyrie Eleison> is available for streaming. Passionate about both playing and singing, she continues to develop her musical skills with dedication and curiosity. 

Juliette Leong is an 8-year-old violinist, internationally acclaimed painter, award-winning mathlete, philanthropist, and TED Talk speaker. In music, Juliette has won 1st place in over 20 solo competitions, including the U.S. Open Music Competition, the 2023-2025 Reno Pops Solo and Concerto Festivals, and the American Protégé International Competitions. Juliette was the youngest violin soloist to perform at Carnegie Hall at five years old. She has soloed with orchestras five times since the age of 6. Juliette has captivated audiences at venues such as Times Square and the Oakland Coliseum as a soloist, performing in over 100 sold-out concerts and events.  Juliette currently studies with Dr. Ruth Lenz and Susanne Hou. Juliette has been featured on The Rachael Ray Show, Tamron Hall Show, ARTEFFECTS, Exploring Genius, Someone 2 Know, radio, podcasts, ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, PBS, and news outlets worldwide. Videos featuring Juliette have garnered billions of views across social media platforms.

Daniel Wang displayed a strong love for music and started learning piano and cello with his parents at a young age. He has received top prizes in numerous international competitions. In 2023, he was the winner of Gustav Mahler Cello Competition (Category II), where he also received the Director of the Gustav Mahler Institute award. Additionally, he received 1st place at the 2022 American Virtuoso International Music Competition, the 2022 Malopolska International Music Competition, and the 2021 VI Paris International Music Competition. Daniel’s recent performances include recitals at the University of Michigan, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Shanghai Concert Hall, and Shanghai’s TRI Recital Hall. He was selected by Project Spring Bird, an initiative of Shanghai Symphony’s music director Maestro Long Yu, to open its 24/25 season with a solo recital. Daniel currently studies with Richard Aaron at San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College. Besides music, he enjoys playing frisbee, chess, and badminton. 

Vivi Kuo (12) started violin lessons at 6. She attended the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (2021-2023) and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College Division (2022-2024). Now she studies with David Chernyavsky of the San Francisco Symphony, and William / Kineko Barbini of the SFCM-PC. Vivi has won several competitions: the New Asia International Music Competition, the Great Composers Competitions, the KAMSA Competition, and 1st place at USOMC this year. She had the honor of playing in masterclasses with Silvia Marcovici at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg (2023); with Evgeny Bushkov at Talent music summer courses in Brescia (2024); and with Dmitry Sitkovetsky at Nelli Shkolnikova Academy in France (2024). She also performed at a benefit concert for C’est Bon Academy in Oct. 2024. Outside violin, she enjoys crocheting cats and solving Rubik’s cubes.

Lisa Saito, 13 years old, began violin at age 3 and piano at age 4, and currently studies violin with Robin Sharp. At age 10, Lisa made her orchestral debut with the Stanford Summer Symphony. She won the 2022 and 2023 Golden State Youth Orchestra (GSYO) Concerto Competitions, performing with their Senior Symphony in 2022. Lisa is the youngest member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and was the youngest in the GSYO Senior Symphony, participating in their 2022 European Tour. She has won several awards including KAMSA, Pacific Musical Society, Music International Grand Prix, and USOMC. She was a finalist in the 2024 SFSYO Concerto Competition. Lisa was selected for the Junior Bach Festival for six consecutive years and the 2025 Honors Concert, which consisted of the highest-scoring participants. She has attended Music@Menlo, Heifetz Institute, Summer Music Institute at Tateuchi, and Santa Clara Chamber Music Academy.

Katherine, age 12, began playing the violin at age 6 with Elizabeth MacCorquodale and now studies with Zhao Wei. She has received awards in the Elite International Music Competition, the KAMSA Competition, and the 2021 Vivo International Music Competition where she was selected as "Judge's Pick." In 2022, she was chosen for a concerto opportunity with the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra and performed as a soloist with the Sinfonia orchestra conducted by Benjamin Simon. She also won first prizes in the 2023 Pacific Music Society Competition and the 2024 USIMC.  Outside of violin, she enjoys reading, writing, and spending time with her dog. Recently, she has also taken an interest in learning hip-hop dance.

“Young in years, but that belies the level of her artistry” – Piedmont Post. Melissa Lam, principal cellist of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, has performed at major venues such as Davies Symphony Hall. In 2023 and 2024, she earned critical acclaim for her two solo recitals at the Piedmont Center for the Arts. In April 2023, Melissa was honored as the guest soloist performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto at the revered Town and Gown Club’s annual luncheon in Berkeley, California. Melissa has secured top honors in well-regarded competitions, including grand prize in the 2025 Antonín Dvořák Competition, and first prizes in the 2024 American Virtuoso Competition, the 2023 US Open Music Competition, the 2022 International The Muse Competition, and the 2022 International JSFest Music Competition. Currently, Melissa is a member of the San Francisco Choral Society Orchestra.

Violinist Kayla Lee is a junior and third-year Honors Fellow at Valley Christian High School, currently studying under Ms. Zhao Wei at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Some of her musical accomplishments include winning first place in the USOMC, KAMSA, and Silicon Valley Music Competitions, and receiving recognition as a two-time winner of the YoungArts National Arts Competition. In addition, Kayla has soloed with the Palo Alto Philharmonic, KAMSA Youth Orchestra, Temple Hill Symphony, and the CYS Associate Orchestra. She also participated in noteworthy programs including tours with NYO-USA to South America, NYO2 to the Dominican Republic, and the Bowdoin International Music Festival in past summers. She will be joining NYO-USA again this upcoming summer for their Asia tour. Kayla is currently the co-concertmaster for the CYS Senior Orchestra.

Violinist Ariel Pawlik-Zwiebel, 17, studies with Eugene Chukhlov. A frequent recitalist, his recent concerts include a co-production of the San Francisco International Piano Festival with Noontime Concerts at Old St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco; public recitals in Phoenix, San Rafael, Pleasanton, Walnut Creek and more; and an upcoming tour of Germany and Switzerland. Solo performances this spring include the Livermore-Amador Symphony, Prometheus Symphony, and YPSO Orchestra.  Other recent performances include the Contra Costa Performing Arts Society, Hillside Club, Junior Bach Festival, and Peninsula Holocaust Commemoration. As a chamber musician, Ariel plays with the Young Chamber Musicians program, has attended the Bowdoin Festival, and will attend Music@Menlo this summer.  He toured Japan as concertmaster of YPSO and was concertmaster of the Festival Orchestra at the Bay Area Youth Orchestra Festival.  Ariel ran a concert series as co-chair of the CCPAS student chapter and is active in a prize-winning FIRST robotics team.

Brandon Kang, 16, is an 11th grader at Gunn High School. He has studied cello for nine years and his current teacher is Jonathan Koh. He has also studied with Sarah Koo, a professor at UC Irvine, and Hans Jørgen Jensen, a professor at Northwestern University. Brandon was selected to be the principal cellist in Carnegie Hall’s National Youth Orchestra (NYO2) and performed in Carnegie Hall and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra’s Meyerson Symphony Hall under the baton of Teddy Abrams. He is also currently the principal cellist in the California Youth Symphony Senior orchestra and has played with them for over 4 years. Brandon was selected to participate in the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, was named a 2024 National YoungArts Winner, and has won first place in USOMC and USIMC several times.

Kai, a 4th grader at BASIS, started learning piano at 4 and currently studies with Dr. Xing Chen. He has also taken lessons from Dr. Steven Spooner, Mrs. Nagisa Ariza, and Mrs. Lena Grozman. He passed RCM level 8 piano with Distinction and has won first prizes at several competitions, such as Bach International Music Competition, Elevato Stanza Junior Piano Competition, Great Composers Competition - Best Mozart and Beethoven Performances, Colors of Chopin International Piano Competition, King’s Peak International Music Competition, Piano Competition Online, and US International Open Music Competition. He has also received awards from International New Star Competition, KAMSA, and US Open Music Competition, and was invited to perform for the Junior Bach Festival. He cherishes the experience of playing with other musicians, e.g. playing Kinder Trio by Klengel with a cellist and a violinist from Juilliard. In addition to piano Kai enjoys voice, ballet, drama, arts, STEM, and programming. 

Natalie Wang, 10, began studying piano at the age of 5 and currently studies with Professor Hans Boepple. She is a 5th grader at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Lower School. She has won top awards in the ENKOR International Music Competition and KAMSA Piano Competition and participated in the Bay PianoFest. In 2025, Natalie will perform at the Junior Bach Festival, the Tianjin Juilliard Piano Festival, and the PianoTexas International Festival. Beyond her musical achievements, Natalie is an avid reader and math enthusiast. She earned Honor Roll recognition in the 2024 AMC-8 Math Competition and was a finalist in the 2023 Math League US National Championship.

A 13-year-old pianist from California, Isabel Feng has been performing throughout the USA, Canada, China, and Italy, after making her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 6. Her competitive accolades include MTNA Junior Piano Competition California State winner and Southwest Division alternate, 1st Prize at all three CAPMT California State Competitions and MTAC Piano Concerto Solo State Competition, 1st Prize at San Jose International Piano Competition, Grand Prize at Xinghai Cup National Piano Competition in China, Special Prize at Kaufman International Piano Competition, 1st Grand Prize (among all categories from the age of under 8 to 35) at the Vancouver International Music Competition, and 4th Prize at the International e-Piano Junior Competition. Highlights of previous seasons include debuts as soloist with Folsom Lake College Youth Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra Virtuosi Brunenses, Orchestra Europa Musica, and Florence Conservatory Orchestra. Isabel loves to share music with everyone. She also plays violin.

Paxton Rhys Radityo began studying classical piano at age 7 during the COVID-19 lockdown, relying solely on online lessons for a year and a half. He quickly became a blossoming young pianist through his perseverance and passion. He has earned top honors in competitions and festivals, including the United States International Music Competition (Young Artist Award - 2024), Marylin Mindell (2024), the US Open Music Competition (Concerto Category - 2025), and the Junior Bach Festival (2025). He performed at Carnegie Hall and was the youngest participant at the 14th Texas State International Piano Festival in 2024. Paxton really enjoys studying with renowned pianists and receiving masterclasses from esteemed artists worldwide. He aspires to be a concert pianist, using music to inspire love and hope. Beyond piano, he enjoys soccer, tennis, reading, speed cubing, and performing for the elderly at local senior homes.

Max Wang, 12, is a 7th grader from Miller Middle School, San Jose. He currently studies with Prof. John McCarthy. Max has been a prize winner of the Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition, Charleston International Piano Competition, KAMSA Competition, San Francisco Artciál International Piano Competition, USIMC /CMTANC Competition, USOMC Competition, Junior Bach Festivals, CAPMT Contemporary and Honors Competitions, and MTAC Northern Region Music Competition. Max has attended the Artciál International Piano Festival and Bay PianoFest. He has had the honor to participate in masterclasses/private classes with Prof. Yoshikazu Nagai, Prof. Sharon Mann, Prof. Jeffrey Cohen, Prof. Alvin Chow, Prof. Dan Zhaoyi, Prof. Esther Jeehae Ahn and Prof. Awadagin Pratt. Max has also partnered with SpiritCare Ministry to Seniors and MorningStar Senior Center as their young pianist playing for the seniors. While not playing piano, Max can be found on the golf course or at home with his math, science, and books.

Brian Lin, a senior at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, California, studies piano under Professor Hans Boepple. Grateful for the opportunities music has given him, he has been honored as a National Chopin Scholarship recipient (2022–2025) and a two-time National Young Arts Award winner (2024, 2025). He is also privileged to be part of the Young Artist Guild (2024–2029) through the Music Teachers’ Association of California. Brian has been fortunate to attend festivals such as Music at Menlo, SEPF, and PianoTexas, where he has learned from inspiring mentors and fellow musicians. He continues to grow through masterclasses with distinguished artists, always striving to deepen his artistry. Outside of music, Brian has a strong appreciation for mathematics and a deep commitment to giving back to his community. His dedication to service has been recognized with the National Gold Presidential Volunteer Service Award twice, but what matters most to him is the impact he can make on others.

Sora Corro is a 9th grader at Irvington High School in Fremont, California. She started learning piano when she was 2 years old. Since then, she has won many prizes including first place in the Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition, Ross Mckee Piano Competition, Gavilan College Youth Piano Competition, East Bay Music Foundation, United States Open Music Competition, and CAMPT State Honors Competition. She has also won top prizes in the Reno-Tahoe Piano Competition, San Francisco International Piano Competition, and Chicago International Piano Competition. In June 2023, Sora performed her piano concerto (Kabalevsky Op. 50) with the Urbana-Pop Orchestra in Champaign, Illinois. Sora has had masterclasses with many accomplished pianists including Yoshikazu Nagai, Steven Spooner, Armen Babakhanian, John Perry, Mina Perry, Sasha Starcevich, Boris Slutsky, and Jean David Coen. Last summer she attended the John Perry Summer Program in Plano Texas, and Music@Menlo. In summer 2025 she will attend Juilliard’s Summer Music Program. 

Jacob Rockower is a junior at the Nueva High School in San Mateo, California. His piano life began at the age of three, and he currently studies under the direction of Professor Hans Boepple of Santa Clara University. Jacob has participated and been invited as a contestant in multiple international piano competitions, including the 9th Sendai International Music Competition, the 7th Aarhus International Piano Competition, the 2025 Palm Springs International Piano Competition, and the 19th Ettlingen International Piano Competition.  In addition to his esteemed solo piano career, he is the pianist of the prize-winning Aves Trio, the first prize and Grand Prize recipient of the Coltman Chamber Music Competition in Austin, TX, and state winner of the VOCE Competition at the Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC). In his free time, he enjoys playing ultimate frisbee and golf, and he also is an avid enthusiast of both photography and aviation. 

NYC-based Classical vocalist Marina Chamedes has been singing for 9 years, currently studying under Mr. Grant Anderson. Chamedes attends Laguardia Arts High School, where they’ve gained proficiency in Italian, German, and French diction as well as Sight Singing and Theory. This is their 2nd year in the Laguardia Senior Chorus, singing repertoire including Durufle’s Requiem, Johnson’s Considering Matthew Shepard Choral Suite, and currently Orff’s Carmina Burana. They recently completed a run of Offenbach’s La Belle Helene as Helene under the direction of Mary Brienza at Laguardia Arts High School, and previously played the role of Reindeer in McGee’s Flurry Tale for performances at The Century Association and The Metropolitan Opera Club under the direction of Grethe Holby with Ardea Arts. Chamedes placed 2nd in the Schmidt New Jersey Vocal Competition 2025 and 1st in the National Association of Teachers of Singing New York City Chapter Vocal Competition 2024. 

Eve Genie Nudd, soprano, is a senior in the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts Vocal Department. Eve was awarded third place in the Northern California region of the Schmidt Vocal Arts competition in spring 2024, and studied at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute in summer 2024. She studies with Lester Lynch, voice professor at the San Francisco Conservatory.  In her free time, she loves baking, thrift store shopping, and spending time with friends.

Helen Xie has studied classical voice extensively, and has been named as a YoungArts Winner with Distinction in 2025. She has attended the International Lyric Academy Ensemble Summer Program, performing The Marriage of Figaro and The Tales of Hoffmann in Charlotte, North Carolina and Vicenza, Italy. She has won top awards in the United States International Music Competition and has participated in the Junior Bach Festival. Helen also loves choir, participating in the California Regional and All-State Honor Choirs and the American Choral Directors Association (2025). Helen attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artists Vocal Program in summer of 2024. She has earned 1st place in the American Protégé International Vocal Competition. Additionally, Helen enjoys playing piano and has been recognized by the California Association of Professional Music Teachers and the United States Open Music Competition.

Andromeda Wen (b. 2007) is an SF-based composer and multireedist. Composing since the age of four, her works have been performed by Friction Quartet, Hub New Music, International Contemporary Ensemble, PHACE, SOLI Chamber Ensemble, Telegraph Quartet (in Vienna, Austria where she studied for a year), and the Alba Music Festival in Italy and the USA. She has given solo performances at Stanford, Legion of Honor, SF City Hall, Guild Theatre, and West Valley College Jazz Festival, and studied at Tanglewood, Interlochen, and the Walden School. She presently studies in the San Francisco Conservatory of Music pre-collegiate program and with Stanford Jazz Workshop Big Band. Andromeda is currently scoring a short film starring Lea Salonga. She will be performing with her jazz band at Lincoln Center as a finalist for Essentially Ellington.

Ethan Monberg (age 14) is a composer, vocalist, and pianist. His compositions have received both state and divisional awards from the Music Teachers National Association (“MTNA”) – Alfred Music and the National Federation of Music Clubs; awards from World Melody Music, Berlioz, Bach, and Max Bruch International Music competitions; and many others. He will premiere his winning composition “Summer Drive” this April in NYC as part of the Music International Grand Prix and in July in Vienna as part of the Golden Key International Music Festival. He is a participant in Fear No Music’s Young Composers Program, and he was awarded a Composer Fellowship at Suncoast last summer. His music has been called “rhapsodic”, “very ambitious” and with an “excellent sense of flow” (MTNA), and has been performed by Hypercube (NYC) and the Allentown (PA) Symphony Orchestra. He is a student of Phillip Roberts of the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Daniel is a Pre-College student at SFCM. Since 2024 he has pursued composition, writing for solo piano, chamber ensembles, and orchestra. His music was featured in Thumbelina Ballet (Osipova Ballet Academy) and an award-winning student film, and he wrote scores for two animated shorts. A winner of the Pacific Music Society Composition Competition, he also passed the DipABRSM and AP Music Theory exams with distinction and was accepted to Music@Menlo 2025. Daniel has won numerous piano performance competitions, including CAPMT Concerto, Contemporary, and Honors; Junior Bach, Palo Alto Philharmonic, Marilyn Mindell, Clara Schumann International, Windsor International, Virtuoso International Music, Golden Era of Romantic Music, and American Festival of Fine Arts Concerto. He has performed at Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall, and played concertos with the Moscow Youth Symphony Orchestra and Palo Alto Philharmonic. Beyond music, Daniel has raised over $55,000 for T1D organizations, earning the title of San Mateo County’s Youth Cultural Ambassador and serving as a UN Youth Forum delegate for Music for Peace.