2026 Winners Showcase

Our talented young applicants to the 2026 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Annual Competition submitted video performances for review by our esteemed judging panel: Dmitri Berlinsky, Olga Kaler, Leon Livshin, Orion Weiss, Sheri Greenawald, and Mason Bates. 21 students were selected as scholarship winners with 3 honorable mentions across 8 categories.

We are pleased to present the 2026 winners in this 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

2026 Instrumental Winners

Instrumental-1 (ages 8-10)

1st Place: Leo Zhang, 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

P. de Sarasate, Introduction and Tarantella

D. Shostakovich, The Gadfly: “Romance”

 

Honorable Mention: Sandra Wang, violin

J. S. Bach, Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor: I. Allemande

W.A. Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 4 in D Major: 1. Allegro

C.A. de Bériot, Violin Concerto No. 9 in A Minor: 1. Allegro maestoso

B. Bartók, Six Romanian Folk Dances

Instrumental-2 (ages 11-13)

1st Place: Katherine Jang, violin

J. S. Bach, Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor: IV. Gigue

W.A. Mozart, Violin Sonata No. 21 in E Minor

H. Wieniawski, Violin Concerto No. 2: I. Allegro moderato

A.R. Thomas, “Incantation”

Hon. Mention: Madelyn Zhu, violin

J. S. Bach, Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor: I. Adagio

L. van Beethoven, Romance No. 2 in F Major

P. de Sarasate, “Zigeunerweisen”

E.T. Zwilich, Episodes for Violin and Piano: 1. Arioso

2nd Place: Liam Thomas, violin

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

W.A. Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 3 in G Major: 1. Allegro

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

W.G. Still, “Summerland”

3rd Place: Vivi Kuo, violin

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

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

E. Lalo, Symphonie Espagnole in D Minor: V. Rondo

S. Prokofiev, Violin Sonata in D Major: III. Con brio – Allegro precipitato

Instrumental-3 (ages 14-17)

1st Place: Minji Choi, violin

J. S. Bach, Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor: I. Adagio

W. A. Mozart, Violin Concerto No. 5 in A Major: I. Allegro aperto

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

J. Wang, “Serenade in Isolation for Violin”

Hon. Mention: Cara Wang, cello

J.S. Bach, Cello Suite No. 4 in E-Flat Major: I. Prelude

L. Boccherini, Sonata No. 6 in A Major: I. Adagio

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

D. Fang, Lin Chong: I. “Snow Tramping”

2nd Place: Daniel Wang, cello

Bach, Cello Suite in E-flat Major: II. Courante

J. Haydn, Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major

A. Beach, “Romance”

G. Cassado, Suite for Solo Cello: I. Preludio-fantasia

3rd Place: Jamie Cheung, viola

J. S. Bach, Viola Suite No. 5 in C Minor: I. Prelude

C. Stamitz, Viola Concerto in D Major: I. Allegro ma non troppo

M. Reger, 1st Suite for Solo Viola: IV. Molto vivace

W. Walton, Viola Concerto: I. Andante comodo

2026 Piano Winners

Piano-1 (ages 8-10)

1st Place: Owen Zhuang

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

L. van Beethoven, Sonata in F Major No. 2: I. Allegro

F. Chopin, Variations Brillantes

G. Gershwin, Prelude for Piano No. 1

2nd Place: Maggie Wu

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

L. van Beethoven, Sonata in G Major No. 2: I. Allegro ma non troppo, II. Tempo di menuetto

F. Chopin, Etude in F Minor No. 2

D. Kabalevsky, Seven Good-Humored Variations on a Ukrainian Folk Song, No. 4

3rd Place: Caden Chan

J.S. Bach, Fantasia and Fugue in C Minor

L. van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor: III. Rondo Allegro

F. Chopin, Prelude No. 15

D. Prokofiev, March in A Minor

 

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

1st Place: Andrew Yin

J.S. Bach: Partita No. 4 in D Major: I. Overture

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

F. Chopin, Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major

R. Muczynski, Six Preludes

2nd Place: Ellie Xuan

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

L. van Beethoven, Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major No. 3: II. Scherzo. Allegretto vivace

F. Chopin, Ballade No. 1 in G Minor

M. Ravel, Le Tombeau de Couperin: VI. Toccata

3rd Place: Amber Chen

J.S. Bach, Toccata in E Minor

L. van Beethoven, Thirty-two Variations in C Minor

A. Grünfeld, Soirée de Vienne

R. Muczynski, Six Preludes

Piano-3 (ages 14-17)

1st Place: Sora Corro

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

L. van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major No 3: I. Presto

F. Liszt, Paraphrase on Verdi's Rigoletto

S. Prokofiev, Sonata No. 2 in D Minor: IV. Vivace

2nd Place: Peter Parra

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

L. van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major No. 3: I. Allegro

F. Chopin, Etude No. 11 in A minor

L. Liebermann, Gargoyles: III. Allegro moderato, IV. Presto feroce

3rd Place: Claire Zhang

J.S. Bach, Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp Minor

L. van Beethoven, Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major No. 3: I. Allegro

J. Brahms, Rhapsody No. 1 in B Minor

R. Muczynski, Desperate Measures (Paganini Variations)

2026 Vocal Winners (ages 16-18)

1st Place: Sophia Kaushik

A. Beach, “Ah, Love, but a Day”

C. Debussy, “Paysage Sentimental”

C. Schumann, “Mein Stern”

S. Donaudy, “Perche Dolce Caro Bene”

2nd Place: Andrea Yang

W.A. Mozart, Don Giovanni, “Batti, batti, o bel Masetto”

G. Fauré, “Après un rêve”

J.S. Bach, “Mein gläubiges Herze”

W.A. Mozart, The Marriage of Figaro, “Deh Vieni, Non Tardar”

 

2026 Composition Winners (ages 8-25)

1st place: Alex Landry

“Adrift”

2nd place: Ethan Liao

“Midnight Carnaval”

3rd place: Micah Lim

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