Jerry Chang, a 17-year-old pianist from St. Louis, Missouri, started playing piano at age four, and currently studies with Ms. Zena Ilyashov and Dr. Sasha Starcevich.  Jerry has won top prizes in the Chicago International Music Competition, the Chopin International Piano Competition at Hartford, the Paderewski International Piano Competition, the Enkor International Music Competition, and the Kaufman Youth International Piano Competition. He is a semi-finalist for the 2023 Yamaha USASU International Junior Piano Competition, Best Chopin Award of the 2024 MTNA National Senior Piano Competition, a two-time Chopin Scholarship Recipient by the U.S. Chopin Foundation,  and a 2024 YoungArts Winner with Distinction by the National YoungArts Foundation.Jerry made his orchestra debut with the Alton Symphony Orchestra in Illinois at age 9, and has performed with the Virtuosi Brunensis Orchestra in Italy, the Metropolitan Orchestra of St. Louis, and the Columbia Odessey Orchestra. He has performed in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Jordan Hall, Merkin Hall, Katzin Hall, Maurice Gusman Hall, Mixon Hall, Sheldon Hall, the New World Center, and the 2023 National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference at the America Convention Center.Jerry has appeared many times on local and national radio programs. He first performed on From the Top at age 10 in 2018 and was invited to perform a solo virtual mini-concert in 2020. He was featured on NPR’s” Tiny Desk Concert” as one of the four students in the nation in 2021, and became a From the Top Fellow in 2024. Beyond the stage, Jerry is committed to spreading the joy of music with his community and frequently volunteers for culture festivals, with local ensembles, and at senior living centers. He is the founder and leader of his high school’s Performance Club which blends cultural diversities with musical artistry. He serves as a soloist and a panel discussant for the national Back to Bach Project, and teaches free piano lessons at  Pianos for People for families and children in need.

Josephine Chow is a 15-year-old pianist from Austin, Texas, and a rising Sophomore at Westwood High School. Her piano journey began at age 5, and she currently studies under Alexander Malikov. She finds joy and comfort in playing the piano, sharing this joy with her audience.Josephine's achievements include winning prizes in the 2022 Steinway Piano Concerto Competition (Austin), 2024 TMTA Performance Contest, 2024 Baylor/Waco Piano Competition, and 2024 Blinn College Young Pianist Competition. She was also the 2023-2024 Texas winner in the MTNA Junior Piano Competition.Her festival participations include PianoTexas, New Orleans Piano Institute, Texas State International Piano Festival, and the International Keyboard Odyssiad Festival. Josephine has benefited from private lessons and masterclasses with distinguished pianists such as Yoheved Kaplinsky, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Alan Chow, Marina Lomazov, Hung-Kuan Chen, Michelle Cann, Angela Cheng, and Tamas Ungar.Josephine made her orchestral debut at 12, performing the first movement of Grieg’s Piano Concerto with the Las Colinas Symphony under Geoffrey Simon. Recently, she performed the first movement of Beethoven Concerto No. 3 with the orchestra as a winner of the 2024 Starlight Symphony Young Artist Competition.Committed to community service, Josephine regularly performs at senior living homes and fundraising concerts for the Food Lounge in Austin, a non-profit supporting food insecurity. She also accompanies the Long Yin Choir, an Austin Chinese community choir dedicated to sharing Chinese culture through music.Beyond the piano, Josephine enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, and reading.

Chanya Methaprayoon began her piano journey at the age of five and currently studies under the guidance of Mr. John Weems. Over the years, she has won first prize in several prestigious piano competitions, including the Texas Music Teachers’ Association (TMTA) Performance Contest, the Texas State University Young Pianist Competition, the Baylor/Waco Piano Competition, the Blinn College Young Pianist Competition, and the South Texas Piano Competition. Additionally, she earned second prize at the 2024 Denison University International Piano Competition and the 2022 Spotlight International Piano Competition, and was honored with a jury discretionary award at the 2021 Annual Weatherford College International Piano Competition.Chanya made her orchestral debut at the age of ten with the Symphony North of Houston Orchestra and performed with the Bangkok Modern Ensemble at the Bangkok Young Pianists’ Winner’s Concert in the same year. In 2023, she attended the prestigious Oberlin Piano Festival and has participated in masterclasses with esteemed pianists such as Logan Skelton, Alan Chow, Sean Chen, and Scott Holden.An active volunteer, Chanya regularly performs at senior facilities and leads an outreach musical project for young children around Houston, TX. She currently serves as the lead pianist for her school orchestra. Beyond her musical pursuits, she shares her passion for math and science by coaching younger students in competitive math and leading CAD design for the robotics team at the Awty International School.

Matthew Scott lives in Lewisville, Texas and is a student of Dallas SymphonyOrchestra pianist, Gabriel Sanchez. He began formal piano training at age four and hasdeveloped his skills through master classes and training with Vladimir Viardo, Dang ThaiSon, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Alvin Chow, Joyce Yang, Anton Nel, Yoheved Kaplinsky,Gabriel Kwok, Mikhail Voskresensky, Baruch Meir, Alexandre Moutouzkine, PascalNemirovski, Asaf Zohar, Jose Ramon Mendez, and other distinguished musicians.Notable awards include: 1st Prize, 2018 Steinway Junior Piano; Grand Prize, 2019Carmel Klavier International Piano; 2nd Place, 2020 Vernell Gregg Young ArtistsConcerto; 2nd Place, 2021 Chopin Avenue; 1st Place, 2021 Dallas Piano Solo; SilverMedal, 2021 Seattle Bach Festival; Grand Prize, 2022 Piano League International; 2021and 2022 PianoTexas International Festival, Concerto Competition winner; 2nd Prize,2022 Weatherford College International; Gold Medal, 2022 Seattle International Piano;3rd Prize, 2023 Juanita Miller Concerto; 3rd Prize, 2023 Oberlin Piano Festival; Winner,2023 State of Texas MTNA; Winner, 2024 South Central Division MTNA; 2024 NationalYoungArts Winner, Classical Piano; 1st Place, 2024 Vernell Gregg Young ArtistsConcerto; 2024, Texas Commission on the Arts Young Master Grant Recipient; Finalist,2024 National MTNA. He was named a Young Steinway Artist in 2024.Matthew made his orchestral debut with the Fort Worth Symphony in June 2021,conducted by Miguel Harth Bedoya. He soloed with the Las Colinas Symphony in June2022 in the Van Cliburn Concert Hall.With a dedication to collaboration, Matthew is a member of the Greater DallasYouth Orchestra, GDYO Wind Symphony, Chamber Music International YouthAmbassadors, is a founding member of Youth Jazz International, and develops musicsets with the Worship Academy at his church. He has attended PianoTexas and OberlinPiano festivals since 2020.In his free time, he shares piano music at senior centers across Texas, and useshis talents to help memory care patients restore musical memories. Matthew also likescomposing, coding, mixed martial arts training, exploring the outdoors, studyinggeography, and completing all varieties of puzzles.

Henry Shao is a rising junior at Southview High School. He studies piano with Esther Chiu and FrancesRenzi. He has performed twice as a soloist with the Sylvania Community Orchestra. Henry has wonseveral piano competitions, and was recently a finalistin the David Dubois Piano Festival andCompetition. Recently, he won the Young Artist Competition and performed as a soloist with the ToledoSymphony Orchestra. He also is the assistant principal cellist in the Philharmonic ensemble of the ToledoSymphonyYouth Orchestra.

15-year old Alex Yang is a grade ten student at the Halifax Grammar School. He hasstudied piano with Professor Lynn Stodola since he was seven, and he studiesconcurrently in 2023-2024 with scholarship at the Royal Conservatory’s Phil and Eli TaylorAcademy (Toronto) in the Senior Piano Program with Michael Berkovsky. Other studiesinclude Orford Musique Summer Academy with André Laplante, John Perry and DavidJalbert; Lunenburg Academy of Musical Performance masterclasses with Jane Coop andAngela Hewitt; CMC Gathering of the Stars with Marilyn Engle, Henry Kramer; andmasterclasses with Robert McDonald, John O’Conor, Stephen Beus, and CharlesRichard-Hamelin. In 2023 he was the youngest of 10 international pianists invited toparticipate in a week-long masterclass with Angela Hewitt in the Trasimeno Music FestivalMasterclasses (Italy). In the final concert, Alex was praised by music critic ChristopherAxworthy for his “remarkable clarity and sense of line on a dynamic rhythmic base ofgreat nobility” as well as his “remarkable sensitivity.”Alex has performed in many significant concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall’s WeillRecital Hall, the Ateneo de Madrid, the Auditorium Maranium in Perugia, Italy, MazzoleniHall in the Royal Conservatory, and the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium where he was featuredsoloist with Symphony Nova Scotia for their outreach program for students in the NovaScotia public school system. He has played with other orchestras, including ChebuctoSymphony Orchestra, Nova Sinfonia, Toronto Sinfonietta, and the Nova Scotia YouthOrchestra, as well as institutions Cecilia Concerts, Musique Royale.Alex was included on the CBC’s “30 hot Canadian classical musicians under 30” list of2023; as a result, he was interviewed by CBC Radio One. He won the Steinway & SonsSpecial Prize in the 2024 Kaufman International Piano Competition (New York). He wonprizes in the most prestigious national competitions where he was the youngestcompetitor in both: the Grand Prize in the Federation of Canadian Music FestivalsCompetition of 2022, and his prize included a 90-minute professional performanceopportunity with Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance. He won the Chopin SocietyPrize, Most Promising Artist Award, and Overall Third Prize in the 2023 CFMTA NationalCompetition; as well as three First Place and 2019 Grand Prize in the Canadian MusicCompetition (CMC). That same year he also won first in violin. This August he willparticipate in the Ettlingen International Piano Competition.Locally, Alex has been a regular participant of the Nova Scotia Kiwanis Music Festivalsince he was 7 and has won multiple Doctor Piano & Yamaha Rose Bowls and
President’s Cups. He has been a regular recipient of scholarships from the Nova ScotiaTalent Trust since he was 8 years old.Aside from piano, Alex previously was a first violinist in the NSYO and studies violin with Dr.Leonardo Perez. He also likes badminton, swimming, debating, and computer programming.

Dylan Nguyen is a 16-year-old avid musician who resides in Milpitas, California, andattends Milpitas High School. He started to learn piano at five and is currently studying with Dr.Dante Lorenzo Dilanni at the Pacific Piano School. He has participated in numerous local andnational competitions. One competition Dylan has garnered multiple first-place prizes was at theUnited States Open Music Competition(USOMC). After performing a Scarlatti sonata at thewinners’ concert, the president of the competition also graciously offered him a chance to attenda masterclass with Ruth Slenczynska.Additionally, Dylan has received honorable mention at the Zeiter Piano Competition,second alternate at the MTAC Solo Competition, second alternate at the MTAC ConcertoCompetition, first place in the Bach category at USIMC, first place at the Encore Competition,and many other prizes. Other activities Dylan enjoys besides piano include playing the viola,trying new food, and coding.

Michelle Cao started playing the piano at the age of 6 with Yunbo Cassady and soondiscovered her love for music. Under the guidance of Dr. Sasha Starcevich, Michelle'sdedication and talent for the piano have led to numerous accolades and recognitions.Recently, Michelle won 2nd place at 2024 OPUS Nationals, 1st place at 2023 Orbifold,2nd place at Aloha, American Music Talent and International Grande, Bronze Medal atArtciál, as well as 1st prize at Orbetello and Franz Liszt Center International PianoCompetitions. She also won Gold Medals in US Chopin NW.Michelle has performed in master classes with Ilana Vered, Alexander Kobrin, StevenSpooner, Myong-Joo Lee, Arthur Greene, Haewon Song, Robert Shannon, and JosephRackers. She also performed in the spotlight master class & Gala concert in VancouverPiano Sessions, CIM Young Artist Piano Seminar, the Vivace and Chicago InternationalMusic Festival. Michelle was also a member of the Seattle Chamber Music SocietyAcademy and performed in the showcase concert.Michelle loves sharing her music with the seniors and bringing joy to their lives. Herprofound passion for community service has inspired her to found CONCHORD Music, anonprofit organization dedicated to promoting unity and mental health awareness inour communities through various music events.

Ryan Lu, 15, is a freshman at Trinity School NYC. He started playing piano at age 5 andhas been a student of Stella Xu since he was 7. He is a Young Scholar of the Lang LangInternational Music Foundation and has been selected as a finalist of NPR's From theTop.Ryan has received many top prizes in numerous competitions. His most recentaccomplishments include two-time National Finalist of the MTNA Junior PianoPerformance Competition after winning First prize in the Eastern Division(2021-2022 and2023-2024); three-time MTNA New Jersey State winner(2020-2021, 2021-2022, and2023-2024), First place winner of the David D. Dubois Piano Competition (2024), FirstPlace of J.Y. Park Foundation Piano Competition (2024), First place winner in NJMTAYoung Musicians Competition for seven consecutive years (2017-2023); Grand Prix ofXIII Chopin International Piano Competition Hartford, CT; First place of 2020 TristateSteinway Piano Competition, 2019 Steinway Junior Competition, Gold-prize winner in the2020 VIVO International Music Competition, and the Second prize in the 2021 ChicagoInternational Music Competition (professional category). Ryan is also a two-time FrostChopin Academy Scholarship recipient (2023 and 2024) and has been part of the NYYSChamber Music Program for two years.In his free time, Ryan enjoys eating, reading, video games, and playing sports.

Samuel Lu is an American pianist born and based in Salt Lake City, Utah. He began piano at the age of three under the tutelage of his parents, both piano professors at the University of Utah. Samuel's concertizing experience began rather early: in 2019, he gave a recital in Hong Kong at the closing ceremony of the first Helen Taylor International Piano Competition held abroad, playing Haydn Sonata Hob. XVI/50. Samuel has achieved numerous successes in piano: he was the First Prize Winner of the 2022 MTNA National Junior Solo Piano Competition, sponsored by Kawai America. In 2023, he won Third Prize at the MTNA National Weekley and Arganbright Piano Duet Competition, and First Prize at the 2023 Enkor International Music Competition. In 2024, he was an MTNA Senior Solo National Finalist and National YoungArts Winner in the Classical Music: Piano category. His orchestral debut was with the Salt Lake Symphony and Chorale, playing Mozart Concerto in F Major, K449. He would also later play Tchaikovsky Concerto No. 1 in B-flat Major. Besides performing in large halls, he enjoys giving small concerts within his community for friends and family at their homes. Besides piano, Samuel enjoys learning linear algebra and discrete mathematics, alongside studying organic and inorganic chemistry both competitively and applied.

YuTung Wu was born in Taipei, Taiwan in 2009. He began learning the pianounder the guidance of Tsaichun Yang and Tsuhsin Pan, and is currently studyingwith pianist Eva Yulin Shen.At the age of eight, YuTung gave his first piano recital. He has since performedat notable venues such as the Miaobei Art Center during the 2021 Miaobei ArtsFestival, and at the Recital Hall of the National Kaohsiung Center for the ArtsWeiwuying at the age of thirteen.His talent has been recognized through awards in national competitions,including the 40th Kawaii International Piano Competition (2016) and the NationalStudent Competition of Music in the Junior group (2024). YuTung also achievedfirst prize and the Jury’s Special Prize in the 20th Japan Hamamatsu PIARA PianoCompetition (2016). In 2020, He was a candidate in the Robert SchumannCompetition Düsseldorf for young pianists.

Yuna Noh (16) began her musical journey at the age of six, showcasing innate talent and a passion for piano and singing even without formal training. Over the years, she has earned numerous accolades in regional, national, and international piano and violin competitions. Her notable achievements in piano performance include being a four-time first-place winner at MTAC OC Theme Festival, including division winner with a cash award in 2016, a two-time first-place winner at MACOC, a three-time first-place winner at Satori Summer Music Festival and Judges’ Distinction Award in 2020, a first-place winner with a cash award at MTAC OC Concerto Competition in 2021, and a two-time second-place winner at Southwestern Youth Music Festival. She is also a gold medalist at AADGT Int'l Young Musicians Festival in 2020, a two-time first-place winner at the American Protégé Int'l Piano and Strings Competition in 2021 and 2023, first-place (2021) and second-place (2023) winner at Opus Music State Competition, second-place with a cash award at Opus Music National Competition in 2022, first-place award at the 2022 Charleston Contemporary Music Competition, second-place winner at IAPMT 2023 Int'l Concours Online Grand Prix, silver medalist at the 2024 Pacific International Piano Competition, and first-place (2023) and second-place (2024) winner at IAPMT Int'l Concours Online Grand Prix. Yuna received an honorable mention award at the 2022 Spotlight International Piano Competition.
Yuna is also deeply engaged with her community and fellow musicians, participating in gala concerts such as the Montecito Int'l Music Festival (2023), IAPMT selected winners' gala concert at Soka Performing Arts Center in CA, and Hana fundraising concerts (2022 and 2023). Since 2015, Yuna has been under the tutelage of Yoojung Chung. Outside of music, she enjoys gardening, practicing Taekwondo, and playing the violin.