Mikhail BERESTNEV Mikhail Berestnev was born into a family of musicians and started playing piano at the age of five. He graduated from School of Music in Slavyansk-on-Kuban and then entered the Gnessins College of Music and Russian Academy of Music. After his studies in Russia, Berestnev moved to the USA to study at TCU School of Music.

Berestnev has appeared with the Fort Worth Symphony, San Angelo Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Brazilian Symphony, Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia, Rostov-on-Don Philharmonic, and Yaroslavl Philharmonic Orchestra. He has also performed with chamber groups including the Seraphim Trio of Australia, and the San Paulo City String Quartet of Brazil. First (I) Round J.S. Bach Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue BWV 903 B. Bartók Piano Sonata BB 88 (Sz. 80) Second (II) Round L. van Beethoven 32 Variations in C minor WoO 80 C. Debussy Estampes (Prints) L.100 F. Mendelssohn – Scherzo from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” S. Rachmaninoff Semifinal (III) Round F. Schubert Fantasie in C major Op. 15 D. 760 “Wanderer Fantasy” R. Schumann Kinderszenen Op. 15 A. Scriabin Piano Sonata No.5 Op. 53 Final (IV) Round P.I. Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor Op. 23 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I like different types of food. I don`t actually have a very special preference because I like almost everything but especially when I travel to other countries, I prefer to try national food of the country that I attend. I like any type of food including meat, fish, seafood (especially), veggies, fruits etc.

I am also interested in sports like soccer, and enjoy swimming as well as driving cars. Sometimes I attend exhibitions and I really like painting. Of course I like to travel to different countries but I also like to travel in different parts of my native country which is Russia.

I have been playing the piano since I was five years old. Now my goals in music and particularly piano is to learn a lot of repertoire and perform in a lot of concerts. I really enjoy the fact that musician can stay with the music and explore more and more, find new things in the music and do this kind of researching throughout our whole lives. Of course I am always happy to play, to learn new solo repertoire and concertos but I also find it very interesting to play chamber music especially if the musicians I collaborate with are really good so that we can do everything we want in the piece we play. This is perhaps why I enjoy playing chamber music tremendously.

Danijel BRECELJ Born in 1988 in Slovenia, Danijel Brecelj studied piano at the High School of Music of Ljubljana with Professor Siavush Gadjiev. In 2006 he began his studies at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris with Professor R. Muraro where he obtained his Master degree in 2011. He continued to study piano with Professor Rolf Plage at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and in 2012 he was admitted to the Academy Incontri col maestro in Imola in the class of Professor Leonid Margarius. Brecelj has taken part in several masterclasses including those of J. Rouvier, P.L. Aimard, Leonid Margarius, and H.K. Kammerling. Brecelj also studied composition at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique de Paris with Professor Yves Henry.

Brecelj has performed with the Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic, the Orchestra of Radio and Television of Slovenia, and the Orchestra of Groningen University. He has also given concerts in his home country, France and Italy, and often performs his own compositions. At the age of sixteen, Brecelj made his debut performance with his Concerto for piano accompanied by the orchestra from the High School of Music in Ljubljana. Since then he has been invited to give recitals at festivals including the Festival Ljubljana, Festival Lent in Maribor, and Musique et patrimoine and Jeunes talents in Paris. Brecelj recorded a CD “Mladi virtuozi” for the Radio and Television of Slovenia and became laureate of the Yamaha Foundation in France in 2011. He is also the recipient of the Ministry of Culture of Slovenia scholarship and the High School of Music of Ljubljana Škerjančeva award for great artistic achievements.

Brecelj has won several prizes at competitions including Second Prize at the Concours Piano de Mayenne in France in 2012, finalist in the Concorso Guido Alberto Fano in Italy in 2012, First Prize in the National Competition of Young Musicians of Slovenia in 2004 and 2007, and First Prize in the Concorso internazionale di Povoletto in Italy in 2004. First (I) Round J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue No.8 in E-flat minor BWV 853 A. Scriabin Piano Sonata No.5 Op. 53 Second (II) Round L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor Op. 57 “Appassionata” F. Liszt Transcendental Étude No. 8 in C minor "Wilde Jagd" (Wild Hunt) Semifinal (III) Round F. Chopin Fantaisie in F minor Op. 49 F. Liszt Sonata in B minor S. 178 Final (IV) Round S. Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major Op. 26 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? My interests besides piano are cycling, taking photos, composing, and I like Italian food.

In my life I see myself as a concert pianist and composer.

Ignasi CAMBRA Ignasi Cambra, born in Barcelona, Spain, is currently a student of Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio at the Juilliard School. His past instructors include Edward Auer, Menahem Pressler, Alexander Toradze and others. Cambra has received numerous awards including a Jacobs Scholarship which funded his studies at Indiana University from 2007 to 2011, and a fellowship from the La Caixa foundation in Spain. He has performed with several orchestras both in Spain and the United States and is a winner of many solo and chamber music competitions. Cambra has been featured on radio and television in the United States, Canada and Spain and has performed in such venues including Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC, the United Nations in New York City, the Mariinsky Concert Hall in Saint Petersburg, and Minato Mirai Hall in Yokohama. Recent engagements include performances with the Mariinsky Orchestra conducted by Valery Gergiev, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and a three-month long residency at La Pedrera in Barcelona. Upcoming performances include the Orquestra del Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, the Vancouver (WA) and Miami symphonies, as well as solo recitals in Spain and the United States. Cambra has been invited to participate in the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara and the Steans Music Institute at the Ravinia Festival. Cambra’s first CD, featuring two of Mozart’s piano concertos in chamber format, will be released in 2016. First (I) Round W.A. Mozart 9 Variations on a Minuet by Duport K.573 F. Chopin Polonaise-fantaisie in A-flat major Op. 61 Second (II) Round L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor Op. 31 No. 2 A. Ginastera Danzas Argentinas (Argentine Dances) Op. 2 Semifinal (III) Round J.S. Bach Suite No.4 in E-flat major BWV 815 J. Brahms Klavierstücke Op. 118 I. Albéniz El Albaicín from Iberia Book 3 B. Bartók Allegro barbaro BB 63 (Sz. 49) Final (IV) Round W.A. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major K. 488 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? Outside of playing the piano I enjoy computer science very much. I was a business major in college and enjoy reading about business-related matters quite often. I also enjoy tennis and any activities by the sea or lake (boating etc.).

My goal as a musician is to tell stories to my audiences. I think when playing the piano it is always possible to make people feel like you take them from one place to another, or from a mental state to a different one. This is what really makes music powerful, and I think that when someone comes out of a concert they should, in some way, feel different from before the concert started.

Maxwell FOSTER A former student of Rita Reichman, Foster is slowly emerging as a sought-after concerto performer with appearances in 2010 with the Adelaide, Sydney and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. Past engagements include Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Ravel's G Major Piano Concerto with Orchestra Victoria, a recital for the Prime Minister and Senior Cabinet in Parliament House, Canberra, as well as recitals in Shanghai and Oxford. Foster is also involved in music education, coaching chamber music at Melbourne's Scotch College as well as giving educational concerts, including a demonstration of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In 2010 Foster visited the Sydney Opera house (playing with the Sydney Symphony), Angels Place, the Melbourne Recital Centre and New South Wales, performing Prokofiev, Chopin, Bach and Beethoven, and working with many conductors, including Lutz Kohlor, Vladimir Verbitsky and Richard Gill. For the past two years, Foster has been a student of Seymour Lipkin and Choong-mo Kang at The Juilliard School, as well as studying chamber music with Veda Kaplinsky. He enjoys collaborating with other like-minded musicians and delving into the realm of twenty-first century music, playing many of his composer-friends' pieces. During this past year, Foster appeared as soloist with The Juilliard Orchestra, performing in Juilliard’s Peter Jay Sharp Theatre. First (I) Round D. Scarlatti Keyboard Sonata in B minor K.27 D. Scarlatti Keyboard Sonata in G major K.427 A. Scriabin Piano Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp minor Op. 19 “Sonata-Fantasy” A. Scriabin Études Op. 42 No. 5 in C-sharp minor Second (II) Round F. Haydn Sonata in A-flat major Hob. XVI:46 F. Chopin Barcarolle in F-sharp major Op. 60 A. Scriabin Piano Sonata No.5 Op. 53 Semifinal (III) Round L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat major Op. 110 F. Chopin Polonaise-fantaisie in A-flat major Op. 61 M. Ravel Gaspard de la nuit Final (IV) Round P.I. Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor Op. 23 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? When not playing I love to read and write and swim.

I wish to enrich the lives of other people of all ages, whether that means moving an older audience member of exciting a young child through teaching.

HyeJin KIM Praised by critics as “a pianist who is truly passionate, sensitive, and musical… an extremely polished and expressive pianist,” HyeJin Kim has performed internationally as a soloist with orchestras and in piano recitals, as well as appearing numerous times as a chamber musician.

In 2004, H. Kim’s outstanding musicality began to show through her participation in international festivals including the Shanghai Summer Music Festival, TCU-Cliburn Piano Festival in Texas, and F. Busoni Piano Festival in Italy. She has also participated in several international piano competitions including the International Piano Competition for Young Musicians in the Netherlands (Saxion Conservatorium Prize), as well as competitions including and the Cantu Concerto Competition with Orchestra in Italy (Third Prize). H. Kim was the youngest Third Prize winner in the history of the Busoni International Piano Competition (2005), and afterwards she was awarded Fourth Prize in the Second Hong Kong International Piano Competition (2008), and later received the DAAD Prize (2010), and Steinway & Sons Advancement Award Competition (2011).

A soloist of international acclaim, H. Kim has performed and toured with numerous orchestra including the Praha Broadcast Symphony Orchestra, Wuettembergische Orchester, Nordwestdeutsche Philharmonie, Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Schumann Philharmonie in Chemnitz, State Symphony Orchestra of St. Petersburg, Dae-jeon Philharmonic Orchestra, Gyung-gi Philharmonic Orchestra, Vogtland Philharmony Orchestra, Pilzen Philharmonic Orchestra, and Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. H. Kim has worked with fellow conductors such as Achim Fiedler, Joerge Master, Ola Rudner, Jiri Malat, Francesco la Vecchia, Peter Bronsky, Evan Christ, Tomas Hanus, Edward Topchjan, Robert Montenegro, Dae Jin Kim and Shi-yeon Sung.

H. Kim received her Diploma of Musical Arts from the University of Hanns Eisler in 2011SS and continued her studies as a ‘Konzertexamen’ in Berlin from 2011/2012WS under the tutelage of Professor Fabio Bidini. H. Kim continues to perform as both a soloist and chamber musician with various musical groups worldwide. First (I) Round D. Scarlatti Keyboard Sonata in B minor K.87 S. Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 4 in C minor Op. 29 Second (II) Round F. Chopin Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major Op. 47 I. Albéniz Triana from Iberia Book 2 N. Kapustin Piano Sonata No. 6 Op. 62 Semifinal (III) Round L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No.28 Op. 101 C. Debussy Images Book 1 F. Liszt Rhapsodie espagnole (Spanish Rhapsody) S.254 R.90 Final (IV) Round M. Ravel Piano Concerto in G major In her own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? During my leisure time, I prefer to relax myself and spend time with my close friends by eating good food and taking tours to famous restaurants. I try to take more chances to encounter rich cultural activities like reading books and visiting art museum, which could be potentially helpful for my musical activities. To stay fit, I try to work out at least three times a week and I focus on stretching my body and relaxing muscles. As a human being, my biggest pursuit is happiness and I further want my happiness to influence my environment and nearby people with positive energy. As a musician, and a pianist, I want to share the varied emotion that I feel with my audience through my music, and I wish I could be a pianist whose performance gives people emotional charge and treatment.

Younggun KIM Younggun Kim is a pianist known for “his blazing technical capacity and a lush sound supported by a natural phrasing sense” (Timothy Gilligan, New York Concert Review). After his debut with the Toronto Philharmonia conducted by Maestro Kerry Stratton performing the Brahms First Piano Concerto in 2008, he was invited by the same orchestra for two more consecutive seasons. He has performed around North America and Europe, and was a prize winner at the 11th San Antonio International Competition, where he also won the Best Performance of a Work by a Spanish or Latin American Composer.

In 2013, Y. Kim won the Second Prize at the 8th Concours International de Piano Francis Poulenc, held under the high patronage of François Hollande, President of France and commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Poulenc.

Y. Kim’s recent performances include Rachmaninoff’s Second Concerto with Niagara Symphony with Maestro Bradley Thachuk conducting and Brahms First Concerto with the Kindred Spirits Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Kristian Alexander. His 2013-2014 performances include recitals in San Antonio, Texas and an appearance at the New Music Festival of the University of Toronto. He has also been closely involved since 2011 with the Health Arts Society of Ontario, providing classical music concerts to audiences who no longer can make it to concert halls.

The winner of 2011-2012 Doctor of Musical Arts Recital Competition at the University of Toronto, Y. Kim also received various prizes and scholarships from the University of Toronto, Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music, Canadian Music Competition, Shean Competition, the Alice and Armen Matheson Graduate Scholarship, and Anne Burrows Foundation and Winspear Fund.

A Toronto-based Canadian citizen from South Korea, Y. Kim studied with Professor KyungRok Park in Seoul, and Dr. Roger Admiral and Professor Alexandra Munn in Edmonton. After finishing his undergraduate degree at the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music with Professor Marietta Orlov and Master’s Degree at Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University under the guidance of Professor Boris Slutsky, Y. Kim is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the University of Toronto with Professor Marietta Orlov.

Y. Kim is currently supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. First (I) Round F. Haydn Sonata in A-flat major Hob. XVI:46 I. Albéniz Rondeña from Iberia Book 2 I. Albéniz Triana from Iberia Book 2 Second (II) Round F. Poulenc Trois novelettes N. Kapustin Eight Concert Études Op. 40 Semifinal (III) Round F. Liszt Sonata in B minor S. 178 S. Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major Op. 83 Final (IV) Round S. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor Op. 30 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I am interested in all the aspects of music. Everything about piano playing is wonderful to me (even scale practices) but orchestral and vocal music including opera fascinate me as well.

I am also a proud Toronto Raptors fan - WE THE NORTH!!! Ultimately, I would love to do almost all the great musicians did and do - to have an active performing career and to educate the coming generation.

German KITKIN Born in 1994 in Orenburg, German Kitkin started playing the piano at the age of seven and passed the entrance exams to MGKMI named for F. Chopin in Moscow (Professor Vera Gornostaeva) at the age of fifteen. Currently, Kitkin studies in the Moscow State Conservatory named for P. Tchaikovsky under the tutelage of Mikhail Voskresensky.

Kitkin has won numerous international competitions, and is the laureate of competitions including the Rachmaninoff Competition (Darmshtadt, Germany), Hopes, Talents, Masters (Dobrich, Bulgaria), The Path to Mastery (Rostov-on-Don, Russia), Romantic Music Outdoor Festival of Young Performers (Moscow, Russia), Festival dedicated to the 150 Anniversary of C. Debussy (Moscow, Russia), Piano Competition (Aarhus, Denmark), and Festival-Competition dedicated to Neuhaus (Moscow, Russia). Kitkin is an awardee of the International Charity Fund Mstislav Rostropovich, the management of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Moscow Government, and the President of the Russian Federation. First (I) Round L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor Op. 31 No. 2 A. Scriabin 3 Études Op. 65 Second (II) Round C. Debussy Estampes (Prints) L.100 I. Stravinsky Trois mouvements de Petrouchka Semifinal (III) Round J. Brahms 7 Fantasien Op. 116 S. Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 6 in A major Op. 82 Final (IV) Round S. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? My interests include football and traveling. My target in my music career is to have concerts often, because the most beautiful thing in our profession is to share your art with audience from the stage. I don't see any reason to be an artist if you have nobody to share with.

Rachel KUDO Pianist Rachel Kudo has been hailed for her "stunning virtuosity" and "miracle of flawless technique and expressive versatility" as recitalist, soloist, and chamber musician. Since making her orchestral debut at age sixteen performing with the Fort Worth and Chicago Symphony Orchestras, highlights include performances at the Tivoli International Festival (Denmark), Bergen International Festival (Norway), Chopin’s Birth House (Żelazowa Wola), Royal Castle (Warsaw), International Chopin Festival (DusznikiZdroj, Poland), Salle Cortot (Paris), Tel Aviv Museum of Art (Israel), Gilmore International Keyboard Festival (Michigan), and the Musikverein (Vienna).

Kudo has received international recognition as the only American finalist at the International Frederic Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw and as prize winner in the Dublin and U.S. National Chopin Piano Competitions. She earned top honours at the Juilliard School as recipient of the 2007 Chopin Prize, 2009 Arthur Rubinstein Prize, 2011 Sanders/Tel Aviv Museum Recital Prize, and was a consecutive winner of two Gina Bachauer International Piano Competitions. Named a prestigious Gilmore Young Artist, Davidson Fellow Laureate, and scholarship recipient of the Rohm Music Foundation, Naomi was twice invited to participate in Carnegie Hall’s Professional Training Workshops with Emanuel Ax, David Zinman, Richard Stoltzman, and Andras Schiff, culminating in performances at Carnegie Hall.

Born in Washington D.C. to Japanese-Korean parents, Kudo began studying piano at the age of four with the late Emilio del Rosario at the Music Institute of Chicago, and later with Kum Sing Lee of the Vancouver Music Academy. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Juilliard School with Yoheved Kaplinsky and Joseph Kalichstein, and further studied with Richard Goode at the Mannes College of Music. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree with Gilbert Kalish and Christina Dahl at Stony Brook University. First (I) Round J.S. Bach French Overture in B minor BWV831 F. Chopin Étude Op. 25 No. 10 in B minor Second (II) Round F. Chopin Ballade No. 1 in G minor Op. 23 S. Barber Piano Sonata in E-flat minor Op. 26 Semifinal (III) Round F. Schubert Piano Sonata in A minor D. 784 F. Chopin Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor Op. 58 Final (IV) Round F. Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Op. 11 In her own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I love being active! I enjoy swimming, yoga, hiking, ice skating, badminton, basketball, etc... I wish I could play tennis. Having a healthy mind and body is essential for everyone, but especially for a musician whose work requires long hours of mental and physical concentration. I also enjoy all types of cuisine - Korean and Japanese (my roots), Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, Mediterranean, etc... Books, movies, and shopping are also on my activity list :) I love the concert-going ritual: to be in a space where one's utmost attention is required, where we all share the same air and atmosphere to enjoy an experience... The greatest music is bigger than any of us and has great power to do many magical things. I hope to do my best to communicate this power to as many people around the world.

Taek Gi LEE Taek Gi Lee was born in Seoul, Korea in 1996 and began his piano study at the age of six. He has won a number of prizes, including the Grand Prize in the 38th Samick, Bechstein Piano Competition (Seoul, Korea), First Prize in the 14th Suri Music Competition (Seoul, Korea), Second Prize and Special Prize for the best interpretation of a 20th century piece in the 3rd International Franz Liszt Competition for Young Pianists 2011(Weimar, Germany), and the Sixth Prize in the 7th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians (Montreux, Switzerland). Lee was invited to the Junior Eppan Academy, a piano academy held in Italy, where he received special prizes and was then invited to the Piano Academy Eppan. Most recently, Lee won the First Prize and Audience Prize as the youngest competitor in the Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition 2014. As a result, he was invited to give recitals and concerts with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, the Maidstone Symphony Orchestra, and the Finchley Chamber Orchestra in the United Kingdom.

Lee has given many concerts, including the Kumho Prodigy Concert Performance (Seoul, Korea), Kumho Prodigy Trio Concert Performance (Seoul, Korea), the 26th Young Musicians Performance (Seoul, Korea), the Winners’ Concert of the Third International Franz Liszt Competition for Young Pianists 2011(Weimar-Sondershausen-Bayreuth, Germany), and the Juilliard Pre-College Student Recital (New York, USA). He is now attending the Juilliard School Pre-College Division, and studying piano with Professor Choong-Mo Kang at the Juilliard School. First (I) Round J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue No.22 in B-flat minor BWV 867 F. Liszt Après une Lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata Second (II) Round S. Rachmaninoff Variations on a Theme of Corelli Op. 42 L. Liebermann Gargoyles Op. 29 Semifinal (III) Round F. Schubert Impromptu in Op. 90 No. 3 in G-flat major D. 899 F. Chopin Scherzo No. 3 Op. 39 in C-sharp minor M. Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Final (IV) Round S. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor Op. 30 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I love traveling to many different places and countries. Since I'm a pianist, I had lots opportunities to travel to many countries for competitions, concerts, masterclasses, and so on. Therefore, I am very happy to live as a musician. My goal is to be a musician who can give sincere inspiration to my audiences. In order to do that, it is crucially important to perform with my heart (which is sometimes very difficult). Therefore, I will always be imagining and thinking about putting my sincere heart into music. Without this process, music cannot be touching or impressive.

Rudin LENGO Rudin Lengo’s piano playing has been described as “profound, imaginative and exceptionally communicative”. Winner of the 2012 Glenn Gould School Concerto Competition, the 5th Knigge Music Competition and the 2010 TD Elora Competition, he was also the Second Prize Winner at the 40th William C. Byrd International Competition and Winner of the Mary Winston Smail Memorial Award for Best Pianist at the 2011 WAMSO Minnesota Competition, the London Kiwanis Festival’s Rose Bowl, UWO London Music Scholarship Foundation, as well as the Grand Prize at the Rotary Music Festival in Burlington.

This past season Lengo performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto No.1 in Koerner Hall with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra under the direction of Tito Muñoz and Brahms' Piano Concerto No.1 with the Toruń Symphony Orchestra and Anna Duczmal-Mróz conducting. Other engagements included recitals at the Ohrid Summer Festival in Macedonia, at the Great Hall of the University of the Arts in Tiranë, Albania, as part of the 13th Klasik International Festival, the Bergen Ruïnekerk and Slot Schagen in the Netherlands, the UBC Wednesday Noon Hour Series in Vancouver, the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre of the Canadian Opera Company, and at Mazzoleni Hall of the Royal Conservatory of Music.

Lengo has been the recipient of over 50 awards and scholarships for his musical and academic accomplishments. In 2008, he completed a Bachelor’s Degree in Piano Performance at Western University on a National Scholarship, studying with James Anagnoson and Leslie Kinton. He received his Master’s Degree in 2010 from the Manhattan School of Music on a President’s Award studying with the esteemed pianist and pedagogue, Daniel Epstein. As a student of John Perry and David Louie, Rudin recently completed an Artist Diploma at the Glenn Gould School on a prestigious Ihnatowycz Emerging Artist Scholarship. First (I) Round G. Ligeti Musica ricercata (I-IV, VI, VIII) D. Scarlatti Keyboard Sonata in E major K.531 F. Chopin Scherzo No. 3 Op. 39 in C-sharp minor Second (II) Round L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 17 in D minor Op. 31 No. 2 F. Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12 S.244/12 in C-sharp minor Semifinal (III) Round F. Haydn Sonata in C major Hob. XVI:50 F. Schubert – F. Liszt Müllerlieder von Franz Schubert S.565 F. Liszt Sonata in B minor S. 178 Final (IV) Round S. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor Op. 30 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician?

Rodolfo LEONE Born in 1991, Rodolfo Leone graduated with top honours in 2009. After a long study with Pier Narciso Masi and masterclasses with Andrzej Jasinski, Enrico Pace and Dmitri Bashkirov, Leone is now studying under Fabio Bidini at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin.

Leone was awarded the Second Prize at the 59th Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition in 2013 (the First Prize was not awarded) and also won the Audience Prize, the Alice Tartarotti and the Keyboard Trust Career Development special prizes. He has played for dozens of musical societies in Italy and Germany where he was received with wide acclaim from both audiences and critics.

In 2014, Leone will be touring with the Orchestra Haydn di Trento e Bolzano performing D. Shostakovich' First Piano Concerto, and in August, he will hold a series of recitals in China. Some of Leone’s performances have been broadcasted by Deutschlandradio Kultur, Radio RAI and RaiTRE TV. First (I) Round F. Haydn Variations in F minor, Hob.XVII:6 F. Chopin Scherzo No. 3 Op. 39 in C-sharp minor F. Martin 8 préludes pour le piano Nos. 3, 4 and 8 Second (II) Round L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major Op. 101 C. Debussy Images Book 1 Semifinal (III) Round F. Schubert Fantasie in C major Op. 15 D. 760 “Wanderer Fantasy” D. Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue No. 15 in D-flat major Op. 87 M. Ravel Gaspard de la nuit Final (IV) Round F. Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major S.124 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I mostly like to cook myself good Italian food, and sometime sit back and enjoy a good movie with a chalice of wine. My goal is to achieve the best way to talk about myself to an audience, through music making. On a career level, the broader the audience, the better, if I think that I have something to tell.

Dmitri LEVKOVICH Pianist and composer Dmitri Levkovich has appeared at many of the most prestigious concert halls including Carnegie Hall, Beijing's National Center for the Performing Arts, Theatre des Champs Elysees, Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory and the Mariinsky Theater’s Concert Hall in St. Petersburg. He has collaborated with conductors Valery Gergiev, Vladimir Spivakov, Jahja Ling, and George Pehlivanian and has been featured as soloist with numerous orchestras, among them the Cleveland Orchestra, Utah Symphony, China National Orchestra and the Gulbenkian Orchestra of Portugal. Levkovich was invited to take part in Music Festivals that included Deer Valley, New Contemporary Piano Faces at Mariinsky, Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam, Salzburg Whitsun and Ravello.

Since entering the competition stage in 2005, Levkovich has received seventeen top prizes at International Piano Competitions, including China International Piano Competition, Cleveland, Jose Iturbi, Gina Bachauer International Artists and Vendôme Prize. Most recently, Levkovich won the German Piano Award. This victory resulted in performances in Berlin, Bratislava, Doha, Munich, Tbilisi, Sacile and Shanghai amongst others, as well as a CD release of Rachmaninoff’s 24 Preludes. Levkovich’s upcoming performances include Rachmaninov and Liszt Concertos at the Big Hall and Chamber Music Hall of Berliner Philharmonie, Scriabin’s “Prometheus” at Frankfurt’s Alte Oper with Radio Symphony Orchestra Hesse and Grieg Concerto under the baton of Sebastian Weigle with Dresdner Philharmonie.

Levkovich studied piano with renowned pianist Sergei Babayan. He is also a graduate of Curtis Institute of Music in composition. Levkovich has successfully taught piano and chamber music master classes at various universities across the world, has served as a jury member and had his compositions performed by orchestras in the United States and Europe. First (I) Round S. Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 36

(revised 1931 version, with 1st movement coda from the original 1913 version) Second (II) Round W.A. Mozart Piano Sonata No.18 in D major K.576 I. Stravinsky Trois mouvements de Petrouchka Semifinal (III) Round J.S. Bach Italian Concerto BWV 971 S. Rachmaninoff Prelude in B minor Op. 32 No. 9 F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 1 in C major F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 2 in A minor F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 3 in E major “Tristesse” F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 4 in C-sharp minor F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 5 in G-flat major “Black Key” F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 6 in E-flat minor F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 7 in C major F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 8 in F major F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 9 in F minor F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 10 in A-flat major F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 11 in E-flat major F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor “Revolutionary” Final (IV) Round S. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I like all activities that involve creative thinking. Also, I appreciate conquering challenges, be it in performing, composing, teaching, learning, computers or sports. I do enjoy an occasional classical novel. It is a fact that there is hardly anything as beautiful as some of classical music and that makes it immortal. However, performers have the power to either attract audiences or to push them away. I would like to contribute to the effort to keep classical music in high demand.

Matthew Ming LI Hailed by the Toronto Star as a “pragmatic musician”, Vancouver-raised pianist Matthew Ming Li made his debut in China with the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra in 2006. He has since performed across Canada and also in United States, Austria, China and Hong Kong. Li was a prize-winner of the 2014 Shean Piano Competition in Edmonton, Alberta. He was also the runner-up of the 2007 Canadian Music Competition and semi-finalist of the 2008 Stepping Stone Competition. He was also the winner of the Johann Strauss Scholarship Competition in 2008, as well as runner-up of the Indiana University Piano Concerto Competition in 2010. In 2012, he co-founded a piano duo group Duo Interplay with his wife, Melody Chan-Li, and was awarded on their debut performance the Third Place in the 2012 International Northwest Piano Ensemble Competition. By invitation from the Canadian composer Gideon Kim, Li joined the Toronto Messiaen Ensemble in 2013.

Li have attended various music programs over the past summers, including the Mozarteum Sommerakademie, Centre d’Arts Orford, and the Toronto Summer Music Festival. He had the privilege to perform in masterclasses under renowned pianists and pedagogues such as Leon Fleisher, Jacques Rouvier, Arie Vardi, Robert Levin, and Menahem Pressler.

Li holds a Master of Music degree from Indiana University, where he studied with Emile Naoumoff and Arnaldo Cohen. His earlier teachers include Sara Davis Buechner and Sheila Hardy. He recently completed the Artist Diploma Program at The Glenn Gould School and is currently pursuing Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Marietta Orlov. First (I) Round J.S. Bach Toccata in F-sharp minor BWV 910 E. Rautavaara Piano Sonata No.2 “The Fire Sermon” Op. 64 Second (II) Round M. Ravel Alborada del gracioso ("Morning Song of the Jester") from Miroirs S. Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 36 (1931 version) Semifinal (III) Round L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 23 in F minor Op. 57 “Appassionata” F. Liszt Ballade No. 2 in B minor S. 171 O. Messiaen Regard de l'Esprit de joie ("Contemplation of the Joyful Spirit")

from Vingt regards sur l'enfant-Jésus Final (IV) Round S. Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major Op. 26 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician?

NingYuen LI 20-year-old NingYuen Li has won a number of international prizes. In 2004, he won the Gold Prize of the Fifth International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia held in Japan, the First Prize of the Wiesbaden International Piano Competition in 2004 in Wiesbaden, Germany, and in 2004 was the winner of the 13th Hong Kong (Asia) Piano Open Competition in Hong Kong. He also won the First Prize in both Class A and the concerto class of the 2007 14th Hong Kong (Asia) Piano Open Competition in Hong Kong, the First Prize in the Hong Kong & Macau Regional Competition of the Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition in 2007, and the Second Prize of Steinway & Sons Piano Competition in China. In 2013, N. Li won the Third Prize in the Paderewski International Piano Competition in Los Angeles, California. He has performed in many cities in South Korea, United States and China, including venues in Hong Kong, ShenZhen, and Wuhan. N. Li has also played with ShenZhen Symphony Orchestra.

N. Li started studying piano at the age of seven. He studied with Zhaoyi Dan at the Shenzhen Art School and later under Professor Eleanor Wong, who is Senior Lecturer and Artist-in-Residence of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. N. Li is currently pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Piano Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying under Sergei Babayan. First (I) Round F. Chopin Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major Op. 22 F. Chopin Nocturnes Op. 62 F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 2 in A minor Second (II) Round F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 1 in A-flat major F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 2 in F minor F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 3 in F major F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 4 in A minor F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 5 in E minor F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 6 in G-sharp minor F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 7 in C-sharp minor F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 8 in D-flat major F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 9 in G-flat major F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 10 in B minor F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 11 in A minor F. Chopin Études Op. 25 No. 12 in C minor Semifinal (III) Round J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in G-sharp minor BWV 863 W.A. Mozart Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major K. 332/300k F. Chopin Ballade No. 4 in F minor Op. 52 S. Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major Op. 83 Final (IV) Round F. Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Op. 11 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I like to read books about physics, astronomy, and history. I hope my music can bring joy, comfort and inspiration for the audiences, and also to inspire more people to love classical music.

Brian Yuebing LIN 22-year-old pianist Brian Yuebing Lin is currently a first year Masters student at The Juilliard School studying with Joseph Kalichstein and Yoheved Kaplinsky. Most recently, he was named the 2014 Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award Recipient.

Since coming to the USA, Lin has been a top-prize winner at numerous competitions including the Lennox International Young Artists Competition, the Crescendo International Music Competition and the Virginia Waring International Competition. This year, he received the Sascha Gorodnitzki Memorial Prize at the Hilton Head International Piano Competition. Prior to moving to the USA in 2007, Lin garnered numerous awards from top youth competitions in China, including Second Prize at the First National Art Academy of China as well as both the Silver Medal and Best Performance of Chinese Works Award at the Tenth XingHai Cup National Piano Competition of China.

Lin has performed solo recitals at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the Foulds Theatre in Florida and The Tom Lee Music Steinway Hall in China. He has also played solo orchestral concerts with the Richardson Symphony Orchestra, the Gulf Coast Symphony Orchestra and the California State University Northridge Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he has played concerts in Australia, France, Russia and Korea. In 2012, Lin made radio appearances on WQXR’s Young Concert Artist Showcase, and participated in music festivals including the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Piano Texas Young Artists Festival and Beijing International Piano Festival.

Lin’s previous piano teachers include Matti Raekallio, Tamás Ungár, Elearnor Wong and Zhaoyi Dan. His previous chamber teachers include Joseph Kalichstein, David Finckel, Tobby Appel and Yoheved Kaplinsky. Lin has also performed in masterclasses with Murray Perahia, Richard Goode, Arie Vardi, Douglas Humpherys and Barry Douglas. First (I) Round D. Scarlatti Keyboard Sonata in D minor K.141 S. Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major Op. 83 Second (II) Round L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 7 in D major Op. 10 No. 3 F. Chopin Scherzo No. 3 Op. 39 in C-sharp minor Semifinal (III) Round C. Debussy Étude 5 pour les octaves L. 136 L. Liebermann Gargoyles Op. 29 F. Liszt Sonata in B minor S. 178 Final (IV) Round P.I. Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor Op. 23 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? Outside of piano, I love traveling and meeting people from different fields of study. I am also a basketball lover. I have a favorite sports team in the Houston Rockets as I have been following them ever since Yao started his career in the NBA. I like trying out different foods and I am especially fond of spicy Asian food. I like playing this online video game that sometimes takes nearly an hour to finish just one game.(so it is particularly disappointing when you lose that game and have no more time for video games on that particular day.) I have many more hobbies and interests that I'd gladly share but just don't ask me how I make time for practicing the piano...because that is a mystery to me too. My goal in life is to be able to make a positive impact on everyone that I meet. As a musician, that means being extremely diligent and really understanding each piece that we perform so we can bring the best out of them and share them with the world. It also means to educate a broader audience on classical music as it is just as essential as everything else that exists in this world. I consider it my mission in my musical career to not only share music that I make, but to make more people appreciate and love classical music.

Yang LIU Pianist Yang Liu has attracted worldwide audiences with her profound musicianship and extraordinary virtuosity. Since her concerto debut at the age of fourteen with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Geoffrey Simon, she has performed extensively throughout USA, Europe, and China. She has won many prestigious competitions, including the Second Prize of the Serge & Olga Koussevitzky Young Artist Awards, the Fourth Prize of the Fifth International Frederick Chopin Competition for Young Pianist, two-time Second Prizes of the Xing Hai Cup National Piano Competition in China, Winner of the Juilliard Nordmann Scholarship Competition, the Concerto Competition in Aspen Music Festival and School, the Concerto Competition in PianoTexas Festival, and many others.

Liu has performed in many prestigious venues, including the Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall, and Liederkranz Hall in New York, Ed Landreth Hall in Fort Worth, the VanTrease Performing Arts Center in Tulsa, the Forbidden City Concert Hall and Beijing Concert Hall in Beijing (China), Hong Tai Concert Hall in Xiamen (China), the Château de Fontainebleau and the Grand Temple de Lyon in France, the Mäntän Klubi in Mänttä (Finland), Ruïnekerk in Bergen (Holland), among others. She has also been invited to perform in many music festivals, including the Aspen Music Festival and School, PianoTexas Festival, the Fontainebleau Schools of Music, the Internationale Konzertarbeitswochen in Goslar, the Holland Music Sessions, the Mänttä Music Festival. Liu has performed for masterclasses of Murray Perahia, Richard Goode, Paul Badura-Skoda, Arie Vardi, Malcolm Bilson, among others.

During her studies at The Juilliard School, Liu performed frequently as a pianist, harpsichordist, fortepianist, and chamber musician in various events, such as the Focus! Festival and the Senior Dance Production. She also organized and performed concerts in tribute to Lionel Party in 2011 and to Debussy’s 150th birth year in 2012. Her interests in early music and early keyboard instruments led her to study harpsichord with Lionel Party and fortepiano with Audrey Axinn. In the 2014-15 season, Liu will be featured as guest artist in the Musicians Club of New York’s concert series.

Liu was born in Fuzhou, Fujian, China and began showing her prodigious talents toward the arts in her youth and started to learn music at the age of six. In 2007, Liu was admitted to the Pre-college Division of The Juilliard School where she studied with Victoria Mushkatkol. In 2009, she entered the College Division and since then, has been studying under the tutelage of Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky. Liu received her Bachelor’s Degree for Music from Juilliard in 2013 and is currently pursuing her Masters. First (I) Round F. Haydn Sonata in A-flat major Hob. XVI:46: I. Allegro moderato F. Liszt Transcendental Étude No. 5 in B-flat "Feux follets" (Wills o' the Wisp) F. Liszt Après une Lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata Second (II) Round C. Debussy Estampes (Prints) L.100 S. Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major Op. 83 Semifinal (III) Round W.A. Mozart Piano Sonata No.18 in D major K.576 S. Rachmaninoff Prelude in C major Op. 32 No. 1 S. Rachmaninoff Prelude in D major Op. 32 No. 4 S. Rachmaninoff Prelude in F minor Op. 32 No. 6 S. Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux Op. 33 No. 5 in D minor S. Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux Op. 39 No. 9 in D major M. Ravel Gaspard de la nuit Final (IV) Round P.I. Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor Op. 23 In her own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? Outside of playing the piano, I enjoy reading, listen to music - including pop, go to museums, and watch some classical movies. When I have a chance, I love to travel and enjoy exploring the local culture and nature very much The goal of my life is to express my love to music, to life, and to others through either my performance or my teaching. I want to share this kind of beauty, passion, and goodness with people and help others.

Christopher MIRANDA At an early age, Canadian pianist Christopher Miranda won numerous awards in both solo and chamber music including the American Guild of Music, where he was invited to compete at the North American Age Championship at the age of nine, the Contemporary Showcase Competition, and the Tom Thomas Scholarship awarded by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. He has also won the coveted Rose Bowl at both the Peel Music Festival and the Kiwanis Music Festival of Toronto, First Prize overall in the Toronto Music Competition, Canadian Music Competition Nationals, TD Canada Trust National Competition and Toronto Symphony Piano Competitions, was awarded the Kesri Arts Award and the Emerging Performing Artist Award by the City of Mississauga, and the Professional Musician Grant from the Canada Council for the Arts. In 1996, Miranda completed his ARCT Performer’s Diploma attaining first class honours with distinction. He is also a graduate of the Young Artists Performance Academy at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he was a scholarship student for seven years studying with Marina Geringas. At the University of Toronto under the tutelage of Marietta Orlov, Miranda earned his Bachelor and Master in Music Performance degrees, was awarded the W.O. Forsyth Memorial top graduating scholarship, an Advanced Certificate in Performance, and the distinguished Felix Galimir Award for excellence in Chamber Music. More recently Miranda completed an Artist Diploma on full scholarship from Yale University studying with Claude Frank. He also won First Prize plus the Audience Award in both the Travel Grant and Concerto Competitions at Indiana University, where he is now a candidate for the Doctor of Music degree, under the mentorship of Menahem Pressler. First (I) Round J. Brahms Six Pieces for Piano “Klavierstücke” Op. 118 Nos. 1 and 2 A. Scriabin Piano Sonata No.5, Op. 53 Second (II) Round W.A. Mozart Piano Sonata No.15 in F major K.533/494: I. Allegro N. Medtner Sonata Reminiscenza in A minor Op. 38 No. 1 F. Chopin Scherzo No. 4 in E major Op. 54 Semifinal (III) Round F. Chopin 24 Preludes Op. 28 Final (IV) Round M. Ravel Piano Concerto in G major In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I like everything, it's a real problem! Especially since I am allergic to everything. Fortunately I am not allergic to family and friends yet, spending time with them is always special. I am certain people will begin to appreciate the depth and beauty of each other, and this world again. And what better way to show this than through classical music? Being so privileged to learn and devote my life to it, it is my duty now in every way I know possible, to bring it to them.

Yejin NOH Yejin Noh was born in Seoul, South Korea in 1986. She has been studying piano since the age of five, and received her Bachelor’s degree in 2009 at the Seoul National University under the tutelage of Hee-Sung Joo. Noh continued her studies at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in the USA, where she obtained her Artist’s Diploma and Master’s Degree under the tutelage of Menahem Pressler and Arnaldo Cohen.

Noh has been given many prizes at international and national piano competitions including Third Prize at Takamatsu International Piano Competition (2014), Fourth Prize at Southern Highlands International Piano Competition (2013), Third Prize at San Antonio International Piano Competition (2012), Third Prize at Wideman International Piano Competition (2013), Second Prize at Washington International Competition for Piano (2012), Winner at Indiana University Concerto Competition (2012) and Semifinalist of Queen Elisabeth International Piano Competition (2013).

Noh has appeared in recital and as a soloist throughout Korea, Europe, and the United States, including appearances with Seto Philharmonic Orchestra (Japan, 2014), Royal Chamber Orchestra of Wallonia (Belgium, 2013) which was broadcasted on Belgacom television and RTBF Radio, Savannah Philharmonic Orchestra (USA, 2012), Shreveport Symphony Orchestra (USA, 2012), Indiana University Symphony Orchestra (USA, 2012), the Prime Philharmonic Orchestra (Korea, 2008), Seoul National University Orchestra (Korea, 2008), and KBS Philharmonic Orchestra which was broadcasted on television in June 2009.

Noh is currently studying with Hee-Sung Joo, and started her doctoral degree at Seoul National University in March 2014. First (I) Round W.A. Mozart Piano Sonata No.18 in D major K.576 M. Ravel Scarbo from Gaspard de la nuit Second (II) Round F. Liszt Sonata in B minor S. 178 Semifinal (III) Round R. Schumann Piano Sonata No 1 in F sharp minor Op. 11 I. Stravinsky Trois mouvements de Petrouchka Final (IV) Round S. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 In her own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I enjoy listening to music, talking with my family, and going to church. I would like to give concerts all over the world and bring joy and happiness to the audience.

Enzo OLIVA Born in 1985, Enzo Oliva started to take piano lessons at the age of nine. At the age of seventeen, he obtained his Piano Diploma at the Conservatory of Campobasso with distinction and honourable mention under the guidance of Giuseppe Squitieri. In 2006, Oliva obtained the Specialist Degree in Piano with distinction and praise.

After receiving his Piano Diploma, Oliva studied with Maria Tipo both privately and at the Scuola di Musica di Fiesole, where he finished his advanced course with Andrea Lucchesini. He attended chamber music lessons with Marco Grisanti, Luigi Piovano, Rocco Filippini, and also attended the International High School of Chamber Music of Trieste Trio under the guidance of Dario De Rosa, Maureen Jones, Renato Zanettovich and Enrico Bronzi, where he obtained a Merit Diploma. His artistic training was also enriched by various masterclasses with Giovanni Valentini, Alexander Hintchev, Joaquin Soriano, Franco Medori, Matti Raekallio, Claudio Martinez-Mehner, Jeffrey Swann, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Arie Vardi and Andrzej Jasinski.

Oliva distinguished himself in all the competitions he took part, winning the First Prize in competitions including I Giovani per i Giovani of Ortona, Bernardo Santaniello of Bracigliano, Città di Barletta, and Premio Seiler for Italian Conservatories. He has also won the First Prize in the Chamber Music Section of the Città di Magliano Sabina Competition, and the Third Prize (First Prize unassigned) at the Chamber Music Competition Vittorio Gui (cello-piano duo). In 2011, he obtained the Third Prize at the Ennio Porrino Competition in Cagliari.

Oliva holds concerts in Italy and abroad as a soloist, with various chamber ensembles and orchestras. Currently, Oliva is a piano student of Nelson Goerner at the Haute école de Musique in Genève, and a conducting student of Dario Lucantoni in Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Roma. First (I) Round D. Scarlatti Keyboard Sonata in G major K.547 F. Liszt Venezia e Napoli

(Supplément aux Annees de Pèlegrinage seconde volume) S.162 Second (II) Round W.A. Mozart Piano Sonata No.2 in F major K.280/189e F. Chopin Andante spianato et grande polonaise brillante in E-flat major Op. 22 Semifinal (III) Round A. Scriabin Piano Sonata No. 9 Op. 68 “Black Mass” I. Albéniz El Albaicín from Iberia Book 3 F. Chopin Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor Op. 58 Final (IV) Round F. Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor Op. 21 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? My interests outside the piano concern everything is able to help a man to better understand himself: musicians are lucky because the relationship with great composers’ works is a fantastic opportunity to look inside themselves, to go beyond the appearances and it is an incredible exercise of respect, because it helps us to understand other people’s opinions, questioning our own.

I love the relationship with nature, and all sports related to it: running, cycling, Nordic-walking, but also a bit more extreme ones, such as off-road cars! I am not a lover of worldly life and in the evening, I like the company of loved ones or reading a book in the quiet of my house. My goal in private and musical life is serenity. I believe that those who plays is not a star, but only a piece of a mosaic that, deprived of the public and composer, may be useless. Music is a mutual exchange of energy, and as the performer gives energy to the audience, the audience gives energy to the performer, in addition to that given to both by the composer. I think we are all on the same level, and I think it is a valid rule in music as much as in everyday life.

Or RE’EM Critically acclaimed and winner of national and international awards, Or Re’em is a pianist of diverse musical activities, performing repertoire ranging from William Byrd and Girolamo Frescobaldi through György Sándor Ligeti and Elliott Carter. He has given solo recitals in Amsterdam, Belgrade, Bonn, Jerusalem, New York, Miami, Paris, Tel Aviv, and Washington, and performed concerti by Mozart, Chopin, Brahms and Rachmaninov with various orchestras, including the Israel Symphony Orchestra Rishon LeZion. Many of his performances were featured live on Voice of Music Israel national radio station, as well as television and radio stations in Serbia and China.

Re’em’s repertoire includes encyclopedic cycles such as Chopin’s Études and Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, which he has performed in Israel and the USA. Re’em’s engagements of the past year include solo performances at Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center, as well as in other venues in New York. His recent engagements also include a performance at the inauguration concert of the Beethoven Festival in Rolandseck-Remagen, Germany. A dedicated chamber musician, Re’em regularly collaborates with other musicians, and has taken part in numerous festivals, including the Musica Mundi Chamber Music Festival in Brussels, and the Voice of Music Festival in the Upper Galilee, Israel.

Re’em is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York, where he studied with Professor Matti Raekallio. He has participated in master classes with Dmitry Bashkirov, Murray Perahia, and Richard Goode, and was awarded merit-based scholarships from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. Re’em now studies at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music in Tel Aviv with Professor Arie Vardi.

First (I) Round J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue in C major BWV 846 L. van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor Op. 90 F. Chopin Scherzo No. 1 in B minor Op. 20 Second (II) Round S. Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat major Op. 84 Semifinal (III) Round R. Schumann Kinderszenen Op. 15 F. Chopin 24 Preludes Op. 28 Final (IV) Round W.A. Mozart Piano Concerto No. 24 in C minor K. 491 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I grew up and now live near the sea. It has always helped me find serenity and served as a source of inspiration. The search for meaning in what I do is continuous, and the answers I find evolve as I grow as a musician and person. As a performer, I try to establish an authentic, direct and immediate connection with my audience which is based on sincerity and generosity. This notion has been inspired by the writings of Martin Buber, and the following quote in particular: “No purpose intervenes between I and You, no greed and no anticipation; and longing itself is changed as it plunges from the dream into appearance. Every means is an obstacle. Only where all means have disintegrated encounters occur.”

Wenting SHI Wenting Shi was born in 1992 and began her piano studies at the age of four. At the age of five, she made her concert debut and received the First Award in a piano competition. She entered the elementary school of Shanghai Conservatory of Music at the age of eight and then continued her study in the Middle School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Shi has won numerous awards including the First Prize at the Second Gu Langyu National Youth and Children Piano Competition in China (2004), First Prize at the Beethoven Music Festival National Competition where she was also invited to participate in the Beethoven Music Festival and give concerts in Germany (2004), Second Prize at the Second National Concerto Competition for Young Instrumentalists in Beijing, China (2005), Winner of the Thirteenth Bucharest International Piano Competition in Romania (2006), and Second Prize at the Twelfth International Piano Competition of Taipei presented by the Frederic Chopin Foundation of Taipei (2008). In 2009, Shi was invited to give solo recitals and concerto concerts with the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra in several cities in Taiwan.

Shi was admitted into Shanghai Conservatory in September 2010 under the tutelage of Professor Min-duo Li, and in early 2011, she was admitted to the Bachelor of Music program at The Juilliard School in New York under the tutelage of Professor Yoheved Kaplinsky.

Shi has received scholarships such as the Shanghai Tang’s Educational Scholarship, Chengxian Fu Scholarship, Celia and Joseph Ascher Fund for Piano, Juilliard Alumni Scholarship, Carl Friedberg Memorial Scholarship, Arthur Gold and Robert Fizdale Scholarship, Shendell Scholarship, Harold & Helene Schonberg Piano Scholarship, L. & M. Burle Scholarship, Alexander Siloti Scholarship, Lousie Chisholm Moran Piano Scholarship, and William Petschek Scholarship. Shi has also received the prize for “Outstanding Student in Artistry” by the Shanghai Literature and Art Talent Fund Council. First (I) Round D. Scarlatti Keyboard Sonata in D minor L. 108 F. Schubert Fantasie in C major Op. 15 D. 760 “Wanderer Fantasy” Second (II) Round J.S. Bach French Overture in B minor BWV831 S. Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux Op. 33 No. 2 in C major S. Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux Op. 33 No. 6 in E-flat minor S. Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux Op. 33 No. 8 in G minor S. Rachmaninoff Études-Tableaux Op. 33 No. 9 in C-sharp minor Semifinal (III) Round F. Chopin Preludes Op. 28 Nos. 13-24 S. Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 6 in A major Op. 82 Final (IV) Round S. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 In her own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? Outside of playing the piano, I like reading and writing. Last year, I finished my first novel which was inspired by Chopin Preludes. It contains 24 chapters like the 24 preludes in the set. Also, I like cooking especially Chinese food. Creating every new dish is like an adventure every time. I believe that everyone is unique in the world. My life goal is to become the "unique" me as a musician and achieve my life value.

Jaemin SHIN Jaemin Shin was born in 1988 in South Korea and began his piano studies at the age of four. Shin graduated with a Bachelor degree from the Korea National University of Arts in Seoul in 2012 under the tutelage of Professor Choong Mo Kang. Currently, Shin is studying his Masters at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin with Professor Fabio Bidini.

Shin has performed with a number of orchestras including the Ulsan Symphony Orchestra, Pohang Symphony Orchestra, and San Diego Civic Youth Orchestra. Through many experiences with a number of conductors such as Maestro Djong Victorin Yu, Robert Gilson, Shin has become a genuine musician.

Shin is now broadening his musical field by participating in various concerts. He has performed in the Seoul International Computer Music Festival, and Carte Plaisir, which is a regular concert series in Berlin with moderation by the prominent music columnist, Clemens Goldberg. First (I) Round D. Shostakovich Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in E minor Op. 87 R. Wagner – F. Liszt Isoldens Liebestod S.447 C. Debussy L'isle joyeuse L. 106 (The Happy Island) Second (II) Round J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue No.16 in G minor BWV 885 S. Rachmaninoff Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 36 (Revised version) Semifinal (III) Round F. Chopin Ballade No. 3 in A-flat major Op. 47 I. Albeniz Triana from Iberia Book 2 M. Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition Final (IV) Round S. Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor Op. 18 In his own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I really like to play and watch soccer. My goal is to be a concert pianist, traveling all around the world.

Coral SOLOMON Israeli-born Coral Solomon is currently a scholarship student at the Cleveland Institute of Music, in the studio of Antonio Pompa-Baldi. Prior to her enrollment at CIM, Solomon studied with Patricia Parr and Dan Atanasiu. An alumni student of the Young Artists Performance Academy at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Solomon has been awarded numerous grand prizes at various Canadian competitions. As a winner of the American Protégé International Concerto Competition, she was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in NYC in December 2012.

In 2010 Solomon performed a solo recital at the invitation of the Open University in Israel as part of their 2010 Concert Series. She made her orchestral debut in Toronto at age of fifteen performing with the Cathedral Bluffs Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Sinfonietta and since 2012, she has been invited to perform in Romania as a soloist by many philharmonic orchestras in several cities including Timisoara, Arad, Brasov, Sibiu, Bacau, Targu Mures, Ploiesti, Ramnicu Valcea and Pitesti. Solomon also played recitals in Sibiu, Oradea, Arad, Craiova, Bucharest and has recently been invited by the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra for a recital at the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest.

Solomon has performed and was interviewed on 96.3 CBC Classical Radio as well as OMNI 1 Romanian Television. She was also interviewed by several Romanian television channels and her performances were broadcasted on national and international transmissions.

During the summer of 2011, Solomon attended the internationally acclaimed Morningside Music Bridge Program on a full tuition scholarship. In 2010, she was a scholarship student at both Toronto Summer Music Festival and Indiana University Piano Academy. Solomon participated twice in the International Institute for Young Musicians in Kansas and at the Orford Music Center Summer Festival in Quebec. First (I) Round J.S. Bach Prelude and Fugue No. 22 in B-flat minor BWV 867 S. Rachmaninoff Variations on a Theme of Corelli Op. 42 Second (II) Round A. Scriabin Études Op. 42 No. 5 in C-sharp minor R. Schumann Humoreske in B-flat major Op. 20 Semifinal (III) Round F. Haydn Sonata in E-flat major Hob. XVI:52 G. Enescu Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp minor Op. 24 No. 1 F. Chopin Étude Op. 10 No. 12 in C minor “Revolutionary” Final (IV) Round F. Chopin Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor Op. 11 In her own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician? I enjoy watching old movies, visiting museums, theatrical productions, traveling and the outdoors, and am always excited about Indian cuisine. I was also a past Judo Ontario Winter Games-Finals (Collingwood) and Macabbi Judo Nationals (Israel) gold medalist. My goal in life is to be able to one day make my own personal contribution to the world of classical music by sharing the purity of musical messages and their inspiration with others, and to continue perpetuating its existence as an important cultural value in the human heritage.

Zhao WANG Zhao Wang was born in Guiyang, China and displayed musical talent from an early age. Wang received her first piano lesson at the age of three and gave her first public performance in the following year. She has given performances throughout cities in Germany, Spain, United States and China. Wang is an avid solo and chamber pianist. During the years when she studied at Shanghai Conservatory, she was invited frequently to perform concerti and chamber music with the Shanghai Philharmonic. In August 2009, she was one of the selected young pianists to perform at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. for the International Piano Festival. Wang participated in masterclasses by Leon Fleisher, Russell Sherman, Joseph Banowetz, Malcolm Bilson, Pavlina Dokovska, Barry Douglas, Bernd Goetzke, Alexander Korsantia, John Perry, Barry Snyder, Fou Tsong, Yehudi Wayner and many other respected teachers and musicians, from whom she received many positive comments on her energetic and sensitive playing.

Wang attended the Affiliated Elementary School of Shanghai Conservatory and later continued her middle/high school and professional music study at Shanghai Music Middle School, where she studied with Professor Chongfang Zhang, Professor Chen Jiang, Professor Jianzhong Wang, and Professor Hung-Kuan Chen. Wang received her degrees and diploma in piano performance at the Eastman School of Music and Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University where she was under the tutelage of Professor Nelita True and Professor Boris Slutsky. Currently, she is pursuing a doctorate degree in piano performance with Professor Moriarty at Michigan State University.

In her free time, Wang enjoys discussions of arts, architecture and philosophy. She also cooks oriental and western foods recreationally and holds great interests in chess games, design and fashion. First (I) Round J. Brahms Four Pieces for Piano “Klavierstücke” Op. 119 A. Copland Piano Variations Second (II) Round F. Haydn Sonata in C minor Hob. XVI:20 I. Stravinsky Trois mouvements de Petrouchka Semifinal (III) Round F. Schubert Four Impromptus D. 935 (Op. posth. 142) No. 1 in F minor F. Schubert Four Impromptus D. 935 (Op. posth. 142) No. 4 in F minor L. van Beethoven 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli Op. 120 Final (IV) Round M. Ravel Piano Concerto in G major In her own words What are your interests outside of playing the piano? Is there anything you'd like to share about yourself? What are your goals in life and career as a musician?