STUDENTS 2025

SESSION 1

Harrison Benford

  • Born in Washington, D.C., Harrison Benford is pursuing a bachelor's degrees in Piano Performance, and in Music Theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Antonio Pompa-Baldi. Harrison began piano studies at age five with Nancy O’Neill Breth. He has been a recitalist at Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Kaufman Music Center's Merkin Hall, Strathmore Mansion, NIH, and the Steinway Gallery Annex. He has been first prize winner in numerous competitions including the Rubato International Piano Competition, MTNA Senior Duet, the Nora Lichtenberg Piano Scholarship Competition, and the Ylda Novik Memorial Concerto Competition. Harrison has participated in study institutes at Kinhaven, Tanglewood, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, and Greenwood. Harrison ultimately aspires to become a conservatory professor of piano and music theory, as well as a touring chamber musician. In his free time, he takes great pleasure in competitive scrabble, hiking, and travel.

Hechengzi Li

  • A Young Steinway Artist, the Chinese pianist Hechengzi Li (Chengzi), began her piano studies at the age of two. In 2019, Chengzi’s first solo album was released, featuring the works of Scriabin, Stravinsky, and Chopin. Chengzi was also featured as soloist with numerous orchestras such as Gstaad Festival Orchestra, Danube Symphony Orchestra, Meadows symphony Orchestra, and Xian’s Symphony Orchestra. As chamber musician, she is a member of Trio Ivoire, Synergy Duo, and has premiered her own composition, “Inside an Unreal Forest,” at New York City’s Merkin Hall; she has frequently premiered living composers' works. At Juilliard, she studied with Sergei Babayan in the college division, and with Matti Raekallio and Hung-kuan Chen in the pre-college division. As winner of numerous competitions and special awards, Chengzi made her debut in Carnegie Hall in 2023. Chengzi currently pursues her second Artist Diploma degree with her teacher Sergei Babayan in SMU Meadows School of Art. In 2022, Chengzi joined the faculty of Future Music Academy. In her free time, Chengzi enjoys photography, dancing, fashion design and styling, cooking, and jazz.

Cristian Makhuli

  • Cristian Makhuli studies at Yale University, pursuing degrees in music and physics. He began musical studies age nine, and made his orchestral debut with the Winston-Salem Symphony. Born in Charlotte, NC, Cristian is the pianist and founding member of the Charlotte Piano Trio. He has been recognized as a National YoungArts winner, and a prizewinner in the Prix Ravel in France. As a fellow at the 2024 Gilmore Festival, he studied with Piotr Anderszewski and Kirill Gerstein. He participated in the Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival and SouthEastern Piano Festival. Previously, Cristian studied at the Curtis Institute of Music with Robert McDonald as the William A. Horn M.D. fellow; he went to high school at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he studied with Dr. Dmitri Vorobiev. In his free time, Cristian enjoys playing sports, reading, and eating fruit.

Spencer McKee

  • Spencer McKee is a sophomore at The Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree as a student of Dr. Heather Conner. A native of Florida, he began piano study at age four, and continued through his high school years with his mother, Dr. Mary Watanabe McKee. He has earned top prizes in numerous competitions, including the 2025 Knoxville International Piano Competition, Tennessee MTNA competition, Palm Beach Atlantic Young Artists Piano Competition, and the Lana M. Bailey National Piano Concerto Award. In 2022, Spencer was awarded first place at the state competition of the Florida Federation of Music Clubs. He has participated in masterclasses with Jack Winerock, Rachel Naomi Kudo, Yakov Kasman, and Cahill Smith. Additional studies with Dr. Vera Oussetskaia Watanabe. Spencer enjoys performing for churches, senior community centers, social events, and benefits; in one recital, he raised significant funds for the World Central Kitchen to aid the people of Ukraine. His interests include writing for the Vanderbilt publication “The Amp,” A/V production, baseball, photography, and cooking.

Mateusz Mikolajczak

  • Mateusz Mikolajczak began music studies at the age of six with Joanna Samelczak. A native of Poland, Mateusz has earned top prizes at numerous competitions, including the Mieczyslaw Munz Juilliard Piano Competition, Franz Liszt International Piano Competition, Busan Maru International Music Festival Competition, and the Karol Lipinski International Piano Competition. He has performed at the National Forum of Music in Wroclaw, the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, and the Chopin Manor in Duszniki-Zdrój. Internationally, he has captivated audiences across Europe, the USA, and Asia. In November 2024, he made his debut at Carnegie Hall, followed by his Lincoln Center debut at Alice Tully Hall in February 2025. He was recognized with several scholarships, including from the Polish Ministry of Culture and Heritage, Santander Bank Polska, and the Albeniz Foundation, and from the Rafal Brzoska Foundation.

    He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from the Karol Lipinski Academy of Music in Wroclaw, studying under Professors Grzegorz Kurzynski and Helena Furmanowicz-Kurzynska. He continued his studies at the Reina Sofia School of Music in Madrid in the Artist Diploma program with Milana Chernyavska, Claudio Martinez Mehner, Denis Lossev, and Marta Gulyas in chamber music. Currently, Mateusz is pursuing his Master’s degree at the renowned Juilliard School, under guidance of Soyeon Kate Lee. In his free time, he enjoys architecture, meditation, yoga, cooking, and working out.

Liming Yang

  • Liming Yang is a native of Wenzhou, China. Currently a DMA candidate at University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, studying with Dror Biran, Liming also completed prior studies at Cleveland Institute of Music with Kathryn Brown, and at Shanghai Conservatory of Music with Hong Huang and Shiyu Zhou. He has garnered prizes in numerous competitions, including at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Hong Kong International Piano Open Competition, and the “Xing Fu Zhong Guo” Competition. Performance highlights include concerto appearances in Cleveland with Tchaikovsky’s First Concerto, as well as an evening of concerti at Steinway Hall in Shanghai. Liming also enjoys taking portraits and doing concert photography in his free time. 

James Morris

  • James H. Morris is pursuing his D.M.A. in Piano Performance at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He currently studies with Dr. Jennifer Hayghe, the last student of the legendary artist-teacher Adele Marcus. James recently graduated from CU Boulder with his M.M. and Westminster Choir College of Rider University, earning B.M. degrees in both Piano and Theory/Composition. At Westminster Choir College, he studied piano with Dr. James Goldsworthy and theory/composition with Dr. Stefan Young. James has attended festivals such as Interlochen Arts Camp studying with Dr. Robert Satterlee, and Brevard Music Festival studying with Dr. Jihye Chang-Sung. An active composer, he participated in the inaugural season of the NATS Mentoring Program for Composers in 2020. James won the 2024 MTNA Young Artist Composition Competition for the third movement of his Cello Sonata Op. 17, "Theme and Variations." In his free time, he enjoys composing, basketball, and climbing.

Emma Taggart

  • Emma Taggart gave her first solo recital at age six. She has been featured on NPR, and is a three-time alum of "From The Top". Emma appeared 11 times with the Minnesota Orchestra during their 2018-2019 season, performing Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals. She has received top awards in the Minnesota Orchestra YPSCA Concerto Competition, the Mannes School of Music Concerto Competition, the Maria Herrero International Piano Competition, and the United States International Duo Piano Competition. An avid performer, she has appeared at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Steinway Hall, Russia’s Marble Palace, and Orchestra Hall of Minneapolis. She has appeared at Piano Evenings with David Dubal, Salon Evenings at Klavierhaus, and Boston’s Winsor Music. Emma has also performed at the Aspen Music Festival, the Bowdoin Chamber Music Festival, and the Texas State International Piano Festival. Emma is currently pursuing her master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music with Michelle Cann. She completed her bachelor’s degree at the Mannes School of Music with Simone Dinnerstein. Prior to moving to New York, she studied with Dr. Reid Smith of Minnesota for 14 years. In her free time, she enjoys swing dancing, painting, and cooking.

Kevin Takeda

  • Kevin Takeda holds a Master’s of Music Degree from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Wha Kyung Byun. He completed a Bachelor’s of Music Degree at the Juilliard School, studying with Matti Raekallio and Orli Shaham; he is also a Music Academy of the West alumnus. He began his piano studies at age 11, and at age 13 entered Interlochen Arts Academy High School under the guidance of Thomas Lymenstull. Since then, he has garnered prizes and recognition in numerous competitions, among them the MTNA Piano Competition, the Arthur Fraser International Concerto Competition, the Marian Garcia Collegiate Competition, the Dubois National Piano Competition, the Eastern Music Festival Solo Competition, and he was a National NFAA YoungArts winner. He has performed at Kennedy Center, Detroit Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, Lincoln Center, and Hahn Hall. Festival attendances include the Aspen Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Art of Piano, and Southeastern Piano Festival. In his free time, he enjoys baseball,chess, and card games.

Chuanyi Xiang

  • Born in China into a musical family, Chuanyi Xiang received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from the China Conservatory in Beijing studying with Hong Fu and Ruoyu Huang, and her Master of Music at The Juilliard School, with Yoheved Kaplinsky and Jerome Lowenthal. Recent performance highlights include recitals at Paul Hall at The Juilliard School, Benedict Music Tent at the Aspen Summer Festival, and Klavierhaus in New York City, including performances for distinguished guests such as the First Lady of China, Peng Liyuan, and Jenni Haukio, wife of the President of Finland. These performances garnered significant attention from both CCTV News and international media outlets. Chuanyi has appeared across several continents, collaborating with orchestras such as the China Philharmonic Orchestra and China Academia Orchestra, with conductors En Shao, Peter Burwic, and Yi Huang. In her free time, Chuanyi enjoys cooking, coffee, art, vlogging, hiking, photography, and jazz.

Zhuoyue Zhang

  • Zhuoyue Zhang, a native of China, started her musical journey at age six. In 2012, she entered the Middle School of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Professor Natalia Filippova. Zhuoyue continued her studies at the Eastman School of Music, where she is completing her Bachelor of Music degree under the guidance of Professors Natalya Antonova and Ran Dank. At Eastman, she has showcased recitals at several venues in both solo and chamber music settings. Zhuoyue attended the RPPF Music Festival, the Gijón Piano Festival, and the Bowdoin Music Festival. She won First Prize at the 2020 Macau Piano Competition and in the 2019 International Young Pianists Competition. Her recent performances include appearances across the United States, Spain, and China. In her free time, she enjoys photography, cooking, and hiking.

SESSION 2

Jonathan Alter

  • Jonathan Alter is in his second year of Bachelor of Music studies at The Glenn Gould School, studying with Drs. John O’Conor and Michael Berkovsky. won The Glenn Gould School’s Concerto Competition, earning an opportunity to perform with The Royal Conservatory Orchestra. Jonathan won first place in the Canadian Music Competition, the NYCO Concerto Competition, the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition in New York City, and the Muse International Music Competition in Athens, Greece. He was named the recipient of the 2024 Ben Steinberg Musical Legacy Award for an emerging Canadian Jewish musician. In addition to his piano studies, Jonathan is studying conducting Maestro Simon Rivard. Last year, he formed and led a combined orchestra of GGS and U of T students in a performance of Chopin’s First Piano Concerto with soloist Jerry Hu, and conducted excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen with the Claude Watson Orchestra and Choir. This past November, he conducted from the piano, performing Beethoven’s 3rd Piano Concerto with members of The Royal Conservatory Orchestra. As a choral conductor, he currently conducts The Glenn Gould School Choir. In his free time, Jonathan enjoys tennis, chess, and physics.

Helen Bryant

  • Helen Bryant began her classical studies at age 10 after years of learning jazz classics by ear from her father. As a soloist, she has performed across the United States, including as a three-time fellow at NPR’s From the Top. She won top prizes at the Osaka International Competition in Japan, and in the MTNA, Emory Young Artist, and Steinway Piano competitions. She has performed with the Atlanta Community Symphony, Rome Symphony, and the North Georgia Chamber Orchestras. She is an avid chamber musician as the pianist for Trio Selene, a prizewinning trio from the University of Michigan. Helen contributed to the first critical edition of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue for two pianos, which was published by Schott Music, Intl. She was also named a research fellow for the Hampsong Foundation’s Song of America, where her research focused on underrepresented American song composers and poets. She is currently pursuing a masters at the Université de Montréal, where she is a student of Henry Kramer. She graduated as an Angell Scholar from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, earning degrees in Piano Performance and Historical Musicology. Helen’s undergraduate studies were with Christopher Harding. A native of Atlanta, she was a student of Alexander Wasserman for six years. Private studies with Yong Hi Moon and Julian Martin are also of primary influence. In her free time, Helen practices hot yoga, and loves to cook, hike, and play with her beagle named Frankie.

Robert Carlson

  • Born in Virginia, Robert Brooks Carlson began playing piano at age eight. He is a Doctor of Musical Arts student at the CUNY Graduate Center, adjunct faculty of music at Hunter College, and a student of Soyeon Kate Lee. Robert has appeared throughout Europe and the United States as both soloist and chamber musician; recent highlights include guest appearances at the Seattle International Piano Festival and Randolph College, as well as multiple appearances for Music in Midtown in Manhattan. He has collaborated with Alexander Fiterstein, Alexi Kenney, Jennifer Culp, Julio Elizalde, and Vicki Powell. Recently, he completed fellowships at Music Academy of the West, Olympic Music Festival, and the Gilmore Piano Festival. Robert has also been awarded prizes from the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Competition and the Seattle International Piano Competition. Notable influences include Jeremy Denk, Conor Hanick, and Julio Elizalde. Prior to his studies in New York City, Robert received degrees from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and James Madison University. Until 2020, Robert also studied applied Mathematics at JMU as a student of the Honors College. In his free time, Robert enjoys baking, coffee, and relaxing with his cat, Olive.

Sabrina Chen

  • Born in Montreal, Sabrina Chen started piano studies with Tina Kakabadze, and won her first competition six months later. She went on an international student exchange program in the United States, and made her debut in Carnegie Hall when she was seven years old. A year later, she entered the Crescendo International Music Competition and won first place, and also won top prizes at the Canadian Music Competition, Clara Schumann International Competition, and McGill Concerto Competition. In 2017, she was accepted into the Phil & Eli Taylor Performance Academy of RCM under the tutelage of Michael Berkovsky. She has also attended Orford Academy, Amalfi and Vivace music festivals, studying with Ronan O’Hara, Jerome Lowenthal, Boris Slutsky, Hee-sung Joo. Most recently, she was at the Banff center for the arts as one of the 20 pianists selected, playing for Hung-Kuan Chen, Joanna MacGregor and Marc-André Hamelin. In 2023, she attended the Royal College of Music to study with Dmitry Alexeev; she is now pursuing her undergraduate studies with Olga Kern at the Manhattan School of Music. In her free time, she likes creative writing, dancing, and different forms of visual arts, as well as cooking.

Kevin Cho

  • Kevin Cho, a native of Santa Clarita, CA, is majoring in Medicine, Health, & Society, and minoring in Piano Performance at Vanderbilt University. A YoungArts and NPR’s From The Top alum, he made his concerto debut at the age of nine with the Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra. He was featured as a soloist with the Antelope Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Southwestern Music Festival Orchestra. Other highlights include top prizes at the MTNA Southern Division, MTNA Tennesse, Level I YoungArts, and top prizes at the Virginia Waring International Competition, Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition, Lansum International Competition, and the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition. He has twice appeared at Carnegie Hall, where he made his debut in 2014. Kevin began piano studies at the age of four with his mother, Dr. Agnes Kim, and has also studied with Rufus Choi, Dr. Craig Nies, and now Dr. Heather Conner. Outside of music, Kevin enjoys snowboarding, traveling, and meeting new people.

Huan-Ching Chou

  • Born in Taiwan, Huan-Ching Chou is a top winner at numerous international competitions, including the Spotlight International Piano Competition, Ettlingen International Piano Competition, Philadelphia International Piano Competition, and the Singapore International Youth Piano Competition. Huan-Ching is an active soloist and collaborative musician, and appeared at The Kosciuszko Foundation in New York City, Steinway Piano Gallery in Toronto, and the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia; he also appeared at Aspen Music Festival and School, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, the Oxford Piano Festival, Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy, and the Gijón International Piano Festival in Spain. His debut studio album was released worldwide, featuring works by composers ranging from Haydn to Kapustin. Currently, Huan-Ching is pursuing his Bachelor of Music degree with Jerome Lowenthal at The Juilliard School. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, soccer, and biking.

Delvan Lin

  • Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Delvan Lin gave his first public performance at the age of ten, and has since been invited to perform on stages spanning four continents. Delvan has won first prizes in all of New Zealand’s major piano competitions. Internationally, he has been a laureate of the American International Piano Festival, Lev Vlassenko, Marian Garcia International Piano, and Tureck International Bach Competitions. An avid chamber musician, he is winner of the CMNZ National Chamber Music Competition. Delvan is the founding pianist of the Aurelian Trio, which was awarded the Royal Over-Seas League Chamber Music Scholarship, resulting in a UK tour with performancesat St James’ Piccadilly, St Martin-in-the-Fields, Lake District Summer Music, and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Delvan has made appearances with the New Zealand Symphony, Auckland Philharmonic, and Curtis Symphony Orchestras. Delvan holds a Bachelor's degree from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Netlita True and Alan Chow, a Master's degree from the New England Conservatory where he studied with Dang Thai Son and Meng-Chieh Liu, and is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at Curtis, studying with Michelle Cann and Ignat Solzhenitsyn. In his free time, Delvan delights in cooking.

Michael Lu

  • Born in Boston and raised in St. Louis, Michael Lu began piano studies at age five. He studied with Stanislav Ioudenitch and Seth Carlin in high school before continuing with Antonio Pompa-Baldi at the Cleveland Institute of Music since 2018. Michael was also a student of Jon Kimura Parker and Reid Smith. A first-prize winner of various international competitions, Michael was one of six pianists invited to study and perform with Maria João Pires at the Gilmore Piano Festival; Murray Perahia also invited Michael to Beethoven masterclasses in Munich. As concerto soloist, his 2017 performance of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra was telecast by PBS. As chamber musician, Michael has performed with members of the Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. His chamber music mentors include Sharon Robinson, Jaime Laredo, and Philip Setzer. As a proponent of American music, Michael gave world premieres of two rediscovered pieces by Florence Price, as well as local premieres of works by Ned Rorem and George Walker. In his free time, Michael enjoys biking/cycling, hiking, roller coasters, and theme parks.

Elisa Rumici

  • Elisa Rumici is an Italian pianist, researcher, and music educator based in Switzerland. Active as soloist and chamber musician, she regularly performs throughout Europe and has given recitals in numerous concert halls and music festivals, including Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Teatro Vittoria in Turin, the Teatro Nuovo Giovanni da Udine and Gare du Nord in Basel. Elisa has premiered the Concertino for Piano and Orchestra da Camera by L. Donorà, and "Oceano" by F. Marino, and recorded “Francesco Marino Piano Works”, published by Diapason Records in 2021. Elisa has also recorded and album “A musical journey”, released by Rhein records, and the soundtrack of the documentary "Foibe, il dramma dei deportati e scomparsi". Elisa has won twenty-five first prizes and numerous scholarships, including those offered by the Mari Foundation, the Adelhausen Stiftung, and the Zaczkowski Foundation. Her concert project “Revealed Virtuosity” was awarded the Walter und Corina Christen-Marchal-Stiftung prize in 2024. She currently studies with Filippo Gamba at the Hochschule für Musik in Basel and pursues a doctorate in artistic research at the Hochschule für Musik in Freiburg. In her free time, Elisa enjoys cooking, reading, hiking, swimming, visiting museums, musicology research, and philosophy.

Shiqin Wang

  • Shiqin Wang studies at the Juilliard School with Julian Martin, with additional training from Jerome Lowenthal. He studied at Tianjin Conservatory of Music middle school, and at Tianjin Juilliard Precollege with Ching-Wen Hsiao. His performances as soloist and chamber musician have included appearances at Alice Tully Hall at New York Lincoln Center, Paul Hall, Morse Hall, and Fuzhou Grand Theater; he premiered his own composition “The Distant Echo” - Ballade for Solo Piano in a Double Vision Concert at Juilliard. Recently, he gave his debut recital at Carnegie Hall in March 2025. Shiqin has won numerous competitions, including the Golden Classical Music Awards, Manhattan International Music Competition, Liszt Memorizing Prize International Piano Competition, the Sino-Russia Tchaikovsky Piano Invitation Competition, Hong Kong International Piano Invitation Competition, International Grotrian Piano Competition, Kawai Asian Piano Competition, and many others. In his free time, Shiqin enjoys composition, conducting, jazz, and hiking.

Vanessa Yu

  • Named one of CBC Music's top 30 classical musicians under 30, Canadian pianist Vanessa Yu is a native of Toronto, currently based in Baltimore. She has given solo performances throughout Europe, the United States, and across Canada, including Carnegie’s Weill Hall, Vienna Konzerthaus, Bradley Symphony Center, and the Chautauqua Amphitheater. Her recording projects include premieres of commissioned Canadian voice-piano works with soprano Maghan McPhee, on the Akashic Classics label, to be released in 2025. Vanessa has performed with the Vienna Opera Ball, York Symphony, Burlington Symphony, and Etobicoke Philharmonic orchestras, among others. Next season, she will perform Beethoven’s “Emperor” concerto with Sinfonia Toronto. Vanessa has received prizes at the Harrison Winter, Chicago international, Eisemann international, Thousand Islands international, and PianoArts North American competitions. She graduated from the University of Toronto, studying with Steven Philcox and Enrico Elisi. She is currently pursuing Master’s studies at the Peabody Conservatory in the studio of Boris Slutsky. A passionate educator beyond music, Vanessa has also taught design-based workshops at Google and post-secondary institutions. In her free time, she enjoys calligraphy, bullet journaling, reading, and latte art.