Judges

Dr. Umida Avloni – Piano
Educator, Owner of Avloni Academy of Music

Dr. Umida Avloni, a music educator, piano teacher, and musicologist, immigrated to the United States in 1993 from the former Soviet Union. She received a Doctorate from the Uzbekistan State Institute of Arts and Culture (USSR), where she served as the Vice- President of the Young Composers’ Association. She was also the Chair of the Department of Eastern music. In 1998, she opened the Avloni Academy of Music (AAM), a pre-college music school, which grew into a flourishing music center with five locations throughout the East and South Bay Areas, with over 600 students and a faculty of 40 instructors. She served as the Director of AAM for over 20 years. Dr. Avloni has served as adjudicator for numerous international competitions, such as the North China International Piano Competition, World Piano Pedagogy Competition, Elite Carnegie Hall Competition, US Open and US International Music Competitions.

Dr. Ilya Blinov – Piano
Concert Pianist and Educator

Dr. Ilya Blinov is an accomplished pianist and teacher. He began his teaching career in his native Nizhny Novgorod (Russia) in 1993, and since then he has taught at the University of Michigan, Bowling Green State University, Interlochen Arts Camp, and Susquehanna University. Over the years, Dr. Blinov has worked with students age 5 to 83. He sees teaching as the rewarding process of facilitating change and growth in students and strives to show them a direction, a road, a path to knowledge, and give them a chance to discover their strengths.
Dr. Blinov is a versatile solo recitalist, chamber musician, and an accompanist. He has presented recitals in his native Russia as well as in the United States and Western Europe. His performances include an appearance at the Shostakovich Festival in Rome and Venice, Italy, a recital at the Yamaha Center in Paris, France among others. He has also performed live on WGTE Public Radio in Ohio and WDET studio in Detroit, Michigan.
Throughout his career, Dr. Blinov has developed a format of a recital-demonstration, a performance devoted to music of a single composer using a PowerPoint presentation and a discussion of the composer’s life and compositional style. The audiences have warmly received his performances of Tchaikovsky and Mozart, Shostakovich and Stravinsky, Mussorgsky and Beethoven.

Dr. Yi-Yang Chen – Piano
Associate Professor of Piano,
University of Kansas

Dr. Yi-Yang Chen gained international recognition with back-to-back victories at the 2018 Sussex International Piano Competition and the 2017 Washington and Waring International Piano Competitions. As the winner of the 2012 MTNA National Young Artist Piano Competition, he was awarded a Steinway piano and two concerts in Miami, sponsored by the Chopin Foundation (USA).
In a review of his 2017 solo recital at Carnegie Weill Hall, New York Concert Review praised his performance, noting: “He negotiated this difficult work with what appeared to be the greatest of ease. The passagework was sparkling, and the energy never flagging. Mr. Chen held the line and momentum throughout, challenges which many players struggle with in this work […]. It was a powerhouse performance.”
Dr. Chen has earned top prizes at numerous international competitions, including the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, The American Prize, UNISA International Piano Competition (South Africa), Kerikeri International Piano Competition (New Zealand), and Seattle International Piano Competition, among others.
He has performed on five continents at prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Melbourne Recital Centre, National Concert Hall in Taipei, and ZK Matthews Great Hall in South Africa. Dr. Chen has appeared as a soloist with ensembles such as the Worthing Symphony Orchestra, Brevard Music Center Orchestra, Eastman Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra.
Dr. Chen holds a Doctorate and Bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School. He is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Kansas, a Steinway Artist, and an advocate for diversity and inclusion in classical music. His upcoming recording project with the UK-based Champs Hill label is set for release in 2025-26.

Dr. Christine Choi – Violin
Faculty at Pacific Institute of Music

Korean-American violinist Christine Choi enjoys a versatile career as a performer and teacher. Dr. Choi gave her concerto debut at the age of eleven and has appeared in concerts throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, and China. As a chamber musician, Dr. Choi was a Guest Artist at Music in the Vineyards in Napa Valley performing with members of the San Francisco Symphony and was awarded a Fellowship at the Madeline Island Music Festival. In 2015, she became an artist member of the Music for Food concert series in Boston and has also performed at the Mannes Festival in New York, The Beethoven Research Center at Boston University, and Boston University’s Center for New Music in collaboration with American composer, Joan Tower. As an orchestral musician, she has performed with the Banff Festival Orchestra, Hwaum Boston Chamber Orchestra, Cantata Singers, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz Symphonies.
Dr. Choi received her Bachelor of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music as the recipient of the Ruth and Jo Blackmore Scholarship, and her Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music under the tutelage of Lucie Robert. She pursued her Professional Studies Diploma at Mannes College of Music, then continued her studies at Boston University where she received her Doctor of Music Arts degree in String Performance under the guidance of Bayla Keyes. Dr. Choi has also studied with Davis Law and Zaven Melikian, and her chamber music mentors include the American, Juilliard, and Muir Quartets.
Dr. Choi has previously served as a teaching assistant for Bayla Keyes at Boston University and Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra, and orchestral coach at the University of California, Santa Cruz. She currently serves as Chair for the CAPMT Go for the Gold Music Competition, is on faculty at the Pacific Institute of Music and maintains a private studio in El Dorado Hills.

Dr. Elizabeth Dorman – Piano
Pre-College Faculty,
San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Praised by Joshua Kosman of the San Francisco Chronicle for her “elegance and verve,” pianist Elizabeth Dorman enjoys performing music both new and old as a soloist and chamber musician.
A finalist of the 2018 Leipzig International Bach Competition, Elizabeth has been widely recognized as a leading performer for her inquisitive interpretations of Bach’s music on the modern piano. Elizabeth has appeared as soloist with orchestras including the Louisville Orchestra, the Leipzig Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, the Santa Rosa Symphony, the California Symphony, the Vallejo Symphony, the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Folsom Lake Symphony, the Stanford Summer Symphony, Symphony Parnassus, as a soloist for interdisciplinary projects at New World Symphony, and as a keyboardist at the San Francisco Symphony. She can be heard on Delos records as a concerto soloist with Santa Rosa Symphony’s new album celebrating the music of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, and has also recorded for Navona.
She has been presented as a soloist and chamber musician at venues including the Kennedy Center, Davies Symphony Hall, Herbst Theater, Merkin Hall, Carnegie’s Weill Hall, Leipzig’s Hochschule für Musik, and her live solo performances have been nationally broadcast on NPR and public radio. Elizabeth is Artistic Director of the San Francisco Chamber Players and also serves as Assistant Artistic Director for Archipelago Collective, a chamber music festival in the San Juan Islands. She has appeared at other festivals including Tanglewood, Britt, Sarasota, Aspen, Toronto Summer Music, Icicle Creek, and the Banff Centre. Working with the Bridge Arts Ensemble, Stony Brook University, and as a board member of the Ross McKee Foundation, Elizabeth has produced concerts, lectures, and workshops for music students and was honored with the Father Merlet Award from Pro Musicis for her work training high school music students in community engagement.
Elizabeth was awarded a Doctor of Musical Arts from Stony Brook University in 2019 where she studied with Gilbert Kalish and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is currently on faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College.

Dr. Richard Dowling – Piano
Concert Pianist

Hailed by The New York Times as “an especially impressive fine pianist,” Steinway Artist Richard Dowling appears regularly in solo recitals, music festivals, and as guest soloist in concerto engagements with symphony orchestras. Career highlights include performances in New York at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall, Merkin Hall, The Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center, The Metropolitan Club, The Metropolitan Museum, The Liederkranz Foundation, The Kosciuszko Foundation, The Museum of the City of New York, The New-York Historical Society, The Tenri Cultural Institute, St. Bartholomew’s Church, Trinity Church, The Union Club, The Harmonie Club, Christie’s, 54 Below, Bargemusic, Brooklyn Conservatory, Concordia College, and The 92nd Street Y.
Mr. Dowling has presented solo recitals in the Far East, South America, Australia, Africa, and Europe. He has appeared at numerous music festivals including the Newport Music Festival, Sun Valley Music Festival, Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival, West Coast Ragtime Festival, Texas Music Festival, Northwest Bach Festival, El Paso Chopin Festival, Roswell Jazz Festival, Juneau Jazz & Classics Festival, Sitka Summer Music Festival, La Gesse Foundation Festival (France), Rag’n Boogie Festival (France), and the San Miguel de Allende Chamber Music Festival (Mexico). The National Federation of Music Clubs of the United States honored him with a special award recognizing his outstanding performances of American music. Works of Chopin, Debussy, Gershwin, Gottschalk, Joplin, Ravel, ragtime, and early jazz figure prominently in his extensive repertoire which also includes more than thirty piano concertos.
On April 1, 2017 Mr. Dowling performed the complete piano works of Scott Joplin in two historic sold-out recitals at Carnegie Hall, exactly 100 years to the day that Joplin died in New York. He is the first pianist in the world to perform the complete cycle of Joplin’s 53 rags, marches, waltzes, and cakewalks in public –– nearly four hours of music, all from memory. Mr. Dowling has performed over 100 Joplin recitals across the United States in commemoration of the centennial of Joplin’s death and the sesquicentennial of his birth. His 3 CD set, The Complete Piano Works of Scott Joplin was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2018. The late ragtime pianist Max Morath said, “Richard Dowling’s mastery of the Joplin rags invokes a tenderness that charms us and a technical command that inspires our admiration.”
Richard Dowling has received reviews that praise him as “a master of creating beautiful sounds with impeccable control of colors and textures,” as “a musician with something to say, the skill to say it and the magnetic power to make you want to listen,” and for giving “a superb recital that left the audience craving for more at the end.” He is also a versatile recording artist with over a dozen CDs of classical, chamber, ragtime, jazz, and popular music. In recognition of his dedication to French musical art and his fluency in the French language, Mr. Dowling was inducted as an Officier de Musique of the renowned Company of Musketeers of Armagnac, an historic French honor society. Mr. Dowling resides in New York City.
Website: www.parkerartists.com/Richard-Dowling.html

Dr. Julio Elizalde – Piano
Associate Chair of Strings and Piano Chamber Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Praised as a musician of “compelling artistry and power” by The Seattle Times, the gifted Hispanic-American pianist Julio Elizalde is a multifaceted artist who enjoys a unique career as soloist, collaborator, curator, and educator. Julio has performed at many of the world’s major music centers including Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco), Koerner Hall (Toronto), Alice Tully Hall (New York), Kioi Hall (Tokyo), Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall, Seoul Arts Center, Teatro Colón (Buenos Aires), St. Paul’s Knightsbridge (London), National Centre for the Performing Arts (Beijing), Shanghai Oriental Arts Center, Palacio de Bellas Artes (Mexico City), National Concert Hall (Taipei), and the Esplanade Concert Hall (Singapore), among many others.
For nearly a decade, he has appeared as recital partner to world-renowned violinists Ray Chen and Sarah Chang, and has collaborated with many of the leading artists of our time, including Pablo Ferrández, Kian Soltani, Pamela Frank, Robert McDonald, and members of the Juilliard, Cleveland, Takács, Kronos, Brentano, St. Lawrence, and Dover string quartets. As a founding member of the N-E-W Trio, he won the grand prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and received the Harvard Musical Association’s prestigious Arthur W. Foote Prize. As part of the Trio, he performed for notable American politicians including President Bill Clinton and Secretaries of State Condoleeza Rice and Henry Kissinger.
A champion of new music, Julio has collaborated with celebrated composers such as Osvaldo Golijov, Sir Stephen Hough, Adolphus Hailstork, and Michael Stephen Brown. Julio was a featured artist on the soundtrack composed by Academy Award-winner Howard Shore for the lm Jimmy P, starring Benicio Del Toro.
Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Julio is a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, where he earned a bachelor’s degree with honors as a student of Paul Hersh. He holds master of music and doctor of musical arts degrees from the Juilliard School in New York City, where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal, Joseph Kalichstein, and Robert McDonald. Since 2014, Julio has served as artistic director of the Olympic Music Festival outside Seattle, Washington, and he is currently the Associate Chair of Strings & Piano Chamber Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Dr. Natsuki Fukasawa – Piano
Lecturer, University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music

Steinway Artist Natsuki Fukasawa’s music career has taken her throughout U.S. cities as well as to Europe, Scandinavia, Israel, Australia, Brazil, Japan and China, performing at such venues as Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center and Copenhagen’s Tivoli Concert Hall. Fukasawa has won many accolades and international prizes, including rave reviews in Strad and Fanfare magazines and the Best Chamber Music Recording of the Year from the Danish Music Awards.  
Dr. Fukasawa’s performance highlights include a tour of Italy performing Gershwin’s Concerto in F as well as performances of Beethoven’s Third, Fourth and Fifth Piano Concerti, Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1, Chopin Second Piano Concerto, Dohnanyi’s Variations on a Nursery Song, Mozart’s A Major Concerto, K. 488, Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto and Ravel Concerto in G with orchestras in California. She was featured in the documentary film by La Casa Films & Arts titled 36 Views of Mount Fuji. Most recently, Dr. Fukasawa collaborated in the album titled Song of the Redwood-Tree released from MSR Classics.Dr. Fukasawa serves on the artist faculty of the Talis Festival & Academy in Sarajevo, Bosnia. She is currently a Lecturer in Piano at University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music and at University of California Davis, and gives master classes frequently in Northern California and online for out of state events. She also enjoys nurturing young talents in her own private studio, where her students are winners of state, national and international competitions including Chopin National Competition, Philadelphia International Competition, MTAC YAG and appear in the NPR show From the Top, and go on to pursue music in college. She began studying piano early with her mother Takako Fukasawa and her main teachers were Fumiko Ishikawa, Mark Richman, Martin Canin, Jan Panenka, Anne Koscielny. She attended the Juilliard School, University of Maryland for her DMA, and Prague Academy of Music as a Fulbright Scholar.

Akiko Gaffney – Piano
Educator

Akiko Gaffney studied piano under Akira Sato and Reiko Kikuchi while attending the Tokyo School of Music. She received a Bachelor of Music degree and Artist Diploma from the Tokyo College of Music. She continued her musical education during graduate school at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she earned a Performance Diploma and studied piano solo with Michel Block (awarded the Rubinstein Award in Warsaw at the VI International Chopin Piano Competition in 1960) and chamber music with Rostislav Dubinsky (first violinist of the Borodin Quartet). Akiko performed solo piano and collaboration with string instruments and chamber music in both Japan and Russia and during her time living in Georgia, Kansas, and currently in Folsom, California. While living in Vladivostok, Russia, in 1994-95, she also worked as a string accompanist at the Far Eastern Institute of Arts.
More recently Akiko performed with cellist Jia-Mo Chen at the annual Sonora Bach Festival in 2018 and with Dr. Christine Choi and Jia-Mo Chen at the Westminster Presbyterian Church noon concert series in Sacramento and at the Harris Center for the Arts in Folsom.
Akiko is currently President of the Sacramento District of California association of Professional Music Teachers and MTAC Sierra Branch.She is an adjudicator for competitions and Festivals in Sacramento and Bay Area.
She conducts private lessons at her home studio in Folsom. Akiko’s students have received numerous top prizes at such competitions as Seattle International Piano Competition, Anselmo International Music competition in NY, 23rd International Chopin Piano Competition in Asia Finalist, MTNA Junior State Competition, Steinway Junior Piano Competition, MTAC Sacramento Memorial Scholarship Audition for Piano Trio, Go for the Gold Competition, Crescendo International Music Competition, Tell School of Music Keyboard Division International Piano Competition, Sacramento Youth Symphony Premier Orchestra Soloist, and PYPA Piano Festival.

James Gardner – Piano
Educator and Concert Pianist

Juilliard-trained conductor, pianist and oboist James Arthur Gardner is a creative force in Bay Area music making. As a leading piano instructor in the Bay Area, many of Gardner’s students have gone on to win top prizes in important competitions. In addition to his responsibilities as director of the Pro Arte Symphony Orchestra, Maestro Gardner created a wonderful annual event for the keyboard, Pianomania! This eagerly awaited and unparalleled celebration of the instrument provided an introduction to many of the Bay Area’s most talented concert pianists. Gardner’s past dedication to young people is also evident in his annual “Kids Play the Darndest Things” program in which music prodigies and international, national and regional competition winners were brought together to perform works by the great classical composers.
Gardner’s musical training has been wide ranging. As a conductor, he was a finalist in the National Orchestral Association’s Conducting Competition at Carnegie Hall. Subsequently he became conductor of the Detroit Chamber Orchestra and Wind Symphony of Detroit before founding Pro Arte Symphony in 1993. In his early career Gardner performed as an oboist with the Juilliard Orchestra, the Brooklyn Philharmonic and the New York City Ballet Orchestra. He has performed in many of the country’s finest concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, Philharmonic Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, and the Philadelphia Academy of Arts. His early musical training began at the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan, where he appeared as piano soloist at the age of 11. Soon after, he began to study oboe seriously and won numerous scholarships on his way to The Juilliard School, where he received much of his formal training. His distinguished piano, conducting and oboe instructors include Lilian Bauer Cox, Anthony Newman, Karl Schnabel, Dennis Davies, Jean Morel and William D. Revelli.

Dr. Frederich Haraldson – Piano
Concert Pianist

Dr. Frederich Haraldson has established a reputation specializing in late romantic music as well as Ragtime, Broadway, and Hollywood musicals of the first half of the twentieth century by America’s best composers, such as George Gershwin and Cole Porter. He maintains a busy concert schedule of stage, television, radio, and film appearances around the globe. Additionally, he is a much sought after silent film accompanist and film score composer for both live performances and DVDs. He performs regularly at the Hollywood Heritage Museum, the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum in California, the Cinecon Film Festival in Hollywood, The TCM Classic Film Festival in Hollywood, The San Francisco Silent Film Festival, and at silent film festivals around the country. He also performs at music festivals around the country, such as the Sacramento Music Festival, the West Coast Ragtime Festival, and the Sedalia Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival. Dr. Haraldson received his advanced training with legendary Bay Area Julliard graduates Virginia Moore and Trula Whelan. He earned his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley and earned both his master’s and PhD degrees at Oxford University in England. His website is: www.frederickhodges.com.

Dr. Dorian Ho – Piano
Continuing Education Faculty,
San Francisco Conservatory of Music

As the winner of the 13th Annual Artist International Competition, Dr. Ho made her New York solo debut at Carnegie Recital Hall. Dorian received a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School of Music, and a Concert Diploma from the Vienna, Academy of Music and Art. She earned her Ph.D. in piano performance from New York University. Her teachers include Martin Canin, Eugene List and Bruno Seidlhofer. She has performed as soloist with numerous orchestras, including the Fine Arts Orchestra of Taiwan, Moscow Chamber Orchestra, Budapest Chamber Orchestra, State Chamber Orchestra of Kazakhstan, Kiev Symphony Orchestra, and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in a sold-out concert. She has also performed at Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center, Davies Symphony Hall, Herbst Theatre, Atlanta Symphony Hall, and the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Hall in Taiwan. She has recorded Robert Schumann‘s Piano Concerto with the Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic and the Dvorak Piano Quintet with the Stamic String Quartet of Czech Republic. Dr. Ho is currently a faculty member at the San Francisco Conservatory Music.

Dr. Scott Holden – Piano
Professor of Music,
Brigham Young University

Scott Holden debuted in Carnegie Hall after winning first prize in the 1996 Leschetizky New York Debut Piano Competition. He has performed in over forty states, throughout Europe and in Asia. He has been broadcast on NPR, NBC, CBC, as well as numerous local networks. His enthusiastic support of contemporary music has led to a variety of premieres, including William Wallace’s Second Piano Concerto with Keith Lockhart and the Utah Symphony of which The Salt Lake Tribune wrote, “Mr. Holden secured the stage in a virtuosic performance…We were torn between examining every new note passing by our ears, and Holden’s pianistic acrobatics. It was a wonderful dilemma.” Recent concerts have brought him across the country ranging from Alaska to New York, as well as in China, Singapore, Vietnam, and Europe.
Holden returned to Carnegie Hall to play a solo recital in 2018, featuring multiple world premieres included on his newest solo CD “the Unknown Galaxy.” Fanfare praised the album: “he brings it off with excellence, mastering everything…. It’s safe to say that there is no other piano disc quite like this one.” His CD, Beyond Vernon Duke, was given the highest five-star rating stating: “Holden exhibits profoundly musical readings with obvious commitment and great attention to detail.” Holden has recorded for Parma, Bridge, Tantara and NAXOS Records. Recent concerto appearances include concerti by Beethoven, Gershwin and Tchaikovsky. Holden’s students have been top prizewinners in numerous competitions including Gina Bachauer, Emory Young Artists, PianoArts North American Competition, and many others. His students were top prize winners at the MTNA national competitions in 2021, 2023, and 2024 in multiple divisions. They are regularly accepted to the music programs in the country. He travels extensively to adjudicate and give master classes at festivals and pedagogy workshops.
Holden holds degrees from the University of Michigan (BM), The Juilliard School (MM), and The Manhattan School of Music (DMA). He studied for a year at The Liszt Academy in Budapest as a Fulbright Scholar. He is on the piano faculty of Brigham Young University where he directed the piano program for 14 years, and is a faculty member at Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard, where has taught since 2017.

Dr. Hsiu-Jung (Sherry) Hou – Piano
Concert Pianist

Hsiu-Jung Hou leads a dynamic career as a soloist, chamber musician, and dedicated piano teacher. As a soloist, she has earned accolades in prestigious competitions, such as the National Taiwan Normal University Concerto Competition, the MTNA Michigan Performance Competition, and the Seattle International Competition. Her passion for music extends to participating in renowned festivals, where she has gained invaluable performance experience. Recent highlights include her lecture recital “The Theme of Childhood” at the University of Michigan, a performance of Rachmaninoff’s Third Concerto with the Ann Arbor Symphony, and a guest recital at the Seattle International Competition.
An enthusiastic chamber musician, Hsiu-Jung has performed at the International Music Conference in Beijing, the Salzburg International Summer Academy Recital, numerous chamber and duo concerts in Ann Arbor, and collaborative recitals in the Bay Area. She treasures the collaborative spirit of chamber music, finding joy in learning, inspiring, and creating music alongside fellow artists.
As a dedicated music teacher with nearly a decade of experience, Hsiu-Jung (Sherry) Hou fosters a warm, friendly, and professional environment that encourages students to thrive. Her teaching philosophy centers on the belief that every child is unique, with their own special qualities to bring to their musical journey. Hsiu-Jung delights in inspiring her students’ imaginations, unlocking their potential, and helping them discover the joy and love inherent in making music. Since 2019, she has been committed to providing professional and enjoyable piano lessons to students in the Bay Area, California.

Dr. Chih-Long Hu – Piano
Sandra G. Powell Endowed Professor of Piano
and the Coordinator of Keyboard Studies, University of Tennessee

Pianist Chih-Long Hu’s performance career was launched after receiving honors including the Taipei National Concert Hall Arising Star, the Chi-Mei Artist Award, and prizes from the Mauro Monopoli International Piano Competition in Italy, the Concurs International De Piano D’Escaldes-Engordany in Andorra, the Takamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan, and San Jose International Piano Competition in California.
Hu performs extensively as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. His recent performance highlights include concerto performances of Rachmaninov’s Paganini Rhapsody, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, solo and chamber recitals in China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Ireland, France, Canada, and throughout the U.S. Hu’s performances have been broadcast in “Performance Today” through NPR stations across the U.S. His CD albums “Formosa Caprices”, “Complete Rachmaninov Etudes-Tableaux”, and “Goldberg Variations” have received critical acclaim.
Recipient of the UT Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching Award and named “Teacher of the Year” by Tennessee Music Teachers Association, Knoxville Music Teachers Associations, and Appalachian Music Teachers Association, Hu is committed and passionate in teaching. He strives to cultivate and inspire curiosity in meaningful expressions and to help his students discover their individuality through music.   
Hu holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in piano performance from the University of Michigan, a Master’s degree from Taipei National University of the Arts, and a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from National Taiwan University. Hu is a Steinway artist, and currently the Sandra G. Powell Endowed Professor of Piano and the Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Dr. Fantee Jones – Piano
Artistic Director, USOMC 
Concert Pianist and Pre-College Faculty,
San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Taiwanese-American pianist Fantee Jones, of Roseville, California, gave her first solo recital at the age of seven, and her concerto debut at age ten performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488. Most recently, she was the 1st prize winner and awarded the “Best Execution of a Classical Piece” in the Città di San Donà di Piave International Piano Competition and 5th prize winner of the 2022 XII Darmstadt International Chopin Piano Competition in Germany. She has received top prizes in the Gina Bachauer Young Artists, Lagny-sur-Marne, Los Angeles International Piano Competitions and a winner of the PianoTexas International Young Artists Concerto Competition. Upon winning the Piano Texas Concerto Competition, she performed with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Lio Kuokman.
Miss Jones made her first Carnegie Weill Hall appearance in May 2005 and has also performed at Benaroya Hall and Lied Center of Kansas in the United States, National Recital Hall in Taiwan, Sendai City Cultural Center in Japan, Seoul Arts Center in South Korea, Temppeliaukion Kirkko “Rock Church” in Finland and Verbrugghen Hall in Australia, as well as on Cunard and Princess Cruise Lines.
Fantee began studying with her mother at age three. She received her Bachelor of Music and the Roy M. Rubinstein Prize from Manhattan School of Music, and her Master of Music from The Juilliard School. She was awarded the Elizabeth Parisot Prize along with a Master of Musical Arts from Yale School of Music, under the tutelage of Hung-Kuan Chen. Most recently, she received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Literature and a minor in Piano Pedagogy in May 2022, where she studied with Alexander Kobrin and served as a Teaching Assistant to Alexander Kobrin and Vincent Lenti.
She currently serves as the Artistic Director of the United States Open Music Competition (USOMC), a non-profit organization that has supported youth musicians in Northern California for over 30 years. In addition to her role at USOMC, she is on the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (Pre-College) and Legato Music School in San Jose and maintains a private piano studio in the Sacramento area. For more information, please visit www.fanteejones.com.

Machiko Kobialka – Piano
Pre-College Faculty,
San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Grammy nominated pianist, Machiko Kobialka came to the U.S. as a Fulbright Scholar and received her Bachelor of Music from the Hartt College of Music at the University of Hartford, and her Master of Music from Catholic University of America. She has received international acclaim for her dynamic and elegant performances as a soloist and chamber musician. Performing internationally for over 40 years, she has appeared at major music festivals and concert celebrations. Ms. Kobialka has recorded for Sonic Arts and Desto Records. Today, Machiko is performing internationally and adjudicating competitions in the United States. Working with the Department of Education for numerous cities in Japan, she performs recitals as well as teaching piano master classes across Japan. For over 15 years, she has been a frequent performer in the Chancellor’s Concert Series, sponsored by the University of California, San Francisco. Ms. Kobialka has taught music for over 40 years, including having taught at California State University, Hayward. Today, she continues her teaching, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Cellist Angela Lee is a graduate of The Juilliard School and Yale School of Music. Since making her Carnegie Hall debut in 1994, she has concertized throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. She is a founding member of The Lee Trio, which has commissioned and premiered works of numerous living composers. In its third decade, The Lee Trio recently released a new album, Midsummer Night Magic, to critical acclaim and continues to perform and teach master classes worldwide. Using music to foster peace and goodwill, Ms. Lee has made humanitarian trips to the Republic of the Philippines and the former Yugoslavia. While on a U.N.-sanctioned tour of six war-torn cities throughout Bosnia-Herzegovina, she performed for NATO troops and displaced civilians. 
As a member of Ensemble SF since 2022, she continues to delve into a vast array of chamber music, allowing this multi-faceted art form to inspire and connect with others in unconventional settings. 
In addition to coaching chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, she serves on the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra Alumni Association Leadership Council and on the Board of Directors of The Resonance Project, which promotes empathy through live music. Her Neapolitan cello is made by Nicolo Gagliano from 1762.

Dr. Hanzheng Li – Piano
Concert Pianist and Educator

Beginning her musical journey at four and a half, Dr. Hanzheng Li, a Bay Area-based pianist, won First Prize at the Golden Key National Keyboard Competition by age eight. She has built a career as a soloist and chamber musician, with performances in Europe, North America, and China, including at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, and Jordan Hall. Dr. Li holds a D.M.A. in Collaborative Piano and dual Master’s degrees in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano, all from the New England Conservatory (NEC), alongside a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. Her teachers include Minduo Li, Yun Sun, Victor Rosenbaum, Vivian Weilerstein, Pei-Shan Lee, Jonathan Feldman, and Cameron Stowe. At NEC, she served as a teaching assistant in the Piano, Theory, and Collaborative Piano Departments, teaching both undergraduate and graduate students. She also holds a Music-in-Education concentration from NEC and taught at the US-China Music Festival and Workshop from 2015 to 2016. With over 17 years of teaching experience, Dr. Li has guided students at all levels, many of whom have won top prizes in competitions such as the US Open Music Competition and the San Francisco International Piano Competition.

Dr. Yuhui Li – Piano
Concert Pianist and Educator

Dr. Yuhui Li is an accomplished pianist celebrated for her captivating performances as both a soloist and chamber musician across the United States and China. Her artistry has graced prestigious stages, including the New Paltz International Piano Festival, Cincinnati International Music Festival, and Colorado International Music Festival. A highlight of her career, Dr. Li won the ASU Concerto Competition in 2018, showcasing her exceptional talent.
Dr. Li’s musical journey is marked by numerous awards in prominent piano competitions. In 2021, she earned Second Place in the America Prize and received recognition at King Peak International Competition, adding to her accolades from the Colorado International Piano Competition in the USA. In China, she was awarded Second Prize in the Xi Wang National Piano Competition (2013) and First Prize in the Yangze River National Piano Competition (2012). Her expertise is widely respected, and she has served as an adjudicator in various piano competitions and exams, including the United States Open Music Competition and the Arizona Study Program.
Academically, Dr. Li’s achievements are equally distinguished. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree with distinction in piano performance from Renmin University of China, where she received an outstanding graduation award under Dr. Fang Zhang. She continued her studies at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, earning a Master of Music degree under the mentorship of Prof. Yoshikazu Nagai. Dr. Li completed her academic journey with a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Piano Performance from Arizona State University, studying under Prof. Robert Hamilton.

Dr. Chen Liang – Piano
Piano Faculty, Chopin Academy of Music 
Artistic Board, Seattle International Piano Competition

As a recording artist for KNS Classical in Spain and a performing artist for Chengdu City Concert Hall in China, Chinese-born pianist Dr. Chen Liang gives numerous concerts worldwide, including most recently, recitals in Rome, Italy, Chengdu, China, at Interlochen Arts Academy, Lynn University and on Seattle’s Classical KING FM98.1 broadcast show. As a concerto soloist, Chen has played with the Chong Qing Philharmonic in China, the Greece Symphony Orchestra in New York and the Lynn Philharmonic in Florida. Chen has won many prestigious competitions including the Clara Schumann International Piano Competition, the Manhattan International Music Competition, the “ArsClassica” International Piano Competition in Italy, the Music and Stars Grand Prix in Spain, the Piano Texas Music Festival Concerto Competition and the Chautauqua International Piano Competition.
A former Adjunct Lecturer at the State University of New York at Geneseo, Chen moved to Seattle in 2022 and currently serves as the Vice President of the South King County Music Teachers’ Association and the Board Member for the Seattle International Piano Competition. He also teaches as a Piano Faculty at the Chopin Academy of Music in Issaquah and performs as a Collaborative Pianist for the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Seattle Choral Company. Back in China, Chen co-founded the “Beyond Clouds” summer piano festival in Chengdu and has been serving as the Artistic Director since 2018.
Chen studied with Dr.Roberta Rust for his Bachelor’s degree at Lynn University Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton, FL. He earned his MM (Master of Music) and DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) from Eastman School of Music, under the tutelage of Ms. Natalya Antonova, with a music theory minor field and Advanced Pedagogy Certificate.

Pei-Chun Liao – Piano
Concert Pianist,
Associate Professor of Piano,
University of Taipei

Pei-Chun Liao is an accomplished concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. She started her musical studies at the age of three. After Liao graduated from Taipei National University of the Arts, she moved to Europe and continued her studies in the UK at the Birmingham Conservatoire with Malcolm Wilson and Philip Martin. At the Musikhochschule in Freiburg, Germany, she studied with Professor Vitali Berzon and graduated with the highest award, Auszeichnung in Solistenexamen Diploma.
Liao has performed at Manchester Peel Hall, Mozarteum Wiener Saal, Salle Cortot, Rachmaninoff Hall and Barber Institute. As a soloist, Liao has performed with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Bacau Philharmonic Orchestra, the Taipei Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and the Hunan Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, she has collaborated with internationally renowned musicians including Reinhold Friedrich, Peter Donohoe, Benjamin Frith and Benny Kim, among many others.
Liao is a prizewinner at numerous competitions, including 3rd prize at the Taipei Chopin international Competition, the Taiwan Young Artist Competition and she was selected as “Young Star of National Concert Hall” in Taiwan, Beryl Chempin Beethoven Prize, Birmingham Conservatoire Piano Prize, Birmingham Symphony Hall Recital Prize and the Ludlow Philharmonic Concerto Prize. She received 2nd Prize at the 7th Mauro Paolo Monopoli International Piano Competition in Italy.
Active in international music festivals, Liao has been a guest artist at Baylor University, Ball State University, Sacramento State University, and others. She was also invited to perform at the Beethoven Piano Society of Europe’s Regent Hall recital and participate in their Beethoven project. Liao is currently a full-time Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Taipei, where she teaches piano and frequently gives lectures, master classes, and serves as a judge in competitions such as the Steinway & Sons International Youth Piano Competition and Kawai Asia Piano Competition.

Dr. Elizabeth MacCorquodale – Violin
Performer and Educator

Bay Area based violinist, Dr. Elizabeth MacCorquodale has performed as soloist with orchestras in Canada, and the US. She was the prize winner of the Frank Preuss International Violin Competition in Colombia, the Debelli International Chamber Competition in Austria, the Canadian National Chamber Music Festival, and the Atlanta Community Orchestra Competition. She holds degrees from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the University of Performing Arts in Graz, Austria, and her DMA from Stony Brook University in New York. Her primary teachers include Hagai Shaham, Philip Setzer (Emerson Quartet), Silvia Marcovici, and ilmVos Szabadi.
An avid chamber musician, Ms. MacCorquodale has performed with the Stony Brook Chamber Ensemble, the New York based Quartet Markis, the Long Island Composer’s Association, and has collaborated with Philip Setzer and Paul Watkins of the Emerson Quartet, Jon Kimura Parker, Soovin Kim, and Sergiu Schwartz.
She is a dedicated teacher as well as performer, and currently maintains a private violin studio in Palo Alto and performs regularly with the Santa Cruz Symphony and the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra.

Diane Maltester – Clarinet
Professional Clarinetist &
Professor of Clarinet,
CSU EastBay and Diablo Valley College

Diane Maltester, MA in music performance, is the acting principal clarinetist of the Oakland Symphony and principal clarinetist in the Bay Phil, the Vallejo Symphonies, the Walnut Creek Festival Opera, and the Oakland Ballet. She is the clarinet professor for CSU East Bay, Diablo Valley College, and professor emeritus from Los Medanos College.
Maltester also performs numerous solo and chamber recitals in the Bay Area and is a member of the Clarinet Fusion Ensemble which performed at the International ClarinetFest 2022 and 2024.
She has a renowed private clarinet studio and is a former Northern Woodwind Chairperson for the Music Teachers’ Association of California and former conductor of the Diablo Wind Symphony.
She can be heard on the recently released Wild Swans CD, which can be streamed, and features works by Bay Area composer, Nancy Bachmann

Annamarie McCarthy – Piano
Pre-College Faculty,
San Francisco Conservatory of Music

Annamarie McCarthy has presented recitals at CAMI Hall (Columbia Artist Management Hall) in New York City, the Bracebridge Concerts at Yosemite National Park, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stanford University, UC San Francisco and UC Santa Cruz. She has recorded for Composers Recording Society and been presented in live performance on KQED and KALW as a member of the Annamarie and John McCarthy piano duo.
In addition to her private teaching, she is a member of the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and has taught at Lone Mountain College, now a part of the University of San Francisco, and at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga. Among the numerous awards her students have received are first prizes at the Zeiter Piano Competition, Pacific Musical Society Competition and the Etude Club Competitions. They have been accepted to leading universities and music schools, including Columbia, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Johns Hopkins, Princeton, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Washington University in Saint Louis, University of Chicago, UCLA and UC Berkeley.
Annamarie McCarthy’s students hold academic positions in music departments at the University level, and are members of leading professional ensembles, including the Argento Chamber Ensemble in New York City and the San Francisco Opera.

John McCarthy – Piano
Pre-College Director Emeritus and Piano Faculty, San Francisco Conservatory of Music

John McCarthy has served on the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for over fifty years.  He has also taught at UC Berkeley, Lone Mountain College and the Pacific Music Festival at Stanford University. During his tenure as director of the Pre-College Division, McCarthy brought the program to a place of international stature.  Upon his retirement from administration in 2011, he was bestowed the title “Director Emeritus” by the Conservatory.
He has twice received a “Distinguished Teacher Award” from the Department of Education and the White House Committee on Presidential Scholars in the Arts, acknowledging his “substantial contributions to the development of our nation’s young people”.  McCarthy’s students have appeared as concerto soloists with the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Cincinnati Symphony, French Republican Guard Orchestra, Royal Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonia Baroque and Sydney Symphony. Eight students have been named winners by the National Young/Arts Awards Foundation, and three students have been named Presidential Scholars in the Arts. They have received numerous first prizes, including the International Bach Competition in Leipzig, the Scottish International Piano Competition, and competitions in Ukraine and Armenia.
As a performer, McCarthy has premiered works by Elinor Armer, David Del Tredici, Gerard Grisey, Alden Jenks, and Frederic Rzewski, as well as recording for Composers Recording Society.  He has performed with the San Francisco Symphony at Davies Symphony Hall, and at the Ojai Festival with the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. He and his wife, Annamarie, have performed numerous recitals as a piano duo, notably at Stanford University and the Bracebridge Concerts at Yosemite National Park. He continues to teach privately and at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 

Dr. Victoria Neve – Piano
Professor of Music,
San Francisco State University

Victoria Neve has distinguished herself as a piano soloist, chamber musician, duo pianist and accompanist in concerts throughout the United States. Her appearances include presentations for the College Music Society, the National Conference on Women in Music, the Memphis State Music Festival, the State Conventions of the Music Teachers Association of California and the California Association of Professional Music Teachers, and the national convention of the Music Teachers National Association. Dr. Neve has been heard on radio as a piano soloist on the National Public Radio series “Early American Keyboard Music” and on the San Francisco State University “University Concert Series,” as well as on stations KQED in San Francisco, KPFA in Berkeley, the University of California at Santa Cruz radio station, and KMVR in Northern California. Her repertoire ranges from the music of the early Classic composers, performed on a period instrument, into the 21st Century. She has toured California with performances of George Crumb’s Makrokosmos, Volumes I and II, for solo amplified piano. She is Founder and Director of the San Francisco Young Pianists Competition and is a frequent adjudicator at numerous other piano competitions. She is on the faculty of the School of Music at San Francisco State University, where she hold the rank of Full Professor of Music.

Dr. Jeffrey Sykes – Piano
Lecturer in Piano and Vocal Coaching,
University of California – Berkeley

With a career spanning performance, education, and artistic direction, pianist Jeffrey Sykes brings a visionary approach to fostering meaningful connections between performers and audiences. He has earned a reputation for his captivating interpretations and profound musical insight, particularly as a collaborative pianist in chamber and vocal music. His work with some of the world’s finest musicians has graced stages across the United States and internationally, reflecting his commitment to creating engaging musical dialogue.
A passionate educator, he is known for his ability to connect deeply with students, bringing the energy and insight he exhibits on stage into the studio and classroom. Through his work with university piano and voice students at the University of California, Berkeley and California State University–East Bay, he blends technical rigor with a deep understanding of musical expression, drawing on his extensive performance experience to prepare students for a lifetime of engagement with the arts. As artistic director of the Bach Dancing & Dynamite Society and the Cactus Pear Music Festival, Sykes designs seasons that bridge tradition and innovation, inviting audiences to experience the intimate, transformative power of chamber music. His work has been lauded for thoughtful programming that creates profound shared experiences between performers and listeners. Sykes’s 17 years as music director of Opera for the Young underscore his commitment to engaging diverse communities with the beauty of classical music.
Sykes earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison as a recipient of the prestigious Javits Fellowship from the US Department of Education, focusing on solo piano performance, musicology, and historical performance practice. A Fulbright Scholar, he pursued advanced studies in piano, chamber music, and Lied accompaniment in Austria and Germany. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where his honors thesis received the university’s top prize for senior research.

Dr. Dale Tsang – Piano
Concert Pianist – New Music Specialist

Dale Tsang earned her BM in piano performance from the University of Southern California (studying with John Perry), her MM from the University of Michigan (studying with Dickran Atamian), and her DMA from Rice University (studying with John Perry). A winner of numerous competitions and an active solo and chamber musician, Dale frequently performs locally and in Europe and Asia. As a core member of the Ensemble for These Times, she championed 20th and 21st century music and collaborated in many commissions, premieres and international performances. Her collaborative work on E4TT recordings resulted in a 2016 Silver Medal and a 2018 Gold Medal from the Global Music Awards. She continues to enthusiastically disseminate the music of living composers. Dale is a faculty member at Laney College and teaches an inspiring assortment of adult students. She has also served as a judge for numerous organization’s competitions, including CCPAS Sturm-Page Competition, Etude Club of Berkeley, MTAC Contra Costa Branch’s Sonata competition, East Bay Music Festival Competition, United States Open Music Competition (USOMC), the Dorothy Van Waynen Competition, Ross McKee Piano Competition, San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s concerto competition, and the MTAC State Panel Finals.

Jack Van Geem – Percussion
Percussion Faculty,
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
Former Principal Percussionist and Assistant Timpanist with the San Francisco Symphony

Jack Van Geem retired as Principal Percussionist and Assistant Timpanist with the San Francisco Symphony in 2012, a position he held for 32 years.  He has performed and recorded with the symphony as a mallet soloist, solo timpanist, snare drum soloist and featured solo percussionist. Before joining the Symphony in 1981, he performed for five years with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. He studied in Germany with Cristoph Caskel on a Hertz Fellowship and holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from California State University Hayward, where he also taught. In addition to his work with the San Francisco Symphony, Van Geem has recorded and performed chamber music, music soundtracks and marimba and xylophone music. He recently finished recording a CD of marimba duets with Nancy Zeltsman and premiered Island Music, a work written especially for them by Michael Tilson Thomas.
Van Geem has taught at San Francisco Conservatory since 1991 and at The Colburn School in Los Angeles from 2006 to 2015. He has also taught at nearly every ZMF event from 2001 – 2020 where he also served as Vice President.

Dr. Shi-Hwa Wang – Violin
Professor of Violin, Weber State University

Shi-Hwa Wang’s outstanding reputation as a violinist has earned him the post of concertmaster of several professional orchestras including the Taipei Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan, the Ballet West and Utah Chamber Orchestras in Salt Lake City, and the Classical Music Festival Orchestra in Eisenstadt, Austria. An avid chamber musician, he is the founding member of the Formosan Violin-Piano Duo, the Wasatch Piano Trio, Browning String Quartet, and the Kismarton String Quartet.
“five stars: This recital holds revelations as well as ravishing delights, all superbly performed….the violin, and Shi-Hwa Wang marries expressive weight with technical polish perfectly….” (Fanfare Magazine)
As an educator Dr. Wang is selected as the Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor at Weber State University. He has a keen sense of teaching which allows his students to achieve their very best. His pupils have constantly been prize winners of state and national competitions. He has had seven national finalists in the Music Teachers National Association national competition, 24 first-place state strings competition winners in Utah and 38 WSU Concerto Night competition winners. Many have gone on to graduate programs of the top music universities in the country or become accomplished teachers after graduation from WSU.
Dr. Wang has served as a clinician, adjudicator, and master class teacher, both nationally and internationally. He has taught violin in the summer programs at the University of Michigan, the Eastman School of Music, the University of Illinois, the International Workshops in Europe, Classical Music Festival in Austria, Interharmony International Music Festival, Sewanee Music Festival, and the Banff International Youth Orchestra Festival in Canada. He taught violin at the Haydn Conservatory of Music in Austria as a visiting professor and toured many European countries as a solo recitalist. He is the director of the annual WSU ASTA Stringfest for string players of all ages and the executive director of the Sid & Mary Foulger International Summer Music Festival. He was on the planning committee for the ASTA National Conference in 2003. He has been Utah ASTA president and received the “Utah Educator of the Year” and “Outstanding Teaching Award.”

Dr. Yu-Jane Yang – Piano
Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor and the Director of Keyboard Studies,
Weber State University
The sole national award recipient of the prestigious Music Teachers National Association Teacher of the Year in 2020

Dr. Yu-Jane Yang is a Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor and the Director of Keyboard Studies at Weber State University. Dr. Yang is the national recipient of the prestigious Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Teacher of the Year award in 2020, inducted to the Steinway Teacher Hall of Fame in New York (2021), recognized with the Steinway Top Teacher Award (2022), and named an MTNA Foundation Fellow (2011). Furthermore, Dr. Yang received the esteemed 2023 Utah Governor’s Mansion Artist Award presented by Governor Spencer Cox and First Lady Abby Cox in Sep, 2023.
Much in demand as a presenter, performer, and master class teacher, Yu-Jane has given numerous piano workshops, master classes, and concert performances in Austria, Poland, Norway, Spain, Italy, Germany, Singapore, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Canada, and the United States. Dr. Yang was the featured 2022 MTNA National Conference masterclass teacher for the Intermediate Piano Master Class. Dr. Yang and Dr. Shi-Hwa Wang were the featured national conference concert artists performing as the Formosan Violin-Piano Duo at the jam-packed Opening Session Concert of the 2023 MTNA National Conference. She also appears frequently as an adjudicator for piano competitions nationally and internationally, including judging the MTNA Competition National Finals, MTNA Division Competitions, the California and Nevada state solo and concerto competitions, International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington D.C., and the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition preliminary auditions.
Dr. Yang’s students have been top prizewinners in both collegiate and pre-college divisions in numerous state, national and international piano competitions, including the national first place winner of the 2010 MTNA Steinway Young Artist Collegiate Piano Competition and the 2020 Gilmore Young Artist Award national winner. Yu-Jane’s students at Weber State University have received piano scholarships for graduate studies from world-renowned music schools such as the Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, the University of Michigan, Peabody Institute, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Dr. Yuhan Yeh – Piano
Pianist

A native of Taiwan, Yuhan Yeh began her formal piano studies at the age of five. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in piano performance from Thornton School of Music, University of Southern California, as a recipient of the Dorothy Gleason Memorial Endowed Piano Scholarship, and the Norris Foundation Grant. She earned her Master of Music degree from Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. Her principal teachers include Prof. Bernadene Blaha, Boris Slutsky, Rolf-Peter Wille, and Grace Chung.
Yeh performed Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.3 with USC Thornton Symphony under the baton of Maestro Andrés Cárdenes as the first-prize winner of USC Thornton Concerto Competition, and the Gardner Memorial Award winner in the 68th Wideman International Piano Competition. The concerto performance was described as “with highly polished technical facility…rich with subtlety and nuance. Her playing was masterful.” by renowned conductor and music educator Larry Livingston. Yeh showcased her versatility by performing Mozart’s Piano Concerto, K. 467 as both soloist and conductor with the USC string ensemble. She also made her appearance with Texas Round Top Festival Orchestra as piano soloist, performing Saint-Saens’ Carnival of Animals under the baton of Emilio Colon in Young Persons’ Concert.
Yeh’s recent accolades also include the International Keyboard Odyssiad & Festival Competition (Silver Medal), James Ramos International Piano Competition (Silver Medal), the Fresno Musical Club Bell T. Ritchie Award and Susan Torres Award, as well as prizes in the Seattle International Piano Competition and the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition.
In addition to her performance career, Yeh serves as a board member of Nova Music Production, a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating music performance opportunities and supporting music education. Their recent projects include the annual New Stage Music Festival and various community outreach programs.

Dr. Shichao Zhang – Piano
Director of Keyboard Division,
Eastern Illinois University

Pianist Shichao Zhang holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Literature, with a minor in Chamber Music and Accompanying, from the prestigious Eastman School of Music, where he also earned his Bachelor’s degree (summa cum laude, 2012) and Master’s degree (2014). He studied under the tutelage of Professor Douglas Humpherys and Professor Jean Barr, where he played an important role as a teacher in various capacities, which led to his recognition with the 2013 2014 Eastman Teaching Assistant Prize. Zhang’s achievement was recognized by the Pi Kappa Lambda, a National Music Honor Society. Originally from China, Zhang began his musical education in Beijing under Madam Yafen Zhu and Ms. Chen Zhang.
Zhang has won numerous prizes in competitions including the Hong Kong (Asia) Piano Open Competition, the Eastman School of Music Concerto Competition, the New York MTNA Steinway Young Artist Competition, the 2011 Jefferson Symphony International Young Artists Competition, the Iowa International Piano Competition and the Metropolitan International Piano Competition. He has performed widely across China, United States, and Europe with solo recitals, chamber music concerts, and concerto performances. His expertise extends to adjudicating various competitions, including the 3rd Macau-Asia Pacific Youth Piano Competition, the 18th Hong Kong (Asia) Piano Open Competition, the Prime Golden Bell Music Award of China, the Jiangxi Preliminary of the 3rd Kyoto International Music Competition.
Dr. Zhang joined the faculty at Eastern Illinois University in 2023. Previously he was on the faculty at the Bienen School of Music at the Northwestern University, and was a Visiting Professor at the Helongjiang University of Technology in China. He has been a full-time Visiting Artist-in-Residence at the Music Department of Skidmore College. 
Beyond teaching and performing, Dr. Zhang proudly serves as the Festival Manager of the Amalfi Coast Music & Arts Festival in Italy, and the Festival Coordinator of the Gijón International Piano Festival in Spain.