International Music Talent Competition Spring 2015
The American Protégé International Music Talent Competition is open to all instrumentalists (piano, winds, strings, brass, traditional, etc.), vocalists and traditional folk and jazz groups of all nationalities and countries. Participants are required to submit video recording materials for the audition. American Protégé is looking for genuinely talented people, who have creativity and stage charisma.
We invite talented performers of any age and genre to participate in the Competition.
All applicants who are signed with the manager or producer must submit via email a General Representation and Release Form signed by the Manager/Producer to be eligible for the Competition.
Awards
Winners performed on:
Saturday May 23, 2015 at 7:30PM at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
Saturday, December 19, 2015 (Christmas Weekend) at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and
Sunday, December 20, 2015 at 7:30PM (Christmas Weekend) at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City
Scholarship, Judges’ Distinction Award Trophy and other Special Awards were granted based on the judges recommendations.
Judges
Three qualified judges evaluate audition materials. All judges are independent, their students are not allowed to apply this season.
International Music Talent Competition Spring 2015
Jury’s Favorite ($330 Scholarship and plague trophy) Award Winner

Michelle Stern, is an 11 year old native of Douglaston, NY. She began her violin studies at age 3 with her mother, Anna Heifetz, and currently studies violin with Prof. Ann Setzer at the Juilliard School Precollege Division. At age five, Michelle won her first medal from the New York Music competition, and by age 6 gave five performances at Carnegie Hall as a first prizewinner of American Protégé, Concert Festival and New York Music Competitions. At age 7 Michelle was awarded first prize in the “Jewish Kids Got Talent” Competition. In 2013 and 2014, Michelle won first prize and the Judges Distinction Award at American Protégé Concerto Competition and Best Performance Awards at the American Protégé Talent Competition. As a Grand Prize winner of Concert Festival International Competition Michelle appeared as a soloist with the Connecticut Virtuosi Orchestra under direction of Adrian Sylveen. Since her solo debut with the Island Chamber Symphony at age 7, Michelle frequently appeared as a soloist with the Manhattan Symphonie Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Gregory Singer. Michelle was a guest artist in the Shirley Romaine’s ARTSCENE (PBS) and was featured in articles of Bayside times, Little Neck Ledger, Jewish Press and Gold Coast Gazette.
Music Talent Competition Spring 2015 Winners | ||
Name | Age | Country/State |
Jury’s Favorite Award Winner: | ||
Michelle Stern, violin | 11 | Douglaston, NY |
Student of Prof. Ann Setzer and Anna Heifetz | ||
Judges’ Distinction Award and First Place Winners: | ||
Nikolay Marinov, piano | 13 | Plovdiv, Bulgaria |
Student of Svetlana Koseva | ||
Jocelyn Wang, guzheng | 13 | Belmont, CA |
Student of Chiffon Fu | ||
First Place Winners | ||
Stephan Zhang, violin | 7 | Stillwater, OK |
Student of Dr. Gregory Lee | ||
Yan Yun Kelsey Wong, piano | 9 | Singapore |
Student of Ralitsa Obretenova | ||
Yuhan Jiang, piano | 10 | Beijing, China |
Student of Xiao Xiao | ||
Jinmiao Wang, piano | 10 | Beijing, China |
Student of Hong Shi | ||
Michelle Stern, violin | 11 | Douglaston, NY |
Student of Prof. Ann Setzer and Anna Heifetz | ||
Ibrahim Ignatov, piano | 11 | Shumen, Bulgaria |
Student of Marinela Marinova and Denis Ignatov | ||
Hassan Ignatov, piano | 11 | Shumen, Bulgaria |
Student of Marinela Marinova and Denis Ignatov | ||
Lindsey Jung, violin | 11 | Tenafly, NJ |
Student of Yujeong Lee | ||
Jasmine Jin, piano | 11 | Arcadia, CA |
Student of Lily Chen | ||
Jasmine Shum, piano | 12 | Fresh Meadows, NY |
Student of Ivy Chen | ||
Jack Silvers, piano | 12 | Scarsdale, NY |
Student of Irena Portenko | ||
Minjee Kim, flute | 12 | Plainview, NY |
Student of Munjung Moon | ||
Gina Ledor, cello | 12 | Berkeley, CA |
Student of Eric Sung | ||
Katrina Tsz Ching Tse, violin | 13 | Hong Kong |
Student of Gallant Ho | ||
Samantha Ma, violin | 13 | Akron, OH |
Student of Wei-Fang Gu | ||
Atsuo Chiu, piano | 14 | Sacramento, CA |
Student of Shigemi Nishite | ||
Arthur Oung, cello | 14 | Atherton, CA |
Student of Jonathan Koh | ||
Haemaru Chung, violin | 14 | New York, NY |
Student of Ann Setzer | ||
Lynne Bai, piano | 15 | Gainesville, VA |
Student of Marjorie Lee | ||
Sabrina Chen, piano | 15 | Palo Alto, CA |
Student of Sandra Shen | ||
Carol Chen, violin | 15 | Franklin, MI |
Student of Sonia Lee | ||
Ka Yuk Yam, piano | 16 | Hong Kong |
Student of Tang Nga Sum | ||
Ellen Chang, guzheng | 17 | Austin, TX |
Student of Jing Qun Shao | ||
Ngoc Minh Thu Nguyen, Dan tranh | 18 | Auckland, New Zealand |
Student of Vu Thi Dung | ||
Natasha Valdes, voice | 27 | La Habra, CA |
Student of Dubravka Zubovic | ||
Yurika Mihara, piano | 30 | New York, NY |
HyeKyeong Hannah Cho, piano | 37 | Lacey , WA |
Student of Hye Sun Park | ||
Second Place Winners | ||
Celine, Shyn Yi Sim, piano | 5 | Singapore |
Student of Christine Gan Siew Hui | ||
Benjamin Young, piano | 7 | Churchville, PA |
Student of Joy Kiszely | ||
Arya Babu, piano | 8 | Solon, OH |
Student of Cynthia Crotty | ||
Lindsey Ahn, violin | 9 | Cresskill, NJ |
Student of Sooji Oh | ||
Sarah Liu, piano | 9 | Scarsdale, NY |
Student of Hong Wang | ||
Natalie Huang, piano | 9 | Bayside, NY |
Student of Ivy Chen | ||
Brandon Goldberg, piano | 9 | Miami, FL |
Student of Paul Posnak and Markus Gottshlich | ||
Capri Everitt, voice | 10 | Vancouver, Canada |
Student of Jeannie Lee | ||
Matthew Gurning, piano | 11 | Fontana, CA |
Student of Agatha Hou | ||
Victoria Chiang, piano | 11 | Houston, TX |
Student of Dr. Clive Swansbourne | ||
Ethan Yan, soprano | 12 | Mountain View, CA |
Student of Angelique Zuluaga | ||
Ekta Karkala, piano | 12 | Union City, CA |
Student of Helen Lee | ||
Kevin Ou, piano | 12 | Rowland Heights, CA |
Student of Jeff Lavner | ||
Melvyn Gnai Zhi Yong, ukulele | 13 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
Student of Ivon Tan and Daphne Woon | ||
Liz Yeo, violin | 13 | Singapore |
Student of Yah Wan Har | ||
Junming Wen, tuba | 13 | Beijing, China |
Student of Zhongda Yao | ||
Sehong Park, piano | 13 | San Diego, CA |
Student of Eunice Ahn | ||
Jawon Lee, Flute | 13 | Singapore |
Student of Larisa Tupitsina | ||
David Blasky, violin | 14 | Shelby Township, MI |
Student of Prof. Sonia Lee | ||
Angelus Matthew Changho Roxas, piano | 15 | Leawood, KS |
Student of Ying-Yu Emily Yeh | ||
Ireland Lee, violin | 15 | Shelby Township, MI |
Student of Sonia Lee | ||
Abigail Siegel, piano | 15 | East Greenwich, RI |
Student of Nonetta Shatakhtsian | ||
Claire Du, piano | 16 | Yorktown, VA |
Student of Teresa Falk | ||
Rebecca Chuang, piano | 16 | Saratoga, CA |
Student of Natalia Borodulin | ||
Michelle Ju, piano | 17 | San Diego, CA |
Student of Eunice Ahn | ||
Michaela Roxas, violin | 17 | Leawood, KS |
Student of Alex Shum and Ying-Yu Emily Yeh | ||
William Chao, violin | 17 | San Jose, CA |
Student of Chen Zhao | ||
Shenhua Hu, violin | 33 | Riverside, CA |
Student of Suli Xue | ||
Piano Duo/Four Hands: | ||
Ibrahim Ignatov | 11 | Shumen, Bulgaria |
Hassan Ignatov | 11 | Shumen, Bulgaria |
Student of Marinela Marinova and Denis Ignatov | ||
Third Place Winners | ||
Xin Cheng Xu, piano | 7 | Singapore |
Student of Christine Gan Siew Hui | ||
Clare Maher, violin | 9 | Birmingham, MI |
Student of Prof. Sonia Lee | ||
Seth Loo, violin | 9 | Singapore |
Student of Yan Wan Har | ||
Joanne Chan, violin | 12 | Singapore |
Student of Ang Chek Meng | ||
Maya Raisha Zainudin, voice | 12 | Singapore |
Student of Mario Serio | ||
Stewart Smith, piano | 12 | New Rochelle, NY |
Student of Dr. Irena Portenko | ||
Yaeil Kim, piano | 14 | Oklahoma City, OK |
Student of Jaehee Kim | ||
Honorable Mention Winners | ||
Angelina Hubertus, piano | 8 | New Canaan, CT |
Student of Nicole Wang and Tatiana Kunik | ||
Jih Bin Luo Liu, piano | 10 | San Jose, Costa Rica |
Student of Melzer Ludmila | ||
Katie Kong, piano | 10 | Woodside, NY |
Student of Viriany Setiosa | ||
Tahmid Tapan, piano | 10 | Woodside, NY |
Student of Viriany Setiosa | ||
Eve Sullivan, piano | 11 | Bronxville, NY |
Student of Kanako Koyama | ||
Hannah Yinghan Wang, piano | 11 | Singapore |
Student of Christine Gan Siew Hui | ||
Hali Liu, piano | 12 | Overland Park, KS |
Student of Ying-Yu Emily Yeh | ||
Ashley Tang, piano | 13 | Eastchester, NY |
Student of Kanako Koyama | ||
Sanjana Subramanian, piano | 13 | Frederick, MD |
William Andrew Vasquez, piano | 29 | Santa Barbara, CA |
Serafin Sales, piano | Shoreham, NY |
Other participants will receive Diploma of Participation
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS!