International Piano and Strings Competition 2018

The American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition is open to school students and adults of all nationalities and countries. Musicians from 20 countries applied for this year’s Competition: different U.S. states, Canada, Costa Rica, Peru, Belize, England, Switzerland, Austria, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Azerbaijan, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Australia.

All instruments, including piano, strings, voice and winds are welcome to participate in the Competition.

Participants are required to submit video/audio recording materials for the audition.  Multiple winners will be chosen in each age category.

We invite school students and adults to participate in the Competition. There is no age limit for the adult participants.

Past Seasons Winners

Eligibility

 

Multiple winners will be chosen in each of the following age groups:

School Students:   Adults (18 and older):
  Young Musicians, 5 - 10 Amateur without professional degree
 Junior, 11 - 14  College Students and Professional Musicians
 Intermediate, 15 - 18  

18 year old school students must enter in the Intermediate Category. 18 year old college students must apply under the College Students/Professionals Category.

Awards

 

Winners will perform at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Winners Concerts will take place on

Friday, March 30, 2018 (Good Friday)
Sunday, April 1, 2018 (Easter)
Saturday, April 21, 2018
Sunday, May 13, 2018 (Mother’s Day)
Saturday, May 26, 2018 (Memorial Day Weekend)
Monday, May 28, 2018 (Memorial Day)
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Sunday, June 17, 2018
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Saturday, June 30, 2018

Judges’ Distinction Award and other Special Awards may be granted based on the judges’ recommendations.

Judges

 

Four qualified judges will evaluate audition materials. All judges are independent; their students are not allowed to apply this season. Dr. Sophya Genis is invited as a Chairwoman of the Competition 2018. A graduate of the Moscow Gnessin Academy of Music, Mrs. Genis holds a Doctor of Music Arts Degree. She studied piano with such renowned professors as Alexander Yoheles, Yakov Milstein and Yakov Zak.

American Protégé

International Piano and Strings Competition 2018 Results

Judges Distinction Award (Plaque Trophies) Winners

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Pentasuite Quintet:

Cameron Jeppson,  Caroline Durham,  Bella Maher,  Kimberly Lewin,  Suzannah Rose

The members of Pentasuite live nestled at the base of the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Northern Utah. Some of them have been making music together since age six. Quintet members have performed in venues as far flung as Estonia, Tokyo, Japan, Palace Square at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, Normandy, as well as other locations throughout the USA and Europe.  The string players have participated in “Fry Street Days,” a chamber music workshop with the Fry Street Quartet and the Intermountain Suzuki String Institute for many years. Members of the quintet have also participated in the Salzburg Music Festival, Tanglewood Institute, National Cello Institute and the Gina Bachauer educational series

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Jeremy Cha lives in New Jersey and is a junior in high school. He has been studying the cello since the age of 9.  He currently attends the Manhattan School of Music precollege, studying with Madeleine Golz. He has won and performed for several competitions, such as the National League of Performing Arts (Grand winner) at Carnegie Hall, Vivo International Youth Competition (First prize) at Kaufman Music Center, International Virtuoso Competition (Silver Prize), Lyra Music Competition semi-finalist and YWCA NY Music competition (Third Place). During the summers, he has attended Oberlin Credo and Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s Young Artists Orchestra.

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Dimitri Eugene Galterio, a native New Yorker, began his piano studies at the age of four at The School for Strings, and currently studies with Victoria Mushkatkol.  He was a triple Gold Medal Winner of the Music Festival in 2017, a Vanguard Gold Medal Winner 2017 and 2016, First Place Winner of the 2015 and 2014 Young Artist Festival, and recipient of the Special Tour Presentation Award. Dimitri has received awards nationally and internationally, and has participated in the Adam Gyorgy Festival in Budapest, Hungary.  Also, a student of composition, recently one of his pieces was performed at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice, Italy by the Trinity Madrigals.  A sophomore at the Trinity School, Dimitri is chapel soloist, sectional director and accompanist, and serves on Chapel Council, Community Time Council, Model Congress and is political editor of the Trinity Times.

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Andrew Yang, fifteen, is a high school freshman at The Seven Hills School. He was the concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestras Concert Orchestra for the 2016-2017 season, and is currently a member of the CSYO Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2017, he was awarded Distinction in the Thirteenth International Competition “Young Virtuosos” in Bulgaria. He was a 1st place winner of the 2017 American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition. Andrew won first place in the Jack & Lucille Wonnell Young Artist Concerto Competition in the junior section in 2015 and second place in the senior section in 2017. Andrew was also the state winner for the Junior Strings category of the Music Teachers National Association competition in Ohio for 2015-2016 and 2016-2017. He has attended the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in 2016 and 2017. Andrew studies with Dr. Won-Bin Yim at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

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Piano Trio:

In August of 2017, Leo Liang, Kevin Hu, and Sunny Fan formed the piano trio group, Lehoffe. Kevin, the violinist, and the Sunny, the cellist, are both 1st chair in Oak Valley Middle School’s orchestra. Individually, Kevin and Sunny placed first in competitions throughout the world and locally. Leo, the pianist, sadly unable to join the orchestra, also placed first in international competitions as well as many local competitions. Seeing the achievement that one of them can attain, they decided that if they all joined together, the opportunities are endless. For such a young group, their achievements are already astonishing.

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Bobby Boogyeom Park, a 12-year-old violinist, has performed with orchestras such as Russian Symphony Orchestra in Russia and New Shanghai Symphony Orchestra in China. Since his debut at the age of seven, Bobby has been invited as a guest solist to international concerts and festivals including Bucheon Music Association Concert in Korea in 2016, the 5-young Virtuoso Concert at Oriental Art Center during Shanghai International Art Festival in 2013 and Seeds of Hope Concert for Sichuan, Shanghai in 2014. He was the winner of International Competitions for youth such as The 14th IRRCMC (International Russian Rotary Children Music Competition) Moscow, Russia in 2016 and Allegro International Competition, Hong Kong in 2013.

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Suhyeon Choi, born in 2006, lives in Seoul, South Korea. She started cello when she was 7 years old. Until now, she has gotten many awards not only in competitions held in Korea but also in Germany. She took 1st place at ‘Yewon Music Competition’ and ‘Eumagchunchu Music Competition’. In addition, recently she took 1st prize at ‘Rising Stars Grand Prix International Music Competition Berlin’ and performed in the winners’ award concert which was held at the Berliner Philharmonie. She performed at ‘Seoul Soloist Cello Ensemble Young Artist Special Concert’ and ‘Seoul Academy Ensemble’ with the orchestra.

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Piano Duo/Four Hands:

Andrew Zhang, 12 and Jason Zhang, 10, from San Diego, CA, started their piano studies at the age of 8 and 7 with Tatiana Stignev. They were a first-place winner of the 2017 Classic Music Awards International Music Competition and were invited to perform in the winners’ recital at Carnegie Hall. Andrew also won second place in the 2017 American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition and won the first place and the judges’ special award for Musicality in the 4th Hong Kong International Music Festival (HKIMF) SD Regional Competition.  Most recently, Andrew won first place in the 2017 International Music Competition ‘Rome’ Grand Prize Virtuoso and performed in the winners’ concert at Auditorium Parco della Musica of Rome. 

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Vincent Pham is 9 years old from Tampa, Florida. He started piano lesson at age 4. Vincent has attended many master classes and described as “extremely gifted” by renowned professor Rebecca Penneys. He has participated in many local, state, and international music competitions. Vincent has won numerous awards including competitions of HACA Spotlight on Talent: Second Place Winner 2015, First Place Winner 2016, First Place Winner 2017; Central Florida Concerto Competition FFMTA: First Place Winner 2017; FFMC Florida State Competition: Honorable Award Piano Solo FFMC 2015, First Place Winner Piano Solo FFMC 2016, First Place Winner Piano Concerto FFMC 2017; American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition: Second Place Winner 2016, and First Place Winner 2017. 

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Christine Koh began playing the violin in 2013, at the age of 4. She has participated in many competitions as a soloist both internationally and locally in Singapore. Most recently in January 2018, she won First Prize in the Classical Music International Competition with performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. In the inaugural Brilliant Talent Discovery Awards International Music Competition in 2017, she achieved the Gold Award in violin and performed at Esplanade in Singapore. She is also an active member of her school’s string ensemble. In 2016, she represented her school in the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation for String Ensemble 2016 and the team achieved the highest award of Certificate of Distinction.

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Ji-Eon Lee, 8 years old from Korea, began studying Cello when she was 4. With her passion for music, she won the Highest Award at City Philharmonic Orchestra Competition within 2 years. In 2016, she also won the 1st prize at Sejong, Ye-Eum, Yejeon and Yookyoung Competition. In 2017, she performed solo at Youngsan Art Hall as 1st prize winner of The Music Education News Competition and also received the 1st prize from Shinye Music and Eumyoun Competition. At the same year, Ji-Eon had a concert as a 1st winner of Eumak Journal Competition at University of Seoul and a debut on TV. She is going to play Haydn Concerto as a soloist with Youth Orchestra in March this year.

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Yi-chen Hung, born in 2012, a native of Taiwan, started playing the piano at age three. A year later, he began competing in local and international competitions. At four, Yi-chen won Apollo Prize in 2016 PIARA Piano Competition in Hamamatsu, Japan (Category 7 and Under). He was the youngest contestant to compete in the final. At five, Yi-chen won first place in 2017 Taiwan Agean Sea Music Competition and Yi-Shang Music Competition. He was also selected as one of the semi-finalists of both 2017 NTD Asia Pacific Music Competiton (Category 8 and Under) and 27th Japan Classical Music Competiton (Category 6 and Under). Yi-chen currently studies piano with his mother, Junko Nishida.

Winners by Age Category

 

Other applicants received Diploma of Participation

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL WINNERS!

Past Seasons Winners
Upcoming Competitions