International Piano and Strings Competition 2019

William Zhang is 6 years old, from Milton of Georgia.  A current student of concert pianist and professor Raffi Besalyan, William began his piano studies at age of 4.  William showed keen interest for music as early as he was two. William is a cheerful, passionate and inquisitive boy. He has participated in a variety of recitals in different venues, including local churches, schools, golf clubs and senior homes. American Protégé is William’s first piano competition. He worked hard through the process of rehearsal and enjoyed playing his favorite music. William also loves reading, drawing and swimming.  

Xiaoyan Liu, from Great Neck, NY, began to learn piano at the age of 3. After a few months of study, she started to shine among the top winners of several talent shows held in Queens and Long Island of NY, and U.N. headquarter in Manhattan. Her talent also attracted media’s attention. She was featured in an interview on Sinovision TV, one of the most influential Chinese televisions in North America. When she was 4, she frequently appeared on various concerts and competitions. She was selected to showcase on a Leschetizky Association concert, and her first public ticket-selling performance was in a benefit concert in Flushing townhall. She won the 1st place in International Competition in Carnegie Hall at the age of 5 as the youngest contestant. Her piano styles include classical, jazz, and pop. She also enjoys performing piano accompaniment for her father (who sings) on public concerts.

Emma K. Liu has played piano since age 5 and has passed ABRSM grade 5 exam in piano with distinction. She has won the Steinway Society of South Jersey Young Pianist Competition for 3 consecutive years.  Through various wins from International Piano Competitions, they have afforded her the privilege to perform at venues such as the Curtis Institute for Music and the Academy of Music at Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center as well as Weill Recital Hall and Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In 2017, Emma accepted an invitation to perform at the International Music Festival at Mirror Hall in Tarnow, Poland and attended masterclasses from esteemed international piano professors.  She has also accepted an invitation in the summer of 2019 to participate in the Student Exchange Program in Osaka, Japan.

Shaun Koumans, age 12, is from Irvine, CA. He started learning violin at age 6. He was the Grand Prize winner for the Satori Strings contest in 2018 and has won many awards from the Southwestern Youth Music Festival competitions. Shaun is also active as an orchestral player. Shaun has been playing at the Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings since 2017. He currently studies violin under Eunhee Kim.