Meet the 2020 Laureates
Ryan Huang, 10 years old, a student of Dr. Olga Chichova at Canada Academy of Music and Arts. He is a recipient of Canadian Young Artist Standards of Excellence Award.
Ryan participates in numerous recitals, competitions, festivals, and master classes worldwide. He is enthusiastic about performing on stages. He has performed in renown concert halls such as Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall in New York City, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, Wuhan Qintai Grand Theater, etc.
Simon Yao, 9, a student of Jeffery Lavner at Colburn School, also won the 1st Prize in the Russian Souvenir International Piano Competition.
Simon is passionate in playing piano and enjoying classical music.
Mira Kardan, Virtuosity,
USA, CA
Mira Kardan (14) attends the Colburn School where she studies with acclaimed cellist Clive Greensmith. She began her cello studies with Nancy Yamagata at age five. Mira has attended summer programs including the Heifetz Institute and Indiana University’s Summer String Academy.
At the Colburn School, Mira has served as principal cello of the Community School’s String Orchestra and has been selected to play on the bi-annual Honors Recital. Additionally, her piano trio was chosen as for the School’s Honors Chamber Ensemble program. Her trio has won first place on two occasions in the regional division of MTAC’s VOCE competition.
Mira Kardan
First Place Winners
Jade Chan, Lyrical,
Hong Kong/SAR
Jade Chan (9) started piano learning since she was 3 years old. At age of 5, Jade was admitted to the Junior Programme at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, majoring piano under the tutelage of Dr. Amy Sze since then.
At age of 7, Jade gained a distinction in the ABRSM piano grade 8 examination. And at age of 9, she also achieved a distinction in the Trinity ATCL piano examination. Over the past few years, Jade has received numerous prizes and scholarships in Hong Kong and overseas piano competitions.
Joseph J. Yoon, 10, started playing piano at age 7 and is currently a student of Dominique Shim.
Joseph has won numerous awards for both national and international, classical piano music competitions, and is passionate about introducing music to other people.
Matthew Brand was born in New York and has been playing piano for 7 years. He attends Horace Mann School. Matthew studies classical piano with Donna Weng Friedman and composition with Dr. Steven Sacco at Mannes College of Music (Honors). He is a member of the Mannes Prep Jazz Ensemble. Matthew studied jazz at Interlochen with Leonard Foy and Xavier Davis. A winner of numerous completions and honors for his piano technique and original compositions, Matthew has performed at Steinway Hall, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Avagail Hulbert, 16, a student of Elizabeth Faidley, currently attends Baltimore School for the Arts. A winner of numerous awards for both classical and bluegrass, she is passionate about violin
Violinist Sameer Agrawal, 15, is a student of Sang Mee Lee and a fellow of the Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago
Ukki Sachedina, 15, studies with Mr. Jeff Lavner at the Colburn School. Ukki has won national and international awards and his performances have been featured on WXQR public radio as well as in the New York Concert Review.
Second Place Winners
