Eisfelt < Back Neal Eisfelt Jan 30 at 10:00am EST (10 and under/11-14) Program being finalized - will share shortly Violin Virtuoso Neal Eisfeldt (12), student of Almita Vamos and scholarship Fellow at both the Music Institute of Chicago (MIC) Academy and the prestigious Chicago Music Pathways Initiative (CMPI) for advanced pre-college musicians; made solo debut at Carnegie Hall at age 10. Has won several national and international competitions; awarded Grand Prize winner at Enkor International over all categories up to age 25, First Prize and Exceptional Young talent special award at both Bonn and Salzburg Grand Prize Virtuoso competitions, the France Music competition, and first prize in the Society of American Musicians. He also plays orchestra music formerly with the Midwest Philharmonic Orchestra and currently at the MIC Academy; is also a member of the Rose string quartet under eminent laureate Jasmine Lin. In his free time, Neal enjoys listening to his favorite violinists Itzhak Perlman and Jascha Heifetz, and reading about historic classical musicians. He also enjoys playing violin duets with his father and his sister. Previous Next

< Back Piano Cello Duo Vol. 2 Igor Zubkovsky (cello) Anna Ouspenskaya (piano) Tchaikovsky – Chanson Triste, Op. 40 Prokofiev – Grand Waltz, Galop, Oriental Dance, Adagio from Cinderella, Op. 87 Myaskovsky – Cello Sonata No. 2, Op. 81 Kabalevsky – Cello Sonata in B-flat Major, Op. 71 (II. Scherzo) Listen Igor Zubkovsky Anna Ouspenskaya Igor Zubkovsky's Bio Igor Zubkovsky started playing cello in his native Russia. He first appeared as a soloist with the Minsk State Philharmonic Orchestra at the age of twelve, performing the Haydn C Major Cello Concerto. Later, he studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Natalia Shakhovskaya, the Gold Medalist of the 1962 Tchaikovsky Competition. Mr. Zubkovsky won top prizes at international competitions, including the International Cello Competition in Minsk, Belarus (II prize), and the Tansman Competition in Lodz, Poland (Grand Prix). As a member of “The Brahms Trio” in Moscow, he won Second Prize at the Trapani, Italy and First Prize at the Weimar, Germany International Chamber Music Competitions. With a remarkable record of performances, awards and academic distinctions, Mr. Zubkovsky was awarded a full scholarship to the Peabody Conservatory of Music where he earned a Graduate Performance Diploma. Since 2003, Mr. Zubkovsky has been a member of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and continues to perform extensively as a soloist and chamber musician. He has appeared at Merkin Concert Hall in New York, at the prestigious Newport Music Festival, and has performed recitals in Massachusetts and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Live recordings of those concerts are frequently broadcast on TV and over the Internet. Recent engagements include performances of the Brahms Double Concerto with the West Chester University Orchestra and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations with the Altoona Symphony. He has performed in a series of chamber music concerts in Paris with the Marquis Ensemble as well as performances at the Moscow Conservatory Rachmaninov Hall. Trio concerts with Anna Ouspenskaya and Elisabeth Adkins (as part of the “Levine Presents” performance series) were aired on WETA, Washington’s Classical Music Radio station. Mr. Zubkovsky is the author of numerous arrangements and transcriptions of duets and trios featuring the cello. He premiered the Cello Sonata by Isaac Mikhnovsky and has several CD recordings to his credit. Anna Ouspenskaya's Bio Anna Ouspenskaya is one of the most recognized performing artists of the Washington, D.C. area. In 1991 she made her first trip to the United States, winning Second Prize in the Bach International Piano Competition in Washington, DC. Since that year Anna has been coming to the US every year to perform and give master classes which took her to 18 states. In 1993, Ms. Ouspenskaya became a finalist at the Bach International Piano Competition in Germany. She made her first CD with Altarus records, and her second is on its way on Ramsey records. Both CDs represent Russian music: the 1st of Rodion Shchedrin and the 2nd of Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. An established chamber musician, Ms. Ouspenskaya has performed with principal members of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Native of Yaroslavl, Russia, Anna was born to a family of professional musicians. At the age of seven she made her debut with the Yaroslavl Philharmonic playing Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D Major. She graduated from the Moscow Central Music School and earned her Master’s degree from St. Petersburg Conservatory. Before moving to the United States Ms. Ouspenskaya worked at Dudelange Conservatory in Luxembourg, also giving performances in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Scotland. Ms. Ouspenskaya made her Carnegie Hall debut in 1999 and Kennedy Center debut in 2002; she performed Saint-Saens Fourth Piano Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Second Piano Concerto in New York City and Washington, DC. A committed teacher, Anna holds a private studio in her home, and she is on the piano faculty of Levine School of Music in Washington, DC. Her students won numerous awards in local and state piano competitions. Anna and her Music Studio were featured in the TV show Rock Your Block. Previous Next

Lutao Guo < Back Lutao Guo Previous Next Lutao Guo 🇺🇸 USA PIANIST Lutao (goes by Astrid) was born in Boston in 2016. Since childhood, she shows strong interests in music and dance. She started to play piano at the age of four-and-a-half-year-old, and has been studying piano under Ms. Jia Shi since the age of five-and-a-half-year-old. Besides music, Astrid loves rock climbing and has been training for bouldering and top-roping since the age of five.

< Back FamTrio FamTrio is a piano trio group established by three family members. They played together for many years for their own enjoyment and as a way to introduce Fedor Ouspensky to the wealth of piano trio music before forming an official group. As Fedor's own interests in music developed, so did the casual pastime turned into a professional performing trio, with its own unique focus on bridging tested classics with contemporary music written in the XX and XXI centuries for a variety of settings such as opera, film, game, ballet. FamTrio performs programs comprised of a mix of established piano trio repertory and their own arrangements and covers and is especially known for creating themed programs such as The Rings, which presents arrangements for piano trio written by Igor and Fedor of Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen and Howard Shore's score for The Lord of the Rings. Listen Beethoven - Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97 Schumann - Piano Trio No. 3 in G minor, Op. 110 Brahms - Phänomen, Op. 61 No. 3 Previous Next

4 < Back SEC Lyrical Sound Espressivo invites Musicians of All Ages to celebrate Live Music Performance by participating in the Application Deadline May 16, 2024 at 3:59:00 AM Apply Regulations Lyrical Music Competition 2023-24 What is Lyrical? Are you a Lyrical Artist? Check out the Artistic Category Description Hint: One can be a Lyrical Artist at any age and stage of learning the art of music performance! Turn to great artists for inspiration, many spoke out about Lyricism in Music: "And gentle winds and waters near, Make music to the lonely ear." — Lord Byron Competition Rounds Preliminary Round - by video submission. Selected musicians will be invited to the Final Round Final Round - Live performance on a world-wide Internet TV Broadcast. Judges from aroud the world provide on-air commentary immediately after each performance. Finalists meet the Judges and can ask questions. Musicians' supporters can write comments which will be shown onscreen Family and friends can watch and be part of your LIVE performance from anywhere in the world. Finalists receive Technical preparation session with VCHS Broadcast Directors and Engineers, in preparation for the broadcast. More about Broadcast technology for musicians here All Instrumentalists, Ensembles, and Voice performers can apply Age Groups 10 and under 11-14 15-18 Adult (19 and older) Repertory All periods and genres accepted For Preliminary Round - submit a video of one virtuoso piece Final Round - perform up to 10 min of Lyrical compositions Important DATES May 15, 2024 - Application Deadline June 2024 - Final Round of the Competition https://video.wixstatic.com/video/dfba69_54ce8936e1b247558c9cee760d8f87c1/720p/mp4/file.mp4 Laureates and Winners Cash Awards One in each Age Group: Adult (19 and older) - $300 15-18 - $200 11-14 - $100 10 and under - $50 Performance Awards One Laureate will receive a fully sponsored performance opportunity at Carnegie Laureate Gala (see details and dates here ) More performance, scholarships, recordings, web-profile, interviews, educational and partner-sponsored Awards here Career Development and Educational Awards here Teachers Receive recognition on Sound Espressivo website and in Virtual Concert Halls Broadcast programs, certificates honoring Teachers' contribution. Fees Application Fee - $50 Final Round (if selected only) - $100 Complete Regulations here Previous Next

Liang < Back Junwen Liang Jan 30 at 3:00pm EST (26+) 1). Chopin Mazurka in a minor, Op. 17 No. 4; 2). Earl Wild "Embraceable You" from 7 virtuoso etudes on Gershwin's songs; 3). Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat major, Op. 84 (2nd and 3rd movements) Chinese pianist Junwen Liang is currently completing his doctorate in piano performance at Penn State University under the tutelage of Christopher Guzman. He also serves as a graduate teaching assistant in the piano department. Junwen is a prizewinner of many national and international piano competitions, including The Princeton Festival Piano Competition, The American Prize, New York International Piano Competition, and Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, etc. Such achievements also led him to perform concerts in Carnegie Hall and Kimmel Center. His upcoming performance engagements will feature a concerto performance in Russia and a solo recital in Italy in 2022 - 2023. Previous Next

< Back Previous Holly Lacey Next Violinist Gala at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall November 26, 2024 WATCH VIDEO Holly Lacey studies violin with Margaret Batjer at the Colburn School Music Academy in Los Angeles, California. She performed at The Walt Disney Concert Hall in June 2024 as The Music Center’s Spotlight Competition Grand Prize Finalist and Classical Music winner. Holly has also been a winner of the 2023 and 2024 Colburn Concerto Competitions, performing as soloist with both the Colburn Youth Orchestra and the Colburn Chamber Orchestra. In addition, she was the 2024 national winner of the OPUS Music Competition and a semifinalist in the 2024 International Young Artists Concerto Competition. A dedicated orchestral musician, Holly has served as concertmaster for five seasons across the Colburn Sinfonietta, Colburn Youth Orchestra, and Colburn String Orchestra. As an avid chamber musician and member of the Nth Trio, she earned the inaugural Horszowski Trio Prize at the 50th Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition in 2023, as well as first prizes at the 2023 MTAC VOCE Chamber Music Competition, Camerata Artists International Competition, and ENKOR International Music Competition. Holly is deeply committed to community engagement, founding and serving as co-Regional Director of the Back to BACH Greater Pasadena region. She is also an inaugural fellow with National Public Radio’s From the Top: Musicians and the Environment Initiative. Over the past four summers, Holly has studied with Gerardo Ribeiro at the Meadowmount School of Music and has participated in masterclasses with Alexander Kerr, Martin Beaver, Ivan Zenaty, Catherine Cho, Kikuie Ikeda, Almita Vamos, Kelly Parkins-Lindstrom, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Rieko Aizawa.

Annabelle Wei < Back Annabelle Wei Previous Next Annabelle Wei USA VIOLINIST Annabelle Wei is a rising seventh-grader from Hockessin, Delaware. Studying with Laura Bossert and J Freivogel, she is an extraordinarily talented young violinist who made her solo recital debut at age 9 and won top prizes at the Oscar Rieding (Slovenia), Vivace International, ODIN International, the Golden Classical Music Awards, and Constantine the Great International Competitions. Her precocious composing skills were also recognized for her performance and original composition, “Midnight Storm” by the Rieding International Competition. Most recently, she performed as the associate concertmaster of the Delaware Youth Symphony Orchestra in the 2021-2022 season, and the co-concertmaster of the Delaware Orchestral & Chamber Music Institute on a leadership scholarship. When she’s not composing and performing, she enjoys running, writing, baking and gardening.

Victoria Tan < Back Victoria Tan Previous Next Victoria Tan 🇺🇸 USA VIOLINIST Victoria Tan, from the United States, plays the violin and piano, and has performed at numerous music halls, including Carnegie Hall, and was awarded many grand and first prizes in violin and piano competitions. She has performed with the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra in New York, the NV Chamber Orchestra in New Jersey, and the Metropolitan String Orchestra in Connecticut. Besides her interest in music, Victoria loves reading and writing, and has won several contests for her poetry.

Auditions 2023-24 Laureate Ensemble Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall July 1, 2024 at 7:00pm Come to New York for three days to immerse yourself in music-making! Perform together with an International Group of Musicians, Under the tutelage of Extraordinary Artists Deadline to Apply - April 1, 2024 All-String , Flute Choir Apply Flute Choir at Carnegie Gala June 29-July 1, 2024 Application DEADLINE Intensive Flute Choir Ensemble Workshop in NY City, dedicated to preparing and performing at the Laureates Gala at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Dates: June 29 - July 1 Rehearsals: June 29 - 30 Concert at the Carnegie Hall: July 1 at 7:00pm Ensemble Director: Rita D'Arcangelo, Berlin, Germany Guest Artis: Carla Auld, New York, USA Concert Program: TBD No Age Restrictions to Apply Application Deadline: April 1, 2024 April 2, 2024 at 3:59:00 AM Learn More All Strings Ensemble at Carnegie Gala June 28-July 2, 2024 Application DEADLINE Intensive All-Strings Ensemble Workshop in New York City, dedicated to preparing and performing at the Laureates Gala at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Instruments accepted: Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass Dates: June 28 - July 2, 2024 Rehearsals: June 29 - 30. Concert at the Carnegie Hall: July 1, at 7:00pm Ensemble Director: Kelly Hall-Tompkins, NY, USA Concert Program: Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint-George - Overture L'amant anonyme Dvorak - String Serenade Jesse Montgomery - Starburst No Age Restrictions to Apply Application Deadline: March 1, 2024 March 2, 2024 at 4:59:00 AM Learn More Castanets Choir at Carnegie Gala June 29-July 2, 2024 Application DEADLINE THIS PROGRAM IS FULL, PLEASE VISIT BACK IN SEPTEMBER 2024 TO APPLY FOR NEXT SEASON! Intensive Castanets Choir Ensemble Workshop in NY City, dedicated to preparing and performing at the Laureates Gala at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Dates: June 29 - July 2, 2024 Rehearsals: June 30 Concert at the Carnegie Hall: July 1 at 7:00pm Ensemble Director: Teresa Laiz, Madrid, Spain Concert Program: TBD No Age Restrictions to Apply Application Deadline: November 1, 2023 See INTERNATIONAL CASTANETS COMPETITION for more details, additional Prizes and Awards, and additional opportunities to perform with the Madrid Castanets Choir November 2, 2023 at 3:59:00 AM Learn More

< Back Previous Irene Peery-Fox Next WATCH VIDEO MUSIC IS THE LANGUAGE OF THE SOUL DR. IRENE PEERY-FOX SHARES HER EXPERIENCE AND LOVE OF MUSIC WRITTEN BY SARAH OSTLER HILL Years ago, in a rural town in Canada, a three-year-old girl listened to her brother attempt to practice the piano. Feeling a pull that seemed almost physical, she climbed onto the piano bench next to him and played it for him. Thus began Irene Peery-Fox’s distinguished career in music, leading her through competitions, Juilliard, Peabody, and finally to BYU, where she is the first and only female full professor on the School of Music piano faculty. Teaching, it seems, is in her soul. “Music is a universal language,” Dr. Peery-Fox says. “Everybody naturally has a beat in their soul. No matter where people are from, they like to sing and dance in their own way. Rhythm is part of a person’s makeup.” She doesn’t really remember a time she wasn’t playing the piano. She has vivid memories of picking out songs she had heard on the radio and playing them, with her feet dangling high above the floor, on the piano her father had promised her mother, even at the expense of other furnishings in the home. “My family was very poor,” Peery-Fox recounts. “My father was an immigrant from Odessa during the Russian revolution. It was the desire of my mother’s heart to have a piano in our home, and he promised her she’d have one before her first child turned three.” Dr. Peery-Fox’s father taught five children to work hard every day but the Sabbath, and encouraged them to choose one thing in which they could excel. “You can’t practice once or twice or even four times a week,” Peery-Fox says. “Every day. Never waste a moment. My dad would say, ‘You were our farm.’ We all worked hard.” This work ethic is what has driven Peery-Fox as both a performer and a teacher. She speaks with the calm confidence of someone who has mastered their material, but with a compassion that makes someone of her ability and achievement feel approachable. “It always surprises me when people think piano performance is the easy way out,” she confides. “It’s a lot of work, and very stressful. Consider practicing at least four hours a day in a room all alone without anyone around you. It can be very lonely. Not everyone has the personality that will do it and enjoy it.” SACRIFICING TO LEARN As a young child, Peery-Fox had that personality. She began taking lessons from Thelma Smith, the only teacher in their town, who soon discovered Peery-Fox had perfect pitch. By the time she was eight, Peery-Fox was the ward organist. By the time she was 10, she was practicing four hours a day and Thelma Smith told Peery-Fox’s parents she couldn’t teach Peery-Fox anything else and suggested a new teacher. Peery-Fox’s parents began driving her 70 miles each way on Saturdays for her lessons. Around this time, Peery-Fox’s family was struck by tragedy when their home burned down. “We lost everything,” Dr. Peery-Fox says. “We didn’t have insurance. We were very poor.” Perhaps this early experience with trauma helped influence her playing. Today, Peery-Fox recognizes that deeply emotional experiences affect her ability to interpret music. “From love to hate to anger and peace, if you’ve actually felt those things, it’s easier to project them and help students project them to an audience. Young children can do what a teacher says, but to succeed later, they need to feel those things. Interpretation of music is like fruit ripening on a tree: it happens over time.” Since she had been winning festivals and competitions, and was the most advanced pianist in the town, Peery-Fox considered teaching. “I made an advertisement and got 20 students right away,” Peery-Fox remembers with delight. “I gave the money to my parents to help get another start.” A year later, her piano teacher sent her to Calgary to study with Alberta’s most prestigious pedagogue, Dr. Gladys Egbert. “This was quite a sacrifice,” Peery-Fox says. “The 150-mile trip required us to leave at 4am. Roads weren’t very good. Cars weren’t very reliable. Sometimes we’d be gone all day, getting back at midnight. But I never missed, no matter what. I really credit my parents for their dedication.” Peery-Fox won her first international competition at the age of 15, playing Rachmoninoff’s Second Concerto. She vividly remembers the dress she was wearing because the television producer for the event was particular about the shade of blue since color television was a new invention. COMING TO BYU After high school, Peery-Fox went straight to Juilliard where she received both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in piano performance. She earned her doctorate from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University, where she studied with world-renowned pianist and pedagogue Leon Fleisher. She joined the faculty soon after. During this time, her husband was working for Senator Orrin Hatch. As his contract came to a close there, he began seeking new employment. “I told him I’d go anywhere, but I just didn’t want to teach at BYU,” Peery-Fox laughs. “I’m not sure why I ever thought that!” As she tells about how her husband applied countless places but was only accepted at BYU, her voice begins to break with emotion. “The Lord guides everything you’re supposed to do. Being on the faculty at BYU is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever done.” Peery-Fox has done some pretty wonderful things. She taught the Five Browns, famous for their television appearances and recordings, as early as four or five years old. All of them went to Juilliard. She recently coached Hilary Mahler and Tiffany Delgado through winning the prestigious United States International Duo Piano Competition in Colorado Springs as well as the National Federation of Music Clubs Ellis Duo Piano Competition in Mississippi. And earlier this year, Conlan Miller, under Peery-Fox’s tutelage, won a national competition where the prize was a Steinway piano valued at more than $25,000. Perhaps one of her most satisfying teaching accomplishments is that of teaching her own daughter, Christie Peery Skousen, until she, too, went to study with Fleisher at Peabody. Skousen has since become a successful pianist, teacher, and musician. PASSING THE TORCH Peery-Fox is often asked her secret to success. “Practice. Practice, practice, practice,” she laughs as she repeats this about 10 more times. “It’s good for the mind, good for the muscles. Practice hard, practice consistently. Practice.” Practice the music, she says, and then practice performing. “Performing is a vital part of performing,” Dr. Peery-Fox advises. “The more you perform, the more comfortable you become with performing.” When it comes to performing and teaching, she is just as adamant about spiritual preparation. “Like the scripture ‘Faith without works is dead,’ if we pray to Heavenly Father that we’ll do a good job and we haven’t practiced, we don’t have a right to ask for those blessings,” she says. “But if we’ve done the practice, the time, the work, Heavenly Father will step in and help us and we’ll feel His spirit right there with us.” She tells of a time she was playing a concerto with the Utah Symphony, led by Joseph Silverstein, an internationally acclaimed violinist and conductor. As her husband drove her to the concert, she became increasingly nervous. “I was almost shaking, thinking of the people in the hall and balconies, ” Peery-Fox remembers. “I thought, ‘I’ve done everything I could. Heavenly Father, I need your help now.’” What happened next is just one of the reasons Peery-Fox credits concerts as the source of her most spiritual experiences. “Sitting there in the car, I felt a draining,” she says, as if still awestruck at the sensation. “From the top of my head slowly receding down to my feet, it was as if the fear was draining out of me. As that feeling ended, the fear was gone and I knew Heavenly Father’s spirit was with me.” The Deseret News would review that concert and note the perfection of Peery-Fox’s performance. She humbly acknowledges the partnership between her hard work and the spirit of the Lord with her throughout that performance. Her continuing advice to students and performers is to prepare and ask in righteousness. Even with a prestigious career in music, being a celebrated faculty member and example for women in education, and having countless students who excel, Peery-Fox notes that her family is at the heart of her joy. She has four children and 15 grandchildren, all who play the piano. She doesn’t expect them to have the same drive she has had, but she is thrilled to have a shared love with them. “There are never enough hours in the day to do all the music I’d like,” she admits. “Even spending 10-12 hours a day, it’s not enough.” Her passion for music is almost palpable. Students of the BYU School of Music are fortunate to have such a gifted and talented professor to guide them in their own careers. Music is the language of Dr. Irene Peery-Fox’s soul.

< Back Previous Derek Zhang Next Gala at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall November 24, 2024 WATCH VIDEO Derek Zhang, a sophomore at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, CA, excels in both music and sports. A first-prize winner of the North California Young Talents Competition, he has performed as a soloist with the East Bay Chamber Orchestra and participates in ASTACAP examinations. Derek toured Europe last summer as first violinist with the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra and is currently first violin in the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra. An accomplished pianist as well, he has earned several awards in piano competitions.