Division 3 (ages 14-17)
Haozhou Wang, 1st Prize
Final Round Performance Pieces:
Étude in C Major, Op. 10, No. 1 by Frédéric Chopin
Poem by Arno Babajanian
Haozhou Wang has already established himself as one of the finest pianists of the next generation. He was the winner of Juilliard's 2017 Gina Bachauer and Frederich Nordmann Piano Competitions. He was awarded first prize in 2015 for the seventh Yamaha USA International Piano Competition held in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2013, he was awarded the first prize and overall grand prize of the 5th Cadenza National Cup Chinese Youth Piano Competition. Haozhou was also the first prize winner of the 2nd Italy Imola International Piano Competition held in Beijing, which helped launch him as a recognized international and global rising star. Haozhou Wang started studying the piano at age of three and half. In 2014, he studied with Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Eleanor Sokoloff, and Susan Starr. Currently, Haozhou studies at Juilliard with Matti Raekallio.
Étude in C Major, Op. 10, No. 1 by Frédéric Chopin
Poem by Arno Babajanian
Haozhou Wang has already established himself as one of the finest pianists of the next generation. He was the winner of Juilliard's 2017 Gina Bachauer and Frederich Nordmann Piano Competitions. He was awarded first prize in 2015 for the seventh Yamaha USA International Piano Competition held in Phoenix, Arizona. In 2013, he was awarded the first prize and overall grand prize of the 5th Cadenza National Cup Chinese Youth Piano Competition. Haozhou was also the first prize winner of the 2nd Italy Imola International Piano Competition held in Beijing, which helped launch him as a recognized international and global rising star. Haozhou Wang started studying the piano at age of three and half. In 2014, he studied with Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Eleanor Sokoloff, and Susan Starr. Currently, Haozhou studies at Juilliard with Matti Raekallio.
Thomas Kim, 2nd Prize
Final Round Performance Pieces:
Étude in B Minor, Op. 25, No. 10 by Frédéric Chopin
Jeux d'eau by Maurice Ravel
Thomas Se-Roam Kim, fourteen years of age, is an 8th grader in Prince William County, Virginia. He started studying piano with Dr. MiHyang Joo in 2011 when he was seven years old. Thomas recently participated in the 2018 James Bland Competition, in which he was a winner of district 24-A and competed at the state level in May at Glen Allen, Virginia. He also was chosen as one of the top three finalists in the 2018 Piedmont Symphony Orchestra Young Artist's Competition, performing the Schumann Piano Concerto with the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra. He has won many other competitions, such as the 2018 East Carolina University Piano Competition, 2017 Asian American Music Society International Competition, 2017 Richmond Symphony Orchestra League Concerto Competition, 2016-2017 Robert Spencer Concerto Competition, and the 2017 Northern Virginia Music Teachers' Association Achievement Awards. Thomas was also awarded the grand prize of the 2017 American Fine Arts Festival International Concerto Competition. Piano has greatly impacted Thomas's life by allowing him to express himself freely through music rather then words. Piano has taught Thomas what passion, dedication, and devotion is, and it has helped him with concentration and self confidence. He cannot imagine his life without piano and would like to become a concert pianist.
Étude in B Minor, Op. 25, No. 10 by Frédéric Chopin
Jeux d'eau by Maurice Ravel
Thomas Se-Roam Kim, fourteen years of age, is an 8th grader in Prince William County, Virginia. He started studying piano with Dr. MiHyang Joo in 2011 when he was seven years old. Thomas recently participated in the 2018 James Bland Competition, in which he was a winner of district 24-A and competed at the state level in May at Glen Allen, Virginia. He also was chosen as one of the top three finalists in the 2018 Piedmont Symphony Orchestra Young Artist's Competition, performing the Schumann Piano Concerto with the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra. He has won many other competitions, such as the 2018 East Carolina University Piano Competition, 2017 Asian American Music Society International Competition, 2017 Richmond Symphony Orchestra League Concerto Competition, 2016-2017 Robert Spencer Concerto Competition, and the 2017 Northern Virginia Music Teachers' Association Achievement Awards. Thomas was also awarded the grand prize of the 2017 American Fine Arts Festival International Concerto Competition. Piano has greatly impacted Thomas's life by allowing him to express himself freely through music rather then words. Piano has taught Thomas what passion, dedication, and devotion is, and it has helped him with concentration and self confidence. He cannot imagine his life without piano and would like to become a concert pianist.
Ethan Hsiao, 3rd Prize
Final Round Performance Piece:
Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 110, Mvt. 1 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata in E Minor, Op. 26, Mvt. 4 Fuga by Samuel Barber
A sophomore at Basis Independent McLean, fifteen-year-old Ethan Hsiao has been learning piano with Dr. Dmitri Nazarenko for 10 years. Ethan has won numerous piano competitions. He was the winner of the Music Teachers National Association Washington, DC Senior Piano Competition this year, and he received honorable mention in the Eastern Division competition. In 2017, Ethan was the alternate winner of the Music Teachers National Association Washington, DC Junior Piano Competition, the grand prize winner of the Concert Artists International Virtuoso Competition, Evelyn Swarthout-Patrick Hayes Scholarship competition, and the inaugural Washington Steinway piano competition. Other top prizes that he has received include the Hartman Piano, Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition, Maryland State Music Teachers Concerto Competition, Bach Piano Competition, International Young Artist Piano Competition, and the AAMS International Competition. He has performed in multiple venues including Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Strathmore Mansion, US State Department, Embassy of the Republic of Poland, and Washington International Piano Festival. Ethan's passion of playing piano has led to greater appreciation of music. He is eager to share the joy of music with the community, as he has often performed in senior living centers and at gatherings of friends and families.
Sonata in A-flat Major, Op. 110, Mvt. 1 by Ludwig van Beethoven
Sonata in E Minor, Op. 26, Mvt. 4 Fuga by Samuel Barber
A sophomore at Basis Independent McLean, fifteen-year-old Ethan Hsiao has been learning piano with Dr. Dmitri Nazarenko for 10 years. Ethan has won numerous piano competitions. He was the winner of the Music Teachers National Association Washington, DC Senior Piano Competition this year, and he received honorable mention in the Eastern Division competition. In 2017, Ethan was the alternate winner of the Music Teachers National Association Washington, DC Junior Piano Competition, the grand prize winner of the Concert Artists International Virtuoso Competition, Evelyn Swarthout-Patrick Hayes Scholarship competition, and the inaugural Washington Steinway piano competition. Other top prizes that he has received include the Hartman Piano, Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition, Maryland State Music Teachers Concerto Competition, Bach Piano Competition, International Young Artist Piano Competition, and the AAMS International Competition. He has performed in multiple venues including Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, Strathmore Mansion, US State Department, Embassy of the Republic of Poland, and Washington International Piano Festival. Ethan's passion of playing piano has led to greater appreciation of music. He is eager to share the joy of music with the community, as he has often performed in senior living centers and at gatherings of friends and families.
Tomasz Kleczek, Honorable Mention & Audience Award
Final Round Performance Piece:
Étude in A Minor, Op. 25, No. 11 by Frédéric Chopin
Pieces for Piano "Suggestion Diabolique," Op. 4, No. 4 by Sergei Prokofiev
Tomasz Kleczek, 14 years old, has been studying piano with Dr. Anna Ouspenskaya since 2009. This year, Tomasz won first prize and the audience award at the 2018 Washington Steinway Piano Competition. Tomasz has performed at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall as Gold Medalist at the Golden Key Music Festival. He was a first prize winner at several competitions, including the Best Rachmaninoff Performance Competition, the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association's (NVMTA) Robert Spencer Piano Concerto Competition, and the NVMTA Piano Concerto Festival. Tomasz has won awards at the NVMTA Piano Ensemble Competition, West Chester University Annual Pre-Collegiate Piano Competition, the 2017 Washington Steinway Piano Competition, and the Asian American Music Society International Competition. Tomasz has performed at the German Embassy, Polish Embassy, Steinway Piano Gallery (Bethesda, Maryland), George Mason University, Kennedy Center's Lang Lang 101 Pianists, and St. Mark Catholic Church's 50th Anniversary concert series. Tomasz has performed at local retirement communities under the Arts for All Ages program. Tomasz volunteers as a piano accompanist for the church choir. Music has impacted Tomasz's life by giving him an outlet for self-expression while also providing him with unique and challenging experiences that teach him positive values, such as discipline, respect, and patience.
Étude in A Minor, Op. 25, No. 11 by Frédéric Chopin
Pieces for Piano "Suggestion Diabolique," Op. 4, No. 4 by Sergei Prokofiev
Tomasz Kleczek, 14 years old, has been studying piano with Dr. Anna Ouspenskaya since 2009. This year, Tomasz won first prize and the audience award at the 2018 Washington Steinway Piano Competition. Tomasz has performed at Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall as Gold Medalist at the Golden Key Music Festival. He was a first prize winner at several competitions, including the Best Rachmaninoff Performance Competition, the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association's (NVMTA) Robert Spencer Piano Concerto Competition, and the NVMTA Piano Concerto Festival. Tomasz has won awards at the NVMTA Piano Ensemble Competition, West Chester University Annual Pre-Collegiate Piano Competition, the 2017 Washington Steinway Piano Competition, and the Asian American Music Society International Competition. Tomasz has performed at the German Embassy, Polish Embassy, Steinway Piano Gallery (Bethesda, Maryland), George Mason University, Kennedy Center's Lang Lang 101 Pianists, and St. Mark Catholic Church's 50th Anniversary concert series. Tomasz has performed at local retirement communities under the Arts for All Ages program. Tomasz volunteers as a piano accompanist for the church choir. Music has impacted Tomasz's life by giving him an outlet for self-expression while also providing him with unique and challenging experiences that teach him positive values, such as discipline, respect, and patience.