Fifteen-year-old Maggie Bai, of Newton, MA, is the 2026 Young Pianist Competition Grand Prize Winner, announced at the MostArts Festival Grand Finale Concert, Saturday, July 18 by Artistic Director Dr. Lisa Lantz.
The award includes $10,000 and an invitation to return to Alfred University in 2027 to perform on the opening night of the eleventh season of the MostArts Festival in July. Bai also is eligible to become a Young Steinway Artist.
Saturday’s MostArts finale concert included performances by the International MostArts Festival Orchestra and the world premiere of “As Luck” performed by composer and banjoist Gabriel Jenks, led by guest conductor Kathleen Horvath.
Pianist Avery Gagliano, the 2015 Young Pianist Competition Grand Prize winner, returned to the Miller stage to perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11. The orchestra also offered two crowd pleasing selections from American composer Morton Gould, the American Salute Overture and American Symphonette No. 2, under the baton of Maestro Yuval Zaliouk.
Jeremy Liu (third prize, tie), William Feng (second prize), Maggie Bai (first prize), and Daniel Beal (third prize, tie).
Along with Maggie’s first-place honors, the following musicians in the Young Pianist Competition received honors:
William Feng, 14, of Seattle, WA, second prize, $5,000
Daniel Beal, 18, of Moscow, ID, and Jeremy Liu, 14, of Naperville, IL, third prize, $2,500 each
Jeremy Liu, Audience Favorite Award for his Thursday performance of Mozart’s Piano concerto No. 9
Bethany Reich, 18, of Almond, NY, Audience Favorite Award for her Friday performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20
Alexander Liu, 15, of Short Hills, NJ, Jury Discretionary Award for his encore performance of two mazurkas by Chopin.
The international jurors for the Young Pianist Competition included Artist-in-Residence Asiya Korepanova, and MostArts guests Lucy Mauro and Anthony Pattin.
