2019 Finalists

Carey Byron is an exceptional young talent who touches the hearts of audiences with her intensity and emotional performance style.

Carey began her formal piano lessons at the age of 4. She won the Prodigy Award by the Atlanta Steinway Society at age 10 and was featured in the Atlanta Young Artist series at the Emory Chamber Music Society. At the age of 12, she left her home in Georgia to attend the Colburn Music Academy in Los Angeles to pursue rigorous music studies under prominent musicians. At age 13, she was selected as a Young Scholar by the prestigious Lang Lang International Music Foundation, as well as a scholarship recipient of the Chopin Foundation of the United States for 4 years, after each year’s competitive audition process based on its rigorous requirements. Subsequently, she was named a winner in Classical Piano at the 2021 YoungArts National Competition, which identifies the most accomplished young artists in the United States.

Carey has received top prizes in numerous piano competitions. She won the Grand Prize award, as well as the Audience Favorite Award, at the 2019 MostArts Festival Young Pianist Competition in Alfred, NY. She also won First Prizes at the Los Angeles Young Musician International Competition, Franz Liszt International Competition, California Association of Professional Music Teachers Concerto Competition State Finals, Atlanta Romantic Music Competition, and Georgia Music Teachers Association Competition, as well as Second Prize at the Music Teacher’s National Association competition (Georgia division). She also won Third Prize at the Redland Bowl Concerto Competition (ages 13-30) at age of 13.

At age 17, she was invited by the prestigious New York International Piano Competition as one of the youngest participants and received a Finalist award. During the same year, she won Third Prize at the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition Senior Category (ages 17–22) and the Lee University Int’l Piano Competition (ages 15–24).

Carey has performed solo recitals at prestigious concert venues such as Carnegie Hall, Krzysztof Penderecki Concert Hall in Lusławice, Poland, Ignacy Jan Paderewski center in Kaśna Dolna, Poland, Jay Pritzker Pavilion at the Millennium Park in Chicago, Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Werner Recital Hall, Karpati Recital Hall, Zipper Concert Hall, Miller Theater, Thayer Recital Hall, Warner Concert Hall, Cantigny Park, Beckwith Recital Hall, and many more. She has also attended various music festivals such as the Colburn Music Academy Piano Festival, Cooper Piano Festival (Oberlin), Aspen Music Festival, Lee University Piano Festival, Art of the Piano, and Frost Chopin Academy and Festival.

She has been an avid collaborator who regularly performs in ensembles such as piano trios, duos, and collaboration with ballet dancers. She has also performed a piano duo with the world-renowned pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. In 2021, she was invited by the Lang Lang International Music Foundation to collaborate with the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles where she showcased her arrangement of “More Friends Than You Know,” in addition to her solo repertoire.

Carey performed as a soloist with several orchestras since her orchestral debut in Italy at age 12 with the Brunesis Virtuosi Orchestra, under Maestro Uri Segal. Since then, she has performed with the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra under Maestro Frank Paul Fetta, Midwest Young Artists Orchestra under Maestro Allan Dennis, and MostArts Festival Orchestra under Maestro Steven Thomas. In July 2023, she will return to Alfred University to perform with the MostArts Festival Orchestra under Maestro Yuval Zaliouk as the Grand Prize Winner.

Chicago Music Report praised her concerto performance at Millennium Park for presenting “a searching, warm reading…tracing the melancholy melodic contours with grace and sensitivity…”. Her virtual concert, arranged by the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, was featured in “5 of our Favorite Online Piano Performances” by Pianist Magazine as well as in L.A. Weekly Magazine’s “Music Pick.”

Carey has performed in masterclasses for renowned pianists, including Marina Lomazov, Angela Cheng, Dae-Jin Kim, Yoshikazu Nagai, John O’Conor, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Boris Slutsky, Steven Spooner, Jon Nakamatsu, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Yoheved Kaplinsky. She has previously studied under Elena Cholakova, Myong Joo Lee, Ory Shihor, and Fabio Bidini. She is currently studying under Ning An.

In her spare time, Carey enjoys developing an online piano teaching series on YouTube called “PlayPianoWithCarey,” in which she creates piano lessons for people of all ages who can use her program to learn to play piano and read music for free. Her greatest passion is giving back to society through performances, as well as sharing the knowledge she obtained through years of music education with people who cannot afford such training.

Sixteen-year-old LiYuan Byrne of Verona, New Jersey, won her first gold prize and performed on stage at Carnegie Hall at age five. She currently studies under Professor Eduardus Halim, Sascha Gorodnitzki Faculty Chair in Piano Studies at New York University.

A passionate and competitive piano performer, LiYuan won first place in 2018 for the Senior category of MTNA New Jersey Competition and was the 2018 recipient of Suburban Music Study Club Grace Gimbel Young Artist Scholarship Competition. LiYuan was a finalist in the Junior category at 2017-2018 MTNA National Competition, and was awarded first places in the Junior Category at 2017-2018 MTNA New Jersey State Division and MTNA Eastern Division Competitions. In addition, she won special award for Best Performance of a Contemporary Piece at 2017 Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition, most outstanding performer at 2017 Princeton Festival Piano Competition, and gold prize at 2017 Bravura Young Artists Concerto Competition. LiYuan has diverse performing experience. She successfully debuted her first solo concert in October 2018 and performed on Russian stages during her 2017 Summer Russian Concert Tour with Bravura Youth Orchestra.

LiYuan is a full-time student at Stanford University’s Online High School.

Sora Hoppo, age fifteen, is a freshman at the North Allegheny Intermediate High School, Wexford, Pennsylvania. She started playing the piano at the age of five, and currently studies with Professor Luz Manriquez at the Carnegie Mellon University School of Music, Preparatory School.

Sora has won several prizes at regional and international competitions, including Cincinnati World Piano Competition, Duquesne Young Artists National Competition, Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition, American Protégé International Concerto Competition, Steinway Society of Western Pennsylvania Young Artist, Pittsburgh Civic Orchestra Concerto Competition, Pittsburgh International Piano Competition, Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artist Competition (solo), and OSAKA International Music Competition. Most recently, she was the first prize winner of Steinway Junior Piano Competition, Lois Streator & Lois Smith Memorial Competition, and Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artist Audition for a violin and piano duo with her sister. She had her first performance at Carnegie Hall at the age of eight, and has returned several times after. She has performed in many halls as a result of her accomplishments in these competitions.

In the past year, she has participated in masterclasses including teachings from Antonio Pompa-Baldi of Cleveland Institute of Music and Gerald Robbins of Manhattan School of Music. Last summer, she went to Curtis Institute of Music’s Young Artist Summerfest Program. Her studies at Curtis included lessons from Natalie Zhu, Amy Yang, Peter Miyamoto, Reiko Aizawa, and Patrick Kreeger.

Music has been a big part of Sora’s life. Since she was young, she would play the keyboard just out of interest. Now, when playing the piano and listening to music, she feels that she is able to escape from reality, which allows her to go into her own world of music.

Kaelem Michel, fourteen, resides with his family in Fayetteville, New York. Kaelem began playing the piano at age eight. He has been studying with Patricia DeAngelis since 2015 and more recently with Steven Heyman. He has been actively participating in masterclasses with Spencer Myer and Jon Nakamatsu. He attended Summer@Eastman Camp at Keuka College and Lyra Music Festival and Workshop at Smith College, where he received pre-professional training in piano and chamber music.

Kaelem won first place in the 2016 and 2018 Central New York Association of Music Teachers Advanced Piano Competition. In 2016, he also received high honors at both Nazareth College Piano Competition and MTNA Competition, New York State Division. In 2017, he won first place at Lyra Music Festival and Workshop in New York City as the youngest in Junior Division. In 2018, he won one of the top prizes at Thousand Islands International Piano Competition in Cape Vincent, New York. Kaelem made his orchestral debut as the winner of Onondaga Civic Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition in 2017. He also performed with Symphoria as the winner of Civic Morning Musicals and Symphoria Concerto Competition in 2018.

He has given solo and clarinet-duet recitals with his younger brother at local venues including Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica. He also performed at Skaneateles Festival fundraiser night in the summer of 2018 and at Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla, California. As a result of participating in Lyra Music Festival and Workshop, he also performed at Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, New York.

He has been composing solo pieces for piano and duets with other instruments and has recently been working with Texu Kim, teaching professor of Music Theory/Composition at Syracuse University.

Aside from the piano, Kaelem enjoys biking, painting, and taking photographs.

Fourteen-year-old Hyeonuk Park, a student at Baker School in Massachusetts, studies piano at New England Conservatory of Music (NEC) in Boston. Formerly, he studied piano in his native Korea, where, in 2012 and 2013, he took first prize at National Music Contests with Daegu Philharmonic Orchestra and, in the following year, gained three first prizes at National Student Music Competitions. In 2015, Hyeonuk gave his first solo recital in St. Petersburg, Russia where, in 2016, he earned grand prix at St. Petersburg International Young Art Premium Competition. Since 2016, he has studied with Prof. Wha Kyung Byun and Dr. Sangyoung Kim at New England Preparatory School. Most recently, he gained second prize at 9th West Virginia International Piano Competition and Festival.

With his Trio Giocoso, Hyeonuk performed twice in 2018 for NPR’s From the Top, in concert with the Canadian Brass and on the radio show at NEC’s Jordan Hall, and he performed with Trio Giocoso at the NEC Prep Chamber Music Gala Concert in 2017. Moreover, again in 2018, Hyeonuk performed in concert with NEC Prep Youth Repertory Orchestra at Jordan Hall.

A Black Belt in Taekwondo and varsity swimmer at school, Hyeonuk has been accepted into Juilliard Pre-College for the fall of 2019.

Maxine Park, fourteen, of Hanover, New Hampshire, is a ninth-grader at Phillips Exeter Academy. She has been a student of Mila Filatova since age seven and also studies regularly with Alexander Korsantia.

Maxine has received top prizes at numerous competitions, including first prizes at the Steinway Society of Massachusetts Piano Competition, International Chopin Piano Competition, and International Paderewski Piano Competition. This spring, she received honorable mention as the youngest of seven Intermediate semi-finalists in the Waring International Piano Competition. In the most recent MTNA competitions, Maxine placed first at the New Hampshire and Eastern Division Competitions, and placed second in the National Competition.

Over the past several years, Maxine has performed as a soloist with several orchestras, including New York Concerti Sinfonietta at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, and Nashua Chamber Orchestra as a guest artist in the 2016-2017 season. In 2016 and 2018, she performed at the International Chopin Piano Festival, “Lato z Chopinem,” in Busko-Zdroj, Poland and was featured in the “World Piano Talents” Series. Maxine is one of 14 pianists selected for the 2019 Cliburn International Junior Piano Competition and Festival this summer.

Maxine has also performed in public masterclasses with Simone Dinnerstein, Emile Naoumoff, John Perry, and Ilana Vared. She has been featured on NPR’s From the Top with host Christopher O’Riley and two From the Top videos productions (“A Star Wars Musical Mashup” and “Fantastic Musicians and Where to Find Them”).

Outside of music, Maxine enjoys solving Rubik’s cubes. In 2017, she was one of 28 students in the US named a Caroline D. Bradley Scholar and awarded a full four-year, merit-based high school scholarship.

Ethan Yuen, seventeen, is a junior from Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California. He started learning piano when he was five and is currently a student of Professor Hans Boepple at Santa Clara University.

Ethan won his first competition at age seven. As the winner at Texas State International Piano Festival, Peninsula Symphony Concerto Competition, American Fine Arts Festival International Concerto Competition, and El Camino Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, he has performed as soloist with various orchestras.

Over the past few years, he has won prizes in Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, Ross McKee Piano Competition, Young Pianists’ Beethoven Competition, Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, Cooper Piano Festival Competition, Music Teachers’ Association of California Competition, and California Association of Professional Music Teachers Competition.

Ethan has attended Music@Menlo Chamber Music Young Performers Program, Texas State International Piano Festival, Southeastern Piano Festival, Cooper Piano Festival, John Perry Piano Festival, and Colburn Music Academy Piano Festival. This summer, he will perform on NPR’s From the Top with esteemed pianist Simone Dinnerstein.

Seventeen-year-old Shuheng Zhang, a junior at Washtenaw International High School in Ypsilanti, studies piano With Dr. Logan Skelton of University of Michigan. He is proud to be a Young Scholar of the prestigious Lang Lang International Foundation.

Chicago Music Report lauded Shuheng’s performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 with Midwest Young Artists Orchestra as an “invigorating, incisive, and note-perfect account…, establishing an agreeable rapport with the conductor as they exchanged pleasantries in the composer’s conversational rondo.”

Shuheng has won top prizes in many competitions, such as Thousand Islands International Piano Competition, David Dubois Piano Competition, Lee University International Piano Competition, and MTNA. He has been featured soloist and performed concerti with orchestras from Chicago to Saarlouis, Germany. His stage appearances include recitals at National Theater in Warsaw (Poland, Lang Lang Allianz Junior Music Camp, 2016), Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center (Salt Lake City, Gina Bachauer International Piano Festival, 2017), Penderecki European Centre for Music (Zakliczyn, Poland, Sixth Emanacja International Music Festival, 2018), and Hochschule für Musik Freiburg (Germany, International Piano Competition in memory of Emil Gilels, 2018).  In March, Shuheng was invited by Leeds International Piano Competition to give series concerts at venues including Leeds Town Hall and London Symphony Orchestra St. Luke’s (UK), where he was praised by the enthusiastic audiences for his sensitivity, interpretation and musicianship.