Sora Hoppo

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.