2016 YOUNG ARTISTS CONCERTO COMPETITION
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2016

Paul Robeson Center for the Arts
Arts Council of Princeton


GRAND PRIZE WINNERS

#6 Fiona Khuong-Huu, 8, violin, Lalo Symphonie Espagnole - Mvt. 1
#38 Max Wang, 11, piano, Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15 - Mvt. 1
#48 Kit Ying Cheng, 16, violin, Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor, Op. 37 - Mvt. 1
#57 Jessica Hong, 17, cello, Dvorak Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104 - Mvt. 1

SILVER PRIZE WINNERS

#11 Hans-Derek Yu, 13, piano, Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor - Mvt. 1
#21 Emily Wang, 16, Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E minor, Op. 64 - Mvt. 1
#46 Cheng Io Lo, 15, Barber Violin Concerto, Op. 14 - Mvt. 1

BRONZE PRIZE WINNERS

#14 Dawn Song, 15, Haydn Concerto in D Major, Op. 101 - Mvt. 1
#44 LiYuan Byrne, 13, Grieg Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 16 - Mvt. 3
#58 Dallas Noble, 15, Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor, Op. 37 - Mvt. 1


Judges

Eduardus Halim is the inaugural holder of the Sascha Gorodnitzki Chair in Piano Studies at the NYU Steinhardt School. Since his 1987 Lincoln Center debut, he has appeared with orchestras including the Baltimore Symphony, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Detroit Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic, Russian National Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Philharmonic, and Singapore Symphony. Halim has given recitals at Alice Tully Hall and 92nd Street Y in NYC, Kennedy Center in Washington, and Wigmore Hall in London.  His awards and honors include the Young Concert Artist International Auditions and the Avery Fisher Career Grant. Mr. Halim's recordings include Presenting Eduardus Halim: A Program of Piano Transcriptions on the Arabesque label, and two discs devoted to Granodos and Chopin on the Reservoir Studio Productions label. Of the Chopin album, Stephen Wigler of Amazon.com wrote, "Anyone who misses Vladimir Horowitz would be wise to investigate this all-Chopin recital by Eduardus Halim, the last of the master's students. He is a born Chopinist ... Rather than call him his master's disciple, it would be better to call him his successor." Eduardus Halim Plays Chopin was named one of the top classical instrumental CDs by Amazon.com/newCDnews.com. Mr. Halim received his masters of music degree at the Juilliard School, where he was a student of Sascha Gorodnitzki and Rudolf Firkusny. The extraordinary relationship between Mr. Halim and Vladimir Horowitz as student and teacher is recounted in the Harold C. Schonberg biography of Horowitz in the chapter entitled “Last Pupil” in “Horowitz, His life and Music."

Chiu-Tze Lin, music director and conductor of the award-winning Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra, is a versatile and multifaceted musician conductor, pianist, and teacher.  She had served as the conductor of the Manalapan Battleground Symphony, and received the 2004 Victor Grossinger Award for Innovative Programming.  Ms. Lin was selected as a “Hottest Artist in New Jersey” in 2001 by the Asbury Park Press.  As a concert pianist, Ms. Lin has been acclaimed by the New York Times for her “strong technique, a hearty tone that sounded big and unforced [which] provides the greatest musical pleasure.” She is a Steinway Artist who has performed in Asia, Europe, and across the United States. Ms. Lin has appeared as a touring soloist with the Chicago Symphony, and was a soloist with the Cincinnati Symphony. Her second CD featuring works of J. S. Bach for solo piano has been described by New York Concert Review magazine as a "... most satisfying performance ... with eloquence and sensitivity." Her recordings have been broadcast from stations across the country. Ms. Lin was a director and faculty member of the 2004 Beijing Music Festival, the first international summer music festival sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture.  Ms. Lin also conducted the Shanghai Musicians Chamber Orchestra at the Sino-American Cultural Exchange Concert. The performance was broadcast on the Chinese Central Television English Channel that transmits across China and around the world.

Violinist Genaro Medina is a violinist in the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra. He initiated his musical education in his native Venezuela, through the world famous orchestral music program "El Sistema.” His professional orchestra career started at age 15, becoming first violinist of his State’s Symphony Orchestra. At the same time, he became a member of the Ibero-American Orchestra, an ensemble formed for prestigious events such as presidential summits, touring with it throughout the Americas. Genaro enjoyed a dynamic performance career with solo recitals in numerous cities and performances with several symphony orchestras in the US and Europe including the Valencia Youth Orchestra, Carabobo Symphony Orchestra, and San Carlos Symphony. He has participated in chamber music concerts with professors of the Interharmony Music Festival in the Berkshires in Massachusetts, and has soloed with the symphony orchestra of the Interharmony Music Festival in the Netherlands and Germany. He has also performed at the Northwest and Northeast College Music Society Conference concerts, premiering works by the composer Eli Tamar. Genaro enjoys life together with his wife, violinist Lela Tsinadze, and their baby boy Genaro Tsina Medina.