2021 Young Artists Concerto Competition

Due to the global pandemic, this is the first year that we are having the Young Artists Concerto competition virtually, via pre-recorded videos submitted by participants. We have 61 contestants coming from 11 states across the country. They include 17 pianists, 26 violinists, 4 violists, 9 cellists, 1 alto saxophone, 2 horns, and 2 clarinetists. The age of the competitors ranges from 7 – 18.

Gold Medal winners are invited to perform at the Grand Season Opening concert, which is scheduled for Sunday, December 5, 2021!

2021 COmpetition Winners

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS – Will perform with the bravura philharmonic

Hyerin Eom, violin, age 15. Ravel, Tzigane, Rhapsodie de Concert
Hyeonuk Park, piano, age 16. Tchaikovsky, Piano Concerto No.1, 1st movement
Jessica Wu, violin, age 16. Berg, Concerto for Violin
Alyssa Xu, piano, age 15. Prokofiev, Concerto No.2, 1st movement

FIRST ALTERNATE FOR GOLD

Yireh Choi, cello, age 15. Tchaikovsky, Variations on a Rococo Theme

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS

Iris Hur, viola, age 14. Paganini, La Campanella
Derek Lee, piano, age 13. Mozart, Piano Concerto K453, 1st movement
Veronica Li, clarinet, age 16. Mozart, Concerto for Clarinet, K622, 1st movement.
Richelle Shi, piano, age 15. Liszt, Piano Concerto No.1, 1st movement
Iris Sung, violin, age 15. Bartok, Concerto No.2, 1st movement

BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS

Lawrence Chai, viola, age 16. Walton, Concerto for Viola, 1st movement
Matthew Ho, cello, age 12. Lalo, Concerto for Cello, 1st movement
Averie Wu, piano, age 10. Mozart, Piano Concerto K488, 1st movement
Angela Zhang, piano, age 12. Kabalevsky, Piano Concerto No.3, 1st movement

gold medal winners

Silver Medal Winners

Bronze Medal Winners

JUDGES FOR THE 2021 COMPETITION

Cellist Sydney Lee made her debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra at age 13, under the baton of Maestro Thomas Hong. She has captured first prize in International Cello Competition, ‘Antonio Janigro,’ debuting with Zagreb Soloists. Among her many awards are first prizes in the Duquesne Young Artist National Competition, Juilliard Pre-College Concerto Competition, and Bravura Philharmonic Young Artists Concerto Competition, where she returned in 2018 for her second performance with the orchestra. Ms. Lee has garnered 2nd prize at the Lennox International Young Artists Competition and was a finalist at the Stulberg International String Competition and the Philadelphia Orchestra’s Greenfield Competition. Ms. Lee was the principal cellist of The Curtis Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Ms. Lee has collaborated with several eminent artists, including Arnold Steinhardt, Peter Wiley, and Roberto Diaz. Ms. Lee performed in many cities across Asia, United States, and Europe. A National YoungArts finalist, Ms. Lee was named a 2015 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts by the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars. She was also the recipient of the Korean Honors Scholarship, awarded by the South Korean Embassy. Ms. Lee has been featured on NPR’s From the Top, Croatian TV, and Philadelphia’s PBS WHYY public radios. As part of the On Stage at Curtis program of PBS WHYY, Ms. Lee was featured the episode on Brilliant Playing and Superb Technique and Growing with the Music: Sydney Lee. On the YouTube release of From the Top’s first animated music video, “Passacaglia Powerhouse Sibling Duo,” she performed with her brother, cellist Noah Lee. Ms. Lee currently serves as the Director of Global Operations, and Social Media Manager at The Back to Bach Project Charitable Foundation LTD, a global initiative to inspire music and arts education to young children and teach them the value of hard work and passion. Ms. Lee was selected as a 2020 grantee from the U.S. Presidential Scholars Foundation and Alumni Association Seed Grant Program. Ms. Lee is also the Artistic Director of the Heartstrings Cello Ensemble.

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 received the Victor Grossinger Award for Innovative Programming. Ms. Lin was inducted into the Steinway Teachers Hall of Fame, the first time that such honors were given to teachers by the Steinway company. She was also recognized by the Music Teachers National Association as a Foundation Fellow, bestowed only to individuals who have made significant contributions to music education in the country. Ms. Lin was selected as a “Hottest Artist in New Jersey” 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 Bach solo piano works has been described by New York Concert Review as a "... most satisfying performance ... with eloquence and sensitivity." Her recordings have been broadcast across the country. Ms. Lin directed the first international summer music festival sponsored by the Chinese Ministry of Culture. She conducted the Shanghai Musicians Chamber Orchestra at the Sino-American Cultural Exchange Concert. The performance was broadcast on CCTV, which transmits across China and around the world.

Sylvia Wang has performed as soloist and collaborative pianist across the U.S., Europe, Asia, Central America, Australia, Argentina and Lebanon. She has also recorded for the Newport Classic, CRI, Boston Records and Northeastern labels and been a winner and finalist for numerous awards and competitions. These include the Royal Overseas League Music Festival in London, the AVANTI award leading to a debut in London’s Purcell Room, Chamber Music Yellow Springs in Ohio and the Bach International Piano Competition in Washington, D.C. Currently on the faculty at Northwestern University, she has served as adjudicator and presenter for such institutions as the Central Conservatory in Beijing, the Centre for Young Musicians in London, the Chautauqua Institution in New York, and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Australia. Her students have won prizes and awards at the Tokyo International Piano Duo Competition (Grand Prize and bronze medal), the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the Carnegie Millennium Book Project and the Concert Artists Guild, and occupy teaching and playing positions in the U.S. and abroad. She left her native Penang, Malaysia to study at the Royal Academy of Music in London as a recipient of the prestigious Associated Board scholarship, earning the highest award in solo performance, the Recital Diploma. Thereafter, she graduated with the M.M. and D.M.A. from the Eastman School of Music. In recognition of “distinction in the field,” she was conferred an honorary Associateship of the Royal Academy of Music in London. Her eBook on Memorization and the Pianist, available on amazon.com, has sold in the United States and South America as well as across Europe, Asia, and Australia.