RESULTS | Piano 2016 | ENKOR Int'l Music Competition

We would like to express our sincere thanks to all contestants and their teachers. Thank you for participating in the competition. We appreciate all your hard work and effort. 

The wait is over. The Jury from the International Academy of Performing Arts and Sciences has decided. 

And the winners are...



Grand Prize
ALEXANDER LU
USA
Score: 96.11

The award consists of an offer for digital CD publishing and distribution provided by KNS Classical. Read more HERE.

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Age Group A

First Prize
Joanna Maja Jasnowska
Poland
Score: 93.52

Second Prize
Ryan Yanming Phuan
Singapore
Score: 91.90

Second Prize
Nathaniel Su
USA
Score: 91.37

Third Prize
Tay Hsien En Shannen
Singapore
Score: 89.39

Third Prize
Annie Wang
USA
Score: 89.26

Third Prize
Ryan Rao
USA
Score: 88.37

Third Prize
Ria Chhabra
Singapore
Score: 86.93

Third Prize
Brianna Nedelcu
USA
Score: 83.29

Third Prize
Tay Rae En Shania
Singapore
Score: 80.35

Third Prize
Claire Wang
USA
Score: 80.23


Honorable Mention

Maya Ciurcel
USA
Score: 73.83

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Age Group B

First Prize
Natania Fok
Canada
Score: 94.86

Second Prize
Victor Shlyakhtenko
USA
Score: 94.58

Second Prize
Yuy Hans Hsiang
USA
Score: 93.97

Second Prize
Kevin Xu
USA
Score: 93.85

Second Prize
Kristina Moditch
USA
Score: 92.71

Second Prize
Saul Ulises Ibarra Ramos
Mexico
Score: 92.63

Second Prize
Alex Qian
USA
Score: 92.22

Second Prize
William Graf
USA
Score: 90.67

Second Prize
Chelsea Ahn
Canada
Score: 90.62

Second Prize
Kako Hayashi
USA
Score: 90.41

Second Prize
Victoria Graf
USA
Score: 90.00

Third Prize
Jeffery Luo
USA
Score: 88.03

Third Prize
Atsuo Chiu
USA
Score: 87.42

Third Prize
Christina Nicole Danford
USA
Score: 86.15

Third Prize
William He
USA
Score: 85.41

Third Prize
Jan Możański
Poland
Score: 85.13

Third Prize
Evan Greenberg
USA
Score: 82.56

Third Prize
Melody Tzang
USA
Score: 81.42

Third Prize
Emily Dong
USA
Score: 80.57

Third Prize
Lia Durso
USA
Score: 80.41


Honorable Mention

Danwei Zhang
USA
Score: 79.47

Victoria Lin Midkiff
USA
Score: 79.00

Fiona Sechrist
USA
Score: 77.82

Carrie Meng
USA
Score: 74.54

Elizabeth Bright
USA
Score: 70.14

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Age Group C

First Prize
Vincent Liu
USA
Score: 94.00

Second Prize
Jarrett Mitsuhiro Takaki
USA
Score: 93.54

Second Prize
Roger Shen
USA
Score: 93.5

Second Prize
Leyla Kabuli
USA
Score: 93.48

Second Prize
Aleksandra Simeonova
Bulgaria
Score: 92.14

Second Prize
Roy Xiong
USA
Score: 91.76

Second Prize
Heather Hsun Chang
USA
Score: 90.90

Second Prize
Daniel V. Mangiaracino
USA
Score: 90.14

Third Prize
Matthew Lam
UK
Score: 89.82

Third Prize
Eleonora Apostolidi
Greece
Score: 87.93

Third Prize
Jane Zhao
USA
Score: 87.25

Third Prize
Yii Ying Tan
Australia
Score: 84.46

Third Prize
Sophia Wong
USA
Score: 82.06

Third Prize
Kristina Yau
Canada
Score: 80.35


Honorable Mention

Brielle Funk
Canada
Score: 77.32

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Age Group D

First Prize
Francisco Montero
USA
Score: 94.18

Second Prize
Yuet Ka Keri Hui
UK
Score: 91.32

Third Prize
Jovana Trajcheva
Republic of Macedonia
Score: 88.71

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Also of Interest
Check out the results of the ENKOR Int'l Violin Competition 2016 here.

ALEXANDER LU | GRAND PRIZE | Piano 2016 | ENKOR Int'l Music Competition

Grand Prize
ALEXANDER LU
USA
Teacher: Dr. Sasha Starcevich
Score: 96.11

READ MORE ABOUT THE AWARD HERE.

Born in Seattle, Washington in 2000, Alexander Lu began piano studies at age five and has been a student of Sasha Starcevich since April 2012.

Lu gave his debut concert at the age of eight performing the two piano version of Mozart Concerto No. 24 and has since received top awards at the regional, national and international level. Lu was a Gold Medalist of 2009 Seattle International Piano Competition, the Grand Prize winner of the inaugural “KING FM Ten Grands” Young Artist Awards competition in 2010, and captured the first prize and Judges Distinction Award at the 2011 American Protégé International Competition.

In May of 2013, Lu made his orchestral debut with Philharmonia Northwest as a winner of the Seattle Young Artist Music Festival Concerto Competition, performing the Grieg Concerto in A minor. His debut with the Seattle Symphony followed only several months later after winning the Symphony’s Young Artist Audition Competition with a performance of the Mozart Concerto No. 21. In between the two concerto performances in the United States, Lu also performed with the Ashdod Symphony Orchestra from Israel during the “Music Fest Perugia” in Italy.

In 2014, Lu became one of the 30 young talents chosen from around the world to participate in the Thomas & Evon Cooper International Piano Competition in Cleveland. In 2015 Lu was one of the six semi-finalists of the 2015 Virginia Waring International Piano Competition in Palm Desert, and competed in the International e-Piano Junior Competition in Minnesota as one of the 25 contestants chosen worldwide.  Also in 2015, Lu was the Washington State Alternate in the MTNA Senior Piano competition, and a National YoungArts merit winner. In 2016, Lu was awarded the Grand Prize in the “King FM Young Artist” competition for the second time and was also received the Monika Clowes Memorial award sponsored by the Seattle Chamber Music Society.  Most recently, Lu became the first classical pianist receiving a Grand Prize in the ENKOR International Music Competition.

Lu has appeared in performances at New York’s Carnegie Hall and Benaroya Hall in Seattle. He was featured in the 2010, 2011, 2014 and 2016 Ten Grands Concerts in Seattle and Portland and in Seattle Chamber Music Festival’s Emerging Artist Series. At age seven, he was featured in the 65th episode of Musical Encounter and has since appeared on local televisions, radio, and other media including MSNBC, the Seattle Times, King FM “Northwest Focus Live” and King TV’s “New Day Northwest”. He maintains an active performing schedule in local communities including senior living centers, rotary clubs, and large fund raising events for the various arts communities in the Northwest.

Lu, 16, attends the International Community School in Kirkland, Washington.

SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE JURY

Amazingly talented pianist. Bravo!

A most exciting pianist - I look forward to hearing more.

Bravo!!

The best in this category

Very impressive performances! The Grieg is exciting, poetic, and dramatic. Shchedrin Basso Ostinato is excellent. Great control throughout! Very exciting and mature playing. Bravo!

Exellent

Impressive control of instrument and mature approach to music.

Excellent technique musicianship

Bravo on your stellar musical accomplishments!

Wonderful performance with great control, attention to detail, and depth of expression!

Grieg Concerto in A minor, Op. 16, 13'52


Shchedrin Basso Ostinato 4'33

Francisco Montero | 1st Prize | Piano 2016 | Age Group D | ENKOR Int'l Music Competition

First Prize
Francisco Montero
USA 
Teacher/s: Julian Martin, Dr. Jose R. Mendez
Score: 94.18

Pianist Francisco Montero has performed in Austria, Italy, Germany, Spain and in the USA (Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center) and has been broadcasted by BBC Radio 4 (London) and WQXR radio. Francisco Montero studied his Master of Music at the prestigious The Juilliard School in New York under the guidance of Julian Martin. He is currently pursuing his DMA in Piano Performance at The Pennsylvania State University with Dr. Jose R. Mendez.

SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE JURY

Impressive!

Very professional presentation. Excellent understanding of Liszt - good dynamic range, line of phrasing and execution. Most musical and would like to hear more.

Excellent musicality and expression. Outstanding performance.

Bravo!! Excellent performance!!

The best in this category

Auguri!

Superior

A masterful performance and brilliant engagement with the chosen piece.

Great! Congratulations. Thank you.

An excellent performance, to pro standards.

Excellent performance; beautiful nuanced playing, dramatic and playful.

Very musical - Bravo!

Bravo, and congratulations on your accomplishment!

Franz Liszt, Rhapsodie espagnole 13´10´´

Vincent Liu | 1st Prize | Piano 2016 | Age Group C | ENKOR Int'l Music Competition

First Prize
Vincent Liu
USA
Teacher: Professor Hans Boepple
Score: 94.00

Vincent Liu, 17, a junior at Dougherty Valley High School in San Ramon, California, studies piano with Professor Hans Boepple, and previously with Dr. Jed Galant. Vincent has won first prizes in the state CAPMT concerto competition, Honors Competition, and Contemporary Music Competition, the Ross McKee Piano Competition, the San Jose International Piano Competition, the Celia Mendez Young Pianist’s Beethoven Competition, the Marylin Mindell Piano Competition in both Junior and senior divisions, the US Open Music Competition in both the showcase solo and the complete concerto categories, the Menuhin-Dowling Competition, four times (2008, 2010, 2013, 2015) 1st place in every category of the East Bay Music Festival Solo Competition, and the Sylvia M. Ghiglieri Piano Competition. In 2012 at the age 13, he was the MTAC concerto competition state winner with the Prokofiev Concerto No. 3. This year, he was the 2016 National Young Arts winner.

Vincent has also won top prizes and awards at Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, Los Angeles Liszt International Piano Competition, California MTNA Senior Piano Competition, Two times (2014, 2016) Henry and Carol Zeiter Piano Competition, Pacific Musical Society Competition. He was the 1st and 2nd alternate winner numerous times at the Northern California CAPMT and MTAC piano solo and concerto competitions.

As a winner of the concerto competitions, Vincent has performed the Prokofiev Concerto No. 2 with multiple symphony orchestras including the Livermore-Amador Symphony, the Peninsula Symphony, and the Palo Alto Philharmonic. In 2010 at age 11, he won the El Camino Youth Symphony concerto competition and performed Beethoven Concerto No. 1 with its orchestra. He was three times honorable mention winner of the CYS complete concerto competition with the Grieg concerto in 2012, the Prokofiev concerto No. 3 in 2013, and the Liszt Concerto No. 1 in 2014.

Vincent has participated in the Colburn School Young Artists Summer Academy in 2012, the Southeastern Piano Festival with a full scholarship in 2015, the Lee University International Festival and Competition in 2016, and John Perry Summer Academy in 2016. He was a scholarship recipient of Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Pianist Program in the summer of 2016. Vincent has played in the Junior Bach Festival, the Steinway Society of the Bay Area Concerts, the San Jose International Piano Competition benefit concerts, and Peninsula Symphony Family Concerts. He has also played in the masterclass of Yoheved Kaplinsky and Pianist Mari Kodama, in the MTAC state convention Panel Honors’ recital in 2015. Again, in 2016, he ranked No. 1 to play in the masterclass at the MTAC State Convention. Vincent is the vice-president of the Music Students’ Service League, an outreach program that gives benefit concerts in retirement communities.

Vincent also plays chamber music. Last year his chamber group won the 1st prize in the MTAC Contra Costa Branch VOCE and in the Diablo Valley College/Holy Names University Young Artist String Competition.

Besides music, Vincent’s interests include soccer, math, and physics. He has played competitive soccer for over 10 years, and has been chosen to play for his high school varsity team in the past three consecutive years. A state Olympic Development Program (ODP) player, he was invited to travel to Arizona with the state travel team to play in the Region IV Championships two times. Last summer he was invited to attend the ODP Regional IV soccer camp. He excels in school, and scored in the top 1% in the nation in the American Mathmatics Contest AMC 10 and 12 and qualified for American Invitational Mathematics Examination AIME in the past three consecutive years.

SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE JURY

excellent playing. Bravo!

Your Prokofiev is very impressive. Great cadenza!! Congratulations for a great performance of this monster first movement! Fantastic technique and musicality. Bach prelude and fugue in D is very well done - great spirit in the prelude and very sensitive fugue - you were listening very intensely.

Very stiff playing but with incredible potential.

Congratulations!

Really musical, congratulations!

some nice and sensitive playing

Bravo! Marvelous artistic interpretation, and masterful technical command. I especially enjoyed the spirit you brought to the Bach Prelude, and the intensity of the dramatic build-up in the cadenza of the Prokofiev. Wow! I hope to hear you play many more times in the future.

Prelude and Fugue in D Major, BWV 874, J.S.Bach (5'40"")


La Campanella, S141/3, Liszt (4'20"")


Prokofiev Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op 16, 1st mvt (10'40"")