Maxwell Ji, age 11, began studying piano at the age of five and currently studies with Drs. Ning Lu and Jie Lu, and Mrs. Mika Fujita.
He has won first prizes in multiple piano competitions, including the University of Utah SummerArts Piano Solo Competition (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) and Concerto Competition (2022, 2024), the UMTA Piano Concerto Competition (2022, 2023, 2024), the FSMTA Piano Concerto Competition (2025), the Ogden Piano Concerto Competition (2022), the Salt Lake Piano Solo Competition (2023) and Concerto Competition (2024), the Helen Taylor Johannesen International Piano Festival Solo Competition (2023, 2024, 2025), the Seattle International Piano Competition (2024), and the OPUS Piano Competition State Level (2024, 2025).
In 2025, he won the Florida MTNA Performance Competition. He also received the Silver Medal at the 2025 International Keyboard Odyssiad Competition, Second Prize at the XV Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford (2024), Second Prize at the 11th ENKOR Piano Competition (2024), and the Merit Prize at the OPUS Piano Competition (2024, 2025).
In 2022, he performed with the American West Symphony and the American Fork Symphony for the Salute to Youth Concert. In 2023, he performed with the Chamber Orchestra Ogden in the Ogden’s Prodigy Concert and again with the American West Symphony. His performances have been broadcast on ABC4 Television.
In January 2025, he performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, first movement, with the University of Utah Orchestra.
Besides piano, Maxwell also plays the violin and enjoys competitive math, chess, geography, and LEGO.
F. Chopin, Scherzo No. 1 in B minor, Op. 20
J. Haydn, Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:50, I. Allegro
