Young Scholars Concert at Carnegie Hall

Eden Chen is a Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist and Scholar.

He started studying piano when he was six. Since age seven, Eden has competed and placed in many piano competitions, and has won numerous top prizes including the First Prize in the Southwestern Youth Music Festival Piano Competitions for numerous years. Among them was an orchestral debut performing Mozart’s Coronation Concerto, No.26 in D major with the Southwestern Music Festival Orchestra, after he won First Prize in the Young Pianist category when he was eleven.

“As a Young Scholar, I am incredibly excited to have the opportunity to experience the signature charisma of Lang Lang and his foundation. The enthusiasm and energy they put into bringing music to the world is just inspiring, and I am sure I will learn much from their philosophy of “Playing it Forward.” Being a part of the Young Scholars program will present me with a unique opportunity to meet diverse audiences, while receiving first-hand guidance from Lang Lang in what it means to be an artist, and what it takes to build a successful career. I am confident that working with Lang Lang, the Foundation, and my fellow Young Scholars will allow me to further explore the role of the musician and music in our modern society. I look forward to the positive impact we will have on each other!”

Eden recently won the First Prize at the AVSOMC Gail Newby Concerto Competition. He was a Gold Medal winner of the 2012 AADGT International Young Musicians competition, a Grand Prize winner of the 2011 AFAF Golden Era of Romantic Music International Competition, where he was also the recipient of the special prize for the Best Performance of a Work by Liszt. He also received Second Prize at the MostArts Festival 2014 Piano Competition and Second Prize at the 13thInternational Russian Music Piano Competition.

Eden was selected to perform on NPR’s From the Top radio show in 2013. Besides these awards, Eden has given four performances at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in the past few years, and he was also invited to perform a solo concert at the American Jewish University.

Eden is currently studying with Rufus Choi. He has attended the Colburn Academy Piano Festival and the John Perry Academy of Music Summer Festival. He has participated in master classes given by musicians such as Lang Lang, Daniel Pollack, Seymour Bernstein, Hung-Kuan Chen, Jerome Lowenthal, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and John Perry.

Eden is actively thinking about the role and value of music in society and in the individual, and how it serves to connect individuals to their communities. He believes in music as a uniquely human expression of the human condition, and is interested in innovative ways of expressing these universal sentiments. In becoming a Lang Lang Foundation Young Scholar, he hopes to continue to explore new creative possibilities that will impact his audiences.

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edenchenmusic/timeline

Raymond Feng began playing piano at age 4 and has been a pupil of Elier Suárez since age 5.

He had his orchestral debut with the Ashdod Symphony in Perugia, Italy at the age of 11 and has been a featured pianist with the Rochester Philharmonic, Genesee Symphony, Greater Buffalo Youth and Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestras.

“Music is a wonderful gift. I am grateful for the music access I have had through years of learning piano and violin, making music with friends in ensembles and orchestras, going to concerts, and performing for people. All these experiences have helped me be more confident, communicative, creative, and caring for the people around me. I believe that everybody should have access to music, but there is still much work to be done before it becomes a reality for all people and people can enjoy and appreciate classical music.

The Lang Lang Foundation is one of the few organizations that is actively engaged in advocating for classical music and promoting music education, and I am thrilled and honored to join this family. As a Young Scholar, I feel empowered to give back to my community by sharing my passion for classical music and inspiring others to begin their own musical journeys. I am also really looking forward to studying with great pianist Lang Lang and meeting other musicians like me. Music has such a unifying power, and through music, we can all come together and make this world a better place.”

Raymond made his appearance on NPR’s From the Top, performing the 3rd movement of the Grieg Piano Concerto with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra at a live taping concert in Kodak Hall at Eastman Theater. Raymond recently received a great honor, being selected as one of the Young Scholars of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. Raymond has been a prizewinner of international and national competitions since age 9, claiming first prizes in the Thousand Islands Chopin International, AADGT’s Passion of Music Festival, Duquesne National Young Artist, Ithaca College, and MTNA Eastern Division Junior Piano Competitions, among others.

Raymond is a frequent participant of prestigious summer music festivals such as Music Fest Perugia, Cooper Piano Festival where he won the 1st place of the festival competition, and Morningside Music Bridge where he received a full scholarship plus winning 2nd place in the chamber competition and the Stuart Holland Memorial Award. Raymond has performed at major concert venues including Eastman Kodak Hall, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, and Merkin Concert Hall in NYC. Raymond’s love of music expands to chamber music and violin as well. He studies violin with Nancy Hunt, and he is the pianist of the Hochstein Capriccio Scholarship Piano Trio, concertmaster of the Hochstein Youth Symphony Orchestra, and co-concertmaster of his school orchestra as well as a frequent member of the NYSSMA All County and Area All-State Honor Orchestras. Raymond has had masterclasses with renowned artists such as John Perry, Krzysztof Jabłonski, Ilana Vered, Peter Takács, Eduardo Delgado, Alvin Chow, and the Ying Quartet.

Outside of traditional concert halls, Raymond is deeply engaged in sharing his passion for music with the community, giving outreach performances at schools, retirement homes and other public places throughout the Greater Rochester area. Raymond believes that the power of music can enrich human life in a positive way, and everyone should have the privilege to have access to great music. In 2014, Genesee Valley Parent Magazine named Raymond as one of its “20 under 20” honorees, the only classical musician to make the list.

Aside from music, Raymond is an accomplished “mathlete”. He is the First Place winner of the 2012 Mathnasium National TriMathlon and the New York State Champion of the MathCounts Competitions in 2013, 2014, and 2015. He has been on his school Science Olympiad team for the past 4 years winning medals at New York state competitions. Improvising at the piano and tennis are among his other interests.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rayfeng2001/

Ziyao “Chelsea” Guo is a piano student of Prof. Hung-kuan Chen and Tema Blackstone at the Juilliard Pre-college Division, and studies voice with Mrs. Cynthia Sanner.

Chelsea has won several piano competitions such as 24th Annual International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington D.C., Piano Teachers’ Congress of New York, CMTA, American Fine Arts Festival, Audrey Thayer, and American Protégé.

“I’m so honored to be selected as a young scholar for the Lang Lang International Music Foundation! I hope that this will be an enriching experience for me so that I’ll be able to expand my passion and knowledge for music, and then go even further from there to spread that to others. I’m looking forward to growing as a performer as well as a music ambassador! I hope to be a musician that can help others discover the true beauty and value of classical music, which is far greater than one’s own self. I believe that music is the one language that everyone speaks fluently, and it expresses a lot more than words will ever be able to. I’m really excited to meet Lang Lang and my fellow scholars, and hopefully, we’ll all grow together as a family and work together to inspire each other, and most importantly, other people.”

Chelsea’s solo repertoire is broad, and encompasses works from Scarlatti to Barber and Ives. She has performed concerti by Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin with Tianjin Symphony Orchestra (China), Connecticut Virtuosi Orchestra (US), Napolinova Chamber Orchestra (Italy), and Torun Symphony (Poland). She has given six solo recitals, and performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Harris Hall, Pepsi-co Hall, Ishikawa Music Hall, Historique du Bon Pasteur, Paul Hall, and the US State Department. Chelsea has performed on WQXR radio’s “Young Artists Showcase” and appeared in NPR’s “From the Top.”

Chelsea was one of the youngest semifinalists in the 2012 Gina Bachauer International Junior Piano Competition, and a prize winner at the 13th Ettlingen International Competition for Young Pianists in Germany. She was a recipient of the 2014 Eppan Junior Prize in Italy and the prestigious 2015 Nordmann Scholarship at the Juilliard Pre-college Division.

Chelsea has attended major music festivals such as Aspen, Schlern, Ishikawa, Junior Eppan, Talent Music Master Courses, Todi, and Paderewski in US, Japan, and Europe. She is a young artist of the Artemisia Akademie at Yale University.

website: http://www.chelseaguopiano.com/
youtube: https://m.youtube.com/user/MiffyJHG

Kimberly Han – a pianist and violinist from Chicago, Illinois. She started piano lessons when she was five and a half years old, and has been studying with Brenda Huang for 9 years. She is also taking regular masterclasses with Alexander Korsantia from New England Conservatory.

“To me, classical music is timeless; it has the ability to transcend any age, and express emotions through generations of people. Being selected as a 2016-2018 Young Scholar by the Lang Lang International Music Foundation allows me to explore this belief not only through many performance opportunities, but also through interacting with fellow musicians and young scholars, like myself. In these coming two years, I am definitely looking forward to joining the Lang Lang Young Scholars family, learning from Maestro Lang Lang for sure, and most importantly, just being able to share and give my love for music to others.

Becoming a 2016-2018 Young Scholar is an indescribable feeling. It was amazing, but realizing this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has made me really think about the teachers, friends, symphony orchestras, and performances in my life. Everything, and everyone in these years has helped me become who I am today. For that I am extremely grateful. And I’m looking forward to what’s coming next.”

A freshman of Lake Forest High School, Kimberly is a frequent award-winner in many music events – East Central Division / Illinois State Winner of 2016 MTNA Junior Competition, Walgreens National Concerto Competition Winner (2015 20th MYA Senior Division Overall & Piano Category; 2014 19th Open Junior Division Piano and 2013 18th MYA Junior Division Piano), Winner of 2015 Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Youth Audition in March 2015, and Winner of CSO “Carnival of the Animals” Audition in January 2015, Piano Winner of 2014 11th DePaul Concerto Festival, First Place winner of 2013 15th Chopin Youth Piano Competition, along with many more.

As a solo pianist and chamber musician, Kimberly has performed in L’Auditori of Barcelona, Spain, Chicago Symphony Center, Preston Bradley Hall of Chicago Cultural Center, DePaul Concert Hall, Bennett-Gordon Hall of Ravinia Festival, and Pick-Staiger Concert Hall of Northwestern University.

Kimberly had her concert debut with Oistrach Symphony Orchestra performing Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor in February 2014, under Maestro Mini Zikri. In March 2015, Kimberly performed Saint-Saens “Carnival of Animals” as solo pianist with Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) during guest conductor, Vladimir Kulenovic’s debut conducting the CSO. She has been invited to perform “Nights in the Garden of Spain” as a soloist with the CSO again under Maestro Scott Speck in April 2016. In 2015-2016 season, Kimberly will perform George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” with Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra and Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C major, 1st movement with Midwest Young Artists (MYA) Symphony Orchestra both in February 2016, under Maestro Dr. Allan Dennis. Other concerts include Felix Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor with Lake Forest Civic Orchestra under Maestro Robert Nordling in May 2016, Franz Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat major with The New North Shore Chamber Orchestra under Maestro Anatol Lysenka in November 2016, and solo concert with Highland Park Strings under Maestro Larry Block also in the fall of 2016.

Kimberly was featured as a pre-college young pianist on WFMT 98.7FM “Introductions” in January (as soloist) and August (as duo) 2015. She will be featured again in May 2016 as the 2015 CSO Youth Audition winner and a 2016-2018 Lang Lang Young Scholar. She was also selected by Lang Lang International Music Foundation to participate in the second Allianz Junior Music Camp in Barcelona, Spain in November 2014. In September 2015, The North Shore Journal featured Kimberly as a young musician in the “Standout Student” column.

In her free time, Kimberly loves playing violin with the MYA Symphony Orchestra / her chamber ensemble Trio Fiammata / school symphony orchestra, reading and traveling around the world with her family. To give back to the community, Kimberly also performs extensively in the retirement centers across the Chicagoland, and teaches violin to kids from unprivileged districts as a participant in MYA Young Music Scholar program.

Kimberly would like to thank her inspirational teachers Brenda Huang and Alexander Korsantia, for coaching her discipline, dedication and love for classical music; The Lang Lang International Music Foundation, Allianz, Dr. Allan Dennis, Robert Bassill, and the MYA staff for providing her the great opportunity to grow as a young musician; her parents and all of her friends for their continuous support and encouragement.

website: http://kimiehan.wix.com/kimie-han

Amir Siraj is an American pianist from Boston, Massachusetts.

Hailed by TheaterJones as a “gentle” yet “passionate” interpreter, he has played at venues including Carnegie Hall and Boston’s Symphony Hall. A top prizewinner at local, national, and international competitions, Amir has performed with orchestras including the New England Philharmonic, the Quincy Symphony Orchestra, and the Metrowest Symphony Orchestra, and prestigious organizations including the Harvard Musical Association and the American Liszt Society.

“I am delighted and humbled to have been selected as a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation. Music has a beautiful way of bringing people closer, acting as a truly universal language that ties us all together. Wielding this enourmous amount of power, music education and community outreach have the potential to change millions of lives. The Lang Lang International Music Foundation plays a crucial role in realizing this potential by spearheading initiatives to make access to classical music and music education more accessible and ubiquitous. I look forward to joining my fellow Young Scholars in working to improve both as musicians and as arts leaders, under the mentorship of Lang Lang.”

Since his Carnegie Hall debut in 2010 with the American Fine Arts Festival, he has been a three-time prizewinner at the Steinway Society of Massachusetts Piano Competition, a laureate of the Chopin International Competition in Hartford, a first prize winner at the New England Piano Teachers Association Ruth Davidson Competition, two-time first prize winner at the Music Teachers National Association’s Massachusetts division, and five-time first prize winner at the Massachusetts Music Teachers Association Bay State Contest. In 2015, Amir was selected as one of twenty-four young pianists in the world to participate in the Cliburn International Junior Competition and Festival. In 2016, he was selected as a National YoungArts Foundation Winner.

As an avid proponent of the music of his time, Amir has performed many world premieres including chamber works by Stephen Feigenbaum and solo works by Larry Bell, in addition to frequent performances of published contemporary works by Lera Auerbach, Marti Epstein, and William Bolcom. He studies privately with Helena Vesterman and attends the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, and has taken master classes with the likes of Peter Serkin, Douglas Humpherys, Hung-Kuan Chen, and Meng-Chieh Liu.

Amir also has a passion for bringing music outside of the concert hall, and into communities, where classical music can have a real, tangible impact on people’s lives. As an Arts Leader with From The Top’s Center for the Development of Arts Leaders in Boston, he has worked over the past three years to spread the joy of music in hospitals, senior living communities, and children’s museums. Amir worked with the Steinway Society of Massachusetts in 2014 to give a performance at the Chapel of the Massachusetts General Hospital, where his music was broadcast live to over 1,500 patient rooms. In January of 2016, Amir organized a concert in partnership with From the Top and Music For Food to raise funds for local hunger relief efforts, which garnered enough donations to provide over 5,000 meals for community members in need. He has also performed chamber music extensively in community settings. In his free time, he enjoys rowing on CRI’s Men’s Varsity crew team and running the Brookline High School Innovation Club, which he founded.

website: http://amirsiraj.com/

Elizabeth Zietz is privileged to have been chosen as a 2016 Lang Lang International Music Foundation Young Scholar. Her goal is to share the enjoyment and beauty of classical music with others.

“I am so excited! I feel extremely privileged to join the Lang Lang International Music Foundation family, and to meet and learn from the master Lang Lang, and my peers. I look forward to sharing myself and my music to benefit others. Music brings beauty to the world. Its true power lies in its ability to inspire and influence anyone. It is a special form of human expression that can transform and connect people of all ages and backgrounds together under the common appreciation for music. By cherishing music, we understand ourselves, others, and the world around us better. I can’t wait to start my Young Scholar journey!”

Born in California, fifteen year old Elizabeth is a sophomore at Northwood High School in Irvine, and she began studying the piano at the age of six. She is thankful to her teachers who have helped her develop her musical talents, including Claudia Xi, Valentina Gottlieb, Chun-Yi Wang, and Ethan Dong. Additionally, she has participated in masterclasses with William Grant Naboré, Stanislav Ioudenitch, Sergey Schepkin, Baruch Meir, Bernadene Blaha, and Roza Yoder.

At the age of seven, Elizabeth made her debut performance at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library. She made her concerto debut at age thirteen with the Orange County Symphony.

Elizabeth won the Grand Prize at the Glendale Piano Competition and was the first prize winner of the Lansum International Music Festival. She has also won first prizes at the CAPMT Young Musician’s Concerto Competition, CAPMT Sonata Festival, and first alternate at the MTAC Southern Region State Concerto/Solo Competition. In 2014, she was a prizewinner at the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition. She was also a six time consecutive first prize winner in open categories at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival.

In third grade, Elizabeth performed in a benefit concert for the County of Orange United Way of America, and has been involved in fundraising ever since. She has performed in many community service venues and has appeared as guest soloist for public service events and gala and kickoff campaigns. She also regularly appears in recitals for senior citizens. Recently, Elizabeth was an invited artist to perform at the National Association of Music Merchants Convention.

Outside of music, Elizabeth enjoys swimming, reading, spending time with her family, and traveling. Elizabeth is a Johns Hopkins CTY SET (Study of Exceptional Talent) Member. She was invited to John Hopkins University for the Grand Ceremony, a special event honoring students for their outstanding academic achievement.