Jingai An
Jingai An, from Shenyang, China, began her piano journey at the age of five. She earned her undergraduate degree in piano performance from the Shenyang Conservatory of Music and further honed her skills at Longy School of Music in Boston, specializing in piano performance. She is currently a student of Dr. Christopher Fisher at the Ohio University School of Music, and is pursuing a Master of Arts Administration degree.
Jingai participated in the Fourth Annual Maccagno Piano Days Festival and Competition as a soloist, a Liszt International Youth Piano Competition with a gold medal.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling and attending concerts. She believes that exploring new places and experiencing diverse cultures enriches her life and provides fresh inspiration for her music.
Jingai participated in the Fourth Annual Maccagno Piano Days Festival and Competition as a soloist, a Liszt International Youth Piano Competition with a gold medal.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling and attending concerts. She believes that exploring new places and experiencing diverse cultures enriches her life and provides fresh inspiration for her music.
Florencia Arrom
Born in 1995 in Asunción, Paraguay, Florencia Arrom began her musical studies at age 8 at the Music Conservatory “Clave de Sol”, under the tutelage of Prof. Miriam Royg de D’Odorico. In 2013 she graduated Valedictorian from Lumen High School in Asunción and in the following year she completed her studies at the Music Conservatory, obtaining the highest grades and special mentions. In 2015 she was accepted into the Musical Arts Department (DAMus) “Carlos López Buchardo”, from the National University of the Arts (UNA) in Buenos Aires, where she continued her musical studies in the Piano Performance Program under the tutelage of Prof. Manuel Massone.
Along her musical development, Florencia has actively participated in several piano masterclasses led by noted national and international musicians, such as Darío Ntacca (Argentina), Pierre Blanchard (Francia), Luca Chiantore (Italia), Bruno Gelber (Argentina), Mario Montore (Italy), Mariam Batsashvili (Georgia), and Alan Kwiek (Argentina). Simultaneously, she has gained experience accompanying lyric singers and choirs.
Throughout her career, she has been a prize winner of the following competitions: first prize in the National Piano Competition Mozart in Asunción (2006); first prize in Momento Musical Op. 2011 in Asunción (2011); second prize in the First National Piano Competition organized by the Paraguay-Kansas Committee (2017); and third prize in the IV International Chamber Music Competition Carlos López Buchardo, organized by the National University of the Arts in Buenos Aires (2019). As a result of her distinguished participation in the First National Piano Competition held in 2017, the Paraguay-Kansas Committee and Emporia State University granted her a scholarship for a month of intensive piano studies at Emporia State University, where she had piano lessons with Dr. Martín Cuéllar from August to September of 2018.
In 2022, she graduated from the National University of the Arts, obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance. Since then, she started private piano lessons with Prof. Alan Kwiek. At the same time, she developed herself as a private piano teacher to students of all ages at her home studio in Buenos Aires, as well as accompanying lyric singers in recitals and weddings.
Florencia is currently a graduate student at the Ohio University School of Music where she is a student of Professor Christopher Fisher.
Along her musical development, Florencia has actively participated in several piano masterclasses led by noted national and international musicians, such as Darío Ntacca (Argentina), Pierre Blanchard (Francia), Luca Chiantore (Italia), Bruno Gelber (Argentina), Mario Montore (Italy), Mariam Batsashvili (Georgia), and Alan Kwiek (Argentina). Simultaneously, she has gained experience accompanying lyric singers and choirs.
Throughout her career, she has been a prize winner of the following competitions: first prize in the National Piano Competition Mozart in Asunción (2006); first prize in Momento Musical Op. 2011 in Asunción (2011); second prize in the First National Piano Competition organized by the Paraguay-Kansas Committee (2017); and third prize in the IV International Chamber Music Competition Carlos López Buchardo, organized by the National University of the Arts in Buenos Aires (2019). As a result of her distinguished participation in the First National Piano Competition held in 2017, the Paraguay-Kansas Committee and Emporia State University granted her a scholarship for a month of intensive piano studies at Emporia State University, where she had piano lessons with Dr. Martín Cuéllar from August to September of 2018.
In 2022, she graduated from the National University of the Arts, obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance. Since then, she started private piano lessons with Prof. Alan Kwiek. At the same time, she developed herself as a private piano teacher to students of all ages at her home studio in Buenos Aires, as well as accompanying lyric singers in recitals and weddings.
Florencia is currently a graduate student at the Ohio University School of Music where she is a student of Professor Christopher Fisher.
Eileen Cheng
Eileen Cheng was born in Malaysia and moved to Singapore when she was 7. She started learning the piano at the age of 5, but began feeling pain in her arms at 13 when she played. The pain was unaddressed for years, until she began studying with Mr. Frank DeMeglio who taught her how to play the piano without feeling any further pain by using proper technique.
Eileen obtained her BA(Hons) in Music in 2019, specializing in Classical Performance (Piano) at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore, under the tutelage of Mr. Frank DeMeglio. In 2017, she won the school's annual piano concerto competition, playing Mozart's Piano Concerto K. 467 in C major with originally composed cadenzas and lead-ins. In that same year, she showcased the concerto's 1st movement in the school's annual Classical piano concert, Piano Voyage. In 2018, Eileen co-directed the year's instalment of Piano Voyage, which was subtitled "A Time Traveler's Memoir" and which featured student & alumnus performances to accompany an originally written story. She later assisted the planning committee in the 2019 concert titled Constellations, where students paired Classical piano repertoire with star constellations. Eileen's involvement with these concerts, which combined student performances with visual imagery and interdisciplinary collaborations, were spurred on by her shared belief with the school that Classical music should be made accessible to the masses.
After graduating, Eileen worked at a local music school in Singapore, teaching piano and music theory to students from ages 4 to 18 and preparing them for graded exams. She realised over the years that much was lacking in her own music education while growing up, as well as that of the students she encountered. She also discovered that hurting when playing the piano is not an uncommon problem among students, and is even often taken to be a norm. Eileen’s aim is thus to teach her students proper technique, so they would not have to go through the same pain she did which had almost caused her to give up her passion for the piano. At the same time, she wishes to teach and introduce her students to music in a way that makes it much, much more than just ‘playing notes on a page’.
Eileen is now pursuing her Master's degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at Ohio University under Dr. Christopher Fisher's guidance. As a teacher, her goal is ultimately to spread the importance of a well-grounded technique behind one's playing, and to empower her students with the ability to play any repertoire that they may desire.
Eileen obtained her BA(Hons) in Music in 2019, specializing in Classical Performance (Piano) at LASALLE College of the Arts, Singapore, under the tutelage of Mr. Frank DeMeglio. In 2017, she won the school's annual piano concerto competition, playing Mozart's Piano Concerto K. 467 in C major with originally composed cadenzas and lead-ins. In that same year, she showcased the concerto's 1st movement in the school's annual Classical piano concert, Piano Voyage. In 2018, Eileen co-directed the year's instalment of Piano Voyage, which was subtitled "A Time Traveler's Memoir" and which featured student & alumnus performances to accompany an originally written story. She later assisted the planning committee in the 2019 concert titled Constellations, where students paired Classical piano repertoire with star constellations. Eileen's involvement with these concerts, which combined student performances with visual imagery and interdisciplinary collaborations, were spurred on by her shared belief with the school that Classical music should be made accessible to the masses.
After graduating, Eileen worked at a local music school in Singapore, teaching piano and music theory to students from ages 4 to 18 and preparing them for graded exams. She realised over the years that much was lacking in her own music education while growing up, as well as that of the students she encountered. She also discovered that hurting when playing the piano is not an uncommon problem among students, and is even often taken to be a norm. Eileen’s aim is thus to teach her students proper technique, so they would not have to go through the same pain she did which had almost caused her to give up her passion for the piano. At the same time, she wishes to teach and introduce her students to music in a way that makes it much, much more than just ‘playing notes on a page’.
Eileen is now pursuing her Master's degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at Ohio University under Dr. Christopher Fisher's guidance. As a teacher, her goal is ultimately to spread the importance of a well-grounded technique behind one's playing, and to empower her students with the ability to play any repertoire that they may desire.
Luz Celeste Falcon
Luz was born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. She began her music studies at the age of six and started piano lessons at the "Sebastián Echeverría Lozano" School of Music, studying with professors Nelly Badillo, Aura Marina Ríos, and Juan Carlos Muñoz. In 2003, she also started violin studies and performed in the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Cojedes State, conducted by Ángel Hernández.
In 2007, Luz continued her piano studies at the Conservatory of Music of Aragua State with Professor Arnaldo Pizzolante and performed as a violinist in the Carabobo Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Joshua Dos Santos, while studying violin at the Mozarteum School of Music in Caracas.
In 2011, she furthered her piano studies in Caracas with Professor Clara Marcano and was admitted to the Manuel Alberto López Experimental School of Music in 2013, where she won 2nd prize in the "Sonatas and Sonatinas EEMMAL 2013” Piano Competition and participated in the Concert of Excellence. She presented her solo recital at the end of 10 years of academic piano studies in 2015 as a graduate of the Conservatory of Music of Aragua State under the guidance of Prof. Nidia Ferrarotto.
By the time she completed her undergraduate studies in Administrative and Management Sciences, she was able to achieve important merits at school such as the honorable mention “Magna Cum Laude” obtaining the No. 1 position in the 2018 Commencement, and the Maximum Academic Index achieved in the Marketing and Logistics Senior Technician Degrees at the Center Technological University, and the “Academic Excellence Recognition” several times at the Carabobo Conservatory of Music for her excellent grades. Additionally, she won the piano position by auditioning at the Carabobo Symphony Orchestra in 2017.
Furthermore, Luz also worked as a piano professor, teaching piano and music theory classes in her private studio, and also at "Centro de Capacitación Musical Teresa Carreño", which is a Music learning academy for students of all ages. Additionally, she has worked accompanying lyric singers and chamber music ensembles in recitals, masses, and weddings as a collaborative pianist.
Moreover, Luz has performed numerous concerts at important venues in Venezuela such as the Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas, Simón Bolívar University Auditorium Complex, National Experimental University of the Western Plains “UNELLEZ” Auditorium Complex, Chacao Cultural Center in Caracas, Dr. Alfredo Celis Pérez Theater, Valencia´s Municipal Theater, "El Hatillo" Cultural Center in Caracas, Italian House Theater of Maracay, Maracay´s Ateneo Theater, Eladio Alemán Sucre Cultural Center, among others, and on stages in Buenos Aires - Argentina such as Empire Theater, Russian House, Alianza Francesa and García Morillo Auditorium.
Luz has also developed a career in technology for seven years, specifically in SAP (software for managing enterprise resources) with the Materials Management Module, and SAP Ariba (a cloud-based software that simplifies the procure-to-pay process), both related to the logistics consulting area. This experience has provided her with significant working experience from various countries in SAP implementation and service support projects, both on-site and remotely. These projects have spanned not only across Latin America (including Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina) but also across Europe (such as Spain, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Italy).
From 2020 Luz has continued her musical studies at the National University of the Arts to study the Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at the Musical Arts Department (DAMus), with professors Alfredo Corral at the Piano Department and Laura Politi at the Chamber Music Department.
Luz is a new graduate student at the Ohio University School of Music where she is under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Fisher.
In 2007, Luz continued her piano studies at the Conservatory of Music of Aragua State with Professor Arnaldo Pizzolante and performed as a violinist in the Carabobo Youth Symphony Orchestra conducted by Joshua Dos Santos, while studying violin at the Mozarteum School of Music in Caracas.
In 2011, she furthered her piano studies in Caracas with Professor Clara Marcano and was admitted to the Manuel Alberto López Experimental School of Music in 2013, where she won 2nd prize in the "Sonatas and Sonatinas EEMMAL 2013” Piano Competition and participated in the Concert of Excellence. She presented her solo recital at the end of 10 years of academic piano studies in 2015 as a graduate of the Conservatory of Music of Aragua State under the guidance of Prof. Nidia Ferrarotto.
By the time she completed her undergraduate studies in Administrative and Management Sciences, she was able to achieve important merits at school such as the honorable mention “Magna Cum Laude” obtaining the No. 1 position in the 2018 Commencement, and the Maximum Academic Index achieved in the Marketing and Logistics Senior Technician Degrees at the Center Technological University, and the “Academic Excellence Recognition” several times at the Carabobo Conservatory of Music for her excellent grades. Additionally, she won the piano position by auditioning at the Carabobo Symphony Orchestra in 2017.
Furthermore, Luz also worked as a piano professor, teaching piano and music theory classes in her private studio, and also at "Centro de Capacitación Musical Teresa Carreño", which is a Music learning academy for students of all ages. Additionally, she has worked accompanying lyric singers and chamber music ensembles in recitals, masses, and weddings as a collaborative pianist.
Moreover, Luz has performed numerous concerts at important venues in Venezuela such as the Teresa Carreño Theater in Caracas, Simón Bolívar University Auditorium Complex, National Experimental University of the Western Plains “UNELLEZ” Auditorium Complex, Chacao Cultural Center in Caracas, Dr. Alfredo Celis Pérez Theater, Valencia´s Municipal Theater, "El Hatillo" Cultural Center in Caracas, Italian House Theater of Maracay, Maracay´s Ateneo Theater, Eladio Alemán Sucre Cultural Center, among others, and on stages in Buenos Aires - Argentina such as Empire Theater, Russian House, Alianza Francesa and García Morillo Auditorium.
Luz has also developed a career in technology for seven years, specifically in SAP (software for managing enterprise resources) with the Materials Management Module, and SAP Ariba (a cloud-based software that simplifies the procure-to-pay process), both related to the logistics consulting area. This experience has provided her with significant working experience from various countries in SAP implementation and service support projects, both on-site and remotely. These projects have spanned not only across Latin America (including Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina) but also across Europe (such as Spain, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and Italy).
From 2020 Luz has continued her musical studies at the National University of the Arts to study the Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance at the Musical Arts Department (DAMus), with professors Alfredo Corral at the Piano Department and Laura Politi at the Chamber Music Department.
Luz is a new graduate student at the Ohio University School of Music where she is under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Fisher.
Zihan Hao
Zihan Hao, a native of China, began learning the piano at the age of five. In 2020, she was admitted to the Piano Department of Shenyang Conservatory of Music, where she flourished under the mentorship of Professor Fang Zhang. Throughout her undergraduate studies, Zihan distinguished herself by earning multiple National Encouragement Scholarships and Scholarships from the Conservatory. In 2024, Zihan graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Piano Performance from Shenyang Conservatory of Music, earning the title of "Outstanding Graduate" and successfully hosting a graduation concert. Currently, she is pursuing a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance at Ohio University under the guidance of Dr. Christopher Fisher.
William Keller
William Keller is a junior at Ohio University where he is double majoring in marketing and piano. He has played the piano since the age of 5 and began his studies with Debra Vagasky. He has participated in Piano Guild Auditions for five years and began playing chamber music at the age of eleven through Chamber Music Connection (CMC) in Worthington, Ohio for the next six years. While at CMC, he studied with Deborah Price, Suzanne Newcomb, and Christopher Durrenberger, who became his mentor at the age of 13. He competed at the Midwest Young Artists Discover National Chamber Music Competition and has taken part in many master classes with such artists as Seymour Fink. In 2020, he began participating in piano concerto competitions where he received an honorable mention at the New Albany Symphony Concerto Competition. He enjoys the works of Ravel and Art Tatum. From Delaware, Ohio, he graduated from Olentangy High School in 2021 and came to Ohio University the consequent year. William was second prize winner in the 2023 New Albany Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and received first prize in the Young Artist Division of the 2023 Graves/CEOMTA Piano Competition.
Siyu Li
At the age of five, Siyu Li began studying the piano. She placed first in her major when she was accepted into the Wuhan Conservatory of Music's high school affiliate in 2015. She was accepted to the Wuhan Conservatory of Music in 2018 to pursue undergraduate studies under Dr. Jingbei Li.
Siyu is the recipient of several scholarships and competitions.At the 2013 Imola International Piano Competition,she won the first prize of the junior group. In 2015 She won the first prize in the Shanghai Open piano competition.In 2019, She qualified for the international finals of the Second Liszt Youth International Piano Competition after winning the gold medal in the China Division. In 2020 She took first place in the Yangtze Cup Piano Competition in both the solo group and the four-hand group. In 2021, She won the first prize at the 3rd Liszt Youth International Piano Competition in China's Hubei Division. She is a first-year graduate student at the Ohio University School of Music where she is a student of Dr. Christopher Fisher.
Outside of music, Siyu loves photography and hiking. She is also keen on watching movies.
Siyu is the recipient of several scholarships and competitions.At the 2013 Imola International Piano Competition,she won the first prize of the junior group. In 2015 She won the first prize in the Shanghai Open piano competition.In 2019, She qualified for the international finals of the Second Liszt Youth International Piano Competition after winning the gold medal in the China Division. In 2020 She took first place in the Yangtze Cup Piano Competition in both the solo group and the four-hand group. In 2021, She won the first prize at the 3rd Liszt Youth International Piano Competition in China's Hubei Division. She is a first-year graduate student at the Ohio University School of Music where she is a student of Dr. Christopher Fisher.
Outside of music, Siyu loves photography and hiking. She is also keen on watching movies.
Griffin Nelson
GGriffin Nelson is a Sophomore at Ohio University studying Piano Performance and Pedagogy under Dr. Christopher Fisher in the Honors Tutorial College. He began his musical journey at five years old, taking violin lessons for two years. He then switched instruments, making piano his main focus through the rest of his academic career. He studied piano and music theory under Rebekah Robertson as a beginner, and later, as his abilities developed, switched to teacher and former concert pianist Mayde Robertson.
As a first-generation musician in his family, Griffin proved determination and self-sufficiency for his musical development. In 2017, he began taking part in the National Federation of Music Clubs festival, competing in both the Piano Solo and Theory events. He now holds a 30-point cup in both events, in addition to his 15-point cup for the Piano Duet category. He has experience in chamber music, performing piano trios with the Wyoming Fine Arts Center, as well as numerous piano duets, including works by Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Faure, Poulenc and Kapustin, among many others. He earned a scholarship to attend the Otterbein University summer music camp in 2021, in which he studied composition under Dr. Jennifer Merkowitz. Additionally, his recent performances at the Ohio MTA 2024 Piano Solo and Ensemble Competition received honorable mentions in both the Senior Solo and Adult Duet/Duo divisions.
Griffin's passion for piano repertoire proves to serve as constant inspiration for achieving the highest levels of artistry and technical ability. He focuses on maintaining a well-rounded and balanced repertoire, although his most beloved works come from 19th and 20th century Russia. Some of his favorite pieces to perform include the crowd favorites Liebestraum No. 3 by Franz Liszt, Chopin's Op. 10 No. 12 "Revolutionary" Etude, Rachmaninoff Preludes, including the fiery Op. 3 No. 2 in c# minor and his luscious D Major from Op. 23, and Beethoven's Op. 13 Sonata in c minor "Pathetique", as well as works such as Excursions, Op. 20 by Samuel Barber, Debussy's beautiful "Reflets dans L'eau" from Images, Book 1, in addition to his lesser known Nocturne in D Flat, L. 82. Outside of piano, Griffin enjoys shopping for new shoes, watching a good rom-com, playing soccer and volleyball, and teaching his siblings about the most random classical music facts he can come up with.
As a first-generation musician in his family, Griffin proved determination and self-sufficiency for his musical development. In 2017, he began taking part in the National Federation of Music Clubs festival, competing in both the Piano Solo and Theory events. He now holds a 30-point cup in both events, in addition to his 15-point cup for the Piano Duet category. He has experience in chamber music, performing piano trios with the Wyoming Fine Arts Center, as well as numerous piano duets, including works by Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Faure, Poulenc and Kapustin, among many others. He earned a scholarship to attend the Otterbein University summer music camp in 2021, in which he studied composition under Dr. Jennifer Merkowitz. Additionally, his recent performances at the Ohio MTA 2024 Piano Solo and Ensemble Competition received honorable mentions in both the Senior Solo and Adult Duet/Duo divisions.
Griffin's passion for piano repertoire proves to serve as constant inspiration for achieving the highest levels of artistry and technical ability. He focuses on maintaining a well-rounded and balanced repertoire, although his most beloved works come from 19th and 20th century Russia. Some of his favorite pieces to perform include the crowd favorites Liebestraum No. 3 by Franz Liszt, Chopin's Op. 10 No. 12 "Revolutionary" Etude, Rachmaninoff Preludes, including the fiery Op. 3 No. 2 in c# minor and his luscious D Major from Op. 23, and Beethoven's Op. 13 Sonata in c minor "Pathetique", as well as works such as Excursions, Op. 20 by Samuel Barber, Debussy's beautiful "Reflets dans L'eau" from Images, Book 1, in addition to his lesser known Nocturne in D Flat, L. 82. Outside of piano, Griffin enjoys shopping for new shoes, watching a good rom-com, playing soccer and volleyball, and teaching his siblings about the most random classical music facts he can come up with.
Alejandro Orta
Venezuelan pianist Alejandro Orta is a senior piano major at the Ohio University School of Music and Honors Tutorial College where he is a student of Professor of Piano Dr. Christopher Fisher. He is a laureate of many competitions both in the United States and in his home country. Recent prizes include first place in New Albany Symphony's 2024 Student Concerto Competition and the 2021 Graves/OhioMTA Young Artist Competition and Senior Division winner of the 2021 Ohio University School of Music High School Concerto Competition, in which he performed the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Concerto with the Ohio University Symphony Orchestra. He has played in master classes of celebrated pianists including Jean-Yves Thibaudet, George Li, Henry Kramer, Dominic Cheli and Kate Liu.
In 2008, at the age of eight, Alejandro began his piano studies with Professor Elizabeth Guerrero in Juan José Landaeta National Conservatory of Music. There he cultivated his passion and love for music, playing concerts and recitals. Alejandro participated in the second level of the XI Silvia Eisenstein National Piano Competition where he won first prize, Best Sonatina Performance Award, Best Venezuelan Work Performance Award in 2011. He played in La Fete de la Musique (sponsored by the French Embassy) in 2010 and 2013.
At the age of 13, he continued his piano studies with Professor Carlos Urbaneja Silva at the Mozarteum Caracas School of Music. He participated in the fifth level of the XIII Silvia Eisenstein National Piano Competition where he received the second prize in 2016.
He was selected to participate in three seminars of the National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela held at “Las Taritas” farm in order to begin an international tour with Maestro Gustavo Dudamel in 2017. Alejandro has performed the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 with the National Philharmonic Orchestra (Venezuela) and conductor Daniel Gil, followed by performances of Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 and Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Municipal Orchestra of Caracas under the baton of Maestro Rodolfo Saglimbeni. He has performed in all of the major concert venues in Caracas including the José Félix Ribas Concert Hall of the Teresa Carreño Theater, Simón Bolívar Hall, Humboldt Cultural Association, BOD Cultural Center, Anna Julia Rojas Hall, Villa Planchart, Museum of Colonial Art of Venezuela, Transport Museum “Guillermo José Schael”, among others.
In 2008, at the age of eight, Alejandro began his piano studies with Professor Elizabeth Guerrero in Juan José Landaeta National Conservatory of Music. There he cultivated his passion and love for music, playing concerts and recitals. Alejandro participated in the second level of the XI Silvia Eisenstein National Piano Competition where he won first prize, Best Sonatina Performance Award, Best Venezuelan Work Performance Award in 2011. He played in La Fete de la Musique (sponsored by the French Embassy) in 2010 and 2013.
At the age of 13, he continued his piano studies with Professor Carlos Urbaneja Silva at the Mozarteum Caracas School of Music. He participated in the fifth level of the XIII Silvia Eisenstein National Piano Competition where he received the second prize in 2016.
He was selected to participate in three seminars of the National Youth Orchestra of Venezuela held at “Las Taritas” farm in order to begin an international tour with Maestro Gustavo Dudamel in 2017. Alejandro has performed the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 23 with the National Philharmonic Orchestra (Venezuela) and conductor Daniel Gil, followed by performances of Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1 and Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Municipal Orchestra of Caracas under the baton of Maestro Rodolfo Saglimbeni. He has performed in all of the major concert venues in Caracas including the José Félix Ribas Concert Hall of the Teresa Carreño Theater, Simón Bolívar Hall, Humboldt Cultural Association, BOD Cultural Center, Anna Julia Rojas Hall, Villa Planchart, Museum of Colonial Art of Venezuela, Transport Museum “Guillermo José Schael”, among others.
Edy Panjaitan
Edy R. Panjaitan is an Indonesian pianist. He was awarded a graduate assistantship to pursue the PhD in Interdisciplinary Arts - Artist Scholar Track program at Ohio University under tutelage a renowned professor, Dr. Christopher Fisher. He graduated from Medan State University with predicate cum laude and awarded as “the best Alumnus” in 2016 with full achievements’ scholarship from Indonesian Ministry of Higher Education. In 2018, he completed his master's degree at the College of Chinese & ASEAN Arts under tutelage Prof. Irina Gorin (USA), Prof. Patrick Lechner (Austria) and Prof. Jiang Qicheng (China). He was also awardee of Chengdu-ASEAN government’s scholarship.
'Mr. Panjaitan has a beautiful pianistic touch showing great sensitivity and awareness of the emotional content of the music. He has performed on the international stage, competitions and festivals acquiring a great deal of experience in a short space of time. His interpretation to the requirements of the composer is apparent alongside his skill cross-genre.' - Chris Caton-Greasley
'Mr Panjaitan is a sensitive young pianist who is able to lift us out of our seats, transporting us to timbral worlds never thought possible on the instrument' - Ian Anderson
He was invited to present a residence concert by the German Consul before his very special guest representing eleven countries including the Consul General, notable businessmen, music professors, journalists, and artists. “I was star truck: originating from a tiny village I was able to achieve all of this. At this point I was bursting with pride”. He is also the first Indonesian musician who appeared in the anthology book “The Power of Why Musicians” compiled by Glory St Germain, a best seller in the United States and some other countries.
He is the winner of Mars PPID, Perhimpunan Pelajar Indonesia Dunia, OISAA, Overseas Indonesian Students’ Association Alliance. He composed a legacy with enthusiastic lyrics and vivacious music, Hopefully, be able to inspire and motivate “we” as a student around the world.
He has conducted research on Ananda Sukarian's Rapsodia Nusantara No. 4. Sukarian is an Indonesian leading pianist.
Mr. Panjaitan was choosen as a national jury of song writing competition 2021 & 2022 (Festival Lomba Seni Siswa Nasional) and he was also invited as jury for some international talent search competition. He has been invited as accompanist for major choral groups in Indonesia and been performing internationally. He founded his unique global “panda piano course” to educate students from all corners of the globe guided by internationally reputable teachers. He also hosts an international webinar, “panda piano corner” with acclaimed musicians from around the world, as it is aimed for sharing the world’s musical inspiration.
'Mr. Panjaitan has a beautiful pianistic touch showing great sensitivity and awareness of the emotional content of the music. He has performed on the international stage, competitions and festivals acquiring a great deal of experience in a short space of time. His interpretation to the requirements of the composer is apparent alongside his skill cross-genre.' - Chris Caton-Greasley
'Mr Panjaitan is a sensitive young pianist who is able to lift us out of our seats, transporting us to timbral worlds never thought possible on the instrument' - Ian Anderson
He was invited to present a residence concert by the German Consul before his very special guest representing eleven countries including the Consul General, notable businessmen, music professors, journalists, and artists. “I was star truck: originating from a tiny village I was able to achieve all of this. At this point I was bursting with pride”. He is also the first Indonesian musician who appeared in the anthology book “The Power of Why Musicians” compiled by Glory St Germain, a best seller in the United States and some other countries.
He is the winner of Mars PPID, Perhimpunan Pelajar Indonesia Dunia, OISAA, Overseas Indonesian Students’ Association Alliance. He composed a legacy with enthusiastic lyrics and vivacious music, Hopefully, be able to inspire and motivate “we” as a student around the world.
He has conducted research on Ananda Sukarian's Rapsodia Nusantara No. 4. Sukarian is an Indonesian leading pianist.
Mr. Panjaitan was choosen as a national jury of song writing competition 2021 & 2022 (Festival Lomba Seni Siswa Nasional) and he was also invited as jury for some international talent search competition. He has been invited as accompanist for major choral groups in Indonesia and been performing internationally. He founded his unique global “panda piano course” to educate students from all corners of the globe guided by internationally reputable teachers. He also hosts an international webinar, “panda piano corner” with acclaimed musicians from around the world, as it is aimed for sharing the world’s musical inspiration.
Caden Potter
Caden Potter is a senior in the Honors Tutorial College at Ohio University, studying with Dr. Christopher Fisher. Originally from Surprise, Arizona, he began taking piano lessons in 2nd grade and began percussion in 4th grade. In the fall of 2022, Caden was named Alternate (Second Prize) in the Ohio Division of the Music Teachers National Association Young Artist Competition. As first prize winner of the 2023 New Albany Symphony Orchestra Concert Competition, Caden will give two performances of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with New Albany Symphony Orchestra in March of 2023 as part of their subscriptions concert series.
Caden served as percussionist and timpanist with the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras (PYSO) for five years and, in 2019, soloed on piano with PYSO at the Mesa Center for the Arts after winning the API Piano Concerto Competition. In 2021 Caden soloed with the PYSO percussion ensemble on marimba and was a winner of the 2021 Ohio University School of Music High School Concerto Competition.
Caden studied piano with Olga Gorelik for the last six years and percussion with Liz Guzman for the past 4 years. He has attended multiple music festivals, participated in competitions and studied with teachers such as Pavlina Dokovska, Eugene Pridonoff, Eliasabeth Pridonoff, Eckart Sellheim, Dian Baker, Dr. Barbara Fast, Dr. Emely Phelps, Dr. Christopher Fisher, Dr. Jay Roberts, Drew Le, Silvan Negrutiu, Eliran Avni, Yuri Kot, and Heidi Williams. Caden has taken percussion lessons and master classes with Mika Stoltzman, John Kasica, Roger Braun, Michael Competello, Matthew Holm, Katherine Stonefelt and Liz Guzman.
Caden enjoys collaborating with other musicians, especially his twin sister, Gracie (trombone), his older sister, Emma (french horn) and playing piano duets with his younger sister, Lily. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, learning about history, playing board games with family and friends and, of course, video games.
Caden served as percussionist and timpanist with the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestras (PYSO) for five years and, in 2019, soloed on piano with PYSO at the Mesa Center for the Arts after winning the API Piano Concerto Competition. In 2021 Caden soloed with the PYSO percussion ensemble on marimba and was a winner of the 2021 Ohio University School of Music High School Concerto Competition.
Caden studied piano with Olga Gorelik for the last six years and percussion with Liz Guzman for the past 4 years. He has attended multiple music festivals, participated in competitions and studied with teachers such as Pavlina Dokovska, Eugene Pridonoff, Eliasabeth Pridonoff, Eckart Sellheim, Dian Baker, Dr. Barbara Fast, Dr. Emely Phelps, Dr. Christopher Fisher, Dr. Jay Roberts, Drew Le, Silvan Negrutiu, Eliran Avni, Yuri Kot, and Heidi Williams. Caden has taken percussion lessons and master classes with Mika Stoltzman, John Kasica, Roger Braun, Michael Competello, Matthew Holm, Katherine Stonefelt and Liz Guzman.
Caden enjoys collaborating with other musicians, especially his twin sister, Gracie (trombone), his older sister, Emma (french horn) and playing piano duets with his younger sister, Lily. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, learning about history, playing board games with family and friends and, of course, video games.
Laura Silva
Laura Silva is a versatile musician with 20 years of professional experience. She graduated with a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy under the tutelage of Dr. Christopher Fisher at Ohio University, where is continuing her piano studies and musicology in the PhD program of Interdisciplinary Arts.
During her graduate studies at OU, Laura has been a group piano instructor for music-major college students, and a collaborative pianist of University Singers and Choral Union. She has also been a private piano instructor at ACMS, and a collaborative pianist for college and graduate students. She has been the instructor of Introduction to Piano Safari, Piano Ensembles, and Body Percussion/Movement at the ACMS Summer Week; she has also collaborated with the Music Theater Summer Camp and assisted the Piano Summer Camp. During her doctoral studies, she has been an instructor of Introductory courses to the Arts for undergraduate students and is the director of the Piano Ensembles Project at the Athens Community School of Music.
Laura Silva has been awarded the Silvia Reynolds Eckes Scholarship (2017-2019), the 2nd Prize at the Ohio International Piano Duo & Duet Competition with Teodora Owen (2018), the Graduate Achievement in Performance Award at the Annual OU School of Music Honors Assembly (2018), and the OU Diversity Fellowship (2019-2020). She premiered the nationally awarded piano solo piece “Art Miniatures” by Ryne Siesky (2018) at the West Fork New Music Festival at Fairmont State University (WV), the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Conference in Ashland, and the Society of Composers International Invitational at West Virginia University.
Three of her Elementary Piano Ensemble pieces are published by Piano Safari. Part of her teaching philosophy can be found on the article “The Power of Piano Ensembles: Building Collaboration, Musicianship, and Community” for The Piano Magazine: Clavier Companion published in 2019. She has joined the OU MTNA Chapter as Treasurer (2017-2018) and Vice-President (2018-2020), and has presented posters and conferences at several conferences such as MTNA Symposia, National Conference of MTNA and NCKP. In the latest edition of the NCKP, she has prepared a Virtual Piano Ensemble with the performance contribution of pianists attending and presenting at this conference. The arrangement for this project has been published by TimeWarp for the music library app SuperScore.
Laura holds degrees from the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica Juan Jose Landaeta, Central Universidad Central de Venezuela (Bachelor in Social Psychology) and a Master of Music from the Universidad Simon Bolivar. Her piano mentors have been Elizabeth Guerrero, Carlos Urbaneja, Abraham Abreu, Manuel Laufer, Christopher Fisher, Stephanie Wu, and Emely Phelps. She has participated of piano master classes and lessons of Judith Jaimes, Frank Fernández, Walter Blankenheim, Carlos Duarte, Gabriela Montero, Roger Muraro, Monique Duphil, Prisca Benoit, Michel Beroff, Laura Mikkola, Kristiina Junttu, Edith Peña, Vadym Kholodenko, Michael Chertock, Rachel Kudo, and Kwan Yi.
Besides the piano, she has studied organ with Paul Barte and Pablo Castellanos; harpsichord with Rubén Guzmán and Bruno Procopio and she has received classes of baroque music at courses with Jacques Ogg, Ketil Haugsand and Alessandro Santoro, among others. She obtained an advanced certificate at Ohio University in choral conducting, studying with Bradley Naylor and Paul Mayhew and has studied composition with Mark Phillips. She is currently interested in studies on music, identity, and migratory processes such as diasporas.
In her native city, Caracas, Laura was a piano teacher at Mozarteum Caracas School of Music, where she started the Piano Ensembles project (2014) that she has replicated in the US. She is a former principal pianist of the UNESCO awarded network “El Sistema”. She was the titular pianist at Teresa Carreño Youth Symphony Orchestra, a collaborative pianist of the Latin American Academy of Flutes, and participated of multiple concerts and festivals. Laura has partnered with the “Orquesta Barroca Simón Bolívar”, “Orquesta de Cámara Mozarteum Caracas”, “Orquesta Filarmónica Nacional de Venezuela”, “Orquesta Juvenil de Caracas”, “Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar de Venezuela”, “Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas”, “Schola Cantorum de Venezuela”, among others, and performed at the most prestigious venues in Europe, Asia, and the US, under the baton of internationally known artists such as Gustavo Dudamel, Christian Vazquez, Diego Matheuz, Alberto Grau, and María Guinand.
https://laurasilvapiano.weebly.com/
During her graduate studies at OU, Laura has been a group piano instructor for music-major college students, and a collaborative pianist of University Singers and Choral Union. She has also been a private piano instructor at ACMS, and a collaborative pianist for college and graduate students. She has been the instructor of Introduction to Piano Safari, Piano Ensembles, and Body Percussion/Movement at the ACMS Summer Week; she has also collaborated with the Music Theater Summer Camp and assisted the Piano Summer Camp. During her doctoral studies, she has been an instructor of Introductory courses to the Arts for undergraduate students and is the director of the Piano Ensembles Project at the Athens Community School of Music.
Laura Silva has been awarded the Silvia Reynolds Eckes Scholarship (2017-2019), the 2nd Prize at the Ohio International Piano Duo & Duet Competition with Teodora Owen (2018), the Graduate Achievement in Performance Award at the Annual OU School of Music Honors Assembly (2018), and the OU Diversity Fellowship (2019-2020). She premiered the nationally awarded piano solo piece “Art Miniatures” by Ryne Siesky (2018) at the West Fork New Music Festival at Fairmont State University (WV), the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Conference in Ashland, and the Society of Composers International Invitational at West Virginia University.
Three of her Elementary Piano Ensemble pieces are published by Piano Safari. Part of her teaching philosophy can be found on the article “The Power of Piano Ensembles: Building Collaboration, Musicianship, and Community” for The Piano Magazine: Clavier Companion published in 2019. She has joined the OU MTNA Chapter as Treasurer (2017-2018) and Vice-President (2018-2020), and has presented posters and conferences at several conferences such as MTNA Symposia, National Conference of MTNA and NCKP. In the latest edition of the NCKP, she has prepared a Virtual Piano Ensemble with the performance contribution of pianists attending and presenting at this conference. The arrangement for this project has been published by TimeWarp for the music library app SuperScore.
Laura holds degrees from the Conservatorio Nacional de Musica Juan Jose Landaeta, Central Universidad Central de Venezuela (Bachelor in Social Psychology) and a Master of Music from the Universidad Simon Bolivar. Her piano mentors have been Elizabeth Guerrero, Carlos Urbaneja, Abraham Abreu, Manuel Laufer, Christopher Fisher, Stephanie Wu, and Emely Phelps. She has participated of piano master classes and lessons of Judith Jaimes, Frank Fernández, Walter Blankenheim, Carlos Duarte, Gabriela Montero, Roger Muraro, Monique Duphil, Prisca Benoit, Michel Beroff, Laura Mikkola, Kristiina Junttu, Edith Peña, Vadym Kholodenko, Michael Chertock, Rachel Kudo, and Kwan Yi.
Besides the piano, she has studied organ with Paul Barte and Pablo Castellanos; harpsichord with Rubén Guzmán and Bruno Procopio and she has received classes of baroque music at courses with Jacques Ogg, Ketil Haugsand and Alessandro Santoro, among others. She obtained an advanced certificate at Ohio University in choral conducting, studying with Bradley Naylor and Paul Mayhew and has studied composition with Mark Phillips. She is currently interested in studies on music, identity, and migratory processes such as diasporas.
In her native city, Caracas, Laura was a piano teacher at Mozarteum Caracas School of Music, where she started the Piano Ensembles project (2014) that she has replicated in the US. She is a former principal pianist of the UNESCO awarded network “El Sistema”. She was the titular pianist at Teresa Carreño Youth Symphony Orchestra, a collaborative pianist of the Latin American Academy of Flutes, and participated of multiple concerts and festivals. Laura has partnered with the “Orquesta Barroca Simón Bolívar”, “Orquesta de Cámara Mozarteum Caracas”, “Orquesta Filarmónica Nacional de Venezuela”, “Orquesta Juvenil de Caracas”, “Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar de Venezuela”, “Orquesta Sinfónica Municipal de Caracas”, “Schola Cantorum de Venezuela”, among others, and performed at the most prestigious venues in Europe, Asia, and the US, under the baton of internationally known artists such as Gustavo Dudamel, Christian Vazquez, Diego Matheuz, Alberto Grau, and María Guinand.
https://laurasilvapiano.weebly.com/
Rylie Stopperich
Rylie Stopperich is a junior at Ohio University, studying music production with a minor in music. She is beginning her studies with Dr. Christopher Fisher after studying under Ms. Jiao. Sun during her freshman year. Rylie is from Washington, Pennsylvania. Her first piano lessons began at 9 years old and at age 11 she studied piano with Melody Sharp, who she continues to work with when home on breaks.
Rylie attended Chartiers-Houston high school, a small school in southwestern Pennsylvania with a very vibrant music program led by Bud Smokovich. She originally played percussion with the high school band and was later asked to play saxophone in 9th grade after many experienced saxophone players had graduated. She continued to play saxophone throughout the remainder of her high school tenure. Rylie was also asked to join her high school’s jazz band where she performed multiple solos for both school performances and performances offered to the local community during the holiday seasons.
At age 14, Rylie began playing the violin, studying under Carrie Erdely. She joined the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (PYPO) one year later, starting at their entry level. She became very involved with their program, performing in various concerts and volunteering to perform at local events offered for the Pittsburgh community. By her senior year, Rylie had achieved her goal and began performing with PYPO’s most advanced orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra. She continues to play violin today at OU with the ensemble orchestra.
In her free time, when not playing piano or violin, Rylie enjoys watching movies, reading, and thrifting.
Rylie attended Chartiers-Houston high school, a small school in southwestern Pennsylvania with a very vibrant music program led by Bud Smokovich. She originally played percussion with the high school band and was later asked to play saxophone in 9th grade after many experienced saxophone players had graduated. She continued to play saxophone throughout the remainder of her high school tenure. Rylie was also asked to join her high school’s jazz band where she performed multiple solos for both school performances and performances offered to the local community during the holiday seasons.
At age 14, Rylie began playing the violin, studying under Carrie Erdely. She joined the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra (PYPO) one year later, starting at their entry level. She became very involved with their program, performing in various concerts and volunteering to perform at local events offered for the Pittsburgh community. By her senior year, Rylie had achieved her goal and began performing with PYPO’s most advanced orchestra, the Philharmonic Orchestra. She continues to play violin today at OU with the ensemble orchestra.
In her free time, when not playing piano or violin, Rylie enjoys watching movies, reading, and thrifting.
Wenhao Zhang
Wenhao Zhang began his piano studies at the age of six and was accepted as a student at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music in 2018. He completed his degree in piano performance with Dr. Jingbei Li. Currently, Wenhao is a second-year graduate student at the Ohio University School of Music, where he studies with Dr. Christopher Fisher. Wenhao was appointed as the Vice President of the OU MTNA Chapter.
Wenhao is the recipient of several scholarships and competitions, including the Pacific Stars International Piano Competition, Graves Piano Co./CEOMTA piano competition, Orbifold Global Music Competition, Qingdao Music International Piano Competition 2020, and the 4th Franz Liszt Youth Piano Competition.
Wenhao is deeply interested in the music of John Cage, especially his prepared piano works. Wenhao and his team organized a special concert featuring Prepared Piano pieces at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music in 2023, collaborating with six dancers. Wenhao is also engaged in research on traditional Chinese zodiac music, culminating in his thesis titled "The Integration of Ancient and Modern Chinese Wisdom: A Case Study of the Piano Suite 'The Twelve Zodiac Signs'." Wenhao’s enthusiastic personality extends to exploring the diverse possibilities of contemporary music.
In addition to his primary focus on piano performance, Wenhao is skilled in piano tuning, which he pursued as a secondary major. In 2022, he completed a provincial project on this subject and presented his findings at a forum at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Wenhao is particularly fond of cooking, especially Chinese traditional food, and enjoys sharing his creations with friends.
Wenhao is the recipient of several scholarships and competitions, including the Pacific Stars International Piano Competition, Graves Piano Co./CEOMTA piano competition, Orbifold Global Music Competition, Qingdao Music International Piano Competition 2020, and the 4th Franz Liszt Youth Piano Competition.
Wenhao is deeply interested in the music of John Cage, especially his prepared piano works. Wenhao and his team organized a special concert featuring Prepared Piano pieces at the Wuhan Conservatory of Music in 2023, collaborating with six dancers. Wenhao is also engaged in research on traditional Chinese zodiac music, culminating in his thesis titled "The Integration of Ancient and Modern Chinese Wisdom: A Case Study of the Piano Suite 'The Twelve Zodiac Signs'." Wenhao’s enthusiastic personality extends to exploring the diverse possibilities of contemporary music.
In addition to his primary focus on piano performance, Wenhao is skilled in piano tuning, which he pursued as a secondary major. In 2022, he completed a provincial project on this subject and presented his findings at a forum at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Wenhao is particularly fond of cooking, especially Chinese traditional food, and enjoys sharing his creations with friends.
Weida Zhuo
Weida Zhuo is a second-year graduate student at the Ohio University School of Music where he is pursuing the Master of Music degree in Piano Performance under the guidance of Professor Christopher Fisher. Mr. Zhuo holds an undergraduate degree in piano performance from the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in China. He is a laureate of many competitions including the 11th Singapore China International Music Competition and the Chicago International Music Competition. He was a winner of the 2023 Ohio University School of Music Student Soloist Competition and performed Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Ohio University Symphony Orchestra.
