December 2024 and January 2025
Sam Glicklich, piano, won First Prize in the Taiwan International Maestro Piano Festival.
En-Chun (Eugene) Lin, cello, won Section Cello with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
September and October 2024
Yanfeng (Tony) Bai, piano, won the Grand Prize at the Valencia International Performing Arts Summer Festival.
Gabriel Crist, piano, won the Grand Prize at the Malaga International Piano Festival in the 18+ category, and was selected as a winner of the Concerto Competition at the Malaga International Piano Festival and performed Schumann’s Piano Concerto with the Malaga Symphony Orchestra.
SoJung Kim, bass, won the position of Associate Principal Bass in the San Francisco Ballet.
Sze Hei (Victor) Lee, double bass, won a Fellowship with the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra.
Gracie Potter, trombone, won Principal Trombone in the Richmond Symphony.
Yoomin Seo (alumna ’23), violin, was appointed concertmaster of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and has begun her first season with the group.
Yu-Ping Tsai, violin, won Associate Concertmaster with the Jacksonville Symphony.
Christy Wu, piano, won first prize at the Valencia International Performing Arts Summer Festival, as well as the Grand Prize at the Malaga International Piano Festival in the 18+ category.
Emily Wu, piano, was selected as a winner of the Concerto Competition at the Malaga International Piano Festival and performed Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Malaga Symphony Orchestra.
November 2024
David Choi, piano, Kayden Kelly, piano, and Rubi Lee, violin, received YoungArts Awards in the YoungArts 2025 competition in November 2024.
Eiline Tai, cello, was awarded the title of ‘Winner with Distinction’ at the YoungArts 2025 Competition and will go on to perform at the 2025 National YoungArts Week in Miami in January 2025.
James Birch, violin, was awarded a Career Grant from the Salon De Virtuosi, and will be featured on the Salon De Virtuosi Gala Awards Concert at the Kosciuszko Foundation in New York.
Evangeline Lien, viola, won Best Baroque Performance, Best Classical Performance, Best Concerto Performance, Best Prelude Performance, and the Gold Star Award at the Music and Stars Awards, as well as the Wiener Klassik Prize of the 5th 4Seasons Musician Competition of the Vienna Classical Music Competition.
Pinyi Lin, piano, won first prize at the Valencia International Performing Arts Summer Festival and the Absolute First Prize at the Malaga International Piano Festival in 2024.
Eiline Tai, cello, won the Virtuoso & Belcanto Concerto Competition in Lucca, Italy, and will perform as a soloist in Europe next summer. She will also perform Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Southern California Philharmonic as a featured soloist.
This year’s 2023-24 Dance Academy students will continue their training at top dance programs nationally and internationally, including:
Chloe Oronoz, dance, is currently performing George Balanchine’s Serenade with LA Ballet.
Nathan Baham, piano, won Fourth Place in Division IIIb at the XVIII Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, as well as Second Place in Category D of the California Association for Professional Music Teachers Honors Competition, District 3.
Ethan Cheung, piano, was selected to perform at the California Association for Professional Music Teachers Southern Festival Celebration.
Isaac Fujikawa, piano, received Second Place in the Rising Star category of the Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic Competition, and will perform with the orchestra this summer.
Joshua Gatus, piano, received Bronze Medal at Music Olympiad from MTAC (Los Angeles branch).
Kento Ishikawa, piano, was selected to be one of five finalists in the Edith Knox Concerto Competition.
Kayla Kim, viola, won Principal Viola in the California All State Orchestra.
Jasper Kugler, tuba, advanced to finalist for the President’s Own Concert Competition.
Jasmine Ji, piano, received First Prize Los Angeles International Liszt Competition.
Aron Khakimianov, voice, was cast in a featured youth role in L.A. Opera’s production of Las tres mujeres de Jerusalén.
Aaron Ko, piano, received Second Place in category C at California Association for Professional Music Teachers honors competition.
Alex Lee, trumpet, was invited to the Semi-Final Live Round of the 2025 National Trumpet Competition (Junior Solo Division), was well as accepted into the 2025 California All-State Ensemble and the 2025 All-Southern Honor Band.
Ashley Li, cello, received First Place in the Elite Music Competition.
Allis Nguyem, piano, won First Prize in Category B of the District IX California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) Honors Competition and will participate in the State Finals.
Emmanuel Ree, piano, received the Gold Medal at Music Olympiad from MTAC (Los Angeles branch), as well as First Place at Golden Classical Music Awards. He will get to perform at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall.
Jemma Ree, piano, received the Bronze Medal at Music Olympiad from MTAC (Los Angeles branch).
Iris Xiong, piano, received Second Place in the Rising Star category of the Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic Competition, and will perform with the orchestra this summer.
Rachel Won, violin, was a Semifinalist in the Spotlight Competition.
Gavin Yang, violin, won the Glendale MTAC Contemporary Festival in violin division.
Jason Yang, piano, received the Gold Medal at Music Olympiad from MTAC (Los Angeles branch), as well as First Place at the Golden Classical Music Awards.
Cincy Yi, piano, won First Prize in Category B of the District IX California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) Contemporary Competition and will participate in the State Finals.
Kevin Yi, piano, received Honorable Mention in Category C of the District IX California Association for Professional Music Teachers Contemporary Competition.
November 2024 Raymond Cai, piano, received first place as well as a gold medal at the 2024 Southern California Junior Bach Festival Complete Works Audition.
Kai Canton, piano, received third place as well as a bronze medal at the 2024 Southern California Junior Bach Festival Complete Works Audition.
Ella Choi, Music Composition, received first prize in Chamber Music Composition for “Harlequin’s Dance” in the Vivaldi International Music Competition, as well as the gold prize in Chamber Music Composition for “Harlequin’s Dance” in the Berlioz International Music Competition.
Jasmin Ji, piano, received first prize in the Moments of Music Competition.
London Knight, guitar, received first place in Division 1 at the American Guitar Society – Vahdah Olcott Bickford Competition.
Ashley Li, cello, received a medal in Junior Cello at the 2024 Southern California Junior Bach Festival Complete Works Audition.
Rocco Li, piano, received first place in the 2024 American Protégé International Romantic Music Competition.
Isabelle Lu, piano, received first place in the 2024 American Protégé International Romantic Music Competition, Young Musicians category (ages 5-10).
Astrid Lindquist Newman, violin, received second prize in The Art of Instrumental Performance Competition.
Ailis Nguyen, piano, received second prize in the Young Pianist 1 category as well as third prize in the Piano Open Baroque 4 category of the SYMF Piano Competition.
Joaquin Park, guitar, received second place in Division 1 at the American Guitar Society – Vahdah Olcott Bickford Competition.
Noah Park, guitar, received second place in Division 2 at the American Guitar Society – Vahdah Olcott Bickford Competition.
Andrew Peng, violin, received the platinum prize in the 21st Century Prominent Musicians Award, the gold prize in the 2024 European Concert Artists Award, as well as the silver award in the Singapore International Music Competition.
Mina Ree, piano, received third place in the Etude Festival (MTAC-LA Category 3).
Julian Siever, violin, advanced to the final round of the Grand Concours International Competition.
Jeff Shin, piano, received second place in the Etude Festival (MTAC-LA Category 1).
Elaina Stuppler, voice, was a YoungArts award winner with distinction in the Voice/Singer-Songwriter category.
Lev Sakae Taira, violin, was a winner in the YoungArts competition.
Liam Thomas, violin, received first prize in the Prodigy Instrumental Category at the Southern California Philharmonic Young Artists Competition, and second prize in High School Division at the American Prize Competition.
Rachel Won, violin, was appointed Concertmaster of the Equity Arc Pathways Orchestra.
Gavin Yang, violin, performed a solo in a contemporary version of Vivaldi’s “Winter” (arr. and directed by Mark Wood) as the Concertmaster of Arcadia High School.
Ashlyn Zheng, piano, received third place in the Etude Festival (MTAC-LA Category 2).
Isabella Zhou, violin, received the silver medal in the Junior category at the 2024 Southern California Junior Bach Festival Complete Works Audition.
Raymond Cai, piano, won second place in the Piano Open Baroque category in the Southwestern Youth Music Festival.
Kai Canton, piano, received first place in the Piano Open Chopin Shorter Works and Piano Open Complete Classic Work categories at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival.
Daphne Gobron-Pesheva, piano, was selected to perform at the closing ceremony at the Orbiford Festival in Palazzo Adriano, Sicily, Italy, receiving high praise from the mayor and local press.
Anthony Gobron-Pesheva, piano, was selected to perform at the closing ceremony at the Orbiford Festival in Palazzo Adriano, Sicily, Italy, receiving high praise from the mayor and local press.
Caden Guo, piano, received second place in the Piano Open Solo and third place in the Piano Open Baroque category in the Southwestern Youth Music Festival.
Ailis Nguyen, piano, received second place in the Young Pianist category and third place in the Piano Open Baroque category at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival.
Mia Safdie, piano, received an honorable mention at the Thomas Hulbert International Piano Competition.
Rachel Won, piano, is a finalist in the From the Top Learning and Media Lab Fellowship.
John Wu, piano, received first prize in the Ventura College Henry Schwab Competition.
Ryan Yang, cello, won the Junior Cello Category of the CalASTA State Solo Competition.
2023–24 Student Accomplishments
2022-23 Student Accomplishments