March 2023

We’ve had the pleasure and can’t express our endless gratitude, as rising star, Kevin Chen, performed at our local Canadian Music Competition fundraiser in 2023, March. Born in March 2005, Kevin Chen started his piano studies at age five. Since then, his successes in competitive performance have gained significant international appreciation, including first prize in the Arthur Rubinstein Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv, Israel (March 2023); first prize in the Concours de Genève (November 2022); first prize in the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition in Budapest, Hungary (September 2021); first prize in the Hilton Head International Piano Competition in Hilton Head, United States (March 2020); and first prize in the International Piano-e-Competition in Minneapolis, United States (July 2019).

Kevin has been performing with orchestras since his debut with the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra at the age of seven. These include the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, Hungarian National Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Israel Camerata, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, and others.

Kevin currently studies privately with Professor Marilyn Engle. As a composer in his spare time, Kevin’s accomplishments in this regard are reflected in commissions and acclaimed public performances. Five of his works have been published. Outside of music, he enjoys computer programming and solving Rubik’s cubes.

You can see more information on Kevin, here

You can only say WOW! say: Prof. Weimar cello class has great achievements these days. November 24th, 2022 - the 17-year-old bachelor student Luka Coetzee won the 1st prize endowed with 18,000 euros. Pablo Casals International Award in El Vendrell (Spain).

"The fireman competition is the most important cello event this year next to the Queen Elizabeth competition, which my student Hayoung Choi had already won," is the cello professor Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt from Weimar and adds with a smirk: "This is how it can continue."

Check out the rest of her accomplishments this past 2022!

  • First prize of Johansen International Competition in Washington DC, USA

  • First prize of Casals International Award in El Vendrell, Spain.

  • Frans Helmerson Promotional award from the Kronberg Academy, Germany 

  • Second prize and special prize of jury ( bow by Jochen Schmidt ) at the Dotzauer International Competition for Young Cellists in Dresden, Germany 

  • Special prize of the most promising semifinalist at the UNISA International Strings Competition in South Africa.

  • Performance with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in Kronberg, Germany 

  • Performance with the University Orchestra Dresden, Germany at the final round and winners concert at the Dotzauer International Competition

  • Performance with National Philharmonic, Washington DC, USA

More info: https://t1p.de/nstx9 [Photo: Andre Harms]

Where you can find the latest news and accomplishments from previous participants!

December, 2022