2026 Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition
GIULIANNA CHEN
Giulianna Chen, an 11th-grade student at Mulgrave School in West Vancouver, BC, Canada, has been a dedicated piano student since the age of six. She began her studies with Cindy Liu and later with Dr. Sun Sung Kong at KL Piano Academy in North Vancouver. Her musical journey has been marked by numerous accolades. At eight, she won the Grand Prize for the 7–10 age group at the Canadian Music Competition National Finals and First Prize in the 2018 Steinway Piano Competition in Vancouver. Her resume includes First-Place wins at the Third Vancouver International Piano Competition in 2024 (Professional Group) and the Second Group (age ten to twelve) of the 29th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition for Children and Youth in Szafarnia, Poland, in 2022. Giulianna has also participated in prestigious competitions including the 2023 Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists in the U.S. and the 19th Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany in 2024. She was also a semifinalist of the Fifth Canadian Chopin Piano Competition in January 2025. Giulianna is actively involved in charity concerts that raise funds for hospitals and medical research foundations. She also performs for seniors at nursing homes. In addition to her musical and charitable endeavors, Giulianna excels academically and is an avid percussionist in her school’s senior rock band. She also enjoys competitive badminton and skiing.
Final Repertoire
Johann Sebastian Bach – Prelude and Fugue in D-flat Major, BWV 848, WTC (Book I)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Piano Sonata No. 9 in D Major, K. 311
Robert Schumann – Faschingsschwank aus Wien (Carnival Scenes from Vienna), Op. 26
TONGTONG LIU
TongTong Liu began his piano journey at the age of seven and started piano lessons at age eleven. He is currently studying under Dr. Elena Cholakova. TongTong’s playing is recognized for expressive depth, clarity, and poetic sensitivity, and in 2024 he was the Georgia State Winner of the MTNA Competition in 2024. In 2022, 2023, 2025 he received Honorable Mentions in the same competition. He earned Second Alternate in the GMTA Competition in 2024 and was named Concert Recitalist in 2023. That same year, he won the First Prize in the Gulf Coast Steinway Competition, which led to a performance at Carnegie Hall. He also won First Place in the 2023 Hyatt Piano Competition. TongTong is committed to a future in piano performance and enjoys drawing, reading manga, and writing stories in his free time.
Final Repertoire
Johann Sebastian Bach – Prelude and Fugue in C Minor, BWV 847, WTC (Book I)
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, Op. 31, No. 3
I. Allegro
Frédéric Chopin 24 – Preludes, Op. 28:
No. 20 in C Minor, No. 21 in B-flat Major, No. 22 in G Minor
Frédéric Chopin – Nocturne in B Major, Op. 9, No. 3
Franz Liszt – Après une lecture du Dante: Fantasia quasi Sonata
Sergei Prokofiev – Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, Op. 83
III. Precipitato
RYAN LU
Ryan Lu, 16, is a Junior at Trinity School. He started playing the piano at age five and currently studies at Juilliard Pre-College under the tutelage of Victoria Mushkatkol. Ryan has received many top prizes in numerous competitions, including being a MTNA national finalist, a YoungArts Winner, and First Place in the Spotlight International Piano Competition and the David D. Dubois Piano Competition. He is a Chopin Foundation of U.S. scholarship recipient, the finalist of the Ettlingen International Piano Competition, and the semifinalist of the Yamaha USASU Competition in Arizona. He has attended prestigious festivals, including the Frost Chopin Festival in Miami, the Gina Bachauer Piano Festival in Salt Lake City, and the Morningside Music Bridge program in Boston. He has performed in renowned music spaces, including the Maurice Gusman Concert Hall, the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Ryan is also a Lang Lang Foundation Young Scholar and an NPR From the Top finalist. Outside of playing the piano, Ryan enjoys playing tennis, gaming, and talking with friends.
Final Repertoire
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 4 in E-flat Major, Op. 7
Franz Liszt – Final repertoire
Frédéric Chopin – Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
Franz Schubert – Impromptu in C Minor, Op. 90, No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3
I. Presto, II. Largo e mesto
Franz Liszt – Concert Paraphrase on Rigoletto, S. 434Ballade No.2 in B Minor, S. 171
RICHARD FRANCIS MARTIN
Richard Francis Martin (Francis) has established himself as a rising talent in the classical music world through an impressive array of competition achievements, prestigious summer programs, and diverse musical experiences. Currently a student at La Salle College High School, Francis has built a remarkable musical foundation under the guidance of his current piano teacher, Michelle Cann, and formerly Janet Woods. Most recently, he was a winner at the 2025 Texas State International Piano Festival Concerto Competition and earned First Prize at the West Chester University Pre-Collegiate Piano Competition. In 2024, Francis won Second Prize at the 2024 Florida Young Artists’ International Piano Competition and multiple honors in the prestigious Music Teachers National Association competitions in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Francis is also a 2026 YoungArts Jazz winner. Summer intensives have played a crucial role in Francis’ development, including participation in the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Piano Program, the Vivace International Piano Festival, and Interlochen Summer Arts Program. His summer musical education began early with the Kinhaven Summer Camp Junior Piano Program in Vermont. Beyond solo performance, Francis has embraced collaborative music-making through various ensemble experiences. He spent a scholarship year with the Settlement Music School Piano Chamber Trio and participated in piano quartets at the Bowdoin International Music Festival. His involvement in high school musical productions, including Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, showcases his versatility across musical genres. As both performer and creator, Francis has demonstrated compositional talent with his original work Landscapes, which earned recognition in multiple competitions, including Second Place in the National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Composers Contest and the Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association Keystone Composition Competition. He has also created transcriptions of classical works, including Johann Sebastian Bach’s Zion Hört die Wächter Singen.
Final Repertoire
Frédéric Chopin – Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, Op. 60
Franz Schubert – Impromptu in C Minor, Op. 90, No. 1
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 7 in D Major, Op. 10, No. 3
I. Presto, II. Largo e mesto
Franz Liszt – Concert Paraphrase on Rigoletto, S. 434
PETER PARRA
Peter Parra, 15, is a sophomore at Mountain View High School in California and a piano major at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College, where he studies with Professor Corey McVicar. He is a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, a US Chopin Foundation Scholarship recipient, an NPR From the Top Fellow, and 2025 Laureate of the Ross McKee Foundation Piano Competition. Peter has performed across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. His 2023 Elm Court Concert was broadcast by WQED-Pittsburgh. In 2025, he appeared in the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Extravaganza concert, performed in Music@Menlo’s Koret Young Performers Concerts, played at Musikfestspiele Saar in Germany, and performed on the Great Wall of China, where he was appointed a 2025–26 Culture Ambassador of the Great Wall. His live performance and interview were featured on Interlochen Public Radio’s Intermezzo in August 2025 and NPR’s From The Top in February 2026. A multiple top-prize winner, Peter has earned First Prizes at the CAPMT State Final, U.S. Open Music Competition, Elevato International, and Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition, and Second Prizes at the Chicago International, Music International Grand Prix, ENKOR, KAMSA, and BMC Competitions, with additional distinctions at MTNA California, Aloha International, Pacific Music Society, and LA International Liszt Competitions. Peter has attended prestigious festivals on full scholarship, including Aspen Music Festival studying with Yoheved Kaplinsky (2024, 2025), Music@Menlo (2025), Frost Chopin Academy (2024), Cleveland Piano Institute (2023, 2025), and has performed in masterclasses with Steven Spooner, Victor Rosenbaum, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Alexander Kobrin, Kevin Kenner, Ning An, and Anton Nel. Committed to service, Peter founded and directs the Back to Bach Project’s Mountain View–Los Altos Region in California and regularly performs at UCSF Children’s Hosptial Family House. Outside of piano, he is a nationally top-ranked competitive junior ballroom dancer and STEM enthusiast.
Final Repertoire
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, Op. 31 No. 3
I. Allegro
Frédéric Chopin – Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23
Frédéric Chopin – Nocturne in C-sharp Minor, Op. 27, No. 1
Lowell Liebermann – Gargoyles, Op. 29
POLINA STRELA
Polina Strela is a senior at The Brearley School in New York City and incoming freshman at Harvard University. Polina is a piano student in the Young Artist Program at Kaufman Music Center’s Lucy Moses School, where she studies with Natela Mchedlishvili. In 2025, Polina was named a 2025–26 Fellow of NPR’s From the Top Learning and Media Lab, with her episode airing in March 2026. Polina has earned top prizes in numerous competitions, including the 2025 New York State MTNA Senior Piano Competition, the 2024 XV Chopin International Piano Competition, the 2023 and 2024 Cremona International Music Academy Piano Competition and the 2024 Kaufman Music Center Concerto Competition. Polina has performed as a soloist with the Cremona Festival Orchestra in 2024, Kaufman Music Center’s Concerto Competition Concert Orchestra in 2024, and with the Perugia Festival Orchestra in 2022. She has taken part in numerous international festivals including Kaufman Music Center’s SummerFest, Belp Music Festival, Puerto Piano & Strings, Vivace International Piano Festival, North Shore Chamber Music Festival, and the Art of Collaboration Workshop, where her performance was streamed on the Violin Channel. Polina has appeared in masterclasses with Orli Shaham, Richard Goode, Alexander Korsantia, Simone Dinnerstein, Rohan De Silva, Evgenii Sinaiski, Fabio Bidini, Jose Ramos Santana, Peter Takács, Eteri Andjaparidze, Boris Slutsky and more. Beyond performance, Polina is passionate about music education and service, organizing intergenerational outreach concerts and mentoring young musicians.
Final Repertoire
Domenico Scarlatti – Keyboard Sonata in D Minor, K. 213
Domenico Scarlatti – Keyboard Sonata in D Major, K. 96
Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No. 11 in B-flat Major, Op. 22
I: Allegro con Brio
Frédéric Chopin – Ballade No. 2 in F Major, Op. 38
Alexander Scriabin – Piano Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp Major, Op. 30
Samuel Barber – Ballade Op. 46
CHRISTINA D. SUNG
Christina D. Sung, 16, is a distinguished Korean-American pianist currently studying with Professor Charlotte Hu. She is a 2025-2026 Chopin Foundation Scholarship recipient and a 2026 National YoungArts winner. Christina was chosen as one of 20 competitors in both the 2026 Cleveland International Piano Competition and the 2026 Hilton Head International Piano Competition. Additionally, Christina has received top prizes at the Philadelphia International Piano Competition and MTNA National Finals. She won the Grand Prize at the 11th ENKOR International Music Competition and First Prizes at the Emory Young Artist Piano Competition, International Keyboard Odyssiad®, and 2026 OPUS National Music Competition. She made her orchestral debut at age 12 with the Utah Symphony at Abravanel Hall. Since then, Christina has performed with various orchestras, including the American West Symphony, Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra, American Fork Symphony, Chamber Orchestra Ogden, Utah Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Fort Collins Health and Wellness Orchestra in Colorado. As a passionate chamber musician, Christina has been actively performing with her piano trio since 2021, and she studies chamber music with Dr. Koji Attwood at Gifted Music School. Her performances have been featured on Classical 89 FM and ABC4 Television. Since 2024, she has been a frequent outreach solo performer for the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation’s “Piano Inspirato” and a featured soloist in the Gina Bachauer Collaboration Concert at the Gallivan Center. Her selected solo recitals include at the Philadelphia Young Pianist Academy Rising Star Concert, the Steinway & Sons in Philadelphia, the Puffin Cultural Forum in New Jersey, the Rotunda Hall at the Utah State Capitol, and a collaboration with Professor Amy Yang at the 13th PYPA Festival. Christina has received the prestigious Gold Medal of the President’s Volunteer Service Award for the past three consecutive years. She speaks five languages fluently, demonstrating her remarkable musico-linguistic abilities.
Final Repertoire
Joseph Haydn – Piano Sonata No. 33 in C Minor, Hob XVI:20
I. Moderato
Sergei Rachmaninoff – Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 36
I. Allegro agitato
Frédéric Chopin – Preludes, Op. 28: No. 7-12
Alexander Scriabin – Piano Sonata No. 2 in G-sharp Minor, Op. 19
SENCHENG ZHANG
Sencheng Zhang began his piano studies at the age of three under the guidance of his mother. At the age of ten, he began studying with Professor Matti Raekallio, and later, at age 13, with Professor Soyeon Kate Lee. At 14, he began studying at Julliard Pre-College. Sencheng has won many prizes at national and international competitions and given performances in a great number of prestigious venues and events. In February 2025, he presented a successful solo recital at The National Arts Club in New York. In May 2025, he participated in the Beijing Great Wall Culture and Arts Exchange Event and was appointed “Juyongguan Cultural Communication Ambassador” by Beijing’s Changping District. During the summer of 2025, he received full scholarships to both the Interlochen Center for the Arts and the Aspen Music Festival and School, where five solo performances earned widespread acclaim. In 2024, Sencheng was admitted to the prestigious Lang Lang International Music Foundation and won First Prize at the 15th Hartford Chopin International Piano Competition in the United States. In 2023 to 2024 Sencheng gave concerto performances in Taiwan with the Taipei International United Symphony Orchestra, appearances at Carnegie Hall after winning both the AADGT International Young Gifted Musicians Festival and the American Protégé International Concerto Competition, and the Absolute Award at the World Piano Teachers Association Finland International Piano Competition. In Russia, Sencheng collaborated with the St. Petersburg Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra, performing Mozart and Poulenc concertos. Earlier accomplishments include prizes at the Liszt International Piano Competition and Kawai Asia Piano Competition in 2020, the release of his debut European album True Love in 2021, and concerto collaborations with orchestras in China and Singapore.
Final Repertoire
Ludwig Van Beethoven – Piano Sonata No.13 in E-flat Major, Op. 27, No. 1 “Quasi una fantasia”
Sergei Rachmaninoff – Moments musicaux, Op.16
