Three young winners of the annual Steinway Junior Piano Competition joined us live in the WRTI performance studio on Thursday, June 27th. WRTI's Kevin Gordon, host. Our guests: Silver Medal winner, 14-year-old Xingyu Zhou and Bronze Medal winners 13-year-old Alyssa Gabrilovich and 17-year-old Chris Jung.
The Program:
Rachmaninoff: Etude Tableaux, Opus 39 No. 1 in C Minor, performed by Alyssa Gabrilovich
Haydn: Sonata in E-Flat Major, performed by Chris Jung
Liszt: Mephisto Waltz No.1, performed by Xingyu Zhou
The second annual Steinway Junior Piano Competition took place in Steinway showrooms throughout the United States and Canada. Jacobs Music was the regional host of the competition in Philadelphia, which drew young pianists ages 18 and younger from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland.
Alyssa Gabrilovich began studying piano at the age of six and a half and a student of Dr. Igor Resnianski at the Nelly Berman School of Music since age 8. Alyssa made her concerto debut at the age of 9 as a winner of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Symphony Orchestra concerto competition. She has also performed with the Ambler Symphony and the Old York Road Symphony Orchestra. Alyssa has received prizes in more than 20 state, national, and international piano competitions. She is a recipient of the Elmer and Louise Menges Scholarship and PIMF Scholarship. Alyssa has appeared at the Weill Recital Hall in New York and the Kimmel Center.
Chris Jung is a junior at Conestoga High School. He currently studies with Dr. Igor Resnianski at the Nelly Berman School of Music. Most recently, Chris won the Menges Scholarship and, as a result, will play with the Ambler Symphony Orchestra; he received 1st prize in the 2019 West Chester University Piano Competition, 1st prize at the Global Music Partnership along with an invitation to perform in Italy, and 1st place in the Senior Piano Division of the Tri-County Concerts Youth Festival.
Xingyu Zhou made his recital debut at the age of 8 in his native Beijing, and his concerto debut two years later in Canada with the St. Andrews Festival Orchestra. That was his second successful appearance in St. Andrews, where he won all top prizes in his age category at its international piano academy and festival in 2013. He counts several top finishes in Chinese competitions, as well as concert appearances in Beijing, Shanghai, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. He currently studies with Mr. Meng-Chieh Liu.
