2009 New Orleans International Piano Competition

for Young Artists

12 Semifinalists and Their Bios

12 contestants have been selected to participate in the 1st New Orleans International Piano Competition for Young Artists this July 19–26. The contestants, all aged between 14 and 18 years of age, and the country of their citizenship are:


Ashley Hsu, USA
Connie Kim-Sheng, USA
Ivan Moshchuk, USA
Aleksandra Swigut, Poland
Andrew Tung, USA
Sean Yeh, USA
Jung-Yeon Yim, Korea
Christine Yoon, USA
Yon-Joon Yoon, Korea
Allen Yuan, USA
Fifi Zhang, USA
Elaine Zhong, USA


Each pianist will perform a 25-minute program in Semifinal Round I beginning Monday evening, July 20. All 12 will advance to Semifinal Round II, beginning Thursday evening, where they will each be heard in a 15-minute program. On Friday evening, 5 finalists will be announced who will be heard in another 25-minute performance during the Final Round on Sunday afternoon.

Competitor Bios

Ashley Hsu

Ashley Hsu, age 17, was the Silver Medalist at the 2008 Schimmel International Piano Competition. She was a winner of the 2007 American Beethoven Society Young Pianists’ Beethoven Competition, and has played in master classes with Sergei Babayan, Lang Lang, Meng-Chieh Liu, and John Perry. Ashley has been a member of the Music   Teacher Association of California (MTAC) Young Artist Guild since 2007. In 2006, she was the 1st prize winner of the MTAC All-State Piano Concerto Competition, playing Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto. Ashley has   performed with other orchestras around the Bay Area including the El Camino Youth Symphony, and the Golden Gate Philharmonic, as well as the Palo Alto Philharmonic. In 2006-2007, Ashley was chosen as a scholarship winner of the Chopin Foundation of the United States for her excellent performances of the works of Chopin. Having studied previously with Jed Galant and Hans Boepple, Ashley has just completed her freshman year at the Juilliard School of Music, where she studies with Yoheved Kaplinsky.     


Connie Kim-Sheng

Connie Kim-Sheng began piano lessons with her mother at the age of three, and has been studying with John Perry for the past five years. Her past teachers include Juli Kim, Sarkis Baltaian, Vivien Fan and Aaron McClaskey. Under full scholarships, Connie has attended the Morningside Music Bridge program in Canada for four summers, the Pan Pacific Music Festival in Sydney, Australia and the Warsaw Piano Workshop in Poland. She has performed in masterclasses with Marc Durand, Gary Graffman, Angela Chang, Anton Kuerti, and Christopher Elton. She is a recipient of YMF Scholarships and the Mark Ray Memorial Scholarship and, in 2005, was a featured pianist on the NPR radio program “From the Top”. Connie has been featured as a soloist with the Rio Hondo Symphony, Verde Valley Sinfonietta, and Cal State Northridge Orchestra. She performed with the YMF Debut Orchestra in April, ‘09. Her awards include first places in the Young Musicians Foundation National Debut Concerto Competition, Rio Hondo Young Artist Concerto Competition, Los Angeles Liszt International Competition, the Bronislaw Kaper Awards for Young Artists held by the LA Philharmonic and the 2009 California MusicFest. Connie was also a finalist in the Beethoven Young Artist Competition and the Schimmel International Competition. She received second place in the concerto category of both the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition and the International Concerto Competition in Calgary. Since the age of 12, Connie has been involved in an extensive number of chamber groups; as a chamber musician, she has received numerous awards and had performances broadcast on the radio. Most recently, she was a prizewinner and a finalist at the Eastman Young Artists International Competition. 


Ivan Moshchuk

Ivan Moshchuk, 18, sees music as a form of communication greater in strength and energy than any language in existence. A participant in the 2008 Gina Bachauer International Young Artists Competition, he has taken numerous prizes in local and statewide competitions, including the 2007 Arthur Frazer Concerto Competition (co-first prize winner) the MMTA Piano Competition, Intermediate Division (first place) and the Oberlin International Piano Competition (semi-finalist), to name but a few. He appeared as soloist with the South Carolina Philharmonic in 2007 and the Grosse Pointe Symphony Orchestra in 2006. In July 2008, Moshchuk performed in several concerts in the Czech Republic and recorded for Czech National Radio as part of the International Music Academy in Pilzen. Most recently, he was nominated as a Yamaha Young Performing Artist. His teachers include Dmitri Vorobiev and Marina Zarkhin. Moshchuk intends to continue his studies this fall at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore in the studio of Boris Slutsky.


Aleksandra Swigut

Born in Nowy Sacz, Poland, seventeen-year-old Aleksandra Sweigut studied with Teresa Orchel and Mariola Cieniawa before entering the class of Professor Piotr Paleczny at the Karol Szymanowski State Music School in Warsaw. A participant in numerous national and international competitions and festivals, her awards include Third Prize at the All-Poland Piano Competition organized by the National Institute of Fryderyk Chopin in Warsaw; First Prize at the International Morningside Music Bridge program in Calgary in the “Best Concert with Orchestra” category and Third Prize in the Chamber Music category; a concert with the Beethoven Academy Orchestra at the Warsaw Philharmonic Hall; a concert during the 11th Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow; and First Prize and two special awards at the EPTA in Kracow in 2006. Her piano trio was also awarded First Prize in the Chamber Music Competition in WrocBaw. Aleksandra has participated in festivals in Duszniki Zdroj, Gdansk, Warsaw, WrocBaw and Calgary, and in Germany and Ukraine.


Andrew Tung

Andrew Tung, 15, a freshman of Vernon Hills High School in Vernon Hills, Illinois, is currently studying piano with Dr. Alan Chow at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Andrew is also enrolled in The Academy, a pre-college music program at the Music Institute of Chicago. His previous piano teachers included the legendary piano teacher Emilio del Rosario, Micah Yui of the Music Institute of Chicago and Irina Babina from Ann Arbor, Michigan. His recent accomplishments include: winning second-place in both the concerto and solo piano divisions of the 2009 Steinway Young Artist Piano Competition in Downers Grove,  Illinois; first-place in the 2008 Edward & Ethel Martin Scholarships at the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation in Chicago; alternate winner at the 2008 National Music Teacher Association of Illinois; semi-finalist at the 2008 Missouri Southern  International Piano Competition; and semi-finalist at the 2007 Oberlin International Piano Competition. Andrew was also invited to compete at the 2008 Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany.   He has also performed in master classes, radio and TV shows, and many solo and combined performances/concerts including a master class with Leon Fleisher in the 2008 Gilmore Keyboard Festival in Kalamazoo, Michigan and a master class with Malcolm Bilson in the 2007 Oberlin International Piano Competition. In 2007 he performed at Skokie Library’s Young Steinway concert series, and in 2008 in a live broadcast solo piano recital at WFMT FM 98.7’s Introductions radio series in Chicago. Andrew is also involved in many community services and is a regular piano performer at two senior citizen homes.


Sean Yeh

Sean began taking violin lessons when he was four and piano at the age of six. A graduate of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program for gifted pre-college musicians, he studies privately with Music Institute of Chicago artist faculty member Matthew Hagle and additionally with Alan Chow from Northwestern University. His previous teachers were Emilio del Rosario and Donna Kuhel at Music Institute of Chicago. Sean has won many honors as a solo pianist. He was a national finalist in the 2006 Music Teachers National Association Baldwin Junior Piano Competition and in the 2008 Music Teachers National Association Yamaha Senior Piano Competition, and won third prize in the 2008 PianoArts National Piano Competition. In 2009, Sean won first prizes in the Steinway Young Artists Piano Competition, the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation Award in Piano Scholarship Competition, and the Arthur Fraser International Concerto Competition at the Southeastern Piano Festival. Winning the Steinway Society’s ‘Chicagoland’s Most Promising Student Pianist’ competition at the age of 8, Sean’s performance was featured on a WNIB radio broadcast. In 2005, he was invited to perform at the 10th World Piano Pedagogy Conference in Anaheim, California. Sean has performed with concert pianist Alpin Hong at the Music Institute of Chicago’s 75th Anniversary Gala honoring violinist Midori and with concert pianist Christopher O’Riley at the Lied Center of the University of Kansas. His solo performance appearances include the Preston Bradley Hall of the Chicago Cultural Center, Young Steinway Concert Series, Jay Pritzker Pavilion at the Millennium Park, Chicago WFMT radio, and NPR’s From the Top radio show. He has worked in master classes with, among others, John Perry, Pawel Skrzypek, and Lee Kum-Sing. Sean made his orchestra debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals in 2008, and later that year, performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. He is scheduled to perform with the South Carolina Philharmonic in their 2009/2010 concert season. An avid chamber musician he has won awards in several competitions, including the bronze medal (as a violist) in the 2005 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Honorable Mention in the 2006 Rembrandt Chamber Music Competition, and first prize in the 2009 Chicago Chamber Music Competition. Sean’s ensembles have been featured on the NPR’s From the Top and WFMT radio broadcasts, and have appeared in several concerts and venues including Young Steinway Concert Series, Music in the Loft and NEIU’s Mostly Music Concert Series, MIC’s Gala honoring legendary pianist Leon Fleisher, and Silk Road Ensemble’s workshop with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma. Sean is a graduate of Libertyville High School and will be studying with Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky at the Juilliard School this fall.


Jung-Yeon Yim

Eighteen-year-old Jung-Yeon Yim was born in Seoul, Korea and began her piano studies at the age of four. She pursued her training at the Yewon School and the Seoul Arts High School. After finishing her first year at the Seoul Arts High School, she moved to Los Angeles, where she studied with Myong-Joo Lee. Jung-Yeon has won prizes in numerous competitions including the Korea Times Music Competition, the Young Pianist category of the Southwestern Youth Music Festival, the Music Teachers National Association Competition, the Chopin Piano Competition of Korea, World Times Music Competition, and the Samik Piano Competition among others. At the age of eleven, Jung-Yeon was selected as the winner of the Kumho Young Talents Series and the Seoul Arts Center’s Young Artists Series. Presenting her first solo recital at the Kumho Art Hall at age twelve, she has performed at various venues including the Yurim Art Hall, the Young-San Art Hall, and the Seoul Arts Center. She has appeared as soloist with the SYMF Festival Orchestra and the OCHSA Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, her piano trio performed throughout Korea. She has participated in master classes for Jan Gottlieb Jiracek, Karl-Heinz Kämmerling and Yong-Hi Moon. Jung-Yeon currently studies with John Perry at the Colburn School Conservatory of Music. 


Christine Yoon

Christine Yoon, age eighteen, is the winner of the 2006 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions, and performed with the CSO for youth concerts. She won First Prize in the concerto category of the 2005 Steinway Young Pianist Competition and Second Prize in the soloist category. Christine was also awarded Second Prize in the MTNA National Piano Competition held in Seattle, Washington. She is the winner of the Harper Symphony Orchestra audition, and has performed with Ars Viva Symphony Orchestra and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra. She currently studies with Professor Alan Chow at Northwestern University.


Yon-Joon Yoon

A native of Seoul, Korea, 16-year old Yon-Joon Yoon began studying the piano at the age of six and made his solo debut three years ago at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul. He studied at the Seoul Arts Center Music Academy, the Preparatory Division of the Korean
National University of Arts, and Yewon Arts  School. In 2006, Yon-Joon entered the studio of Yong Hi Moon at Peabody Preparatory of the Johns Hopkins University. Yon-Joon recently won first place in the Fite Family Piano Competition held in Missouri (2009). He was one of the 6 semifinalists of the RNCM  International Piano Competition held in Manchester, England (2008). He won Second Prize in the junior division of the 2nd Louisiana International Piano Competition (2007) and was a recipient of the 23rd Annual Awards from Peabody Preparatory (2007), placing first at Peabody Preparatory Concerto  Competition (2007). In Korea, Yon-Joon won numerous competitions and awards, including the silver medal in the junior division of the 7th International Chopin  Piano Competition in Asia at Tokyo (2006), First Prize at the Eumyoun Competition (2005), and Grand Prix at the Student Music Concours in Young  Music Festival (2004).  Yon-Joon’s notable performances include the 23rd Young Musician’s Festival at Youngsan Art Hall (2006), the John O’Connor Music Academy Prodigy Concert at D.S. Hall (2006), and  the Seoul Arts Center Music Academy Prodigy Concert  at the Seoul Arts Center Recital Hall (2005). Since coming to the U.S. Yon-Joon has performed three times in the Honors Recital at the Peabody Preparatory and performed a piano concerto with the Peabody Sinfonietta conducted by Gene Young in May (2007). He attended Aria International Summer Music Academy in June (2007), Bowdoin International Music Festival in July (2007, 2008), John O’Conner  music camp & master class in January (2006), Dean of Yale University School of Music Robert Blocker master class in July (2005) and the Juilliard casual classic camp in July (2004). Aside from his love of music, Yon-Joon is a normal teenager who is a sophomore at Long Reach High School in Howard County, Maryland. He enjoys watching movies, and listening to classical and rock music.


Allen Yuan

Allen Yuan, 16, began piano lessons at the age of five. He was a student of Faye Mao in Troy, Michigan for six years, and currently studies with Arthur Greene at the University of Michigan. After winning the Grand Prize at the 50th Annual World Piano Competition, Young Artist Division, in 2006 in Cincinnati, Allen performed in Carnegie Hall in September of that year. In 2007, he won third place in the solo division at Kingsville International Young Artist Piano Competition in Kingsville, Texas. At Tempe, Arizona in January 2008, he was selected as one of the four finalists of the 3rd Schimmel USASU Young Artists International Junior Piano Competition. In the MTNA 2008-09 competitions, he won first place in Michigan, and second place in the East Central Division. This year, he performed with the Rochester Symphony Orchestra and the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra of Michigan as their featured Young Artists Competition winner. Allen is a straight A student at the Detroit Country Day School and is a member of the 2009 U.S. Physics Team. In 2007, he was among the students invited to the White House to meet President Bush as one of the top four winners of the MathCounts National Competition.


Fifi Zhang

Fifi Zhang is 16 years old and a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA. She began her piano study at age six with Lai-lan Ko and has been a student of Dr. Marjorie Lee for five years. Fifi was the winner of the 2008 Music Teachers National Association Junior Piano Competition held in Denver, and received the $5,000 first-place prize in the 2009 Daniel Piano Competition at Furman University in South Carolina. Fifi also won first place in the 22nd International Young Artists Piano Competition and the Northern Virginia Music Teachers 2009 Achievement Awards Competition. She has been featured numerous times as a soloist in the Concerts at the Alden and the Young Artist Musicales at George Mason University. Fifi made her debut with the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic in 2005, performing the Saint-Saens Concerto No.2 as the grand prize winner of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic Concerto Competition.


Elaine Zhong

Elaine Zhong, born in Pasadena, California, started private piano lessons at the tender age of three. At the age of six she began to compete regularly and has since been a winner of numerous piano competitions. A few of Elaine’s most recent achievements include: first place winner of the Cypress Baroque Competition, second place winner of the Los Angeles Liszt International Competition, first place winner of the Southwestern Youth Music Festival’s Open Solo & Open Chopin Scherzo category. Also, she received second prize at the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition and was a semifinalist at the Oberlin International Piano Competition as well as the Schimmel International Piano Competition. Elaine has also played in the Winter Honors Recital held at Colburn School’s Zipper Hall consecutively each year from 2007 to 2009. Currently, Elaine is a scholarship student at the Colburn School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles, where she is a student of Ory Shihor. Her past teachers included Xiao C. Liu, Li Wang and Chun-Yi-Wang. Besides music, Elaine is a straight A student at school. She enjoys reading, math, and running. Recently, Elaine finished her first marathon and is training to do a second one. Also, she was selected by her school to attend the Junior National Young Leaders Conference in Washington D.C. She has continually been on the National Honor Roll and has been featured in Who’s Who in Mathematics.

Competition Prizes

First Prize
$5,000

Second Prize
$4,000

Third Prize
$3,000

Honorable Mention
$1,500 (2)

Semifinalist Prizes
$725(7)

Tickets for this week-long celebration of the piano and its music will be available on this website beginning June 1.

For further information please call (504) 899-4826 or email director@masno.org