2022 Irvine Conservatory International Music Competition Grand Winners

Chloe Kaydence Wang (Piano Category, Age 5-7)

Chloe is seven years old and is currently attending second grade at Innovation Academy in Chula Vista, CA. Her passion in playing piano has continuously grown from playing for family members and friends to making recordings for virtual competitions. She has won numerous national and international music competitions including Alamo Music Center’s Playful Piano Competition, The OPUS Piano Competition both State and National Level, Charleston Piano Competitions, Marker and Pioneer IMC, WPTA Singapore, WPTA Indonesia, Golden Piano Talents, London Classical Music Competition, Ortobello Piano Competition, Chopin Avenue, Artciál International Piano Competition, and Irvine Conservatory International Music Competition. She also won in International Youth Music Competitions and Danubia Talents for piano four hands category.

Daniel Wang (Piano Category, Age 8-10)

Daniel Wang born in 2012, he start learn piano when he was 5. Daniel also learn violin and flute. 
Daniel has won many awards in various competitions throughout New Zealand and internationally. In 2020, Daniel attained Grade 7 violin with distinction, and 2021 attained Grade 8 piano with distinction as well. He is now preparing for his violin grade 8 and piano ARSM exam later this year.
In Daniel’s spare time, he enjoys swimming and reading.

Isabella Xue (Piano Category, Age11-13)

Isabella Xue is 11 years old. She has been Peyhwan Kuan’s student since May 2018.

In 2022, Isabella is the First Place Winner in 2022 Chicago International Music Competition. She won the First Prize in Concurs International de Piano on-line Chopin Sessions Felanitx 2022. She is the 1st Absolute Prize in Orbetello piano competition. She also won First Prize at Mimas Festival International Competition, the WPTA Spain International Piano Competition, Nouvelles Étoiles International Online Music Competition 5th Edition and Franz Liszt Center Piano Competition.

During 2021, Isabella is one of the Grand Prix winners in the 2021 International Piano Competition Paderewski in Memoriam and the Platinum Medal in 2021 Quebec Music Competition. Isabella won the Absolute First Prize in the 4th International Competition of Musical Execution "City of Sarzana”. At the WPTA Spain International Piano Competition 2021, Isabella won the First Prize. In the 2021 Medici International Music Competition she won the First Prize. At the 2021 Great Masters International Piano Competition and the 1st Swiss International Online Competition Isabella won First Place. Isabella won the 2021 Pacific Music Society and Foundation Scholarships in the first age category Piano competition.

In 2020, at the 2nd WPTA Singapore International Piano Competition, Isabella won Platinum Award and Best Romantic Award. She won 1st place in the 2020 Putra International Piano Competition and the Neapolitan Masters Competition, she is also the first place winner and Beethoven Prize of the 2020 Virtual International Music Competition organized by the Chopin Society Malaysia. Isabella won 1st and was named TOP PERFORMER RUNNER UP PRIZE at 2020 US New Star Music Competition by Composer Chopin & Bach. Isabella won the 1st Prize in 2020 COSTA RICA Piano Festival Online Competition.

Joshuanne Yeh (Piano Category, Age 14-16)

Principled and passionate, Joshuanne is an accomplished Pianist and Violinist, representing Singapore internationally and nationally since a tender age of six. She has performed in countries like Indonesia, Hong Kong, USA, Russia and United Kingdom.

At age 6, she clinched the Excellence Award (Violin Solo) in the Singapore Raffles International Music Festival 2015.

At age 7, she clinched the Gold Award (Violin Solo) in the Singapore Raffles International Music Festival (2016). She also clinched the 2nd Prize (Violin Solo) in The American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition, and performed at Carnegie Hall, New York for the Winners Recital Programme, 2016.

At age 8, she received First Prize (Piano Solo) in the International Music Competition “Salzburg” Grand Prize Virtuoso 2017. She was also the Grand Prize Winner (Piano Solo) across category 3 to 18 years old in the 2nd Viva Music Competition Singapore, 2016.

At age 9, she was the 2nd Prize Winner (Piano Solo-Category 1) in the 4th Steinway Youth Piano Competition. She received the Viewer’s Choice Award (Piano Solo) in the Young Talent Project organised by Symphony 92.4, Mediacorp. Joshuanne also won the Special Brilliant Award (Piano-Young Musicians), an award given to outstanding musicians across all ages, instruments and categories in the 2nd Brilliant Talent Discovery Awards International Music Competition.

At age 10, Joshuanne represented Singapore to perform in Organ Hall- Gnessin Music Scchool, Moscow, Russia, for Singapore’s Ambassador, Ms Lim Kheng Hua. Joshuanne was the 1st Prize Winner for the 2nd Singapore Piano International Classical Competition 2018.

At age 11, Joshuanne clinched the 2nd Prize Winner in the National Piano and Violin Competition 2019-Piano Junior Category-Singapore. In the same competition, she was Top 11 and a quarterfinalist for the Violin Junior Category. Joshuanne was the only contestant who took part in both the Piano and Violin Nationals simultaneously. Joshuanne also clinched the 1st Prize and Best Set Piece (Piano Solo-Category D) for the 2nd Nanyang International Competition.

Unfortunately, Joshuanne was not able to participate in any competitions or performances in 2020, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

At age 13, Joshuanne was a Top 6 Finalist in the National Piano and Violin Competition 2021 (Piano Intermediate Category). Joshuanne received the Second Prize (Piano Solo&Violin Solo) in VII Odin International Music Competition. She won the Fourth Prize (Solo Strings) in the 4th New Talent British International Young Music Competition, organised by the world-renowned Royal Academy of Music.

At age 14, Joshuanne was awarded First Prize (Solo Piano-Youth Talent Category) in Medici International Music Competition. She also won the Grand Prize in Irvine Conservatory International Music Competition (Solo Piano, category D: age 14-16) and she was awarded two awards from London Young Musician International Music Competition: Gold Prize and Fantastic Technique Special Price.

Joshuanne has completed her ABRSM Grade 8 (Piano&Violin) with High Distinction, and was awarded the Professional Performance Diploma: Associate Performance Diploma (ATCL) from Trinity College London. She is also able to play the guitar, and is a key member to her school’s guitar ensemble.

Above are some of Joshuanne’s many achievements, and she is proud to be able to share her love for music to the world. Despite that, she remains humble, and frequently participates in music-related Values-in-Action activities organised in her school.

Megumi Maekawa (Piano Category, Age 17-18)

Megumi Maekawa (Megumi Margaret Kenevan), daughter of an American father and Japanese mother, was born in 2005 and grew up in Tokyo, Japan.  She graduated from the junior music academy affiliated with Japan’s Toho College of Music (2004-2019, taught by Yuko Mitsuyasu) and is currently a student at Futaba High School in Tokyo.  Megumi studies piano under the primary tutelage of Yukio Yokoyama.  She has participated in several of Japan’s most well-known music festivals and has attended many master classes led by internationally renowned pianists; including Andrzej Jasinski, Cyprien Katsaris, Katsurako Mikami, Nobuhito Nakai, Ichiro Nodaira, Piotr Paleczny, Bruno Rigutto, Hibiki Tamura and Ayako Uehara.  She has finished at the top of many Japanese domestic and international competitions, and her recent awards include gold (High School category) and silver (Solo Artist category) medals in the 2021 Chopin International Piano Competition in Asia, the Absolute Award in the 2022 WPTA Finland international piano competition (Senior section), 1st prize in the 2022 Concurs Internacional de Piano On-line Chopin Sessions Felanitx (Age group 15-18), Grand Prize in the 2022 Pacific Stars International Piano Competition (Young Artist category), 2nd Prize in the LISMA International Music Competition (Category A 17-27) and 2nd Prize in the 2022 San Francisco International Piano Competition (Professional category, Young Artist).  

William Yeh (Violin Category, Age 11-13)

William Yeh (12), born in London, currently studies with Professor Naoko Tanaka at Juilliard Pre-College. William was awarded generous/ full scholarship awards as the youngest violinist at 2019 HeifetzPEG (Program for Exceptionally Gifted, USA) and 2022 Aspen Music Festival And School (USA). William has performed and won top prizes in various international competitions, including first prizes (Junior Division) at 2020 Philadelphia International Music Festival Concerto Competition (USA), 2021 EUROASIA

International Violin Competition (Japan), 2022 NOMEA International Violin Competition (Italy), and most recently, 2022 New York Chamber Players Orchestra Concerto Competition (USA). William was also awarded Young Artist Awards at 2020 Singapore Violin Festival (Singapore) and 2021 Busan Maru International Music Festival Concerto Competition (South Korea); and the 2nd Prize (Age Group of 11-15) at 2022 Hong Kong International Young Musicians Competition (Hong Kong). William has performed at venues, such as Carnegie Hall (New York), Harris Concert Hall (Colorado), Mellon Hall (Philadelphia), National Concert and Recital Halls (Taiwan), and San Vito al Tagliamento Auditorium (Italy). Most recently, William performed with internationally renowned pianist Akiko Chiba, Jinhee Park, Jeong-Eun Lee, Grammy Award-nominated pianist Mark Livshits, and internationally renowned violinist Svetlana Makarova and Accademia d’Archi Arrigoni under the baton of Maestro Giancarlo Guarino. William will perform as a violin soloist in New York with the NYCP Orchestra for the season of 2022-23.

Prior to Juilliard Pre-College, William studied with Professor Chengtu Su (Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan), Professor Qian Zhou (Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore), and violinist Sirena Huang (USA). William performed at the masterclasses with violinist Augustin Hadelich (USA), Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky (Ukraine/Israel), Professor Kyung-Sun Lee (South Korea), and the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet (USA). Also, William has been mentored by violinist Pieter Schoeman (Concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, UK).

Besides playing the violin, William enjoys playing chess, badminton, and ice-skating, as well as singing and dancing in musicals. He played “Rolf” in “The Sound of Music” at the Auditorium of CKS (Chiang Kai-Shek) Memorial Hall and starred as “Peter Pan” in “Peter Pan” at USC (Shih-Chien University) Concert Hall. William has also been awarded the Ouspensky Fund “Conducting” Award and is receiving conducting apprenticeship from Maestro Giacomo Franci, the Artistic Director and the Conductor of The New York Chamber Players Orchestra. For more information, feel free to follow William’s Instagram @william.yeh.violinist and William’s YouTube Channel.

Oriana Maria Wojciechowska (Violin Category, Age 14-16)

Oriana Wojciechowska was born in Gdańsk (Poland) in 2008. She has been playing violin since she was 6. She studies violin with prof. Malgorzata Skorupa in General Education Music School in Gdansk. From her big stage debut in 2019 she performs regularly as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra member. She has been invited to perform with solo recital in: Carnegie Hall (New York, US), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Mozarteum (Salzburg, Austria), Tribute Communities Recital Hall (Toronto, Canada), Lancut Castle (Poland), as well as in Wien (Autria), Graz (Austria), Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Athens (Greece). She attended many master class violin courses with internationally acclaimed violinists: Karen Aroutiounian (Belgium), Janusz Wawrowski (Poland), Agata Szymczewska (Poland), Germana Porcu (Italy), Piotr Tarcholik (Poland), Wieslaw Kwasny (Poland), Krystyna Jurecka (Poland), Agnieszka Marucha (Poland, Austria), Walentyna Jakubowska (Russia), Dorota Sosnowska (Switzerland), Dariusz Smolarski (Poland), Beata Halska Le-Monnier (France, Poland). She has cooperated with conductors: Dawid Jarząb (Poland), Maksym Dondalski (Poland), and Massimiliano Caldi (Italy). She is scholar of Mayor of Gdansk, scholar of Career Project program in Lugano, Switzerland, and also she is laureate of about forty international violin competitions in, e.g.: US, Canada, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Japan, Sweden, Greece and Italy.

Ziqi Liu ( Cello Category, Age 8-10)

Ziqi Liu is 10 years old, she is from China. In the last three years, Ziqi Liu already won ten awards, include the first places, the first prizes and special awards of music international competitions in USA, UK, Austria, Italy, Czechoslovakia and Russia.

Tianran Cheng (Cello Category, Age 11-13)

My name is Tianran Cheng . I was born in Shanghai on December 27,2010. In 2021, I received an invitation from the New England Conservatory of Music, and then I will go to the United States for professional cello study.In 2016, I began to learn cello and started with teacher Shihong Ni.Since 2020, I have studied under Tao Ni, a famous cellist player, a former chief of the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra, and a preparatory New England Musicology teacher.

In 2017, I won the first place in the children's group of the 7th and Second International Cello Competition"

In 2017, I won the first place in the "Shanghai Youth Cello Competition children group"

In 2018, I won the first place in the "Shanghai Student Art Individual Competition (String Music) Primary School Group"

In 2019, I won the first place in the "Shanghai Student Art Individual Competition (String Music) Primary School Group"

In 2019, I won the first place in the Cello Solo Group A2 of the "Hummingbird Music Award of the China Youth Music Competition"

In 2019, I won the first place in Children's Group A in the Yangtze River Delta Youth Cello Competition"

In 2019, "I won the first place in Group A of the 4th China Youth Star National Youth Art Performance"

In 2020, "I Won the Top Award of the Canadian International Music Competition-Platinum First Prize"

In 2021, "I won the first prize in the 9-12-Year-old International Music Competition of the New York Golden Classical Music Awards" and was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall.

In 2021, " I won the 3rd Czech Gustav. Marler Prize Group II"

In 2021, "I won the cello prize of the Baden International Music Competition"

In 2021, "I won the second prize of Enko International Music String Competition"

In 2021, "I won the first prize in Group I of cello Music Competition in Paris International, France"

In 2021, "I won the first prize in Group II of the Outstanding Composer Cello Concerto Competition"