Mindy Truong, grade 8, was recently named a second place winner in American Protégé’s spring 2022 Music Talent Competition for her piano performance of “Presto agitato” from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14. As one of the higher placing competitors, Truong has been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall during American Protégé’s 2023 season.
Young musicians from around the world submit video auditions to American Protégé each year in a variety of categories. Earlier this year, Harker students Christine and James Tao (grades 7 and 5, respectively) also were invited to perform for the 2023 season.
Cellist Lucas Chen, grade 11, recently won second prize in the strings category of the ENKOR International Music Competition. Chen, who won in Category C (ages 16-21), is also the co-principal cellist of the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, making his solo debut in 2018 after winning PACO’s Concerto Competition. He has also won first prize in both the United States Open Music Competition and the American Protege International Concerto Competition. Last year, he was one of 16 Harker students to participate in Kronos Quartet’s 50 for the Future Program. Contestants in the ENKOR competition are evaluated by a jury board of more than 500 members from more than 70 countries.
Following a rigorous audition process, six Harker students were recently named members of California All-State Ensembles.
Bassoonist Chelsea Park, grade 8, was selected to play for the junior high school symphonic band and violist Keira Chang, grade 7, was chosen to perform with the junior high school symphony orchestra. From the upper school, vocalist Malar Bala, grade 11, was named to the high school vocal jazz band, junior Rylan Yang was selected to play French horn in the high school symphonic band, and juniors Austin Wang and Tina Zhong, both violinists, were selected for the high school symphony orchestra and high school string orchestra, respectively.
Late last month, junior Tiffany Wong took second place in the youth division at the Korea International Harp Competition in Seoul! Her performances of Gabriel Pierne’s ‘Impromptu Caprice’ and Hugo Reinhold’s ‘Impromptu in C# Minor’ (arranged by Elizabeth Hainen) won her a trophy, certificate and 500,000 South Korean won (equivalent to $470).
Established in 2015 with the goal of finding and promoting exceptional harpists from around the world, the Korean International Harp Competition also hopes to inspire young talents by offering opportunities to perform and congregate. The competition was juried by world-class harpists including Elizabeth Hainen, Florence Sitruk, Naoko Yoshino and Irina Zingg.