People

2023 Semifinal Round Competition Judges

Andrew Tyson(China)

Concert Pianist;
Yamaha Artist;
Piano Faculty, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music(China)

Cameron Robert Watson ( Canada: Edmonton)

Faculty, MacEwan University Conservatory of Music

Cheng Yang (Canada: Calgary)

Director of West Canada Region

Dr. Akiko Tominaga (Canada West – Calgary)

Piano Faculty at Mount Royal Conservatory

Dr. Alan Woo (US: Southeast Region)

Concert Pianist; Lecture in Piano, University of Georgia

Dr. Alejandro Avila

Director, IPPA South America Division; Instructor of Keyboard Studies and Director of Accompaniment at Barton Community College

Dr. Alvin Zhu (China)

Artistic Director, China Division;
Professor in Piano, Tianjin Juilliard School;
Steinway Artist;
Fulbright Scholar;

Dr. Chenggang Yang(China)

Professor, Vice-Chair of Piano department, Sichuan Conservatory of Music(China);
Prestigious YAMAHA Teaching Award,2013

Dr. Emma Rui-Xuan Shi(Canada:Vancouver)

Artist director,Doctor Music Academy;
Music Minister of Cloverdale United Church;
RCM examiner and senior certified teacher

Dr. Hye-Jung Hong

Associate Professor of Piano at Missouri State University; Immediate Past- President for the Missouri Music Teachers Association.

Dr. Jeffrey Savage (Online)

Piano Faculty at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory

Dr. Kunyoung Kim(US: Northeast Region)

Concert Pianist; former Assistant Professor of Piano at Ithaca college and the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam

Dr. Michael Esch(Canada: Toronto)

Piano Faculty, The University of Toronto;
Senior Examiner, RCME;
Steinway Top Teacher,2016-2021

Dr. Nicholas Susi ( US: Southeast Region)

Concert Pianist; Assistant Professor in University of South Carolina

Dr. Ronald Morgan (Canada: Vancouver)

Leading piano teacher in Canada;Adjudicator;
Senior Examiner of RCM

Dr. Rosy Ge (Canada)

Canada Division Director, IPPA Conero International Piano Festival and Competition;
Editor, USMCE
Director, Illumine Star Academy

Dr. Scott McBride Smith

Cordelia Brown Murphy Professor of Piano Pedagogy, University of Kansas
Distinguished Professor, China Conservatory of Music

Dr. Wei-Han Su

Professor of Piano and Coordinator of the Keyboard Area at Missouri State University; Chappell Gold Medal, Royal College of Music

Dr. Yi-Yang Chen( US: Midwest Region)

Concert Pianist; Assistant Professor in University of Kansas

Dr. Yiming Zhou ( US )

Violinist, Topeka Symphony and Springfield Symphony;(Jury for Chamber Music Category)

Enrico Elisi

Concert Pianist; Steinway Artist; Professor of Piano in Texas Christian University.

Felix Tao Chang

Piano Professor at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.

Ivy Lu Wang

Lecturer in Piano Pedagogy, University of Kansas
Adjunct Piano Professor, Ottawa University
Artistic Director, International Piano Professionals Association

Lorenzo Di Bella

1st Prize and Gold Medal ‘Horowitz’ Int. Piano Competition – Kiev
Piano Professor ‘Braga’ Conservatory – Teramo
Artistic Director ‘Mugellini Festival; Civitanova Classica Piano Festival;La Palma d’Oro’ Int. Piano Competition

Lucy Tan (US: Midwest Region)

Director of Keyboard Studies at Washburn University

Mengoni Luca

IPPA Conero String Artist – Violinist

Mengyang Pan

Concert Pianist; Piano Professor, Royal College of Music (London); Imperial College Blyth Centre for Music

Reena Berger Natenberg(US: Online)

Professor of Piano, Pittsburg State University;
Concert Pianist

Rixiang Huang ( US: Online)

Concert Pianist;Artistic Director of Pacific Stars International Piano Competition

Sarah Ho(Canada:Edmonton)

Faculty, Macewan University Conservatory of Music;
Artistic Director, Edmonton Recital Society

Scott McBride Smith

Cordelia Brown Murphy Professor of Piano Pedagogy, University of Kansas
Visiting Professor at Shanghai Normal University, Shenyang
Conservatory and the Sichuan Conservatory
President, International Institute for Young Musicians
President, Music Teachers National Association in the United States
Distinguished Professor in China Conservatory of Music

Sofya Gulyak

Concert Pianist; 1st Prize and the Princess Mary Gold Medal at Leeds International Piano Competition; Professor at Indiana University

Vladimir Valjarević (US: Northeast Region)

Professor at Mannes School of Music, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University

Xiaohong Zhao(China)

Professor of Piano, Harbin Conservatory of Music(China)