2026 Competitors
Meet the pianists: X-Z
Stephan Xie, 25
CHINA
Stephan studied at the Taylor Academy for Young Artists in Toronto under Dr. Michael Berkovsky, and subsequently at the Yale School of Music under Boris Berman and Wei-Yi Yang. He currently studies with Ning An at the Yong Siew Tow Conservatory of Music. Stephan won first prize at the 5th National Canadian Chopin Competition and was winner of the Tianjin Juilliard Piano Festival Concerto Competition.
Jiwon Yang, 23
SOUTH KOREA
Jiwon Yang studies at the New York Mannes School of Music under Richard Goode and Pavlina Dokovska. She won 3rd prize at the Cliburn International Junior (2019) and Cleveland Young Pianists International Piano Competitions. In 2025 she was awarded third prize at the ARD International Music Competition. She has played with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Camerata New York Orchestra, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra with conductors Richard Owen and Ruth Reinhardt.
Adria Ye, 28
USA
Adria Ye made their orchestral debut at nine with the Oregon Sinfonietta and has since performed as soloist and chamber musician across Europe, China, and the United States. They frequently collaborate and perform with cellist Leland Ko. Adria earned their Bachelor and Master of Music degrees at the Juilliard School with Yoheved Kaplinsky and Julian Martin, and a Graduate Diploma at the New England Conservatory with Wha-Kyung Byun.
Yali Zaken, 21
ISRAEL
Yali Zaken recently became the youngest semi-finalist at the 2025 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Brussels. Yali has performed and recorded with Lahav Shani and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra and has worked with conductors such as George Pehlivanian and Vahan Mardirossian. He studied with Ian Jones at the Royal College of Music and currently studies with Professor Tomer Lev at Tel Aviv University’s Buchman–Mehta School of Music.
Zhiqiao Zhang, 27
CHINA
Zhiqiao has performed in venues such as La Scala Milan, and the Warsaw Philharmony as participant in the Frederic Chopin International Piano Competition. The winner of more than twenty national and international piano competitions, Zhiqiao Zhang was awarded 1st Prize at the 28th Mauro Paolo Monopoli Prize in 2025 and at the 6th Fujairah International Piano Competition in the UAE.
Ryan Zhu, 22
CANADA
Ryan Zhu has appeared on many concert stages. He was a semi-finalist in the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition, winning the G. Henle Verlag prize, and a semi-finalist of the 2024 Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. Ryan is pursuing his Master of Music degree under Boris Berman at the Yale School of Music. He has previously studied with Robert McDonald, Stephen Hough, Mira Yevtich, Michelle Mares, Kenneth Broadway, and Ralph Markham.
