MEI-TING SUN
Mei-ting Sun is the winner of the 7th National Chopin Piano Competition in 2005. A native of Shanghai, Mr. Sun arrived in New York at the age of 9, and entered the Professional Children's School and the Mannes College of Music, where he studied Ear Training with Marie Powers, Theory with Robert Cuckson, and Piano with Edward Aldwell. He has since received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees from the Mannes College of Music.
RACHAEL NAOMI KUDO
Born in Washington, D.C., Rachel began the piano at the age of four. When Rachel was 14, she was the youngest artist at the 2001 56th International Chopin Festival in Duszniki-Zdroj, Poland, where she performed a recital that included 12 Chopin Etudes of Op.10.
ESTHER PARK
Park is a fourth prize winner of the 2005 National Chopin Piano Competition. She moved from Korea to the United States in 1995 to enter the pre-college division at the Juilliard School of Music at the age of eleven. The first-prize winner at several recent U.S.-based competitions, she has performed at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall, the Aspen Music Festival, and several concert venues in Korea.
SEAN KENNARD
Kennard has won top prizes in the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, National Chopin Competition, Sendai International Music Competition, Junior Gina Bachauer Competition, Chopin International Competition of the Pacific, and the Music Teachers National Association.
EDWARD ALDWELL
A native of Portland, Oregon, pianist Edward Aldwell received his early musical training in Texas, and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music before finally reaching his permanent musical home, New York City. There, he received both the Bachelors and Masters of Science degrees from The Juilliard School, studying principally under Adele Marcus. He joined the faculty of Philadelphia's Curtis Institute as a theory teacher in 1971, and also taught piano at the Mannes College of Music in New York.
AGUSTIN ANIEVAS
He is a past chair of the Piano Department, Academy of Music, at the City University of New York at Brooklyn College. His long list of appearances range from the leading halls in the United States to those in Europe, South America and the Far East where he performed in recitals and with the greatest orchestras of those continents.
SEYMOUR BERNSTEIN
Born in Newark, New Jersey, Seymour Bernstein was already teaching piano at the age of fifteen, his teacher at the time, Clara Husserl, having arranged for him to supervise the practicing of some of her gifted younger pupils. He soon had a class of pupils of his own, some of whom are still studying with him. He achieved local fame quite early as a performer, winning the Griffith Artist Award at the age of seventeen.
ENRIQUE GRAF
Mr. Graf is founder and Artistic Director of the International Piano Series at Charleston, South Carolina. He has founded concert series and exchange programs on three continents. He is one of a handful of pianists in the world who concertizes at the international, top-flight level, but also is known as one of the most sought-after, and effective teachers. His students come from all over the world to study with him. His deep interest in teaching has taken him to most of the leading universities and conservatories in the United States, South America, Europe, and South East Asia to present master classes.
YOHAVED KAPLINSKY
Yoheved Kaplinsky is currently Chairperson of the piano department of The Juilliard School, where she has served on the piano faculty since 1993. Kaplinsky holds a Doctorate from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Irwin Freundlich and continues her studies with Dorothy Taubman. Known for her insights into piano technique, Kaplinsky is in demand as a lecturer, and has given master classes in universities and conventions in the U.S., Europe, Israel, and the Far East.
EMILIO DEL ROSARIO
Emilio del Rosario, distinguished pianist and teacher, has numerous students that have won prizes in local, national, and international competitions. He has given recitals and master classes to teacher associations and served on the faculty of the Music Center of the North Shore in Winnetka, Illinois. In 1986 and 1992 he was the recipient of the Distinguished Teacher Award at the White House. His teachers include Leon Fleisher, Mieczyslaw Munz, Erno Balogh, and Julio Esteban.
RUTH SLENCZYNSKA
Ruth Slenczynska is the first American woman pianist in history to celebrate 60 years of professional music making. Following her New York City debut at the age of eight, which Olin Downes of The New York Times called “an electrifying experience,” Slenczynska has performed more than 3000 recitals on both hemispheres and appeared with most of the world’s greatest orchestras.
SUSAN STARR
Internationally acclaimed pianist Susan Starr performed on more than 50 occasions with the Philadelphia Orchestra since her debut at age six, an engagement that marked her as the youngest soloist to ever appear with a major orchestra. In 1977 Ms. Starr had the honor of performing at the White House at the invitation of President Carter.