16 Music Academy fellows win career-advancing opportunities + over $45,000 in prizes at the 75th Anniversary Summer School & Festival
Winners announced for 2022 Music Academy / London Symphony Orchestra Keston MAX program, Solo Piano, Duo, and Song Competitions, and the Fast Pitch Awards
The Academy sends 10 2022 winners to London this November alongside previous awardees to perform with the London Symphony Orchestra in Keston MAX (Music Academy Exchange)
Performance Competition winners return for a recital series at the Music Academy's 2023 Summer Festival
About the 2022 Competitions
The Music Academy’s Solo Piano, Duo, Marilyn Horne Song, and Fast Pitch Awards offered fellows opportunities to showcase their performance and entrepreneurial talents.
Each of the six winners received a cash award of $5,000. The winners of the Solo Piano, Duo, and Marilyn Horne Song Competitions will also have a work from a composer commissioned on their behalf. For 2022, those commissioned artists are Stewart Goodyear, Christopher Cerrone, and Tom Cipullo, respectively. The winners will premiere the commissions in recital in the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall at the opening of the 2023 Summer Festival as a series.
For each recital, the winners may utilize a $1,000 stipend to produce and present their performances in new ways. Additionally, they are encouraged to use Hahn Hall’s recently enhanced audio, lighting, and projection capabilities to craft innovative performances.
The Duo Competition is generously endowed by Leslie and Philip Bernstein.
Ten finalists shared ideas for new ventures in the Fast Pitch Awards, and one fellow – Angie Zhang – was named the winner to encourage her innovation and creativity. Angie’s pitch was MusicBesties: an app to “turn strangers into besties” by providing a direct line of communication between musicians and audience members. With the scan of a QR code on a musician’s program or website, one is linked to their favorite artist’s profile on the app with options to listen, watch, attend upcoming performances, book them for concerts or lessons, or even host them when they’re in town.
Learn about all the finalists and their innovative concepts here.
2022 Competition Winners
Solo Piano Competition: Adria Ye solo piano
Duo Competition (pictured): Joshua Williams tuba, Yu-Ting Peng collaborative piano
Marilyn Horne Song Competition: Joanne Evans mezzo-soprano, Tzu-Kuang Tan vocal piano
Fast Pitch Awards: Angie Zhang MusicBesties, solo piano
2022 Competition Adjudicators
Solo Piano Competition: Michelle Cann, Stewart Goodyear, Natasha Kislenko
Duo Competition: Mariam Adam, Sarah Gibson, Jennifer Koh
Marilyn Horne Song Competition: Sasha Cooke, Martin Katz, Ana María Martínez
Fast Pitch Awards: Joyce Kwon, Francisco J. Núñez, Patrick Spence
About Keston MAX
Instrumental fellows were welcome to audition for the 2022 Keston MAX (Music Academy Exchange) with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO). Five LSO guest musicians Sarah Quinn, Rebecca Gilliver, Daniel Jemison, Angela Barnes, and Neil Percy worked with the fellows in person this summer and adjudicated the audition, selecting ten winners.
The Music Academy will send the 2022 winners to London this November to train and perform alongside previous winners from 2019, 2020, and 2021 under LSO Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda.
2022 Keston MAX Fellows
Kenneth Chauby trumpet
Nicholas Gallitano viola
Jordan Farber bassoon
Gene Hotta viola
Orion Miller double bass
Katelyn Poetker clarinet
Gracie Potter trombone
Matthew A. West percussion
Melody Yuan violin
Hanna Zhdan violin
These winners each receive a $1,500 award, plus travel, housing, and meals, and will spend 10 days participating in the following incredible opportunities:
- Nov 17: Fellows will perform Symphonic Jazz with Jess Gillam at Barbican Hall, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
- Nov 20: Fellows will join the LSO for a performance of Beethoven and Berlioz at LSO St Luke’s led by Gianandrea Noseda
- Nov 24: Fellows will perform Shostakovich: The Year 1905 in Barbican Hall, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
- Other activities include lessons, coachings, rehearsals, and additional performance opportunities with LSO musicians
The lead sponsors of the London Symphony Orchestra partnership are Linda and Michael Keston and Mary Lynn and Warren Staley. Additional support has been provided in remembrance of Léni Fé Bland.
About the 2022 Music Academy Awardees
About the 2022 LSO Keston MAX Winners
About the 2022 Competition Winners
ABOUT THE MUSIC ACADEMY
Music Academy is a performance-based training center and incubator that empowers musicians to impact society positively. The Academy welcomes everyone from across all generations, cultures and backgrounds to experience the transformative power of music. Based in Santa Barbara, California, the Academy presents the preeminent full-scholarship Summer School and Festival for classically trained fellows ages 18 to 34. The fellows study and perform with more than 50 exceptional faculty and teaching artists, while forging close connections with the local community. The Academy’s commitment to long-term collaborations and exchanges with leading orchestras and opera companies results in unparalleled mentorship and career-advancing prospects. The Innovation Institute spearheads entrepreneurial training and ventures through seminars, residencies and the Alumni Enterprise Awards, substantial grants given annually for a wide range of creative projects. Launched in 2018, Sing! – a free, after-school choral program for local elementary students – inspires personal growth and expression.
photos: Zach Mendez
(Angie Zhang photo courtesy of the artist)
Kate Oberjat (she/her/hers)
Director of Marketing and Communications
Music Academy
805-695-7908
koberjat@musicacademy.org
