2024 Competitors
2024 SEMIFINALISTS.
CONGRATULATIONS TO SEMIFINALISTS NAMED AS 2024 PIANOARTISTS
Lucas Amory
age 21
Lucas Amory, a recent graduate of Harvard College with a bachelor’s degree in German and music, has a profound appreciation for “the creative possibilities of art that suits modern times.” While studying piano with Hae-Sun Paik of the New England Conservatory of Music, Lucas enriched his understanding of German culture and his passion for music as a conductor and performer and received Harvard’s Robert Levin Prize for Music Performance.
He is the outgoing Music Director of Harvard’s Bach Society Orchestra, and recently performed Beethoven’s Concerto No. 5 with the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. To explore “how music can adapt to different settings,” he conducts, coaches, and performs in a variety of ensembles, opera, and musical theater.
Lucas has won top prizes in international competitions including the James Yannatos, Lyra Young Artists, Claudette Sorel, and Arthur Fraser competitions. He was a semifinalist in the 2020 YoungArts Presidential Scholar of the Arts and finalist in the YoungArts Foundation in Classical Music. Major appearances include performances at 92nd Street Y, Weill Hall of Carnegie Hall, and Alice Tully Hall with esteemed artists such as Bruce Adolphe and the Escher String Quartet. This fall, Lucas will pursue a master’s degree at The Juilliard School in the studio of Julian Martin.
MSO Duo Partner – Violinist Dylana Leung
Lucas Amory Programs
Wanqing Jiang
age 21
Wanqing (Jennie) Jiang began studyng piano at the age of five and quickly developed a passion for the instrument. She feels that the piano is the only medium that truly allows her to fully express her deepest feelings and understanding of life.
A sophomore at the Eastman School of Music studying with Ran Dank, she has won prizes in the Seventh Manhattan Music Competition, Beijing International Music Festival, and Hong Kong International Music Festival. In 2018, she performed Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Hong Kong Metropolitan Pop Orchestra as a result of winning the Hong Kong International Music Festival Concerto Competition.
Wanqing performs frequently in venues including Studzinsky Halll at the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Werner Recital Hall in Cincinnati, Tianjin Grand Theater, and Shenyang Conservatory of Music.
When not playing piano, she enjoys photography, chess, fitness, and learning other languages.
MSO Duo Partner – Cellist Madeleine Kabat
Wanqing Jiang Programs
Tanner Jorden
age 21
Tanner Jorden’s musical education began in earnest after two life-altering concussions forced him to set aside his pursuit of sports. While attending the Utah State University Piano Clinic, he was inspired by the power of a community creating art that “allows us to understand ourselves and others, to fantasize, to grow, and to share with others.” At Brigham Young University, he discovered his passion for collaboration and artistic programming.
Tanner is a member of the Aspen Grove Trio, which took first place in the 2024 Music Teacher National Association’s National Chamber Music Competition. He has also won top prizes in the William Knabe, American Protégé, ArsClassica International, and MTNA Young Artist competitions. As a soloist, he has performed with orchestras including the San Marino, Billings, Great Falls, Glacier, Helena, and Utah Valley symphonies.
He is currently completing his undergraduate studies with Scott Holden, and has participated in the PianoTexas, Miami International, and Rebecca Penneys piano festivals. Tanner is an avid mountain biker and outdoorsman who believes that time away from the piano is best spent finding one’s self in nature.
MSO Duo Partner – Violinist Ji-Yeon Lee
Tanner Jorden Programs
Benjamin Keating
age 20
Love of travel inspired Benjamin Keating to explore the eclectic diversity of the pianist’s musical world. He has studied piano in Vienna, performed newly composed classical music with the Mostly Modern Festival, played and conducted musical theatre from the piano at the Hawaii Performing Arts Festival in Hawaii, and at the InterHarmony International Music Festival both in Acqui Terme, Piedmont, Italy, and in concert at Carnegie Hall.
Benjamin has won first place awards in piano performances for the Schubert Club, the Music Teachers National Association in Wisconsin, and Lawrence Conservatory’s concerto competition. He also had the winning answer for the “Piano Puzzler” on National Public Radio’s Performance Today with Bruce Adolphe.
Currently, Benjamin is studying piano performance with Catherine Kautsky and conducting with Kristin Roach at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music. He enjoys his collaboration with the conservatory’s opera theatre program and performing new works composed by his colleagues. Future plans include a master’s degree in piano performance and further studies in conducting. He says that he will always be dedicated to making music himself as well as with others.
MSO Partner – Violinist Ji-Yeon Lee
Benjamin Keating Programs
Angeline Ma
age 21
Angeline Ma was immersed in the arts at an early age, from visiting art museums and attending Philadelphia Orchestra concerts to self-studying music, film, and literature. For Angeline, music is a lifelong journey of self-discovery that is enhanced by the experience and knowledge of other art forms. As a psychology student, Angeline unites her study of the human mind with her musical exploration of the human condition.
Angeline took first prize in the senior division of the 2024 Music Teachers National Association competition and has also won prizes in competitions including the YoungArts, Chopin International (Hartford, CT), Kosciuszko Foundation, International Young Artist (Washington, DC), Princeton Festival, and Steinway Junior competitions. She is a recipient of Northwestern’s Betty van Gorkon Music Scholarship, as well as scholarships from the Chopin Foundation of the United States and Vladimir & Haewon Feltsman Piano Foundation.
MSO Duo Partner – Violinist Dylana Leung
Angeline Ma Programs
Emma Taggart
age 21
Emma Taggart comes from a prodigiously musical family; she and her brother Jacob comprise the piano duo “Taggart Squared,” and their two younger sisters have also joined them on the concert stage in the 2023-2024 season. As a soloist, she has given hundreds of concerts, received awards in international compe-titions, and appeared multiple times on National Public Radio’s From The Top
In addition to performing with the Minnesota Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of St. Petersburg, and Milan Chamber Orchestra, Emma has shared the stage with rock legends The Goo Goo Dolls and Sheila E, (Prince’s former drummer.) She has won first prizes in the Maria Herrero, Schubert Club, Dakota Valley Symphony, and Minnesota Orchestra competitions. Last March, she was awarded first place in the Mannes School of Music Concerto Competition, resulting in a performance of Florence Price’s Piano Concerto.
Emma is completing undergraduate studies at New York City’s Mannes School of Music with Simone Dinnerstein. She previously studied in Minnesota with Dr. Reid Smith. In addition to concertizing, she is a dedicated teacher and producer of the Manhattan-based concert series, Open Note.
MSO Duo Partner – Violinist Kyung Ah Oh
Emma Taggart Programs
Taylor Wang
age 21
Taylor Wang has performed in renowned concert halls, appeared on NPR’s “From the Top,” and won many awards at competitions and festivals in the United States and abroad. Among her awards, she is particularly proud of receiving a Launch Grant from the Peabody Institute to fund her project “Peabody at the Shelter,” which brings monthly concerts to a local shelter.
Taylor is pursuing bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Peabody Institute with HieYon Choi; she previously studied at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts under Sergey Schipkin. Major awards include first prize in the 2022 Wonderlic Piano Competition and second prize in the 2019 Boston Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition.
Taylor has always been interested in using music to help others through community concerts. She is currently a Musician-in-Residence at Edenwald Senior Living Community where she provides musical programming. As part of the Music for a While (MFAW) program, she played regularly for patients at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Collaborative work is also a significant part of her musical life; Taylor works regularly with vocalists, instrumentalists, and in chamber ensembles.
MSO Duo Partner – Violinist Kyungah Oh
Taylor Wang Programs
Vanessa Yu
age 22
Vanessa Yu is fueled by her desire to create a compelling and interactive sonic world with her imagination. She draws inspiration from architecture, finding connections between musical and physical design.
She was named one of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Music’s “30 Under 30” and has appeared in recitals for several concert series including the International Holland Music Sessions, Confluence Concerts, and the Nine Sparrows Arts Foundation. She has performed concertos with the Toronto Concert, Vienna Opera Ball, Mississauga, Central Texas, Burlington and York orchestras, among many others.
Vanessa has received top prizes at the Chicago, Citta di San Dona di Piave, Elevato, and Aegio international competition as well as the Steinway and Canadian Music Center national competitions. She is currently studying at the University of Toronto with Enrico Elisi and Steven Philcox. She maintains a successful piano studio and pursues her passion for design as a calligrapher and bullet journalist.