Announcing our PianoArtists

Mohan Jia

Mohan Jia’s trust in “the transformative power of music-magic” has led her from her home in the People’s Republic of China to the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she is studying for a degree in piano performance. Mohan, aged 19, also is taking advantage of a dual degree program that allows her to take classes in theater directing and German at Case Western Reserve University.

Born in Beijing, Mohan made her solo recital debut at the age of seven, and her concerto debut, with the Xiamen Philharmonic Orchestra, at 11. She graduated from Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music Middle School. Mohan has participated in festivals and competitions in the U.S., China, Germany, Singapore, Canada, and Vietnam. She frequently performs in Cleveland-area concerts and, as a volunteer, shares her music-magic by playing for patients and their families at cancer hospitals in
Beijing.

Since enrolling at CIM, Mohan has expanded her keyboard studies to include organ and carillon. “I am a free spirit,” she says, “and the piano, along with all these wonderful instruments, gives me the imagination to create another world, an entirely different planet.”

Evelina Kleczek

Evelina Kleczek’s piano prowess is something of a family tradition; her two older brothers are both pianists. But from the age of five, when she first sat down at the keyboard, she has forged her own musical path.

In Evelina’s words, the purpose of performing is “to connect with the audience and give them joy and beauty through the language of music.” At age 17, she has already performed as a soloist in the U.S., Poland, Hungary, Spain, and Puerto Rico, and won awards at the MostArt Pianist Competition, the Thomas F. Hulbert International Piano Competition, and the 7th Tureck International Bach Competition. She also enjoys playing concerts at retirement homes in Washington, D.C., not far from her home in Vienna, Virginia.

Evelina graduated from high school in 2025, and studies piano privately. Proud of her Polish heritage, she has been awarded Chopin Foundation scholarships for the past several years. She hopes to enroll at a conservatory in Warsaw, Poland to further her studies.

At home, Evelina enjoys baking dessert, hiking in the woods near her home, and exploring classic books, short stories, plays, and poems.

Alex Nam

Alex Nam balances piano study and performance with a wide range of interests. Currently a 22-year-old student at the Julliard School, where he is pursuing a master of music degree in piano performance, Alex graduated from Yale University in 2025 with a B.A. in mathematics and philosophy. “My undergraduate studies definitely helped me to think more clearly about the abstract ideas with which music challenges us,” he said.

Alex, who played the violin as a child, is passionate about chamber music and collaboration, loving the process of working with string players. The PianoArts Competition’s Duo Recital and opportunities for community engagement drew him to enter.

Alex has shared his skills as a teacher and mentor in programs for young musicians, including the Yale School of Music in Schools Initiative, the Brooklyn Youth Music Project, and the Kneisel Hall camp for young players in Maine. He also has organized performances by other pianists for groups including the Yale Undergraduate Piano Collective and the Giffords Law center to Prevent Gun Violence.

While at Yale, Alex won numerous honors, including the Wrexham Prize in Music, the Pauli Murray Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts, and the William Aaite Concerto Competition.

Yoav Roth

Yoav Roth says he has always enjoyed having three things in his life: music for his soul, math for his brain, and sports for his body. He began playing the piano at the age of nine, and is now a 19-year-old student at The Julliard School studying piano performance.

Yoav was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, and grew up in a small village, later studying piano and composition at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance. He also attended a specialized high school for advanced mathematics.

Yoav’s experience includes awards at several competitions in Israel. Under the sponsorship of Morningside Music Bridge in 2023, he performed solo, duo, and trio repertoire in Boston, Poland, and London for the Wimbledon International Music Festival. He took first prize in the Julliard Piano Concerto Competition in 2024. The PianoArts competition appeals to him because it emphasizes musical and verbal communication, collaboration, and community engagement. This combination, he said, “reflects the way I aspire to grow as a musician.”

Yoav trained extensively in judo as a child, and became a top martial artist in Israel. “I stopped training in judo to protect my hands,” Yoav said, but still enjoys playing soccer and doing calisthenics.

Quang Minh Vo

Quang Minh Vo, a 20-year-old native of Hanoi, Vietnam, is a competition veteran, winning more than 40 domestic and international piano awards in locations ranging from Hungary to Malaysia. After completing studies in 2022 at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, he enrolled at Florida Gulf Coast University to study piano performance. Quang is a finalist in the 2026 MTNA National Young Artist Competition.

Quang is especially drawn to collaboration with other musicians. His membership in orchestra and a trio as a cellist “taught me how to listen differently,” he said. “I learned how to shape a phrase not just for myself, but for the sound of a group.” The inclusion of chamber music opportunities drew Quang to the PianoArts competition. “Chamber music, in particular, feels like a conversation where every detail matters,” he said.

Quang also applies his discipline and energy to sports, especially swimming, soccer, and martial arts. He also enjoys sharing ideas through website design.

Duy Vu

When Duy Vu says that music is a central part of his life, he’s not just talking about classical piano. He also plays drums in a jazz and rock band, which provides opportunities to make music in a relaxed setting with friends.

Duy, aged 21, is a student at Florida Gulf Coast University, and a native of Hanoi, Vietnam. At the age of six, he began studying both piano and karate. He has found success in both disciplines, competing in national and international martial arts tournaments and winning awards in piano competitions in Vietnam, Korea, Thailand, Chiba, and Germany.

As a participant in a research program sponsored by the FGCU College of Arts and Sciences, Duy recently completed a study comparing piano pedagogy methods in Vietnam and the United States, and providing an overview of classical Vietnamese piano music. He has broad musical tastes and explores recordings of many genres. “I am especially interested in how different musical styles can influence each other,” he said.

Marie Wurtz

Marie Wurtz, age 22, will be awarded her Bachelor of Music degree by Northwestern University in June. She has combined piano performance studies with college classes in art history and musicology.

A native of New York City, Marie has participated in music festivals and competitions in Leipzig, Germany, where she won the Christa Bach-Marschall Foundation Prize at the 2025 International Bach Competition; New York City; Philadelphia; Chicago, and Dallas. She has learned from and worked with accomplished teachers and other young musicians at the Aspen Summer Music Festival and Bowdoin International Music Festival, and will attend the Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival in Maine later this summer.

Marie has frequently performed chamber music since high school, and the inclusion of chamber music is one reason the PianoArts competition appealed to her. “Solo, chamber/duo, and concerto rounds show many different sides and skills of a performer,” she said. Marie also values the chance to perform recently-composed works.

Outside of music and piano performance, Marie enjoys cooking and spending time with friends and her cat. She also looks forward to returning to southeast Wisconsin, which she visited frequently as a child.