First presented in 2008, the NJMTA Service Award is bestowed upon that board member whose invaluable contributions, over many years of service, have impacted the NJMTA as an organization. This award is presented during the annual state conference.
• Wennie has been an active member of NJMTA since 2009.
• She has been serving as the Voice Chairperson of the NJMTA Spring Recital Audition and Young Musicians Competition for 12 years (since 2013).
Congratulations! to Amy I-Yun Tu, the recipient of the 2024 Teacher of the Year award!
The Award was presented during the Conference Banquet on November 16, 2024.
Amy’s contributions to NJMTA:
Amy joined the NJMTA as an active member since 2014.
She has previously held positions such as NJ MTNA Young Artist and Junior Competitions Coordinator (2014–2023) and • MTNA Eastern Division Young Artist Performance Competitions Coordinator (2017–2018).
Now she serves as the New Jersey MTNA Competitions Chair (2024–present).
Served in the NJMTA State Conference Planning Committee, 2019, 2023, and 2024.
Presented by Dr. Kevin Chance at the State Conference on Sat. Nov. 16, 2024, 9:15-11am
Song of the Lark, Op.39 No.22 Tchaikovsky
Brinley Liu, age 8
Student of Bing Bing Chang
Sonatina in C, Op. 55 No. 1, 1st mvmt Kuhlau
Phoebe Qi, age 9
Student of Yining Wang
Sonatina Op. 13 No.1 in C, 3rd mvmt Kabalevsky
Owen Chen, age 9
Student of Hwei-Lan Luo
Sonata in F Hob.XVI:23, 1st mvmt Haydn
Benny Breaux, age 11
Student of Ingrid Clarfield
Nocturne in E flat major Op. 9, No. 2 Chopin
Rosie Pei, age 11
Student of Chang Liu
Arabesque No.1 in E Major Debussy
Elaine Long, age 12
Student of Yujia Shen
Selected Student name Teacher
Selected Amy Chu, age 13 Chiu-Tze Lin
Desperate Measures Op. 48 by R. Muczynski
Selected Vitalii Khairutdinov, age 24 Veda Zuponcic
Maja y el Ruisinior by Granados
Selected Katharine Luo, age 16 Gloria Chu
Sonata No. 5, Op.38 - Allegro tranquillo by S. Prokofiev
Selected Henry Tsai, age 16 Rita Shklar
Five Bagatelles by C. Vine
Alternate 1 Tony Bello, age 16 Ingrid Clarfield
Alternate 2 Hannah Zou, age 15 Ingrid Clarfield
HsinYi Tsai, Ju-Fen Lu & Chiung-Yin Cheng Liu, Chairpersons
SOLO PIANO WINNERS
Age Group Award Student name Teacher
5 1st Audrey Ma Yujia Shen
Allegro in B flat Major, K 3 by W. A. Mozart
5 2nd Sheryl Deng Chiu-Tze Lin
6 1st Aiden Lin Simeng Wu
Morning Song by A. Diabelli
6 2nd Chonghe Li Michael Brailovsky
6 3rd Alden Yuen Yelena Mamonova
6 HM Charlotte Chen Simeng Wu
7 1st Avery Yu Yuhui Chloris Li
Theme and Variations in C by J. Haydn
7 2nd Alex Zhang Todd Simmons
7 3rd Claire Zhang Stella Xu
7 3rd Zinnia Zou Yujia Shen
7 HM Cheyenne Guo Simeng Wu
7 HM Annalyn Zhang Chaoyin Cai
8 1st Amanda Zheng *
Mazurka in B flat Major, Op.7 No.1 by F. Chopin
8 2nd Olivia Li *
8 3rd Ryan Li Ingrid Clarfield
8 3rd Andrew Zhang Chiu-Tze Lin
8 HM Sophia Sung Chiu-Tze Lin
8 HM Charlotte Xia Gloria Chu
8 HM Manning Xia Hwei-Lan Luo
9 1st Sylvie Chiu Ikumi Hiraiwa
Impromptu in E flat Major, Op. 90 No. 2 by F. Schubert
9 2nd Stanley Chu Stella Xu
9 3rd Edwin Cheng Tomoko Harada
9 3rd Tai Wang Chiu-Tze Lin
9 HM Jayden Li Tomoko Harada
9 HM Elena Xie Aziza Khasanova-Madaski
10 1st Sophia Zhong *
Etude in C Minor, Op.25 No.12 by F. Chopin
10 2nd Max Lu Stella Xu
10 3rd Claire Li *
10 3rd Bryan Wu Veda Zuponcic
10 HM Emily Hua *
10 HM Ann Nguyen Veda Zuponcic
10 HM Alex Shih Ingrid Clarfield
11 1st Elena Wang Chaoyin Cai
French Suite No.2 in C minor BWV 813 by J. S. Bach
11 2nd Tommy Jihuan Yang Stella Xu
11 3rd Cooper Chen Julia Lam
11 3rd Audrey Xu Gloria Chu
11 HM Emma Pan Stella Xu
11 HM Rebecca Grace Wang Natasha Agilina
12 1st Kyle Zhu Julia Lam
Scherzo no 3 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 39 by F. Chopin
12 2nd Eunice Choi *
12 3rd Aaron Wang Helen Wang
12 3rd Luke Yeon Stella Xu
12 HM Lawrence Guo Aziza Khasanova-Madaski
12 HM Katherine Lee Veda Zuponcic
12 HM Arden Shi Yuhui Chloris Li
13 1st Bowen Liang Stella Xu
Suite de Danza Criollas, Op.15 by Ginastera
13 2nd Christina Xue Stella Xu
13 3rd Calvin Xu Beatrice Long
13 3rd Sharon Xue Stella Xu
13 HM Amy Chu Chiu-Tze Lin
13 HM Isabella Sung Chiu-Tze Lin
14 1st Eric Feng Gloria Chu
Scherzo No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op.31 by F. Chopin
14 2nd Hudson Dong Stella Xu
14 3rd Andrew Li Stella Xu
14 3rd Maximus Wu Tomoko Harada
14 HM Annie Wei Stella Xu
14 HM Emily Wu Grace Yang
15 1st Ryan Lu Stella Xu
Gargoyles Op. 29 by Liebermann
15 2nd Sathvik Subramanian Beatrice Long
15 3rd Joseph Liu Yevgeny Morozov
15 3rd Cherie Xu Grace Yang
15 HM Sophie Gang Stella Xu
15 HM Dennis Ji Ingrid Clarfield
16 1st Alice Siqi Wan Stella Xu
Sonata No.1, 1st mvt by C. Vine
16 2nd Tony Bello Ingrid Clarfield
16 3rd Samuel Cronk Veda Zuponcic
16 3rd Alexander Wang Chiu-Tze Lin
16 HM Henry Tsai Rita Shklar
16 HM David Wu Stella Xu
17 1st Sarah Li Tomoko Harada
Gargoyles Op. 29 by Liebermann
17 2nd Leo Chen Danette Whelan
Collegiate 1st Vitalii Khairutdinov Veda Zuponcic
Overture to Tanhauser by Wagner-Liszt
LILLIAN LIVINGSTON PIANO DUET COMPETITION WINNERS
Age Group Award Students name Teacher
Duet 10 & Under 1st Olivia Li / Claire Li *
Landler Dance in E, D.618 by F. Schubert
2nd Alexander Shih / Cassia Watson Ingrid Clarfield
Duet 11-14 1st Cooper Chen / David Zhang Julia Lam
Scherzo from Six Duets, Op. 11 No.2 by S. Rachmaninoff
2nd Junhan Wu / Junhong Wu Ju-Fen Lu
HM Terrance Lin / Evan Bai Yuhui Chloris Li
HM Anna Qu / Julia Qu Chiu-Ling Lin
HM Kyle Zhu / Karen Du Julia Lam
Duet 15-17 1st Chloe Ren / Audrey Ren Veda Zuponcic
Paraphrase on Dizzy Gillespie's Manteca for Two Pianos Op. 129 by Kapustin
(Arranged by Alexander Timofeev for Piano Duet)
2nd Elizabeth Rao / Noah Rao Yining Wang
Chairperson: Wennie Kao
Division Award Student/Teacher
12 & Under 1st Lillian Yip/LiChan Chen-Maxham
13 - 14 1st Ryan Wang/Richard Danley
2nd Laher Desai/Shinwen Lin
15 - 18 1st Derek Li/LiChan Chen-Maxham
2nd Emma Wang/LiChan Chen-Maxham
3rd Sophia Peng/Shinwen Lin
JUDGE: Barbara Gonzalez-Palmer
Amy I-Yun Tu, Chairperson, Junior and Young Artist Coordinator
Wei-Yuh Christina Xie, Senior Coordinator
JUNIOR LEVEL
Piano Solo
Winner: Hudson Guo Dong Teacher: Stella Xu
Alternate: Bowen Liang Teacher: Stella Xu
Honorable Mention: Averie Wu Teacher: Ingrid Clarfield
Conan Yang Teacher: Veda Zuponcic
Kyle Zhu Teacher: Julia Lam
String
Winner: Melody Jian, violin Teacher: Tunde Gaal
Alternate: Alice Hu, violin Teacher: Brittany Sklar
Honorable Mention: Anna Sui, cello Teacher: Hyojin Lee
Woodwind
Winner: Jianing Liu, flute Teacher: Amy I-Yun Tu
Alternate: Katherine Lee, flute Teacher: Amy I-Yun Tu
Honorable Mention: Rayansh Phirke, flute Teacher: Amy I-Yun Tu
SENIOR LEVEL
Piano Solo
Winner : Alice Siqi Wan Teacher: Stella Xu
Alternate: Sarah Li Teacher: Tomoko Harada
Honorable Mention: Tony Rosario Bello Teacher: Ingrid Clarfield
Samuel Wu Cronk Teacher: Veda Zuponcic
Richard Martin Teacher: Michelle Cann
Alexander Wang Teacher: Chiu-Tze Lin
String
Winner: Jinan Laurentia Woo, violin Teacher: Soyeon Ahn
Alternate: Jessica Hong, cello Teacher: Hyojin Lee
Honorable Mention: Kai Freeman, violin Teacher: Amy Oshiro-Morales
Elie Kuan, cello Teacher: Hyojin Lee
Woodwind
Winner: Lina Lin, flute Teacher: Amy I-Yun Tu
Alternate: Cherie Xu, clarinet Teacher: Kenneth Ellison
Honorable Mention: Matthew Gao, clarinet Teacher: Kenneth Ellison
Alice Xie, clarinet Teacher: Kenneth Ellison
YOUNG ARTIST LEVEL
Piano Solo
Winner: Vitalii Khairutdinov Teacher: Veda Zuponcic
Alternate: Alex Yedidia Teacher: Robert Grohman
2024 Margaret Knight High School Scholarship
MUSIC PERFORMANCE CATEGORY
Recipient: Jinan Laurentia Woo, violin, Teacher: Soyeon Ahn
Alternate: Victor Peng, piano, Teacher: Veda Zuponcic
Performance judges: Chih-Long Hu, Brennan Sweet
Essay judges: Betty Stoloff, Yining Wang
Julia Kovalev, Composition Competitions Coordinator
Elementary:
Winner: Emmy Zhang Student of Nancy Modell
Honorable Mention: Hendrix Lizzack Student of John Kiernan
Junior:
Winner: Benjamin Breaux Student of Yihan Chen
Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Li Student of Jihyeon Berman
Honorable Mention: Colton Stotesbury Student of Kaori Tanioka
Honorable Mention: Charles Wang Student of Meng Wang
Senior:
Winner: Ethan Wei Student of Yiming Wu
Honorable Mention: Hongrae Kim Student of Wonki Lee
Honorable Mention: Olex Donghao Li Student of Yiming Wu
Honorable Mention: Michael Middlezong Student of Kaori Tanioka
Honorable Mention: Jixiu Shi Student of Meng Wang
Young Artist:
Representative: Ivan Wong Student of Nancy Wilson
Division Award Student/Instrument/Age/Teacher
10 & Under 1st Isabelle Zhao, violin, age 8, Yousun Kim
(Elementary) Vivaldi, Violin Concerto G minor, RV 317, III. Allegro
2nd Luanna Liu, violin, age 10, Yousun Kim
3rd Isabella Gopal, violin, age 10, Katarzyna Powichrowska
3rd Alice Qian, violin, age 9, Tunde Gaal
HM Charlotte Iff, cello, age 4, Marnie Kaller
HM Melanie You, viola, age 10, Youngbin Jo
11-14 1st Melody Jian, violin, age 11, Tunde Gaal
(Junior) Bruch, Violin Concerto in G minor, III. Allegro energico
2nd Catherine You, cello, age 12, Hyojin Lee
3rd Leilani Gopal, violin, age 14, Katarzyna Powichrowska
3rd Calvin Xu, violin, age 13, Linlin Xu
HM Erika Lee, cello, age 13, Chase Park
HM Anna Sui, cello, age 12, Hyojin Lee
15-17 1st Darren Lee, cello, age 16, Hyojin Lee
(Senior) Schumann, Concerto in A Minor, I. Nicht zu schnell
2nd Jessica Hong, cello, age 16, Hyojin Lee
3rd Charlotte Xing-er Ji Dressel, cello, age 15, Hyojin Lee
3rd Elie Kuan, cello, age 15, Hyojin Lee
HM Lucille Chen, violin, age 15, Tunde Gaal
HM Emily Wang, violin, age 16, Yousun Kim
JUDGES: Elementary and Junior category - Tomoko Fujita, Brennan Sweet
Senior category - Marta Reilley, Uli Speth
*For complete transparency, the judges were hired by Tomoko Harada, the judge coordinator for NJMTA.