UNITED STARS MUSIC COMPETITION
United Stars Music Competition
Grand Award Winner
2023
Andrew Peng (7) USA
Andrew is currently studying violin at the prestigious Colburn School under the esteemed Aimee Kreston. With the support of Colburn scholarships, Andrew has showcased his talent in numerous recitals and competitions. At six, he gained an honorable mention in the 2022 Southern California Junior Bach Complete Works Audition. In 2023, his performances at the Pelican Music Competition earned him 1st prize and Achievement in Excellence awards, leading to a coveted performance at the Nixon Library. Andrew also shone at the Eastern Sierra Symphony music festival and secured the Grand Prize Special Award at the Satori Summer Music Festival. Andrew is very honored to be selected for the United Stars Music Competition’s Showcase.
Riko Ishii (14) Japan
Riko Ishii (14) was born in Tokyo. She began piano lesson at the age of four, has been studying under Kyoko Ikemura and Rie Ishii. She has won numerous awards, including 2nd prize (Chopin section) at the United Stars Music Competition and the Jury Prize at the Japan Junior Classical Music Competition. In 2021, she performed at Blue Rose, Suntory Hall in Tokyo . Two years later, she made her debut recital internationally at the Mozart Hall in Vienna organized by the Japanese Embassy in Austria. She is very honored and grateful to have been selected as the Grand Prize Winner of the United Stars Music Competition.
She loves Beethoven and has a special affinity for his works.
Leane Kwon (15) USA
Leane Kwon is a 15 year old freshman at the Bergen County Academies in New Jersey. She started taking piano lessons at the age of 4, and is the piano accompanist for the Camerata Youth Orchestra. Leane has performed in various locations such as Carnegie Hall, DiMenna Center, and more. She has won 1st prize in the New York Young Virtuoso Competition, and 2nd prize in the CAI Music Competition as well. Leane has played for her school’s orchestra and choir. Aside from music, Leane enjoys participating in her school’s math team and hanging out with friends. She is so honored and grateful to be chosen as a grand award winner for the United Stars Music Competition !
Atena Buranicz (15) Poland
Beatrice Jiang (14) USA
Beatrice Jiang is a 10th grader at Westlake High School, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA. She started violin lessons at the age of 6 and has been studying with Ms. Shuwei Liu since 2017. She has participated in various music programs and received honors for her playing including the featured soloist with the Westlake Village Symphony Orchestra; the 10th Schwab Violin Competition Honorable Mention; the Gold Medal Honor for the Advanced Contemporary Music Festival; the TO Philharmonic Concerto Competition winner soloist in 2021 and 2022; the Junior Chamber Music Honor Tour to Europe in 2022 and 2023, etc. Beatrice has always served as the head violin for her school strings orchestra. She also served as the associate concertmaster of the Conejo Valley Youth Orchestra. She’s been playing as a first violinist in the Los Angeles Youth Orchestra and Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic Orchestra in many concerts. Beatrice is a straight A student with two Presidential Awards. She also enjoys tennis, computer programming, and hanging out with pets. It's a great honor that she was selected as the winner of the United Stars Music Competition!
Kanon Ogura (8) Japan
Kanon Ogura (8) has been playing the violin for exactly three years now. She has attained various awards including the Silver prize at the 2021 Japan Strings Competition; the Gold prize at the Toyota Piano Competition 2022; the Silver prize at the 9th Shimoda International Music Competition; 3rd prize at the 4th Hakuju Children’s Violin Competition in Tokyo; the Absolute prize at the 1st Singapore International Music Competition; 1st prize at the Milan International Violin Competition 2022; 1st prize at the Vrsac Music in the Vineyards International Competition 2022; the Gold prize at the London Young Musicians 2022; and 2nd prize (no first prize) at the 43rd Junior Classical Music Competition in Japan. She is studying under Ms. Kozue Hayashi.
2022
Mahina Ogura (6) Japan
Mahina Ogura (6) is currently in the final year of kindergarten. She started piano at the age of 4. Mahina has been challenging in piano competitions locally and internationally, and so far has won the Gold prize at the Toyota Piano Competition 2022; the Silver prize at the 9th Shimoda International Music Competition; the Absolute award at the 1st Singapore International Music Competition; the Gold prize at London Youth Piano Competition 2022; 2nd prize at the 4th Piano Competition Online; and 1st prize assoluto ex-aequo at the 2nd International Amadeus Piano Competition. She is studying under Ms. Mari Kato.
Shogo Sakai (10) Japan
Arad Heravi (6) TURKEY
Arad Heravi was born on November 23th 2014, in Iran, Neyshabur city.
His family moved from Iran to Turkey shortly after his birth.
On January 8th 2022 at the age of 7 Arad began to study violin at the Modern Art Academy and became a student of the famous Azerbaijani violinist and pedagogue — Dr. Javid Asadov, in Turkey, Kayseri city.
Arad performs at his school concerts (and also at United Stars Music Competition) with the prominent pianist from Kyrgyzstan — Gulnara Jorobekova.
His favorite composers are: N. Paganini, P. A. Locatelli, A. Vivaldi, H. Wieniawski and W. A. Mozart.
Michelle Koo (16) USA
Michelle Koo is a junior who has played the viola for six years and studies with Adam Smyla. She has been invited to play at the Junior Bach Festival for the past three years. In 2021, she won first place and Best New Piece Prize in the Northern California Viola Society Young Violists Competition. She has been awarded Merit in the 2023 YoungArts National Competition. Since 2019, she has been a violist in the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (SFSYO) and is now co-principal. She has participated in the National Youth Orchestra 2 (NYO2) program of 2021 and 2022 and was principal violist of NYO2 2022. Outside of music, she loves to hang out with her family and dog.
Kazusa Masuda (6) Japan
Kazusa Masuda was born in Tokyo,Japan and began playing the piano at the age of 4.She is 6 years old now.Most recently, she has been studying under the tutelage of the world renowned pianist Ms.Rina Sudo.Kazusa has received 2nd place in the 43th “Junior Classical Music Competition in Japan“ in 2022.Her favorite composers are Chopin, Bach, Veethoven, Mozart, Burgmuller and Debussy.She is also practicing "Arabesque No.1/Debussy"
Yuma Kano (15) USA
Yuma Kano (15) was born In Davis, California, and first started playing the piano at the age of 8. He has attained many awards, including a finalist award in the “23rd international Chopin Piano Competition In Asia”. He has won first prize in “Crescendo International Music Competition” and the “Anselmo Academy International music competition” and top prizes in Millersville International, CAPMT California Junior Piano, MTNA Solo Piano, and the ENKOR Int'l Music Competition. He has participated in the “MusicAlps” camp in France and is a member of the Back to Bach project. Yuma likes going out on bike rides, drinking boba with friends, doing horizontal jumps in his high school track & field team, and speech & debate.
Christopher Tillen (17) USA
Christopher (17) started piano at 6 and fell in love with the piano, learning, music making & sharing with audiences. He has been a top prize winner in many piano competitions including Steinway & Sons, Bay State MTNA, URI Piano Bach Award, American Protégé & the A Ramon Rivera Piano Competition. He has been named the Fall Rivers’ Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Concerto winner; the Doreen B. Hertzog Concerto winner; Concerto Festival NYC Grand Prix soloist; and the Sempre Musick Concerto first prize winner. He has performed in many venues, community events and recitals including the Mildred Freiberg piano festival, the NEC A. Ramon Rivera Advanced Senior Piano Seminar & the River School Conservatory Seminar on Contemporary Music. Christopher is a Young Artist level IV diploma candidate at the River School Conservatory and currently studies with Ms. Erin Lindsey. He also enjoys debating, writing, singing, theatre and musical performance, community service & running. He is the Editor in Chief of his school newspaper and the Assistant Artistic Director of Nobleonians acapella group.
Soma Yoshida (11) Japan
Soma Yoshida(11) is learning piano from pianist Tatsuya Nagashima.
Burgmuller competition Gold Award(2018).
United Stars Music Competition 2nd place(2021). Winner of the same competition(2022).
Winner of Junior Classical Music Competition.
First co-star with the orchestra.Sponsored by Embassy of Japan in Austria Vienna concert appearance.He played Campanella at the Mozarthaus.
Katherine Smith (10) USA
Katherine was born in Dallas, TX and began studying piano at the age of 5. She has studied with multiple teachers, most recently under the tutelage of the world renowned pianist Ms. Daredjan Baya Kakouberi. Katherine most loves the Romantic-period of music; accordingly, her favorite composers include Chopin and Grieg. She is the latest in a long line of musicians, as both her grandfather and great-grandfather were accomplished bayan players.
Katherine is a honors student at Dallas International School and speaks four languages.
In addition to playing piano, Katherine is a competitive swimmer for Texas Ford Aquatics and a skilled performance dancer. She is very honored and deeply excited to be involved in the United Stars Music Competition and looks forward to participating in the future competitions.
Matthew Cho (16) USA
Kai Waynen (15) USA
2021
Hanna Fujii (13) Japan
Hanna Fujii was born in Tokyo, Japan. She began to study piano when she was at the age of four. She has received 3rd place in the “International Moscow Music Online-Competition” in 2021, bronze medalist in the 20th “Chopin International Piano Competition in ASIA” in 2019, and 1st place in “The France-Amériques International Piano Competition for the young” in 2019, and winning many other competitions. Participated in “Imola Summer Academy” in 2019. She is a student at the Hakodate Junior high school attached to Hokkaido University of Education. Her major teachers include Akiko Ito and Kazuro Oi.
Kanon Fujiyoshi (17) Japan
Kanon Fujiyoshi born in Nagoya, Japan, She began playing the piano when she was six. She has received numerous awards including Second Prize Winner in the Nagoya Tournament of Students Music Competition, Second Prize Winner in the International Moscow Music Online-Competition, Gold Medalist in the Aichi Piano Competition, and Silver Medalist in the Chopin International Piano Competition in ASIA .
She is a student at the Music High School attached to the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. Currently, she is studying with Chiharu Sakai and Hideto Nishikawa.
2020
Kanon Fujiyoshi (17) Japan
Kanon Fujiyoshi born in Nagoya, Japan, She began playing the piano when she was six. She has received numerous awards including Second Prize Winner in the Nagoya Tournament of Students Music Competition, Second Prize Winner in the International Moscow Music Online-Competition, Gold Medalist in the Aichi Piano Competition, and Silver Medalist in the Chopin International Piano Competition in ASIA .
She is a student at the Music High School attached to the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. Currently, she is studying with Chiharu Sakai and Hideto Nishikawa.
Special Award Winner
Masaki Niikura (9) Japan
I was born with visual impairment and consequently have lived a life exceptionally aware of the details of the ordinary sounds all around me, the sound of the city and the sound of TV commercials are all vibrant to me. When I started reproducing these sound on a keyboard at three years of age, my parents enrolled me in piano lessons. At the age of three years and ten months, I began playing both piano and classical guitar. I enjoy playing freely by ear, but also enjoy classical music. I attend a school for the blind and play blind soccer. Sometimes practice is difficult, but I always have fun. All sorts of sounds inspire me, and my desire is to be continually involved in this beautiful sound-world each day.
I'm studying under Ms. Harumi Yoshikawa.