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4101 Washington Street
Wilmington, DE 19802
302-762-1132

23 N. Walnut Street
Milford, DE 19963
302-422-2043

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The Music School of Delaware
2020 Piano Competition Winners

The Music School Piano Competition is usually held annually in conjunction with our Summer Piano Institute. When it became necessary to cancel the Summer Piano Institute due to the pandemic, we decided to hold just the Piano Competition as it was able to take place virtually. The response was overwhelming — we had 23 entries, more than twice as many in any previous year. It was so gratifying to know that even in uncertain times many piano students were certainly practicing! Congratulations to ALL the participants in this year's competition!

Ages 7 to 9 Winners

FIRST PRIZE: April Zhang




SECOND PRIZE: Naoki Ii*




THIRD PRIZE: Emily Zhou*




Honorable Mention: Abigail Luo*





Ages 10 to 12 Winners

FIRST PRIZE: Takuya Ii*




SECOND PRIZE: Violet Zhang




THIRD PRIZE: Valentina Ramos




Honorable Mention: Katelyn Pei





Ages 13 to 15 Winners

FIRST PRIZE: Isabelle Bruening




SECOND PRIZE: David Chai*




THIRD PRIZE (tied): Cindy Lu




THIRD PRIZE (tied): Jacob Lu




Honorable Mention: Christopher Schwarting





Ages 16 to 18 Winners

FIRST PRIZE: Noah Hur




SECOND PRIZE: Julia Li*



Janet Cohen Memorial Award winner
(given to the highest scoring The Music School of Delaware student in the competition)



THIRD PRIZE: Margaret Carriker




Honorable Mention: Eleri Phillips



*Student of The Music School of Delaware


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Many thanks to our dedicated adjudicator, Michelle Cann

Concert pianist Michelle Cann is a young artist with a deep musical commitment to performing a wide range of repertoire throughout the US and to bringing the arts to local communities. Michelle made her orchestral debut at age 14 and has since performed with various orchestras including the Florida Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra. Michelle appeared as guest soloist with the Knoxville Symphony where she performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Florence Price's Concerto in One Movement. Recently, Michelle performed with members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in its Green Umbrella Series at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and, again, at the Barbican in London. She regularly appears in recital and as a chamber musician throughout the US, China and South Korea at premiere concert halls including the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and recently performed a solo recital at the Bermuda Festival on the island of Bermuda. Michelle is under the management of Lisa Sapinkopf Artists.

Michelle has been frequently featured on both WRTI 90. 1 and WHYY TV in Philadelphia on such shows as Creatively Speaking with Susan Lewis, Onstage at Curtis, and Philadelphia Music Makers where she was the host of the hour-long program which alternated between her own personal reflections and solo performances. Michelle recently soloed with The Dream Unfinished Orchestra in New York City, an organization whose purpose is to bring to the forefront those female and minority composers too long lingering in the background of American music. She performed the New York City premiere of Concerto in One Movement by composer Florence Price, the first African-American woman to be recognized as a symphonic composer. Her performance was well received by the audience and press alike. The Boston Musical Intelliger wrote "Michelle Cann...was a compelling, sparkling virtuoso, bringing this riveting work to life in its first New York performance"

Michelle has recently appeared as cohost/collaborative pianist for 3 shows with the nationally broadcasted program NPR’s From The Top appearing in Interlochen, MI with actor/conductor Damon Gupton and in Boston, MA with violinist Leila Josepfowicz and in La Jolla, CA with violinist Vijay Gupta.

Michelle has an upcoming concert with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra where she will perform in the MAC Music Innovator Recital, a program that highlights leading African American classical musicians who embody artistry, innovation and a commitment to education and community engagement. As part of the residency’s commitment to community engagement, Michelle performed at local Cincinnati schools and hospitals in a previous engagement. Some of Michelle’s future concerts include a solo performance with the New York Youth Symphony Orchestra in Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and performances with the Pennsylvania Philharmonic and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Hailing from a musical family in Avon Park, Florida, Michelle began the piano at age 7, but soon added organ, steel drums, trombone, tuba and violin. Her primary focus on the piano earned her top prizes in state, national and international competitions including the International Russian Piano Music Competition, the Blount Young Artists National Competition and most recently the 2014 Wideman International Piano Competition.

Michelle received her Bachelor and Master degrees in piano performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music studying with Paul Schenly and Daniel Shapiro and received an Artist Diploma from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia studying with Robert McDonald. Soon after, she was placed on the Curtis staff as one of the new Collaborative Staff Pianists. In addition, Michelle is on the faculty of the Luzerne Music Center as a Coordinator/Instructor of Piano. Her summer festival appearances include the Taos Chamber Music Festival, YellowBarn Chamber Music Festival, Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Festival, and most recently, Artist in Residence at Pianofest in the Hamptons.

Michelle is a young leader in creating opportunities for music education in her community. During her time in Philadelphia, she has served as the choir director of two thirty-member children choruses in the El-Sistema inspired program, “Play On Philly”. She served as one of three Curtis Institute of Music inaugural fellows of ArtistYear. Through that one year fellowship, Michelle worked with local community partners such as City Year, Teach for America and AmeriCorps to bring the arts to local Philadelphia communities where arts education and access are unattainable.

Michelle currently resides in Philadelphia, PA.


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