Final Round: Youth, Ages 10 to 13.jpeg)
In the afternoon of October 8, the SIPF presents the first fully competitive event in which participants compete for the gold in this hybrid online event. This page will be updated with randomly ordered competitors of the final round: Youth, Ages 10 to 13 category at 2 pm, PDT (UTC-7) (scroll below).
Online attendees may cast their vote for Audience Favorite in each of these categories until 11:59 PM PDT (UTC-7) Saturday evening.
ANNOUNCEMENT: AWARD WINNERS
Gold Medalist: Jacob Rockower (USA)
Silver Medalist: Zichen Ma (China)
Bronze Medalist: Heming Yu (China)
Audience Favorite Award: Zichen Ma (China)
Best Performance of…
an Etude by Nikolai Kapustin: Zichen Ma (China)
Instructors of the Finalists (in alphabetical order): Hans Boepple, Weiling Chen, Natalia Dolenko, Hongbo Quan, John Weems
Unranked Semi-finalists (in alphabetical order): Brielle A Bryant (USA), Stephanie Cheng (USA), Isaac Choi (USA), Joy Chuang (Taiwan), Hiroshi Corro (USA), Sora Corro (USA), Evan Dan (USA), Joanna Edwin (USA), Isabel Feng (USA), William Feng (Canada), David Gatien (USA), Victoria Huang (USA), Wei-Ning I Ko (USA), Louis Kwong Ching Li (Hong Kong), Ariel Yixuan Liu (Canada), Melanie Yutong Liu (USA), Thannapas Luanpitpong (Thailand), Brayden Miao (USA), Kye Lie Ng (Singapore), Yuna Noh (USA), Emily Qi (USA), Thatarat Vanichkobchinda (Thailand), Eric Yiyan Wang (USA), Arisa Wangwittaya (Thailand), Tiger Kaiyi Wu (Canada)
Over 60 young pianists from ten countries, including Armenia, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States submitted entries in the 10 to 13 category of the 2022 Seattle International Piano Competition.
Meining Wu (USA) 
Meining Wu is a 13-year-old pianist living in California USA. She started first piano lesson at six and is currently studying with Professor Hans Boepple. Meining has won numerous top prizes in prestigious competitions. In 2022, she won 1st place in CAPMT Honors District 2 (3rd place in State Final), 2nd places in Intl’ Competitions including Artcial Professional Category, Pacific Stars Professional Junior Category, 16th Annual LISMA, as well as Finalist and Jury Discretionary Award in 2022 Weatherford College Intl’ Piano Competition. In 2021, Meining won 1st places in Intl’ Competitions of Young Verona, Windsor, Chopin Avenue Concerto Category, Grand Prize of Rising Star category in 2021 Chicago, 1st Alternate in MTAC PCS Northern Regional Competition Solo, as well as 2nd places in 2021 Bellagrande, ENKOR, Harmonium Online Plus and USIMC Concerto Category, and Top Tier finish in 2021 Orbetello Intl’ Competition; Other awards Meining has received include 1st places with “Young Artist Award” in 2020 USIMC, KAMSA, US New Star and US Open Music Competitions, Finalist in 2020 Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Annual Competition, 2nd place in 2020 and 2021 Marilyn Mindell Piano Competitions, and 2020 Steinway Virtual Piano Competition US and Canada. Meining had honors to work in master classes with renowned Professors including Jerome Lowenthal, Alexander Braginsky, Arthur Greene, Rebecca Penneys, Alan Chow, Marina Lomazov, Dmitri Vorobiev, Alexander Kobrin, Sasha Starcevich, Lenora Brown, and Antonio Pompa-Baldi.
Frédéric Chopin: Ballade No. 4 in F minor, Op.52
Chanya Methaprayoon (USA)
Chanya Methaprayoon (13), an 8th grader from Beckendorff Junior High School, began studying piano at the age of five and currently studies under the guidance of Mr. John Weems.
She has won multiple accolades, including 1st prize in the Houston Steinway Piano Competition in 2019, 1st prize in the Houston Forum Young Artist Piano Competition in 2019 through 2022, 1st prizes in the Blinn College Young Pianist Competition in 2020 and 2021 where she was awarded the grand prize in 2022, 1st prize in Texas State University’s Young Pianist Piano Competition in 2020, 1st prize in the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in 2021, 1st prize in the Texas Music Teachers’ Association (TMTA) Performance Contest in 2022, and the winner of the South Texas Piano Competition in 2022. She also received 2nd prizes in the Rochelle Liebling Kahan Competition for Child Piano Prodigies in 2019, the Symphony North of Houston Young Artist Competition in 2019, the Spotlight International Piano Competition in 2021 and 2022, and the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Texas State Competition in 2020 and 2021.
Chanya made her orchestral debut at the age of 10 with the Symphony North of Houston Orchestra in 2019 and collaborated with the Bangkok Modern Ensemble at the Bangkok Young Pianists’ winner’s concert the same year. She has been selected as a Houston Young Artist since 2019 where she has performed in various public events. She is also an active volunteer to perform at senior facilities around the Houston area. Academically, Chanya was a recipient of the President’s Award of Outstanding Academic Excellence in 2020. She enjoys reading, doing math and playing badminton in her free time.
Moritz Moszkowski: Étincelles Op.36 No.6 (“Sparks”)
Camille Saint-Saëns: Allegro Appassionato, Op.70
Isabella Kirillova (Russia/USA) 
Isabella Kirillova is a passionate young musician; she studies piano at the Gnessin School of Music in Moscow. She began her studies at the age of 5. Her favorite composers are the romantics, including Chopin and Rachmaninoff. As a proficient pianist, Isabella has been selected to participate in numerous recitals and competitions, winning first place in several children’s competitions. Among her latest achievements are a winner of the first place in “Land of my Soul” international Competition (November 2021), a winner the first place in “Allegretto Grazioso” International competition (December 2021), Isabella was awarded a first degree Diploma in “Playing with the orchestra” competition (December 2021), she also won a Gold Prize in London Young Musician International Competition (January 2022). This summer Isabella participated in the Charleston International Music Competition and was selected as a first prize winner for her performance for the 19th Century Music Competition (July 2022).
Her most notable performance includes a concert where she had the wonderful opportunity to play Haydn’s piano concerto in G major at the Moscow State Conservatory, accompanied by a symphonic orchestra on November 28, 2021. She was also delighted to play a solo Chopin work at the Grand Hall of Moscow State Conservatory on January 16, 2022. Isabella was also honored to perform “Russian Dance” by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky at the Grand Hall of Moscow State Conservatory on April 23, 2022. In her free time, she loves to read and play with her dogs.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Russian Dance, from 12 Pieces, Op.40, No.10
Jean Sibelius: Etude, from 13 Pieces for Piano, Op.76, No.2
Heming Yu (China) 
Born in Hangzhou, China in 2009, Heming Yu began to learn piano at the age of 5. Since 2016 he has been under the tutelage of Professor Weiling Chen, piano faculty at Shanghai Conservatory of Music. At present he is a student at The Music School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Highlights of his competition achievements include First Prize in the 6th Rising Stars Grand Prix 2021 International Music Competition Berlin, First Prize for Category C of 2019 Singapore International Classical Piano Competition, and First Place in the 21st PIARA International Piano Competition 2017 China Finals.
Robert Schumann: Theme and Variations on the name Abegg, Op. 1
Nicolai Kapustin: Eight Concert Études, Op 40
– No.6 “Pastorale”
Jacob Rockower (USA)
Jacob Rockower is a freshman at the Nueva School in San Mateo, California. He began studying piano performance at the age of three. He currently studies under the direction of Professor Hans Boepple and previously studied with Lena Grozman.
Jacob has been a prizewinner of numerous regional and international piano competitions, including Music Teachers’ Association of California (MTAC) Concerto Solo Competition State Finals (2022, 2021), Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) Performance Competition California (2021, 2020), California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) Contemporary Music Competition State Finals (2020, 2017, 2015), CAPMT Honors Competition State Finals (2022, 2021), Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Annual Competition (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019), Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition Junior Division (2022), Chicago International Online Music Competition (2022, 2020), Franz Liszt Center International Piano Competition (2022), Steinway & Sons Junior Piano Competition Northern California Regionals (2020), ENKOR International Piano Competition (2022), and San Francisco Chopin Foundation Competition (2016).
Jacob has performed at venues including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He has attended summer programs such as Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival and Institute Young Performers Program and Atlantic Music Festival Young Artist Program. He has performed in master classes with artists including Jeffrey LaDeur, Wu Han, and Logan Skelton.
In his free time, he enjoys ultimate frisbee, table tennis, golf, math, and physics. He is also an enthusiast in aviation and geography.
Carl Vine: Piano Sonata No.1 (1990)
– Movement One (without indication)
Zichen Ma (China)
Zichen Ma was born in 2008. At age 5, She began to study piano with Prof. Lei Ma, a professor at the Music College of Hebei Normal University. Zichen was admitted to the Elementary School of the Central Conservatory of Music in 2018. Now she is currently studying at the Music Middle School attached to the Central Conservatory of Music with Prof. Hongbo Quan, the associate professor of the Central Conservatory of Music, and graduated from The Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media Hannover and The Berlin University of the Arts. Zichen has won many awards in her process of learning the piano: * The first prize in the 2015 Zhujiang – Kaisabao National Youth Piano Competition, Hebei contest zone * First prize in The 16th “Xinghai Cup” National Teenager Piano Competition in 2016, Hebei District Zone * 2016 “Dreams Fly” Asian Youth Inspirational Arts Festival, the first prize in Hebei * First prize in the 2016 “Voice of Harmony” China Youth Piano Competition, Hebei contest zone * Gold Award of the 2018 Hebei “Music Jinzhong” Piano Competition, Children’s Group B * First prize in The 3rd Chopin International Youth Piano Competition (China) in 2018, Beijing- Tianjin-Hebei contest zone * Second prize in The First Germany Carl Rönisch (Hengshui) International Piano Competition in 2018, Group D * Gold Award in the China Piano Art Festival —Outstanding Teenager Piano Competition in 2019, Group C * Outstanding winner (Distinction award/grand prize) in the 2020 German Hannover Gieseking International Piano Elite invitational competition, China contest zone, professional children pianist Group * First prize in the 2020 First Tao Ran Children’sChildren’s Piano Elite Selection Competition, Group B * Third prize in the 3rd Xiamen Music Season International Piano Competition in 2021, Professional Teenager group * First prize in the 2021 4th Singapore International Music Festival – Western Music Competition, China Final competition, Piano professional children group * Third prize of the 19th “Xinghai Cup” China Piano Competition in 2022, Professional Junior Group B.
Nicolai Kapustin: Eight Concert Études, Op 40
– No.6 “Pastorale”
Frédéric Chopin: Rondo à la Mazur, Op.5
Audience Favorite Award
Until 11:59 pm PM PDT (UTC-7), Saturday, October 8, cast your vote for the Audience Favorite award. This poll opens at 2 pm.
Results: click here.