Steinway & Sons has announced the winners of the inaugural Steinway Virtual Piano Competition, an unprecedented opportunity for young pianists to showcase their skills and compete for national recognition and cash prizes. The largest virtual piano competition ever created, the 2020 Steinway Virtual Piano Competition ran through the first two weeks of November and welcomed participation by pianists ages 17 and under in the United States and Canada. More than 600 entrants competed in regional events, and over 1,800 participants vied for top prizes in the national competition.

The virtual competition was conceived as part of Steinway's commitment to helping young pianists in their pursuit of superior artistic expression through performance during the restrictive and difficult months of the global pandemic. Playing piano offers students the chance to take their minds off the world crisis and turn to something positive, creative, and educationally enriching. This unprecedented virtual competition helped students to feel a part of something beyond the confines of their homes and socially distanced circles. "It helps them to look forward to a positive and rewarding experience during this unprecedented time," said Mithu Dasgupta, parent of a competitor.

Competitors submitted video entries featuring two contrasting pieces for solo piano from different eras of Western classical music including Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Twentieth Century. Each piece was judged by a distinguished panel of Steinway Artists including Rosa Antonelli, Vanessa Perez, Sophié van der Westhuizen, Judith Cohen, David Fung, Joseph Irrera, Victor Santiago Asuncion, Myra Huang, J.Y. Song, Phillip Kawin, Rohan De Silva, Eteri Andjaparidze and Pavlina Dokovska.

"There are some absolutely wonderful talents that really stand out for me," said Rohan De Silva, Division IV Judge. "Their maturity, musically and technically, at such a young age is mind-boggling. The standard, even during these difficult times, is staggering and it is truly a joy and privilege to hear them. I myself have learnt from some of the outstanding playing!"

Steinway congratulates the winners of the 2020 Steinway Virtual Piano Competition:

DIVISION I

FIRST PLACE: Rosabelle Shi, Age 10 - Long Grove, IL
Teacher: Brenda Huang

SECOND PLACE: Yixuan Miao, Age 7 - Quebec, CANADA
Teacher: Grigori Chaverdian

THIRD PLACE: Bentley Penn, Age 7 - Alberta, CANADA
Teacher: Eunji Penn

DIVISION II

FIRST PLACE: David Wu, Age 12 - Warren, NJ
Teacher: Stella Xu

SECOND PLACE: Xinran Shi, Age 11 - San Jose, CA
Teacher: Hans Boepple

THIRD PLACE: Norman Lu, Age 12 - Newton, MA
Teacher: Dorothy Shi

DIVISION III

FIRST PLACE: Wilson Li, Age 14 - Rego Park, NY
Teacher: Marc Silverman

SECOND PLACE: Sophia Kim, Age 15 - Wayne, NJ
Teacher: Mansoon Kim

THIRD PLACE: Geoffrey Li, Age 16 - Bridgewater Township, NJ
Teacher: Stella Xu

DIVISION IV

FIRST PLACE: Parker Van Ostrand, Age 17 - Sacramento, CA

Teacher: Linda Nakagawa

SECOND PLACE: Adrian Romoff, Age 16 - Boca Raton, FL
Teacher: Kevin Kenner

THIRD PLACE: Dominik Yoder, Age 17 - Los Angeles, CA
Teacher: Roza Yoder

"We feel that opportunities like this-to connect in a competition fueled by passionate artistry-have even more relevance in the middle of the current crisis," said Ron Losby, President and CEO of Steinway & Sons. "Many young people feel lost and have little to focus on. Giving these promising young artists an opportunity to shine is very rewarding for Steinway. We hope to continue this competition for many years to come, even when the pandemic subsides. This is an innovative and dynamic way to connect and compete."

For more information on the Steinway Virtual Piano Competition, visit www.steinway.com/competition.

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