Featured Young Artists

Romy Zheng is an emerging young pianist from Southern California, recognized for her expressive musicianship and thoughtful interpretations. She has received numerous awards at national and international competitions, including Second Prize at the 2025 Irvine International Music Competition, Silver Award at the IPPA International Piano Competition (U.S. National Round), First Prize in the Steinway Series, and Third Prize at the Pacific Stars International Competition. She has also received top honors at the Southern Youth Music Festival (SYMF) in Long Beach and the Satori International Music Festival.

As a prizewinner, Romy has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York and made her concerto debut with the Greater San Diego Chamber Orchestra. She has been accepted to several outstanding universities and music programs, including the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, UC Irvine, and UC Santa Barbara, with scholarship recognition in piano performance.

Romy is passionate about bringing depth, sensitivity, and individuality to her performances and sharing meaningful musical experiences with audiences.

Bonnie Zhou began studying piano at the age of four and is currently based in California. She received her formal musical training at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), where piano has been central to her artistic development.

Bonnie has received numerous awards in national and international piano competitions. In 2023, she was awarded the Gold Prize at the International Prestige Piano Competition (IPPA) National Round. In 2024, she received the Gold Prize at the Irvine International Music Competition and was invited to perform at the Winners' Recital at Carnegie Hall in New York. In 2025, she received Second Prize in the American Open Category at the Southern Youth Music Festival (SYMF) Competition.

Beyond competition and performance, Bonnie is passionate about using music to serve her community. Since November 2022, she has co-founded and participated in a community organization that brings live instrumental music to senior centers, creating opportunities to share music with local communities.

Bonnie has received admission offers from several distinguished universities, including UCLA, UC Berkeley, USC, and several other University of California campuses.

Max He began studying piano at the age of four and is currently a student at St. Margaret's Episcopal School. He has received numerous honors in international and regional piano competitions, demonstrating a strong commitment to musical development and performance.

His international awards include the Grand Prize at the Sino–US International Art Competition, a Gold Award at the American Youth Talent and Art Contests, and First Prizes at the International Music Competition London, the New York Debut Young Musicians Competition, and the Muse International Music Competition. Regionally, Max has received First Place in the SYMF Open Categories and Second Place at the MTAC OCW Baroque Festival.

Max has performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall and The DiMenna Center for Classical Music in New York. In addition to piano, he also enjoys performing clarinet with orchestras, reflecting his broad interest in music and ensemble performance.

Wesley is a 13-year-old pianist who began his formal piano studies at the Irvine Conservatory of Music in the fall of 2020. Since then, he has received recognition in several piano competitions and had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York as part of a winners' recital.

Wesley is currently a student in the Classical Piano Conservatory at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA), where he continues to develop his musicianship, technique, and artistry. He has developed a strong passion for classical music and enjoys challenging himself with increasingly advanced repertoire. His studies have included works by Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, and Khachaturian.

Wesley is grateful for the guidance and encouragement he has received from his teachers and the Irvine Conservatory of Music community throughout his musical journey. He looks forward to continuing to grow as a pianist, discovering new repertoire, and sharing his love of music with others.

Outside of music, Wesley enjoys tennis, ice skating, traveling and exploring new places, and spending time with his beloved dog, Nala.

Lucas Li is a student at Sierra Vista Middle School and studies piano under Dr. Xiao Chen. He has received recognition at both state and international competitions, including State Honors in MTAC Level 8, Second Place at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival, and consecutive awards at the Irvine International Music Competition, where he has received both First and Second Place.

Lucas has also performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, demonstrating his dedication to musical development and performance.

Beyond music, Lucas is an accomplished competitive fencer at LAIFC, reaching a peak national ranking of 11th in the Y12 category. His experiences in piano and fencing complement one another: the rhythmic clarity and precision of Mozart inform his footwork on the fencing strip, while the discipline and patience developed through piano strengthen his resilience in competition. Lucas embraces both the explosive energy of fencing and the disciplined artistry of musical performance.