An 8th grader at Miller Middle School in San Jose, California, Xinran Shi has won competitions across the United States. She currently learns piano with Hans Boepple and has appeared on NPR’s From the Top. She was a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation 2020–2022 class and performed last year at the organization’s galas in New York and California, as well as at Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall. Outside of the piano, she enjoys dancing ballet, reading, swimming and traveling.
“I believe that our music can never lie, because our hearts never lie, and music is something that is very close to the heart. Our true personality will show in our music, and what we try to hide in real life will show in our music; one’s music is a mirror of one’s life.”
Born in Shanghai, Xuanyan Jessie Gong has lived in New York for five years, attending the Waldorf School of Garden City and studying piano at Juilliard Pre-College with Ernest Barretta. She takes additional lessons with 2005 Cliburn Finalist Chu-Fang Huang and formerly studied with Matti Raekallio. Last year saw a first-prize finish in the senior division at the Kaufman Music Center International Piano Competition, as well as an appearance on NPR’s From the Top. She also took part in the Valissima Institute, a program for highly advanced female instrumentalists with a strong interest in conducting. Her dedication to music stems from her surety in its power: “I believe that music can invisibly cure people’s hearts, unite people through feelings, and make the world a much better place then it could have become.” She notes that participating in the Cliburn Junior has been her goal since elementary school; she looks forward to working with “some of the best musicians and the future leaders of classical music in the world.” Her interests outside of piano lie in both “all things mysterious, things like astronomy and physiology,” and the everyday—spending time with her brother and her friends and staying connected with her grandparents and friends in China.
REPERTOIRE
Preliminary Round
BACHPrelude and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 875 CHOPINBallade No. 1 in G Minor, op. 23 RACHMANINOV Étude-tableau in C Major, op. 33, no. 2
RACHMANINOV Étude-tableau in A Minor, op. 39, no. 6
Quarterfinal Round
CHOPIN Nocturne in E-flat Major, op. 55, no. 2
HAYDN Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50 (I)
SCHUMANN Sonata No. 2 in G Minor, op. 22
Semifinal Round – Recital
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 18 in E-flat Major, op. 31, no. 3
LIEBERMANN Impromptu, op. 68, no. 1 LISZT Rhapsodie espagnole
Born in Qinhuangdao, Xiaolu Zang was 4 years old when an electric keyboard caught his attention. He eventually attended the Beijing Central Music Conservatory Middle School for seven years under Professor Ye Lin and won first prizes in several major Chinese competitions. It was during that time, at the age of 15, that he recalls a singular day when he determined himself to become a professional musician. That commitment took him to Germany in 2017, where he studies with Arie Vardi at Hochschule für Musik, Theater und Medien Hannover.
Xiaolu has done well at international contests, including winning first prize at the Verona and Mayenne (France) Competitions, and strong showings at the Busoni, Leeds, Queen Elisabeth, and Hamamatsu Competitions. He performed numerous concerts in China, Germany, Japan, Austria, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Dubai. His strong interest in collaboration led to his work with the Staatsballett Hannover in 2020, playing both of Chopin’s piano concertos with the Staatsorchester Hannover in its special production about the life of choreographer Nijinsky.
Growing up in China and living five years in Europe now, Xiaolu visited the United States three times prior to the Cliburn and is looking forward to more time here. He finds experiencing different cultures to be key to artistic development, noting: “The essence of all kinds of music is to move people, to let one think, to mark the victory of humanity. The way we achieve it should not be the same, just like what Feruccio Busoni said, ‘Music is born free.’”
REPERTOIRE
Preliminary Round
SCHUMANN Humoreske in B-flat Major, op. 20
SCRIABIN Sonata No. 4 in F-sharp Major, op. 30
HOUGH Fanfare Toccata
Quarterfinal Round
SCHUBERT Sonata in C Minor, D. 958
RAVEL La valse
Semifinal Round – Recital
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 28 in A Major, op. 101
SCHUBERT Impromptu in C Minor, D. 899, no. 1
JANÁČEK Sonata 1.X.1905 (“From the Street”)
PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 7 in B-flat Major, op. 83
AGE 46 I PARIS, FRANCE I FRANCE
MARKETING DIRECTOR – PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
A science and technology graduate of France’s prestigious École Polytechnique, Xavier Aymonod has built a career as an international public transportation specialist with a passion for sustainable and smart mobility. Currently customer director for Transdev, he balances work responsibilities with his family life (his children are 10 and 12 years old) and his love for traveling, running, golf, wine, and—of course—music. His piano studies began early at the Aix-en-Provence Conservatory, and his commitment hasn’t waned in adulthood: he is a laureate of many international amateur competitions—including a third-place finish at the 2016 Cliburn Amateur; has performed in France, Germany, Russia, South Africa, and the United States; and works in transcriptions and composition.
Repertoire
Preliminary Round
BACH Fantasia in C Minor, BWV 906
DUTILLEUX “Choral et Variations,” Piano Sonata, op. 1
Semifinal Round
FRANCK Prélude, Choral et Fugue HOROWITZ Variations on a Theme from Bizet’s Carmen
Xingyu Zhou made his recital debut at the age of 8 in his native Beijing, and his concerto debut two years later in Canada with the St. Andrews Festival Orchestra. That was his second successful appearance in St. Andrews, where he won all top prizes in his age category at its international piano academy and festival in 2013. Among his accolades, he counts several top finishes in Chinese competitions, as well as concert appearances in Beijing, Shanghai, New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. He moved with his family three years ago to Philadelphia, where he studies with the Curtis Institute’s Meng-Chieh Liu. He also attends the Albert M. Greenfield School, where he excels academically, especially enjoying literature, math, and science, and is on the track team. He is also an adept athlete, having seriously studied badminton and speed skating, amongst others.
“When people converse, both sides talk. I think the case with music is similar. The performer does not simply give out everything he has—the music should also speak back to him. I often find my view on something has changed because of music.”
Repertoire
Preliminary Round BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Major, BWV 860
CHOPIN Etude in G-sharp Minor, op. 25, no. 6
LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1, S. 514
Quarterfinal Round
BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3 (I)
Since appearing as the youngest competitor in the first edition of the Cliburn Junior Competition in 2015, Xiaoxuan Li—the only returning competitor—moved from Shanghai to Philadelphia, where he studies with Gary Graffman and Robert McDonald at the Curtis Institute of Music. He is a laureate of several international young artist competitions, including Cleveland (senior division, first prize, 2018); Zhuhai Mozart (first prize, 2015); Hilton Head (second prize, 2015); and Ettlingen (2012). He began piano at the age of 4 and has performed extensively throughout China, with other notable concerts including Salzburg Chamber Soloists and the orchestras of Canton, Hilton Head, Ashdod, and Macao.
“I would gladly spend the rest of my life studying the beauty and nuances of every composer, every piece, every iteration. Piano is the media of my emotion. It drives me, shapes me, and propels me to a higher place.”
Competitor Profile
Repertoire
Preliminary Round BACH Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, BWV 861
LISZT Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor
CHOPIN Barcarolle in F-sharp Major, op. 60
Quarterfinal Round BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 7 in D Major, op. 10, no. 3
CHOPIN Nocturne in C Minor, op. 48, no. 1
Semifinal Round
LIEBERMANN Gargoyles, op. 29
SCHUBERT Impromptu in A-flat Major, op. 90, D. 899, no. 4
Xavier Aymonod, 40
Strategy consultant
Paris, France
France
Xavier Aymonod began his music studies at Aix-en-Provence Conservatory of Music, under the guidance of Monique Oberdoerffer and Michel Bourdoncle, and then went on to study science and technology at the prestigious École Polytechnique outside Paris. He was a laureate of the International Competition for Outstanding Piano Amateurs from 1998–2000 in Paris, and in 2000, he was a semifinalist at “Piano 20ème siècle” in Orléans. Mr. Aymonod has participated in master classes with William Aide, Jean-François Heisser, and Eric Heidsieck. Currently a principal at Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, his work involves advising transportation companies on strategic issues. In his free time, Mr. Aymonod enjoys playing with his children (ages 4 and 5), traveling, running, golfing, and indulging in fine wine.
COMPETITION REPERTOIRE
Preliminary Round CHOPIN Etude in G-flat Major, op. 10, no. 5 (“Black Key”)
ALBENIZ “El Albaicin” from Iberia, Book 3
Quarterfinal Round CHOPIN Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, op. 52
RAVEL “Alborada del gracioso” from Miroirs
Semifinal Round BRAHMS Rhapsody in G Minor, op. 79, no. 2
ROQUE ALSINA Etudes Nos. 2 and 3 from Klaverstücke No. 7
LISZT Mephisto Waltz No. 1
Final Round BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, op. 37: I. Allegro con brio
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