Jury Team
Bradford Gowen
Prof. Bradford Gowen has received national attention since winning first prize in the 1978 Kennedy Center/Rockefeller Foundation International Competition for Excellence in the Performance of American Music. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Eastman School of Music where he studied piano with Cecile Genhart and composition with Samuel Adler. He later studied piano with Leon Fleisher and with Dorothy Taubman.
After winning the American music prize, Mr. Gowen made his New York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall and recorded an album of American music for New World Records; in Spring 1998 this recording, Exultation, was re-released as a CD with additional, newly recorded pieces included. On Memorial Day 1980, he performed Aaron Copland's Piano Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer; the next year he performed several more times with that orchestra under Mstislav Rostropovich and Maxim Shostakovich. In January 1985 he performed the world premiere of Samuel Adler's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. In 1998 he played at the MTNA national convention, and he performed and gave a masterclass in the 70th birthday celebration for Leon Fleisher at the University of Kansas. In 2000, he gave the world premiere of the Piano Sonata of Judith Lang Zaimont.
Mr. Gowen's numerous chamber music performances have included appearances at the Library of Congress Summer Chamber Festival. He has also appeared with cellist David Soyer, with the Kronos Quartet, and with the Guarneri Quartet. He has made many duo appearances with his wife, pianist Maribeth Gowen, including a 1997 Schubert bicentennial concert at the National Gallery of Art devoted to the composer's four-hand works.
He wrote for over twenty years for The Piano Quarterly and Piano & Keyboard, and he made a number of recordings for The Piano Quarterly. In 2002 he wrote a major series of three articles on twentieth-century American piano music for the London-based International Piano. Mr. Gowen has served as a judge for several international piano competitions, including the Kapell, the Gina Bachauer, and the Sydney, and he was a member of the Advisory Committee that created and ran the Seventeen Magazine/General Motors National Concerto Competition.
Since 1981 he has been on the faculty at the University of Maryland, where he was Chair of the Piano Division from 1990 to 1994; since 2004 and 2005 he has been on the faculties of the Levine School of Music (Washington, DC) and the Washington Conservatory of Music, respectively. He is one of the 48 pianists featured in Benjamin Saver's 1993 book The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the USA.
Prof. Bradford Gowen has received national attention since winning first prize in the 1978 Kennedy Center/Rockefeller Foundation International Competition for Excellence in the Performance of American Music. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from the Eastman School of Music where he studied piano with Cecile Genhart and composition with Samuel Adler. He later studied piano with Leon Fleisher and with Dorothy Taubman.
After winning the American music prize, Mr. Gowen made his New York recital debut at Alice Tully Hall and recorded an album of American music for New World Records; in Spring 1998 this recording, Exultation, was re-released as a CD with additional, newly recorded pieces included. On Memorial Day 1980, he performed Aaron Copland's Piano Concerto with the National Symphony Orchestra under the baton of the composer; the next year he performed several more times with that orchestra under Mstislav Rostropovich and Maxim Shostakovich. In January 1985 he performed the world premiere of Samuel Adler's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. In 1998 he played at the MTNA national convention, and he performed and gave a masterclass in the 70th birthday celebration for Leon Fleisher at the University of Kansas. In 2000, he gave the world premiere of the Piano Sonata of Judith Lang Zaimont.
Mr. Gowen's numerous chamber music performances have included appearances at the Library of Congress Summer Chamber Festival. He has also appeared with cellist David Soyer, with the Kronos Quartet, and with the Guarneri Quartet. He has made many duo appearances with his wife, pianist Maribeth Gowen, including a 1997 Schubert bicentennial concert at the National Gallery of Art devoted to the composer's four-hand works.
He wrote for over twenty years for The Piano Quarterly and Piano & Keyboard, and he made a number of recordings for The Piano Quarterly. In 2002 he wrote a major series of three articles on twentieth-century American piano music for the London-based International Piano. Mr. Gowen has served as a judge for several international piano competitions, including the Kapell, the Gina Bachauer, and the Sydney, and he was a member of the Advisory Committee that created and ran the Seventeen Magazine/General Motors National Concerto Competition.
Since 1981 he has been on the faculty at the University of Maryland, where he was Chair of the Piano Division from 1990 to 1994; since 2004 and 2005 he has been on the faculties of the Levine School of Music (Washington, DC) and the Washington Conservatory of Music, respectively. He is one of the 48 pianists featured in Benjamin Saver's 1993 book The Most Wanted Piano Teachers in the USA.
Dr. Ivo Kaltchev
- Professor of Piano & Head of the Piano Academic Area at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC
- Dr. Kaltchev holds degrees and diplomas from Yale University and Rutgers University, Sofia Academy of Music, and the Liszt Hochschule für Musik (Weimar).
- Co-director and co-founder of the Washington International Piano Festival
Dr. Kaltchev has performed in musical centers throughout the world, including Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, the Kennedy Center, the Library of Congress, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory’s Malii and Rachmaninov Halls, St. Petersburg State Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw National Philharmonic Hall, Salle Moliere (Lyon, France), Tel Aviv Museum Recanati Auditorium, Mendelssohn Hochschule für Musik Hall (Leipzig, Germany), Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium, and the Bulgaria Great Hall. He has been a guest artist at music festivals in Austria, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, France, Bulgaria, Italy, Portugal, Finland, Ukraine, Korea, China, Singapore, Thailand, and the U.S. Some of the highlights of recent seasons include a solo recital and a concerto performance with the EOS Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall, a concert tour in Asia, as well as performances of the complete solo piano works of Claude Debussy. A respected chamber musician, Dr. Kaltchev has collaborated with members of the New York Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, National Symphony Orchestra, and Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, as well as Essex Quartet, pianists Ilana Vered and Milena Mollova, and French actress Marie Christine Barrault.
Dr. Kaltchev’s critically acclaimed commercial recordings for the Bulgarian “Gega New” label include an all-Charles Griffes CD (hailed by the French magazine Diapason as “the most accomplished interpretation known until now”), a CD with the world premieres of solo piano works by the French composer Florent Schmitt, as well as a recently released CD with works of Debussy.
Dr. Michael Angelucci
- D.M.A.,University of Maryland School of Music
- B.M. & M.M. , Peabody Conservatory
- Faculty at the International School of Music in Washington D.C.
- 2015 winner of The American Prize in Solo Piano-Professional Division
American pianist Michael Angelucci enjoys growing acclaim as an artist with a unique and gifted voice. Hailed as “a great artistic talent” by the A&B Foundation, his compelling craft has won national and international accolades including First Prize in the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, First Prize in the American Prize National Competition, and the coveted Foundation La Gesse Fellowship, among others. For Michael, however, the greatest reward lies in forging lasting relationships with audiences through the effusive joy of musical expression.
This professional mission has taken Michael to exciting and eclectic venues worldwide such as Carnegie-Weill Hall (New York, NY); the Bemberg Foundation (Toulouse, France); Artown Music Festival (Reno, NV); Northrop Auditorium (Minneapolis, MN); Baltimore Theatre Project (Baltimore, MD); Mission Santa Clara de Asis (Santa Clara, CA); and the historic Auditorium de la Salle du Dome (Carcassonne, France). Highlights from recent seasons include a two-week tour as soloist with the TOCCATA-Tahoe Symphony Orchestra, and an Artist-in-Residence appointment with the ARTIST Academy of Music in Maryland. A champion of the interactive concert experience, Michael often incorporates live, unscripted program notes into his recitals, adding a personalized touch widely appreciated by presenters and patrons alike.
Alongside his performance résumé, Michael devotes considerable energy to his other great passion: teaching college and pre-college musicians. Currently on faculty at the International School of Music in Washington, D.C, Michael previously taught undergraduate music majors at the Peabody Conservatory and the University of Maryland School of Music, where he was named a Distinguished Teaching Assistant by the University’s Center for Teaching Excellence. A prolific clinician, Dr. Angelucci maintains an expanding schedule of master classes and adjudications throughout the mid-Atlantic region. Recent invitations include the Ivy International Music Festival at George Mason University, and as a returning jurist for the William Knabe International Piano Competition and Festival in Baltimore.
Michael holds the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in piano from the Peabody Conservatory. He earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano from the University of Maryland, graduating Phi Kappa Phi with special recognition for his performance dissertation entitled, “Unity Through Variety: Exploring the Cyclic Principle in Selected Works for Piano.” His pianistic background is shaped by an impressive legacy of artist-teachers including Bradford Gowen, Benjamin Pasternack, Brian Ganz, Leon Fleisher, Ann Schein, Robert MacDonald, John Perry, Hans Boepple, and Dr. Paul Wirth. Born into a musical family in the snowy upper Midwest, Michael now makes his home in Baltimore, surrounded by an overabundance of scores, an overworked Boston grand piano, and a frequently rotten (but eternally lovable) miniature labradoodle named Gus. www.michaelangelucci.com
Dr. Bonghee Lee
- D.M.A, & M.M. Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University
- B.M. Yonsei University in South Korea
- Faculty at the Northern Virginia Community College in Virginia
- Music Columnist for the Korea Times
Pianist Bonghee Lee is an avid soloist and chamber musician. Her interviews, performances and recordings have been broadcast on Americana on HRT (Croatia), Far East Broadcasting Company (South Korea), The Floating Head of Zsa Zsa on WRUV (Vermont), and Korean Gospel Broadcasting Company (California). Having participated in numerous international festivals and concert series, Bonghee has established herself for excellence in both virtuosity and musicality. She has performed in numerous venues including Lincoln Center, Yamaha Hall, and Columbia University in New York, Strathmore Mansion, Baltimore War Memorial, Shriver Hall, Horowitz Visual and Performing Arts Center, Friedberg Concert Hall, Falvey Hall in Maryland, and acclaimed venues in France, Canada, China, and South Korea. Highlights from recent seasons include a concert tour and masterclass in China, South Korea, and across the U.S.
Bonghee is the pianist of the L’abri Trio, a unique collaborative ensemble of piano, saxophone, and cello; their first album Trios Couleurs was released in 2018. In the same year, she was selected as a finalist at the Pro Musicis International Award with L’abri Trio. With the trio, Bonghee launched ‘52 Weeks New Music Series,’ commissioning and premiering works related to the most prominent genres, ranging from piano solo to piano trio repertoire. This project began in Maryland and will continue with premieres and commissioning of composers across the world in stages next season. Bonghee is also engaged with the Presence Trio, an ensemble featuring piano and two saxophones, whose new album was released in 2019.
Bonghee earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree with a graduate fellowship at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where she completed her Master’s degree under Sarah Stulman Zieler Prize and the Lillian Gutman Memorial Prize. Bonghee holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Yonsei University in South Korea.
Currently, Bonghee is a piano faculty at the Northern Virginia Community College in Virginia and the International School of Music in Washington, D.C. She also has an avid interest in musical criticism, writing critiques and reviews, and has been a music columnist for the Korea Times since 2016 and Yewon Music Journal since 2019.
Shuai Wang
- D.M.A, Candidate, University of Maryland College Park
- M.M. University of Michigan
- B.M. Oberlin Conservatory
- Winners of many well-known piano competition
Born in China, Shuai Wang began playing the piano at age of five. In 2001, she was admitted into Shenyang Conservatory of Music pre-school and studied with Professor Dongdun Zhang. From 2003 to 2007, she also studied in the MasterClass held by Rosemary Platt, a retired piano professor from Ohio State University. In 2012, Shuai received the Bachelor of Music degree at Oberlin Conservatory of Music under Professor Robert Shannon. Shuai has finished her Master of Music degree at University of Michigan, and was taught by Dr. Logan Skelton.
She has placed in various piano competitions, including the first prize of Mozart Piano Competition in Hong Kong, Second Prize of China Region of the 6th Annual Music Competition of Canada, first prize of the 69th Steinway International Youth Piano Competition in the Northeast China Region, winner of the Sigma Alpha lota Competition in the Chautauqua Music Festival, first prize of the UMSO Concerto Competition at University of Maryland, and etc. Shuai's significant appearances include Winner’s Concert in Carnegie Hall, Hong Kong City Hall, Mozart Piano Concerto K.459 with Music School Festival Orchestra in Chautauqua Music Festival, Noon Concert Feat at Arts Club of Washington D.C., Beethoven Choral Fantasy with the UMD Summer Chorus & Orchestra, Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with the UMD Symphony Orchestra, and etc. Now, she is pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at University of Maryland, studying with professor Larissa Dedova.
Szu-Yi Li
Born in Taiwan, Szu-Yi Li completed her Bachelor’s degree at National Taiwan Normal University, where she performed in numerous recitals and was awarded the annual “Scholarship for Excellence” every semester she was enrolled. She graduated first in her class in the school of music.
Szu-Yi completed two master’s degrees, one in Piano Performance, the other in Piano Pedagogy, at Temple University in Philadelphia in 2015. Her teachers were Professor Alexander Fiorillo and Dr. Abramovic. She was awarded a Graduate Assistantship as the opera studio accompanist, and performed in masterclasses for Daniel Epstein, Solomon Mikowsky, and Daniel del Pino.
Currently, Szu-Yi is a doctoral student (pre-candidacy) at the University of Maryland in Professor Bradford Gowen’s studio. She was a graduate assistant for two years; assignments included accompaniment for opera scene study, symphony orchestra, choir, chamber music, and individual singers and instrumentalists. She gives multiple solo recitals as well as chamber concerts every semester. She is now the music director of Concord St. Andrews United Methodist Church at Bethesda, and the pianist of Kolov HaLev Jewish Community Choir at Washington D.C. She has volunteered to play at Taiwanese Presbyterian Church at Washington D.C. since 2016. Szu-Yi was the music collector, program organizer, and pianist for the Dr. Chen Wen-Chen memorial concert in the Taiwanese American Conference in 2018.
Szu-Yi gave her first dissertation piano solo recital in November 2019 at Gildenhorn Recital Hall. Her dissertation title is The Development of Hungarian Essence in Piano Music by Hungarian Composers.
- D.M.A, Candidate, University of Maryland College Park
- M.M. Temple University
- B.M. National Taiwan Normal University
- Music Director of Concord St. Andrews United Methodist Church at Bethesda
Born in Taiwan, Szu-Yi Li completed her Bachelor’s degree at National Taiwan Normal University, where she performed in numerous recitals and was awarded the annual “Scholarship for Excellence” every semester she was enrolled. She graduated first in her class in the school of music.
Szu-Yi completed two master’s degrees, one in Piano Performance, the other in Piano Pedagogy, at Temple University in Philadelphia in 2015. Her teachers were Professor Alexander Fiorillo and Dr. Abramovic. She was awarded a Graduate Assistantship as the opera studio accompanist, and performed in masterclasses for Daniel Epstein, Solomon Mikowsky, and Daniel del Pino.
Currently, Szu-Yi is a doctoral student (pre-candidacy) at the University of Maryland in Professor Bradford Gowen’s studio. She was a graduate assistant for two years; assignments included accompaniment for opera scene study, symphony orchestra, choir, chamber music, and individual singers and instrumentalists. She gives multiple solo recitals as well as chamber concerts every semester. She is now the music director of Concord St. Andrews United Methodist Church at Bethesda, and the pianist of Kolov HaLev Jewish Community Choir at Washington D.C. She has volunteered to play at Taiwanese Presbyterian Church at Washington D.C. since 2016. Szu-Yi was the music collector, program organizer, and pianist for the Dr. Chen Wen-Chen memorial concert in the Taiwanese American Conference in 2018.
Szu-Yi gave her first dissertation piano solo recital in November 2019 at Gildenhorn Recital Hall. Her dissertation title is The Development of Hungarian Essence in Piano Music by Hungarian Composers.
