PIANO SERIES: Piano Student Showcase JOSHUA NORONHA Sonata in E flat Major, Hob XVI-52 I. Allegro II. Adagio III. Presto RUBY LUCK Les jeux d’eau a la Villa d’Este Transcendental Etude in F minor N.10
YIZHENG CAI Meditation from Thaïs, for piano Islamey Balakirev
SAMUEL CHOI Reminiscences de Norma
Haydn
Liszt Liszt
Massenet
Verdi/Liszt
Born in Perth, Australia 2001, Joshua Noronha began his piano studies at age 7 under Yoon Sen Lee. He was awarded the Emily Reinhardt Piano Scholarship, 2020 to study under the tutelage of Oleg Stepanov at the Queensland Conservatorium, Brisbane. Joshua obtained Licentiate Diplomas from both Australian Music Examinations Board and Trinity College, London with Distinction at age 15.
People’s Choice Award.
Joshua won his first National Competition - 25th National Bernstein Junior Competition, Melbourne at age 10 and gained a growing reputation since. His other achievements include top prizes at the Ipswich Eisteddfod, South Suburban Music Eisteddfod, West Australian Music Teachers’ Association, Joondalup Eisteddfod, Royal School of Music, Fremantle Eisteddfod and North of Perth Festival, including the
Internationally, Joshua’s major accomplishments include 2nd Prize in the Lev Vlassenko International Internet Piano Competition, Russia 2020, First Prize at the Global International Piano Competition, Shenzhen, China 2018, also winning the overall best pianist award and a contract to perform with the Wu Han Orchestra, First Prize at the XIIth International Rotary Children’s Music Competition in Moscow, Russia 2014, where made his concerto debut, Second Prize at the American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competitions in 2012 and invited to perform at Carnegie Hall. He also was awarded with the award for the Best Performance of an Australian Work in the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, 2021. Joshua has performed as soloist with the Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra from 2014-2017. He has performed at various venues including Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition Showcase 2017, Rising Stars Music on the Terrace (Government House), Royal Schools of Music Queen’s Celebrations and St George’s Cathedral Lunchtime Concerts. Joshua was one of the youngest pianists nationally invited to perform at the inaugural Beethoven Sonatas Marathon Recital 2014 at Government House.
Ruby Luck is undertaking a Masters of Music Studies at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, under the tutelage of Natasha Vlassenko. She has been successful in competitions including recieving fourth prize in the 2019 Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition, in which she performed Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In the past she has also performed Mozart’s Double Concerto with both the Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra in 2018 and the Young Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra in 2016. Within the Queensland Conservatorium, she has won the Hilda Woolmer Accompaniment Prize (2019), the Margeret Nickson Prize for Voice and Accompaniment (2019), the Minnie May Bussey Pianoforte Prize (2017), the Ruby C. Cooling Prize (2017), and was a joint winner of the Queenslanders Foundation Prize (2017). Ruby has performed in masterclasses and lessons with esteemed international pianists including Peter Hill, Roy Howat, Alexander Strukov, Lance Coburn, Gil Garburg and Vyacheslav Gryaznov. During her time living and studying in Brisbane, Ruby has performed frequently in various concert venues, both as a soloist and a collaborative pianist. A passionate chamber musician, Ruby has performed in duos with instrumentalists and vocalists, as well as in piano trio, quartet and quintet ensembles. She has been fortunate to have performed alongside esteemed local and international artists in the Queensland Conservatorium Side-by-Side concert in 2018, and as a mentee with Ensemble Q in 2020.
Born in 1993, Yizheng Cai began learning the piano at 5 years old. In 2012, Cai went to America and studied piano under Professor Martin Canin and Professor Robert McDonald from Juilliard school. In 2018, he enrolled in Queensland Conservatorium (Griffith University) and studied with Russian pianist Oleg Stephanov. In 2008, Cai was invited to enter the 32nd Gina Bachaeur International Piano Competition in Salt Lake City (USA). As a strong pianist, Cai performed extensively in many musical events in Shanghai Grand Theatre, Shanghai Recital Hall, and Ian Hanger Recital Hall in Queensland Conservatorium. He is highly praised and has won prizes such as the excellence award at the Second Scone Kawai National Piano Competition and being selected as the runner-up with vocalist Sara Donnelly for the Margaret Nickson Prize for Voice and Accompaniment in 2019. Currently, Cai is doing his master’s degree and continues his study with Oleg Stephanov.
Samuel Choi is an internationally touring classical pianist and current Bachelor of Music candidate at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. He is guided by former Central Music School of the Moscow Conservatory teacher and international prizewinner, Natasha Vlassenko. Samuel started playing piano at the age of eight, learning from Dr Therese Milanovic, and reached AMusA and LMusA within his first few years of playing. Winning many awards from Queensland Piano Competitions and Brisbane Eisteddfods he was awarded the ‘People’s Choice Award’ in the 4MBS National Competition in 2017. Quickly rising to fame, Samuel has also helped raise funds for children in North Korea through a concert, and has been a special guest in the Asian Pacific Mayor’s Conference in 2014 and 2019. In his first year at the Queensland Conservatorium, Samuel won the Minnie May Bussey Scholarship and was a semifinalist in the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition 2019. Samuel is looking forward to studying his Master of Music in Germany or the United States. Long-term, Samuel is looking to complete a PhD in music and study entrepreneurship. Furthermore, Samuel wants to found his own prestigious institution with an exceptional and ethical educational system that builds strong mentorships and creates clear pathways for future musicians to accomplish their goals.