JUDGES
Xun Pan
Dr. Pan is a Professor of Piano and Director of Keyboard Studies and Pre-College Music Division at Millersville University of Pennsylvania Music Department, and is a visiting professor at many universities and conservatories in China, includes China Conservatory of Music, China Northwest University for Nationalities, Fuzhou University, Yantai University, Shandong University, Qinghai Normal University, and Wenzhou University.
Chu Yi-Bing
Chu Yi-Bing was appointed as cello professor and head of the cello department at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, where he taught between 2004 and 2018. He founded the Chu Yi-Bing Cello Ensemble with his students, the first Cello Ensemble in China, playing countless concerts in a number of diverse cities and provinces, schools, colleges and universities. Currently, Chu Yi-Bing is currently professor ad interim at Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Dance de Paris.
Moni Simeonov
A native of Bulgaria, Moni Simeonov began playing the violin at age 5, and ten years later, came to the United States on a full scholarship to the Idyllwild Arts Academy in California. He earned his DMA at USC’s Thornton School of Music where he studied with Midori. An active member of the IRIS Orchestra, Mr. Simeonov also performs with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and Opera, Ensemble San Francisco, and until recently, served as the Concertmaster for the Sacramento Philharmonic. He has also served as a guest concertmaster with Reno Philharmonic and the Pacific Symphony.
Dongdong Dong
Dr. Dongdong Dong is an established pianist/teacher in music community. She
graduated from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, China, and was a
soloist and chamber musician of the Shanghai Philharmonic Society. In
early 1980s, she earned her Master of Music degree, Doctor of Musical Arts
degree and Performer’s Certificate in Piano from the Eastman School of Music,
U.S. where she studied piano with Barry Snyder. Her teachers also include Jerome Lowenthal (Juilliard School) and Bradford Gowen (University of Maryland). Dr. Dong has extensive experiences of performing in the United States, Canada and China. In late 1980s, she was Assistant Professors in Hamline University at St. Paul, Minnesota and in Monroe Community College of SUNY at Rochester, New York. In 1989, she had the honor of performing in the presence of the Prime Minister of Canada and received official recognition for her superb performance. Before moving to California in 2014, Dr. Dong had been conducting a successful piano studio in Toronto, Canada, for 25 years. Her students include many top prize winners in Canadian national and regional competitions. Dr. Dong is founding President of the Chinese Artists Society of Toronto. She has served as Vice President (2010) and Competition Consultant (2014) for the Toronto International Piano Competition. Since 2014, Dr. Dong has been serving on judge panel of the US International Music Competition, US Open Music Competition and US New Star Music Competition.
Larisa Elisha
Dr. Elisha was the Concertmaster of the Witold Lutoslawski State Philharmonic, Principal Violinist of the Leopoldinum Chamber Orchestra and Artistic Director and First Violinist of the Wratislavia String Quartet. She holds Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Belarus State Academy of Music in Minsk. Larisa Elisha earned her Doctorate degree at the K. Lipinski Academy of Music in Wroclaw. Currently, she is Associate Professor of Music and Coordinator of Upper String Studies at Georgia Southern University.
Chiunglien Liu
Chiunglien Liu was educated in Taiwan, the United States, and the United Kingdom.She received her master's degree in music education from the University of Cambridge.In the United Kingdom. She was a scholar of Cambridge Commonwealth, European, and International Trust. Before she moved to Cambridge, she was a Lecturer at the Universities, a band director in middle schools, a director of the Magic Flute Trio, and an active flutist in Taiwan. She had her master's degree in music education with Kodály emphasis from the Conservatory of Music at Capital University. She obtained her master's degree in music performance from the City University of New York, where she studied flute with Bernard Goldberg.
Cecilia Xingmei Cai
Chinese American soprano Cecilia Cai travels frequently between Europe, Asia, and North America. She has experience working with theaters, media companies, schools and non-profit organizations internationally. Ms.Cai earned B.A. in Music with minors in Italian Studies and Urban Education from Santa Clara University. She recently obtained Master's degree in Opera Singing from Cremona Claudio Monteverdi Conservatory of Music, from the class of golden age basso Mario Luperi.