Ryan Huang Archives - Cleveland Classical

CIPC for Young Artists: Junior Division First Prize winner Ryan Huang

August 6, 2026 by Mike Telin

Ryan Huang, age 15 (Canada/United States) — First Prize Junior Division and Audience Prize

ClevelandClassical.com: Thank you for taking the time to talk, and congratulations on the win and the audience prize. How did it feel when you realized that you had won?

Ryan Huang: When I heard the second place’s name announced I knew I had won and I couldn’t believe it. I was very surprised. Not because I didn’t think I played well, it’s because everybody here is just very talented, and I have such incredible peers as musicians, so it’s a very happy surprise to have won. To have my name be called as the first prize was a feeling of delight.

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CIPC for Young Artists: Semi-Final Solo Round (July 25)

July 27, 2026 by Mike Telin

by Mike Telin

With the 2026 Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists underway, I took the opportunity to hear an impressive Semi-Final Solo Round on Saturday afternoon, July 25 in Mixon Hall at CIM. The session featured contestants from all three divisions — Rising Star (ages 10 to 12), Junior (ages 13 to 15), and Senior (ages 16 to 18).

Khloe Wu, age 11 (Canada) kicked things off with a lively performance of Jean-Philippe Rameau’s La Poule (The Hen) — She brought a big sound, colorful mood changes, and fast passages played with ease to Rachmaninoff’s Humoresque Op. 10 No. 5. The composer’s Zdes Khoroshp, Op. 21 No.7 (“How Fair is the Spot”) featured lovely phrasing. The young pianist’s personality was front and center during Hiromi Uehara’s The Tom and Jerry Show — a fun way to conclude her set. [Read more…]

Cooper International Competition for Violin: Concerto Finals (Aug. 10)

by Daniel Hathaway

Monday evening’s Cooper International Competition for Violin concerto finals in Oberlin’s Warner Concert Hall marked the culmination of a week’s worth of public playing that took the measure of an impressive group of young musicians in solo recitals.

Now, joined onstage by conductor David Danzmayr and the Columbus ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, the three performers who had risen to the top would demonstrate their ability to put full concertos across. Grace under pressure, a spirit of collaboration, and a deep feeling for the music were among the requirements.

Elizabeth Poppy Song (center), age 16, from the United States, led off with a beautiful opening statement of the lyrical theme in Sergei Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 2 in G minor, and gradually and with great control shifted the music into a more spirited mood. She maintained good coordination with Danzmyr and the orchestra as the first movement alternated between technical and lyric passages and culminated in an exciting pizzicato ending.

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Jean-Yves Thibaudet plays Debussy’s Préludes to his strengths (July 30)

by Stephanie Manning

Performing Claude Debussy’s complete Préludes in recital is rare, but Jean-Yves Thibaudet has been making a habit of it. Over the past few years, the pianist has appeared in venues across the country to play the entirety of Book I and Book II as a 90-minute concert. He presented that program on July 30 in Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum of Art.

What brought Thibaudet to Cleveland was not just his solo recital — he also gave masterclasses as part of the Cleveland International Piano Competition for Young Artists. By July 30, all six finalists had already participated in sessions with Thibaudet, testing their ability to adapt to feedback. And on the eve of the Competition’s concerto round, the time was ripe for both contestants and audience to sit back and listen to the master pianist himself.

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Kazuki Yamada brings sunny energy to multifaceted Cleveland Orchestra program (Aug. 1)

by Stephanie Manning

This article was originally published on Cleveland.com

CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — To clap or not to clap between movements — that is the question many Cleveland Orchestra audience members faced on Saturday night at Blossom Music Center. Luckily, Japanese guest conductor Kazuki Yamada had an answer.

Hearing some scattered applause after the first movement of Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 2, Yamada turned his head, smiled, and gently put his own hands together. That moment gave the crowd the green light they needed to join in.

Yamada’s willingness to engage with listeners felt like an extension of his genial personality, which allowed him to lead The Cleveland Orchestra on August 1 with both excitement and poise.

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