Festival Competition Winners
- April 26th, 2012
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At the Steinway Festival Piano Competition, held at Xavier Prep High School over two weekends in March 2012, twenty nine young pianists ranging in age from eight to eighteen, competed for ten scholarships. The ten winners were chosen from amongst the students and those winners will present a recital concert May 6 at the Annenberg Theater of the Palm Springs Art Museum. This program is free and the public is encouraged to attend. This is part of The Steinway Society’s ongoing commitment to bring Classics to the Coachella Valley community.
Details of the competition can be found under the Programs Page pull-down tab.
Senior Winners
Julian Jenson’s interest in classical music began at the age of three when his parent’s showed him a video of Horowitz playing the Rachmaninoff Third Concerto conducted by Zubin Mehta. His parents contacted the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra to see if they could offer any advice and were directed to Leon Guide, the conductor of the La Mirada Symphony Orchestra, who offered to take him under his wing. He invited Julian to conduct the La Mirada Symphony and also to perform a piano concerto with the symphony.
In addition to being one of five winning finalists in the 2012 Steinway Society Piano Competition, Julian, now 16, was selected as one of 15 semifinalists in the 2012 Spotlight Awards held at the Los Angeles Music Center. In addition, Julian has performed a number of times in recitals and private performances both on and off campus, representing Idyllwild Arts and its outstanding music department
Dong Yeon Kim was born in South Korea in 1994 where he began piano lessons at age six. In 2007 he moved to the United States to further his musical studies with Dr. Christina Long in Plano, Texas. He currently studies with Dr. Andrew Park at the Idyllwild Arts Academy.At age twelve, Dong performed the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” with the Plano Symphony Orchestra at the Concerto Evening of the Texas Conservatory of Young Artists. In 2010 he was named the grand prize winner of the Lake Lewisville competition and performed the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Lake Lewisville Symphony. He received 1st place in the 2010 Lynn Harrell Concerto competition and performed Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Jaap van Zweden and performed Liszt’s First Concerto with the Valley Symphony in 2011 under the direction of Peter Dabrowski. Dong has received top prizes in the New Orleans International, Dallas Symphonic, National Young Artist Institute, MTNA, Wysong-Joplin, and Denton Bach Society competitions.
Benny Kleinerman is a junior at Idyllwild Arts Academy, where he has been attending since his freshman year. He began studying piano at age eight with Karl Goldstein. At the age of nine he began attending the Crowden School of Music in Berkeley, where he studied chamber music, accompanying and piano ensemble. At Idyllwild, Benny studied jazz, though he considers himself a classical pianist. He currently is studying with Nelms McKelvain. Benny’s nonmusical interests include organic chemistry and biology.
Jonathan Mamora, 16, resides in Beaumont and his former teachers include Helen LaiPang, Dr. Lily Diehl, Kevin Fitzgerald and currently he studies with Dr. Elvin Rodriguez. Recently the winner of the 2011 Redlands Bowl Young Artist piano competition, he performed at the Redlands Bowl Theatre. He also won Division III MTAC Southern Section, 2nd place in the IIYM (Institute for Young Musicians) piano competition held at the University of Kansas, was the winner of Inland Empire Piano Solo and Concerto competition, and the Southern California Junior Bach Festival Complete Works Audition. In 2012 he was one of three finalists in the Mondavi Young Artist Piano competition. 
Esther Yaghoubian, 16, currently studies piano with James McCormick of Palm Springs, and cello with Anna Maria Maldonado of Fontana. She has been performing in nursing homes around the Valley since the age of four.
She was member of the JPHIL Orchestra of Joshua Tree for four years and appeared as soloist with them several times. Esther was a member of the Redlands Youth Symphony for two years and won their concerto competition. She also performed with the Coachella Valley Symphony. Esther has attended both the piano and strings camps at the University of Redlands.
Esther is one of “The Yaghoubian Trio” along with her sister, Hannah, and her brother, Noah. The trio performs for the Steinway Society’s in-school concerts. The trio has performed in OPEN CALL, the McCallum Theatre Institute’s fund raisers, the Los Angeles Persian Temple, and the Jewish Federation of the Desert. Esther loves teaching piano, performing and being on stage. She wants to pursue a career in music performance and pedagogy.
Junior Winners
Jason Chan, 13, lives in Redlands with his parents and three brothers. He began studying piano at the age of six with Dr. Angelica Prodan. Most recently, in 2010, Jason earned 2nd place in the Concerto Division and 3rd place for his solo performance. He was a winner in the Junior Division of the Steinway Society of Riverside County’s annual Festival competition in years 2010 and 2011, receiving scholarships and the privilege of performing at the Steinway Winners’ Festival concerts. Jason also participates in speech and debate competitions, and he enjoys competing with his basketball team, participating in track and field, and playing volleyball.
Ranen Unger Hicks, 12, has been studying piano with Eva Martin Hollaus since age four. He is in the 5th grade in Wildomar Elementary School where he also studies trombone. He has participated in numerous events winning honors and awards, including 2009 to 2011 Inland Empire Piano Festival Solo Division I, 1st place, and Division II, 2nd place and Honorable Mention. In 2010 he was a recipient of a Steinway Society Festival Scholarship. Ranen’s interests are baseball, basketball, nature, film music, travel, the human body, and all kinds of gadgets. About piano he says, “I feel happy when I play. Just the sound of piano makes me happy!” His future plans are to attend college and to compose music for film.
Milaena Martinez began her music studies at the age of five with Kathryn B. Hull and currently studies with Dr. Stewart Gordon of U.S.C. Her debut recital was at the age of eight and she has continued performing solo recitals each year in Los Angeles. In 2010, Milaena performed the Shostakovich Piano Concerto No. 2, with the New Valley Symphony Orchestra of Los Angeles, and she presents lecture concerts for schools in the Coachella Valley. Milaena is the featured singer on an educational CD for the Ventura County School District. She is in the eighth grade at Palm Desert Charter Middle School and enjoys reading, photography, swimming and painting.
Vevina-Anne Swanson, 13, started piano lessons at the age of five. She is currently studying with Professor Louanne Long at the University of Redlands. She is a 2008 Southern California MTAC Bach Regional winner and in 2009 won 2nd place at the Antelope Valley Symphony Bach Piano Competition. In 2009 to 2011 she has been a Steinway Society’s Festival Junior competition winner. In 2010, to further her music studies, she was awarded a Swardlow Family Scholarship from the Young Musicians Foundation. Besides piano, Vevina-Anne studies voice with Dr. Camelia Voin and was invited to sing at the 2012 MTAC state convention. Her hobbies include Aikido, drawing Anime, and hanging out with friends.
Andrew Tang, is a Gold Honorable student at Warm Springs Middle School in the City of Murrieta. He started formal piano lessons at the age of five and a half and currently studies with Yiyi Ku.
In 2011 Andrew received Superior rating and was awarded Double Gold Medal at TVMTA Music Festival. He won 2nd prize at Temecula’s Fourth Annual Young Artist Piano Competition. He also participated in the National Piano Playing Auditions. Completing 20 pieces for the International Level, he received a Gold Star with 45 Commendations. Later that year, he competed in the Los Angeles Young Pianist Competition winning 3rd prize in the 12-14 age group. In addition to piano, Andrew is an active member of the school band. He has played clarinet for two years, and plays with the 8th grade symphonic band though he is only a 7th grader.
