2025 Fall Competition Winners - Woodwinds

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 Flutist Owen Power is a native of New York City. He is a 5th grader at  Special Music School, where he began his flute studies with Diane  Taublieb. Owen was winner of the 2024 New York Flute Club Young Musicans  Contest (8 and under), 2025 Interlochen Junior Honors recital  competition, and the Festerson Family Foundation merit scholarship at  Interlochen. He has performed as guest artist with the Sherman Chamber  Ensemble and in Merkin Hall (NYC). Owen is fortunate to have also worked  with Susan Rotholz, Judith Mendenhall, Keith Bonner (Borealis Wind  Quintet), and Brandon Patrick George (Imani Winds). 

 My name is Paulina Waszewska. I’m 12 years old. I live in Poland, in  Szczecinek. I’ve been learning to play the flute for 5 years. I’m a  student of the Oskar Kolberg State Music School in Szczecinek. My  teacher's name is Karolina Horodyńska-Batura. I play the flute solo, in  the band, and in the school orchestra. I like play flute very much. I’m a  laureate of many national and international music competitions. 

 ChiehHsin Chao, age 13, from Sunnyvale, California, began her clarinet  studies in 6th grade under the guidance of Ms. Juliana Tzeng. She is  currently a member of the Golden State Youth Orchestra (GSYO), where she  continues to nurture her love for music through orchestral performance.  She was selected to perform with the 2024–2025 All-State Honor Band. In  2025, ChiehHsin received the Gold Prize and the Remarkable Musicianship  Special Prize at the Carl Reinecke International Music Competition. 

 Esther Moon is a junior at Branham High School and has been playing the  clarinet since 7th grade. She plays in her school’s Wind Ensemble and  Marching Band and serves as principal clarinetist of the Senior  Orchestra in the California Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Esther was  selected for the California All-State Honor Band in 2025 and the Santa  Clara County Honor Band in both 2024 and 2025. She has won first-place  awards in the San Francisco International Innovative Music Competition,  the US International Open Music Competition, the US International Open  Music Chamber Ensemble, and the Charleston International Music  Competition. Outside of music, Esther enjoys crocheting and spending  time with her friends and family. 

 Hi! My name is Audrey Hu and I'm a 10 year old clarinet player. I  started playing clarinet at around October 2024. I decided to start  clarinet because I've always dreamed of playing a woodwind and I enjoyed  the sound of the clarinet the best.  

 Evelina Erliha studies flute at Kaufman Special Music School, with renowned professor Valerie Holmes. Evelina plays in the Mannes school Chamber orchestra. She has performed in concerts in France, Norway, Latvia and America. She won 1st place in the "Little Mozarts International Music competition" and will perform at Carnegie Hall in May 2025.

 Sombhrom das is a talented Harmonica(Mouth Organ) player in india.He was  born into a backward weaver community(OBC). Sombhrom is always striving  to bring Indian culture to the world. Distance to school, mouth organ  teacher's house and financial problem did not stop him . His home is in a  remote rural area.  Achivment -India Book Of Records, Asia Book Of Records, World Book Of  Records (London), Awarded HarmonicaUK ( ENGLAND) For 1st place in music  compitition, Forever Super Hero Award , Global Kids Achievers Awad , The  Anirban Sinha Award for Outstanding Talent Of Music from The Telegraph(  award and scolership). Banga srestha sanman award, 3 rd posision in  Bharat Sangskriti Utsab, Brahms Music Competitions (Silver Award) 2025  etc 

 Ryan Wang, 16, is a Sophomore at Leigh High School in San Jose,  California. He began playing the flute at the age of 7 with Ms. Li-Ling  Chen. Since then, Ryan has participated in and won many international  music competitions, including 1st Prize winner of the San Francisco  International Innovative Music Competition in 2024, 1st Prize winner of  the Medici International Music Competition in 2024, 1st Prize winner of  the 6th Glory International competition in 2024, and many more. He is  currently the 2nd chair principal in the California Youth Symphony  Senior Orchestra. 

 Noam Avidor Fuchs is a clarinetist studying at the Ra’anana Music Center  with Prof. Michael Gurfinkel. He performs with the Ra’anana Symphony  and the Young Israel Philharmonic, and participated in ensembles in  Israel and Belgium, including Musica Mundi (2024). A gifted musician  recognized by Israel’s Ministry of Education, he has received an AICF  scholarship since 2023. Noam won top prizes in Israeli and international  competitions, including the Aviv Competition, "Music of the world",  “London Young Musician,” “Manhattan Music Competition,” and the Bach  International Competition. 

 Yuhe Liu is a 15 year old freshman from San Jose, California. He has  been playing the clarinet for 5 years and received private instructions  under Mr Fred Rast. Prior to this competition, he had won first prize in  the Charleston international music competition and participated in the  Santa Clara county honor band. Yuhe is also a member of the San Jose  youth symphony chamber orchestra in the 2026 season. 

 Kayla Park is currently 15 years old and is a freshman at Saint Francis  High School. She has been playing oboe for three and a half years and is  studying under Yeseul Park. She is part of GSYO and the Saint Francis  Lancer Band. She has participated in the HCYO the previous year and will  participate in the C’est Bon Music Summer Camp this summer. Over the  past three years, she has won prizes at several different competitions  such as the American Music Talent Competition and the US International  Open Music Competition, Great Composer Competition the Music of Europe.  Additionally, she is working towards her Girl Scout Gold Award.  

 Calyn Hsieh is a talented twelve-year-old clarinetist with a passion for  music. She has been playing the clarinet for two years. Calyn enjoys  exploring a variety of genres, from classical to contemporary, and is  constantly pushing herself to improve her technique. In addition to her  love for music, Calyn actively participates in local music ensembles,  where she continues to grow as a musician and share her passion with  others. 

 My name is Nathan Han and I am a Junior at Archbishop Mitty High School  who has been playing the clarinet since the 6th grade. I am currently a  member of the Silicon Valley Youth Orchestra and my school's Wind  Ensemble as a clarinetist. My other hobbies include sports analysis and  writing. 

 Ruoxi Yuan was born in 1999. She had her first contact with the clarinet  at the age of 8, studied with Mrs. Peiru Zhao from Central Conservatory  of Music. Since 2010, she began to study with prestigious clarinetist,  professor of clarinet at Central Conservatory of Music and artistic  director of CCOM International Clarinet Festival, prof.Yuan Yuan. In  2011, she was admitted to Beijing Opera and Arts College. In 2017, she  was auditioned into Central Conservatory of Music, continually studied  with prof.Yuan Yuan to pursue her bachelor degree. Learn clarinet with  Wei Fan in 2019. Entered in 2021 Akademia Muzyczna im. Krzysztofa  Pendereckiego w Krakowie and following prof. Andrzej Godek and dr hab.  Barbara Borowicz Continue learning 

Samantha Ni is an 8th grader at Stratford Preparatory and has been  playing Clarinet for 2 years. She is currently a member of California  Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. Besides music, Samantha's interests  include competing in track and field, drawing, and hanging out with her  friends. 

Martyna Kruk - 15-year-old flutist, student of the Mieczyslaw Karlowicz  State Music School of the First and Second Degree in Katowice in  Kornelia Nowak's flute class. She has won Grand Prix and main prizes at  30 national and international competitions, including those in Finland,  Croatia, the USA and Poland. Her artistic achievements include solo and  chamber music performances. She began learning to play the flute at the  age of six at the Tadeusz Szeligowski High School of Music in Poznań in  Justyna Pikulska's flute class.  Martyna deepened her skills at the  Tampere Flute Fest International Music Courses in Tampere, Finland, the  Winter Music Academy in Luslawice, the International Master Classes in  Bydgoszcz and the B. Halska International Music Interpretation Course in  Nowy Sacz, under the guidance of outstanding professors, including:  Karin Bonelli, Matvey Demin, Berten D'Hollander, Urszula Janik Lipinski  and Agata Igras. Martyna is a several-time winner of the Prize of the  City of Poznań, a scholarship holder of the Talent Bank. Since 2023, she  has been a Scholarship Holder of the Able Program of the National Fund  for Children. This year she was the winner of the 21st edition of the  “Young Poland” Program of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage 

Andrew Wi is a Sophomore at Archbishop Mitty High School. He began  playing clarinet in 7th grade and currently plays for his school’s Wind  Ensemble and Pep Band. In middle school, Andrew was principal clarinet  in both his junior high concert and jazz band. Andrew participated in  CASMEC All-State Honor Band in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Outside of music,  he is a member of his school’s speech and debate team. Andrew also plays  tennis on his school’s Men’s Varsity Tennis Team and enjoys playing  with his former junior high teammates as well. 

Lydia Kang is 16 years old and has been playing clarinet for five years.  She has attended various competitions, and recently, she has won awards  in Southwestern Youth Music Festival (SYMF), American Protégé Music  Competitions, Concordia, Enkor Competition and more. She has been  selected CASMEC All-State Band for 2023 and 2024 and the principal  clarinetist in the South Coast Youth Symphony Orchestra. She also  performed in the Junior Chamber Music Program and recently, her chamber  group won the first prize at the Grand Prize Virtuoso International  Music Competition and traveled to perform at the Beethoven House in  Germany.