2026 Seattle International Piano Competition Winners

This page will be updated after the announcement of winners on the evening of September 27, 2026

Professional Artists

First Prize: Cameron Akioka
Second Prize: Seonghun Jeong
Third Prize: Jihee Moon

President’s Prize: Trinity Fan
Jim Miles Memorial Prize for Best Performance of a Romantic Work: Hanna Lee
Henri-Paul Sicsic Memorial Prize for the Best Performance of a Work by Robert Schumann: Cameron Akioka
Audience Favorite Prize: Seonghun Jeong
Teachers’ Favorite Prize: Jihee Moon / Trinity Fan (split)

The 2026 finalists: Cameron Akioka (USA; a pupil of James Giles), Trinity Fan (USA; a pupil of Christopher Harding), Seonghun Jeong (Republic of Korea; a pupil of Logan Skelton), Hanna Lee (Republic of Korea; a pupil of Alexander Shtarkman), John Garo Lonergan (Canada/USA; a pupil of Jon Nakamatsu and Garrick Ohlsson), and Jihee Moon (Republic of Korea; a pupil of Wei-Yi Yang and Melvin Chen).

Semi-finalists include (in alphabetical order) Soyeon Chang (Korea), Yujin Han (Korea; a pupil of Jeffrey Cohen), Momoko Hoffman (USA; a pupil of Baruch Meir), Vicko Ho Yeung Ma (Canada; a pupil of Corey Hamm), Gregory Martin (USA; a pupil of James Giles), Hyejin Park (Korea; a pupil of Fabio Bidini), Mateusz Perz (Poland; a pupil of Bradley Bolen), Szuyu Su (Taiwan; a pupil of Jon Kimura Parker), Chun Wang (USA; a pupil of Eileen Buck), and Chuanyi Xiang (China; a pupil of Sergei Babayan).

Collegiate Artists

First Prize: Antonio Ajero
Second Prize: Jingbo Zong
Third Prize: Mariam Loladze-Meredith

Jim Miles Memorial Prize for Best Performance of a Romantic Work: Mariam Loladze-Meredith
Best Performance of an Etude by Frederic Chopin: Aizhen Du
Best Performance of a Mazurka by Karol Szymanowski: Andrew Nguyen
Audience Favorite Prize: Antonio Ajero
Teachers’ Favorite Prize: Jingbo Zong

The 2026 finalists: Antonio Ajero (USA; a pupil of Stanislav Ioudenitch), Aizhen Du (China; a pupil of Haewon Song), Son Duong (USA/Vietnam; a pupil of Douglas Humpherys), Mariam Loladze-Meredith (UK/Georgia; a pupil of Sofya Gulyak), Andrew Nguyen (USA; a pupil of Sharon Mann), and Jingbo Zong (China; a pupil of Arthur Greene).

Semi-finalists include (in alphabetical order) Adrian King (USA; a pupil of Soyeon Kate Lee), Yimei Liang (China; a pupil of Marina Lomazov), Thannapas Luanpitpong (Thailand; a pupil of Yoshikazu Nagai), Xiaoshu Tang (USA; a pupil of Minsoo Sohn), Keren Wang (China; a pupil of Inesa Sinkeyvch), and Chang Xu (China; a pupil of Ran Dank).

Youth, Ages 14 – 18

First Prize: William Feng
Second Prize: Andrew Lee
Third Prize: Benjamin Bell
Best Performance of an Etude by Frederic Chopin: William Feng
Best Performance of a Mazurka by Karol Szymanowski: Andrew Lee
Audience Favorite Prize: William Feng
Teachers’ Favorite Prize: Andrew Lee

2026 Finalists include: Benjamin Bell (USA; a pupil of Natela Mchedlishvili), Sora Corro (USA; a pupil of Sandra Shen), William Feng (USA; a pupil of Peter Mack), Andrew Lee (USA; a pupil of Peter Mack, Ivona Kaminska-Bowlby, and Christopher Bowlby), Connor Wang (USA; a pupil of Martin Labazevitch), and Jeffrey Zhao (USA; a pupil of Maria Maltseva).

Semi-finalists include (in alphabetical order) Patrick Cao (Canada; a pupil of Arthur Rowe), Emily Qi (USA; a pupil of Peter Mack), Papitcha Vejmongkolkorn (Thailand; a pupil of Pornphan Banternghansa and Christopher Janwong McKiggan), and Simon Yao (USA; a pupil of Jeffery Lavner).

Youth, Ages 10 – 13

First Prize: Evan Shuhe Zhang
Second Prize: Olivia He
Third Prize: Lala Funakoshi
Best Performance of an Etude by Frederic Chopin: Saya Takahashi
Audience Favorite Prize: Evan Shuhe Zhang
Teachers’ Favorite Prize: Evan Shuhe Zhang

2026 Finalists include: Lala Funakoshi (USA; a pupil of Shihui Yin and Jorge Federico Osorio), Mimi Funakoshi (USA; a pupil of Shihui Yin and Jorge Federico Osorio), Olivia He (USA; a pupil of Matthew Loudermilk), Yutong (Angela) Xie (China; a pupil of Ivona Kaminska-Bowlby), Evan Shuhe Zhang (Canada; a pupil of Corey Hamm, with additional guidance from Ilana Vered), and Saya Takahashi (USA; a pupil of Katharina Loudermilk).

Semi-finalists include (in alphabetical order) Daniel Luan (USA; a pupil of Allan Park), Ellie Xuan (USA; a pupil of Chia-Lin Yang), Anthony Yu (USA; a pupil of William Davidson), and Kai Zavislak (USA; a pupil of Xing Chen and John McCarthy).

Youth, Ages 9 and Under

Gold Medalists: The four who appeared in Seattle were Adelynn Li (USA; a pupil of Ory Shihor and Ilana Vered), Rosalyn Chu (USA; a pupil of Axel Schmitt), Leonard Mai (USA; a pupil of Ivona Kaminska-Bowlby), and Solara Kim (USA; a pupil of Brian Hsu).
Best Performance of a Sonata Movement by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Leonard Mai
Best Performance of an Etude by Frederic Chopin: Adalynn Li
Audience Favorite Prize: Leonard Mai
Teachers’ Favorite Prize: Solara Kim