Adjudicators
Dubbed by Gramophone as “…a superb, confident technician and an intelligent stylist, who doesn’t have to prove anything…”, American pianist Chad R. Bowles has performed hundreds of solo recitals across the United States, in Canada, and Europe. Commanding an unusually vast repertoire and an effortless technique, his performances of the standard as well as forgotten repertoire have brought him great respect and admiration from both critics and the public alike.
His commitment to expanding the reach of classical music extends beyond traditional performances, as he frequently gives benefit recitals and interactive concerts designed to engage new audiences and reignite passion for lesser-known works. Bowles has appeared for numerous concert series and festivals across the United States and has earned critical acclaim for his recordings on JRI Recordings, including albums devoted to Haydn, Liszt, Strauss, and the
Chopin and Liszt B-minor sonatas.
A New England native, Mr. Bowles holds a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the University of New Hampshire and both a master’s degree and the Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. His primary teachers include Arlene Kies, Frederick Moyer, Alexander Shtarkman, and legendary American pianist Earl Wild. He makes his home with his wife and young children near Baltimore, Maryland, where he is full-time artist faculty and Chair of Piano at Peabody Preparatory and the Co-Director of the Peabody Piano Academy.
In October, 2019, Chad R. Bowles was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame.
The exciting young pianist Shiyu Wang is increasingly recognized for her compelling and creative performances of a wide repertoire, gaining particular acclaim for her deeply musical performances of the music of J.S. Bach. Shiyu has given solo recitals and performances in the United States, China, Japan, and Europe. She has performed the Bach D minor Concerto with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra under Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and the Ravel Left-Hand Concerto with the University of Rochester Symphony Orchestra. In 2020 she performed the “Yellow River Concerto” in China on the televised Gala New Year’s Eve Concert, with the Changsha Symphony Orchestra under Xiao Ming. Shiyu has won First Prizes in the PianoTexas
Young Artist Concerto Competition, Connecticut Bach Festival and Competition, University of
Rochester Concerto Competition, and “IMKA” Internet Music Competition, Second Prize in the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Concerto Competition, as well as the Silver Medal in the Manhattan International Music Competition. She is extremely active as a chamber musician and is a sought-after collaborative artist.
Shiyu received her Doctor of Music degree in 2023 at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music under the tutelage of Professor Arnaldo Cohen. Her previous teachers include Alexander Shtarkman at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University and Enrico Elisi and Vincent Lenti at the Eastman School of Music. A native of China, her early studies were at the Middle School affiliated to the Shanghai Conservatory. She has also performed in master classes taught by Yoheved Kaplinsky, Leon Fleisher, Fou Ts’ong, Dan Zhaoyi, and John Perry.
Shiyu currently serves on the piano faculty at Indiana University East and Earlham College, is the Principal Keyboardist of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and Director of Music Ministry at Central United Methodist Church in Richmond, Indiana.
Shiyu’s interests go beyond piano performance. She holds a double-major degree in music and business and certificate of a one-year program in Renaissance art history from University of Rochester. She published her first book Inside the Kaleidoscope on Amazon in 2020 and also published an article on Chopin’s E Minor Prelude in Music Space magazine in 2013
Maki Kubota was appointed as a member of the Houston Symphony Orchestra in 2017 by Andres Orozco-Estrada. He has also appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and Dallas Symphony Orchestra, where he has also won a position in the cello section. As a chamber musician he has collaborated with artists such as Lynn Harrell, Jeremy Denk, Glenn Dicterow, Karen Dreyfus, and Randolph Kelly, performing at venues such as the Library of Congress, the Embassy of Singapore, Auditorio Manuell de Falla, and the Morgan Library. He has toured through Europe and Colombia with the Houston Symphony, served a faculty residency in Paipa for the Colombian Youth Philharmonic, recorded in Granada Spain for IBS Classical, appeared as a guest artist at the Music Academy of the West, La Jolla Summerfest, and served as a faculty member at the National Orchestral Insitute and Festival, Texas All-State Strings Camp, and New Mexico Music Festival and Orchestral Academy.
Maki first began cello lessons while in high school as a student of Stanley Sharp. After completing his undergraduate studies with Alan Stepansky at the Peabody Conservatory, he graduated from Rice University on full scholarship under the tutelage of Desmond Hoebig. His training includes fellowships at the Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival, and Takacs String Quartet Seminar, as well as studies abroad at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore with Li-Wei Qin.
Maki is devoted to teaching and mentoring the next generation of musicians. He has over a decade of experience teaching at numerous schools and music festivals, and his students have been accepted at colleges such as the New England Conservatory, Peabody Conservatory, Oberlin College, Indiana University, Cleveland Institute of Music, UT Austin, University of Houston, University of Michigan, and University of Maryland. Maki is on cello faculty at Texas Southern University and maintains a private studio based in the Houston Heights.
