2022 International New Star Piano Competition Judges
We’re honored to have Dr. Hendry Wijaya, Dr. Hsiang Tu and Dr. Hilary Demske, adjudicate our International New Star Piano Competition this year. Their bios follow.
Dr. Hendry Wijaya
Dr. Hendry Wijaya first attracted attention in 1996 when he won the Artists International’s “Young Artist Piano Award” and made his critically acclaimed New York Recital debut at Carnegie Hall. “Hendry Wijaya may well be one of the greatest pianists to come out of Indonesia today”, says The Observer.
He began his musical training at the age of two with his mother and gave his first public performance at the age of four, which was broadcast on the national public radio. In 1992, a scholarship from the Manhattan School of Music brought him to the United States to further his studies with Constance Keene. There, he was awarded B.M., M.M. and D.M.A. degrees. Other influential teachers include Herbert Stessin, Robert Weirich, Jung-Ja Kim and Elly Lim. He received numerous awards and scholarships including the Dora Zaslavsky Koch piano scholarship, LeBauer scholarship, Manhattan School of Music’s Presidential Merit Scholarship and Baldwin Piano Award.
Dr. Wijaya is the author of an advice column for Staccato, a monthly music education magazine in Indonesia. He has been featured on a 60-minute live TV interview for the Voice of America. On his tour to Russia as a guest performer and judge for a music festival, the local newspaper wrote: “Hendry Wijaya demonstrates that he is a unique interpreter of Debussy and Chopin’s music. The rich and sophisticated timbres, extraordinary dynamic palette, and super-virtuosity made his performance a real event in the city’s music scene...”
He is currently the Head of the Piano Department at the Westminster Conservatory of Music in Princeton and the Artistic Director at the Elly Lim Conservatory of Music in Jakarta. He is the President of the New York State Music Teachers Association (NYSMTA), Past President of the New Jersey Music Teachers Association (NJMTA) and is a frequent adjudicator for local, national and international piano competitions, including the Alberti International Piano Competition, the Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, and the World Pianist Invitational International Competition, among others.
Dr. Wijaya is a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music as administered by the Music Teachers National Association. He is a recipient of the MTNA Foundation Fellow Award that is bestowed upon deserving individuals who have made significant contribution to the teaching profession and the world of music.
Dr. Hsiang Tu
Praised by The New York Times for his "eloquent sensitivity," The Boston Intelligencer for his "impeccable technique," and Fanfare for his “Chameleon-like ability to move between composers,” pianist Hsiang Tu has graced the audience with his wide range of repertoire and creative programming. Current projects include the complete cycles of piano solo works by Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel and thematic recitals featuring animal-themed music. Born in Taipei, Taiwan, he debuted in New York at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center as the winner of The Juilliard School Concerto Competition and has performed in venues all over the world, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, National Museum Cardiff, and National Recital Hall in Taipei.
A prize winner at the New Orleans International Piano Competition, the Iowa International Piano Competition, and the American Paderewski Piano Competition, Dr. Tu has appeared with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Sioux City Symphony Orchestra, and the World Civic Orchestra, among others. He has given masterclasses throughout the U.S., including the University of Southern California, Penn State University, Peabody Conservatory Preparatory Division, and the University of Tennessee. Last Spring, Hsiang was invited for a short residency as a visiting professor at the University of Taipei and released an outreach video in collaboration with the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation. During the 2021-2022 school year, Dr. Tu performed solo recitals in over a dozen universities across six states.
Before being appointed as an Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Florida, Dr. Tu taught at Virginia Tech, the University of New Hampshire, Utah Valley University, and Snow College. He studied with Hung-Kuan Chen, Jerome Lowenthal, and HaeSun Paik, and holds a B.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Calgary and an M.M. and D.M.A. in Piano Performance from The Juilliard School. His debut solo CD, Bestiary on Ivory, is on Bridge Records, and an upcoming CD featuring the music of Chopin will be released later in 2022. For more info, please visit hsiangtu.com.
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Dr. Hilary Demske
Steinway Artist Hilary Demske is receiving widespread critical acclaim as a "pianist of rare technical finesse and musicality" (Deseret News). She regularly appears across the globe as a soloist and collaborative pianist, with American Record Guide describing her as full of "splendid panache and assurance", and Fanfare noting that "a composer couldn't ask for more committed or convincing performances".
Hilary is regularly invited to perform in prestigious venues across multiple continents. Recent performances include recitals in Germany, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Turkey, Greece, Canada, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Tasmania, Mongolia and Taiwan. She has performed in China annually since 2011, appearing in over 30 cities on multiple tours.
Hilary has adjudicated at numerous national and international competitions, including the 2012 Gina Bachauer Junior and Young Artists International Piano Competition preliminary auditions, the Florida State University piano solo competition, and the Utah Symphony Salute to Youth preliminary auditions.
An avid performer of contemporary music, Hilary’s debut CD ‘Henry Martin: Selected Piano Music’ includes highly praised premieres including ‘New Prelude and Fugue XVI’ and ‘Sonata No.4: At Midnight’s Hour’. Additional recording premieres include Benjamin Sabey’s solo piece ‘Ecstatic Aspen’ on the album ‘Winter Shore’, the hour-long “Cosmology” by Neil Thornock (Albany Records), and her original compositions. This year she appeared on an Albany chamber disc featuring the works of Lou Harrison.
Hilary holds a Bachelor of Music degree from The Peabody Conservatory, a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, a Doctor of Musical Arts from The University of Michigan, and an Artist Diploma (Meisterklasse diploma) from the Hochschule für Musik in Munich, Germany. Her principal teachers include Julian Martin, Logan Skelton, Margarita Höhenrieder, and Samuel Wong.
Hilary is currently an Associate Professor at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. As the Director of Piano Studies, she directs the piano major program and teaches piano literature, piano pedagogy, and chamber music.