2021 Competition by Composer Judges

We’re honored to have Dr. Hendry Wijaya and Dr. Chih-Long Hu adjudicate our piano competition this year. Their bios follow.


Dr. Hendry Wijaya

 
hendrywijaya3a.jpg

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 recent 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 on the Piano Faculty of the Westminster Conservatory of Music in Princeton, the Artistic Director at the Elly Lim Conservatory of Music in Jakarta and the Music Director at the Watchung Presbyterian Church. He is the President-Elect 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. Chih-Long Hu

A native of Taiwan, pianist Chih-Long Hu‘s performance career was launched after receiving honors including the Taipei National Concert Hall Arising Star, the Chi-Mei Artist Award, and prizes from the Mauro Monopoli International Piano Competition in Italy, the Concurs International De Piano D'Escaldes-Engordany in Andorra, the Takamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan, and the International Russian Music Piano Competition in San Jose, California.

An active performer, Hu performs extensively in Asia, Europe, and America appearing as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. His recent performance highlights include concerto performances of Rachamninov’s Paganini Rhapsody, Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2, solo and chamber recitals in China, Taiwan, Korea, Canada, and throughout the U.S. Hu’s performances have been broadcast in "Performance Today" through NPR stations across the country and televised in Taiwan, China and Japan. His CD albums "Formosa Caprices", “Complete Rachmaninov Etudes-Tableaux”, and “Trifecta Trio” have received critical acclaim. His recording of Bach Goldberg Variations will be released soon.

Named “Teacher of the Year” by the Tennessee Music Teachers Association, Dr. Hu is frequently invited to give lectures and master classes, as well as to judge international and national competitions. Hu is the Artistic Director of St. Andrews Piano Academy and Festival International (New Brunswick), as well as the New York International Piano Festival. 

Hu holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in piano performance from the University of Michigan, a Master's degree from Taipei National University of the Arts, and a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering from National Taiwan University. His piano teachers include Arthur Greene, Hung-Kuan Chen, and Tai-Cheng Chen. Dr. Hu has served on the faculty at East Tennessee State University, and was recently appointed as Sandra G. Powell Endowed Professor of Piano at the University of Tennessee.

University of Tennessee, School of Music Associate Director

University of Tennessee, School of Music Associate Director