Santee Smith, Tekaronhiáhkhwa (Picking Up the Sky), is a renowned multidisciplinary artist and cultural leader from the Kahnyen’kehàka (Mohawk) Nation in Ohswé:ken/Six Nations of the Grand River. Internationally recognized for her visionary contributions to dance and Indigenous performance, by weaving ancestral knowledge systems with contemporary practice to create transformative works rooted in identity, land, humanity, and our shared responsibility to the natural world. She trained at Canada’s National Ballet School and holds degrees in Physical Education, Psychology from McMaster University and a Master’s in Dance from York University. A Member of the Order of Canada, she serves as the 19th Chancellor of McMaster University.

As the founder and Artistic Director of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, Santee creates, produces and tours numerous works and advances Indigenous methodologies through land-based and creativity research, international collaborations, cultural exchange and vitalization. A sought-after collaborator, speaker, teacher and mentor. Santee continues to inspire as an artist, leader, and cultural visionary.

Mayu Ohsawa began playing the piano at the age of seven. She participated in the Performance Study Course of Yamaha Master Class in 2018 and 2019 and studied at the Jr. Academy of Tokyo University of the Arts from 2018 to 2020. She graduated from The Music High School Attached to the Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts in March 2024. Currently, she is a first-year student at The Faculty of Music, Tokyo University of the Arts. She has studied under Ayako Uehara and Akira Eguchi. She participated in Morningside Music Bridge 2023 in Boston. 1st Prize in the Youth Category of The 9th Yamaha Junior Piano Competition. Competitor in The 12th Hamamatsu International Piano Competition. 1st Prize in the Performer Category (Tokyo Stage and National Final) and Second Grand Prize at the SAKURA JAPAN MUSIC COMPETITION 2025.

Mayu Ohsawa was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.
 

Pianist Eden Chen “enthralls audiences with fluid performances and fingers that dance upon, rather than play, the piano” (Leeds Living). In 2025-26, Eden orchestrally debuts at Carnegie Hall with the Chamber Orchestra of New York. He will also be presented solo by Gabriela Montero in Switzerland and the USA.

In 2024-25, Eden curated 5 poems by Bert Meyers for songs by pianist/composer A Bu, and premiered them at Kennedy Center and Merkin Hall. That season’s performances also included the Queen Elisabeth Music Chapel, Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect and ongoing Honens International Piano Competition. In 2023-24, Eden’s 9-city recital tour of China was acclaimed for “exuding pure light” (Zhongshan Daily). He has appeared at Wigmore Hall and multiple times at Stern Auditorium, Pritzker Pavilion, and Weill Recital Hall.

Under Hung-Kuan Chen, Eden earned both Master and Bachelor of Music degrees from The Juilliard School, graduating with the Juilliard Career Advancement Fellowship, its largest Commencement prize. He was guest artist of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation, the Leeds International Piano Competition’s Festival, Banff Centre, and the Grammy Salute to Classical. Eden was featured in media by NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts, Isabel Leonard and Pianist Magazine. He has recorded with Lang Lang for Deutsche Grammophon and performed with him at JBLFest, The City of Shenzhen’s Exposition in New York, and the Andermatt Swiss Alps Classics.

Eden Chen was generously supported by the Helen Graham Artist Award.
 

Jiahao Han is the sole pianist accepted into The Juilliard School’s prestigious Doctoral of Musical Arts program in 2024. He is currently studying under the esteemed mentorship of Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky and Mr. Hung-Kuan Chen.

As a soloist, Jiahao has made appearances with Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, Tianjin Symphony Orchestra, Suzhou Symphony Orchestra, etc. His guest artist appearances have taken him to prestigious venues worldwide, including in China, the US, Germany, Poland, Romania, Spain, Australia, Korea, and Japan. Jiahao won second prize in the 2022 New York International Piano Competition, third prize in  "Jinji Lake" International Piano Competition, and third prize in "Jenuesses International Music Competition Dinu Lipatti." His performances were hailed by the General-Anzeiger (Germany) as "solid, fantastic, and full of emotional drama."

Embracing artistic innovation and integrity, Jiahao consistently dedicates himself to exploring new music and chamber works. He has also embarked on a transformative journey as a non-major composition student under the esteemed tutelage of Dr. Philip Lasser at Juilliard. Recognizing his exceptional musicality and pedagogical skills, Juilliard appointed Jiahao as a teaching fellow in ear training, theory and analysis, counterpoint, and harmony since August 2021.

Jiahao Han was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.
 

Named a laureate of the Musica Antiqua Competition in Bruges (2024), pianist Charlotte Tang is recognized for her passion for early 19th-century music and historical instruments. Praised by La Libre Belgique as an “expressive, fine chamber musician,” she performs actively across Canada and the United States. Recent highlights include residencies at the Banff Centre and Orford Musique, a fellowship at the Gilmore Piano Festival, and performances at conferences hosted by the Westfield Center for Historical Keyboard Studies and the Historical Keyboard Society of North America.

Charlotte is currently a doctoral candidate in Piano Performance at the University of Toronto. She has been mentored by Prof. Elisabeth Wright and Dr. David Breitman on the historical piano, and James Parker, the late Marietta Orlov, and Roberto Plano on the modern piano. Her forthcoming dissertation explores the interactions between dynamics and pedal indications in Schubert's works, with a focus on the soft pedals.

Charlotte Tang was generously supported by the Marek Jablonski Piano Endowment.
 

Dubbed by Singapore music reviewer Dr. Chang Tou Liang as having "a beautiful touch and an instinctive feel for the ebb and flow of the music that is admirable," Malaysian pianist Sean Gan has established himself as a dedicated and probing musician. In his pursuit of artistic excellence, he is enrolled in the MM degree program at The Juilliard School in New York studying with Mr. Hung Kuan Chen. He also studied under Prof. Albert Tiu during his undergraduate studies at the YST Conservatory. Under the esteemed and illuminating guidance of his mentors, Sean accentuates the complex interactions between the value of art and its creators through imaginative programming and diversified repertoire.

A versatile and enthusiastic performer, his passion lies in both the realms of the soloistic and collaborative. As a soloist, his achievements include joint first prize in the Artist Category of the 2021 National Piano & Violin Competition in Singapore. The piano duo setting is one of his favorite mediums for collaboration; as a sustained team with pianist Lyu-Yan Kuo, they achieved First Prize in the Senior Division of the 2022 7th North-West International Piano Ensemble Competition. His participation in Juilliard’s 2023 and 2024 Chamberfests also testify his evolving passion for chamber music. Performing in works involving larger forces, he recently performed as second pianist in Pierre Boulez’s demanding sur Incises under the baton of David Robertson and Susanna Mälkki.

Sean Gan was generously supported by the George Brough Memorial Endowment.

Praised by the Boston Musical Intelligencer for his “fiery performance” and “virtuosity in full display,” Ranfei Wang is the third musician from Canada to be designated a Young Steinway Artist. He holds a Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in piano performance from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he has studied with Gabriel Chodos and Vivian Weilerstein. Ranfei has also studied with Susan Starr, Dr. Craig Sheppard, and Dr. Robert Silverman.

Ranfei has been the winner of international music competitions, such as the first prize winner of the International Keyboard Odyssiad Competition and Olga Kern Special Award, first prize winner of the GOCAA International Piano and Strings Competition and Signatory Young Artist award, second prize winner of the Canadian Music Competition, and second prize winner of the Pan-Pacific International Piano Competition and Yamaha Grand Prize. In 2023, Ranfei won the New England Conservatory’s Piano Honors Competition.

Ranfei Wang has performed at concert halls in Canada, the United States, and Europe including Carnegie Hall and the Vancouver Orpheum. Ranfei has performed extensively with symphony orchestras, including Benjamin Britten’s Saint Nicolas with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals with the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra, and is a regular guest at the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Prelude concert series.

Ranfei Wang was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.

Engaging audiences with his charismatic and moving performances, pianist Aaron Kurz enjoys a burgeoning career. Aaron has soloed with numerous orchestras and across three continents, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Salle Cortot, and the Palace of Peace and Harmony in Astana, Kazakhstan. His performances have been lauded by the press, called both “nuanced musical journeys” (Belgium’s "Le Soir") and “a lesson in pianism” (England’s "Cambridge Independent"). Most recently, Aaron has just completed a tour of Asia, where he performed and taught at numerous venues across China and Indonesia.

Aaron’s playing has also garnered recognition in competitions, winning top prizes in the New York, Los Angeles, Virginia Waring, and World Piano Teachers Association International Piano Competitions, among others. Aaron holds recent degrees from SFCM (studying with Jon Nakamatsu and Jeremy Denk) and Yale (with Boris Berman), and he is now pursuing his DMA at the University of Texas with Anton Nel. He is also a teacher himself, maintaining a large group of private students in Austin. In his spare time, Aaron loves watching sports, reading, and spending time with his friends and fiancée, Vivian.

Aaron Kurz was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.