FOLSOM – A young Folsom pianist is striking all the right notes on her path to national recognition. Isabel Feng, a ninth grader at Folsom High School, has been named a Division Finalist in the MTNA Southwest Division Junior Piano Competition, an honor that puts her among the top young pianists in the region.
Feng, the daughter of Jessie Zhang and Shuo Feng, earned her place in the competition after winning the California State Junior Piano Competition at San Jose State University this past weekend. She has been studying piano for 10 years and currently trains under Yoshikazu Nagai at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College.
Over the years, Feng has compiled an impressive list of accomplishments. She is a first-place winner in all three CAPMT California State Competitions and the MTAC Piano Concerto Solo State Competition. Her achievements extend beyond the state level, with top honors at the San Jose International Piano Competition and the prestigious Xinghai Cup National Piano Competition in China. She also captured the Grand Prize at the Vancouver International Music Competition, triumphing across all age categories up to 35 years old.
Feng’s journey as a performer began early. She made her Carnegie Hall debut at just six years old and, by age seven, appeared as a soloist with the Folsom Lake College Youth Chamber Orchestra. Her talent has since taken her to concert stages across Europe, performing with the Orchestra Virtuosi Brunenses, Orchestra Europa Musica, Florence Conservatory Orchestra, and Orchestra delle Cento Città in Italy.
The MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) competition is one of the most respected events of its kind, offering young musicians the opportunity to compete at state, division, and national levels. State winners advance to the division competition, and division champions move on to the National Finals. Winners of the Southwest Division will be announced in mid-January.
For more information about the MTNA National Competitions, including rules and applications, contact MTNA headquarters at (888) 512-5278, email mtnanet@mtna.org, or visit www.mtna.org.
Founded in 1876, the Music Teachers National Association is the nation’s oldest professional organization for music educators, representing 17,000 independent and collegiate teachers across the country. Its mission is to advance the value of music study and support the professionalism of those who teach it.
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