A Night of Musical Brilliance at Carnegie Hall
New York, NY – November 24, 2025 – The venerable Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall was abuzz with anticipation on Sunday, November 24th, 2025, as the International Association of Professional Music Teachers (IAPMT) presented an evening of exceptional musical talent. The concert, which commenced promptly at 7:30 PM, was made possible through the generous sponsorship of the Kawai America Corporation. Despite the cloudy skies, a brisk 48°F temperature, and a gentle 8 mph wind outside, the atmosphere within the hall was warm and vibrant, filled with the promise of an unforgettable performance.
A total of 31 distinguished participants graced the stage, showcasing a diverse array of musical prowess. The highlight of the evening was undoubtedly the appearance of special guest artists Yina Ma on violin and Dongfang Lin on piano. Their collaborative spirit shone through in a truly virtuosic rendition of Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Sonata No. 5, Op.24,” captivating the audience with their profound understanding and masterful execution of the iconic work. Dongfang Lin further enthralled concert-goers with a thundering and emotionally charged performance of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Prelude in G Minor & Prelude in G Major,” demonstrating a remarkable command of the piano.
The program featured an eclectic and rich selection of compositions from a wide spectrum of renowned composers, ensuring a captivating experience for all in attendance. Musical selections included works by Abel Korzeniowski, Alberto Ginastera, Camille Saint-Saëns, Carl Maria von Weber, Dmitri Shostakovich, Felix Mendelssohn, Friedrich Seitz, Frédéric Chopin, George Frideric Handel, Isaak Berkovich, Jose Maria Cano, Ludovico Einaudi, Ludwig van Beethoven, Pablo de Sarasate, Robert Schumann, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Yoshinao Nakada. This diverse repertoire underscored the breadth and depth of talent within the IAPMT and provided a truly enriching musical journey for the appreciative audience.
The International Association of Professional Music Teachers extends its sincere gratitude to the Kawai America Corporation for their invaluable support in making this magnificent event a resounding success. The evening was a testament to the enduring power of music and the dedication of its practitioners.
Carnegie Hall Facts: Grand Opening
Standing majestically in Midtown Manhattan, Carnegie Hall has been a beacon of musical excellence for over 130 years. Its storied history began on May 5, 1891, with a grand opening that set an immediate precedent for the caliber of performances to come. The highlight of that inaugural evening was the celebrated Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, who traveled across the Atlantic to conduct his own “Marche Solennelle.” His presence not only lent immense prestige to the newly constructed “Music Hall,” as it was then known, but also solidified its status as a world-class venue, attracting the greatest talents from across the globe and ensuring its place in the annals of musical history.
Featured Performers
Angelyn Pratana
Angelyn Pratana is a multi-talented fourteen-year-old who is a freshman at Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) in Fall 2024.
Angelyn's passion for the piano ignited at the age of six when she began her training at the Yamaha Music School. Her dedication and talent were soon recognized when she was awarded the Honorable Young Performer Award at the Yamaha Music School National Concert in 2023.
Her impressive list of accomplishments includes both national and international accolades. Among her achievements, Angelyn secured 1st place for her concerto piece and 2nd place for her solo performance at the IAPMT Concours International Competition. She also earned 2nd place at the Satori Young Pianist Contest in both Summer 2024 and 2023, along with the State Honorable Award for the Certificate of Merit in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Notably, she has been invited multiple times to perform at the MTAC State Annual Convention Festival events, the Soka Performing Arts Center, and Concordia University.
These remarkable achievements have paved the way for Angelyn's highly anticipated debut performances on world-renowned stages. She performed at Carnegie Hall in New York in November 2024 and had grace international audiences at the Haydn Hall in Esterházy Palace, Austria, and The Great Concert Hall in Targu Mureș, Romania during the summer of 2024.
In addition to her prowess on the piano, Angelyn is an accomplished violinist under the guidance of Dr. Jiyoung Um. She actively pursues her studies in both instruments and frequently performs as a soloist and as part of a chamber orchestra for Good Neighbors – an international humanitarian and development organization.
Her most favorite composers are Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, and Saint-Saens. She loves playing songs with strong character in mood dynamic and musical sounding.
Angelyn also enjoys drawing and painting using traditional media with a wide range from pencil color, watercolor, acrylic and oil painting. In her free time, she loves reading, writing books, swimming, playing golf, and having bible studies with her best friends. She wishes to pursue a medical career path in hopes of helping people through her love for science.
Dongfang Lin
Dr. Dongfang Lin is a young pianist from China who holds two doctoral degrees from the Tchaikovsky Conservatory of Music in Moscow and the Gensin State Conservatory of Music. At the 145th graduation ceremony of the Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory, he was the sole pianist invited from the entire conservatory to lead a performance for the faculty and students.
His performances span various countries, including a successful rendition of the Liszt Piano Concerto with the Crimean State Symphony Orchestra of Russia in November 2015. During his school years, he toured as a piano soloist with the Russian Silantiev Model Symphony Orchestra in Russia, Italy, Poland, the UK, and France. In December 2016, he collaborated with conductor Sima Jiannan and the Northwest Teachers University Conservatory Orchestra to perform Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto in B-flat Minor at the Lanzhou Concert Hall to great acclaim. Since 2020, Lin Dongfang has showcased his talent in over 20 solo and repertoire performances at the Poly Theater, garnering widespread attention and admiration. In 2023, he performed Tchaikovsky's First Piano Concerto with the Kunming International Philharmonic Orchestra.
In 2023, he was invited to conduct a national Piano Duo Concert tour alongside famous pianist Lu Chao. The tour included performances at prestigious venues such as the Harbin Grand Theatre on June 9, Chongqing Grand Theatre on June 11, Mogao Art School Music Hall on June 15th, Fuzhou Strait Cultural and Art Center Music Hall on July 31, Zhangjiagang Jiangsu Grand Theatre on August 2, QinTai Music Hall in Wuhan on August 4, Xiangjiang Hall at the Changsha Concert Hall on August 5, Dongguan Yulan Grand Theatre on August 6, and Huizhou Cultural and Art Center Music Hall on August 7.
Additionally, as a soloist performer, he received invitations to conduct Piano Solo Concerts from 2021 to 2022. Notable performances included those at the Guangxi Cultural and Art Center on October 16, Huai'an Grand Theatre on December 28, 2021, Xiamen Jiageng Theatre on May 21, 2022, Fuzhou Strait Cultural and Art Center Music Hall on September 17, 2022, and Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre on October 22, 2022.
Furthermore, showcasing his versatility as a collaborative pianist, he was also invited to lead the National Piano Trio Concert tour from 2020 to 2021. This tour featured performances at various venues, including the Hefei Grand Theatre for the "Moving Light and Shadow, Tribute to Classics" Film Music Piano Trio Concert on December 5, 2020, Hangzhou Yuhang Grand Theatre on December 6, 2020, Lishui Grand Theatre on December 11, 2020, Fuzhou Strait Art Center on December 18, 2020, Zhuhai Grand Theatre on December 27, 2020, Dongguan Yulan Grand Theatre on January 15, 2021, QinTai Music Hall in Wuhan on January 23, 2021, and Xiamen Jiageng Theatre on January 24, 2021.
Currently serving as an associate professor at the School of Music of Northwest Normal University and a master's degree tutor, Dr. Lin's journey in music began at the age of 4 when he commenced piano lessons with Associate Professor Dr. Guo Hua at the School of Music of Northwest Normal University, laying a solid foundation for his future endeavors. In 2005, he was admitted to the Middle School attached to the Xi'an Conservatory of Music under the tutelage of Associate Professor Li Zhuangzhuang. Under the mentorship of Prof. Yuri Slesilev, the Russian People's Artist and pianist, Dr. Lin honed his skills during his 9 years of study in Russia, delivering over 40 successful performances at prestigious venues such as the Tchaikovsky State Conservatory, the Rachmaninoff Hall, the Miaszkowski Hall, the Moscow International House of Music, the Yamaha Center for the Arts, and the St. Petersburg Concert Hall.
Throughout his career, Dr. Lin has achieved remarkable success in international piano competitions, including winning numerous gold medals. Some notable accolades include winning the 1st Moscow State Piano Competition, the 1st International Piano Competition "Maimonides" in Moscow, the 4th International Piano Competition "St. Petersburg" in St. Petersburg, Russia, and the Piano Competition of the "Fermata" Festival in Moscow. He was also the winner of the 2018 "Silk Road Piano" Ningbo International Piano Invitational Competition and secured second place in the Teachers' Group of the Northwest Region "Yangtze Piano" Higher Education Scholarship Competition. In November 2017, he was selected as a finalist in the 11th China Music Golden Bell Award.
Dr. Dongfang Lin's extraordinary talent, coupled with his dedication to music education, has cemented his reputation as a virtuoso pianist and an esteemed educator in the field of music.
Elena Miyamoto
Elena Miyamoto, a 16-year-old violinist, is a Junior at Woodbridge High School. With an impressive musical background, Elena began her musical journey with start playing piano at age of three and playing violin at the age of seven. She is currently a member of the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Elena has been under the instructor, David Chang. to hone her violin skills, and has also been learning piano under the guidance of Hisae Baird. Her passion for music extends beyond her personal development, as Elena regularly mentors students with their violin skills and takes time to tutor math for younger students.
Elena's talent has earned her accolades in multiple competitions since 2021, cementing her position as a promising young musician with a bright future ahead. Elena and her musician colleagues in chamber music have earned awards in competitions. Her dedication to her craft and commitment to helping others make her an excellent role model for aspiring musicians everywhere.
Gregory Shechter
Gregory Shechter is 14 years old and is currently an 8th grader at Palos Verdes Intermediate School. He began his musical journey at the age of 9 and studies piano with Dr. Janet Favreau. He has also spent the past three years playing first violin in his middle school orchestra, currently serving as the concertmaster. Gregory finds great joy in playing piano and composing music and has won first place in the Reflections art contest at his school in the music composition category for three consecutive years. He has been selected to participate in the Southern California School Band & Orchestra Association (SCSBOA) Middle School Honor Orchestra for two years and has earned State Honors and Convention Selection in the Music Teachers Association of California (MTAC) Certificate of Merit program in 2022-2025, currently pursuing Level 9 in piano. He has also been recognized as a winner in the 2024 California Association of Professional Music Teachers (CAPMT) Piano Festival, regional winner in the 2024 Southern California Junior Bach Festival, and 1st place winner in the International Association of Professional Music Teachers (IAPMT) Grand Concours International Competition. To give back to his community, Gregory regularly performs at local senior homes with the Music Students Service League (MSSL). In addition to his musical pursuits, Gregory is passionate about math, robotics, and soccer. He serves as president of his school’s National Junior Honor Society chapter, leads a math competition club at his old elementary school, and is the lead coder for his school’s underwater robotics team. In his free time, Gregory enjoys designing inventions with his 3D printer and spending time with his friends.
Jasmine Kwok
Jasmine Kwok is a 10-year-old pianist with a deep passion for music. Her musical journey began at just 11 months old when she started attending music classes at The Colburn School, fostering an early love for rhythm and melody. She began formal piano lessons at the age of four under the guidance of her teacher, Suki Lai. Although she finds daily piano practice challenging, she has learned that consistency leads to great results. With encouragement from her teacher and her mother, Virginia—who also plays the piano—Jasmine has developed a strong foundation and a love for refining her pieces to perfection. She finds great joy in expressing her emotions through music and appreciates how it allows her imagination to run free.
Jasmine’s dedication to music has earned her top placements in multiple competitions. She was awarded 1st Place at the International Association of Professional Music Teachers (IAPMT) Grand Concours Final Round Autumn 2024, 1st Place at the Satori Summer Music Festival 2023, 2nd Place at the Southwestern Youth Music Festival Summer 2023, 1st Place at the Music Teachers' Association of California San Gabriel Valley Branch Theme Festival Classical Era 2022, and 1st Place at the IAPMT Concours International de Musique Online Piano Standard Baroque & Classical category 2022.
Jasmine finds inspiration in the works of Mozart, her favorite composer, and admires Lang Lang for his expressive and dynamic performances. While she enjoys playing classical repertoire, she also loves contemporary piano pieces from composers such as William Gillock, Yoshinao Nakada, and Naomi Ikeda. Recently, she began learning the flute and hopes to further develop her musicianship by exploring new instruments and performance opportunities. She looks forward to continuing her musical journey, mastering new repertoire, and sharing her love for music with others.
Shaan Shah
Shaan Shah, 15, is a sophomore at Troy High School in Fullerton, CA. A passionate and driven learner, he constantly seeks new challenges. He enjoys solving puzzles, building LEGO models, and has earned a black belt in Taekwondo, along with multiple medals in various competitions, including Chess Championships. He is also an accomplished cybersecurity competitor, earning state rankings for his skills.
Shaan began learning piano at the age of 7 under the guidance of Irene Park. His dedication to music has earned him numerous accolades, including two 1st place awards in the IAPMT Grand Concours Competition. His achievements culminated in an invitation from the International Association of Professional Music Teachers (IAPMT) to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York in 2024. Recently, he also completed Level 10 of the Certificate of Merit program.
Beyond music, Shaan is deeply committed to the medical field, actively organizing and assisting in medical camps throughout the year. He aspires to integrate his musical expertise into his future medical career, believing in the transformative power of music in healing. His personal mantra, “Music is Magic & Miracle,” reflects his hope that others will embrace and appreciate the beauty of music as he does.
