Hello! My name is Wade BigEagle. I am from White Bear First Nations in Saskatchewan, Canada. I was raised by my mother Joely BigEagle, she took me to many places to experience my culture while growing up. I have been to many pow-wows and ceremonies that made me appreciate who I am and understand where my people come from. While my mother was learning the ways of the Buffalo, I only helped out a bit at first, I was too focused on my own journey. It was only until years later I had realized that her and my father Lorne Kequahtooway needed help with their Buffalo workshops. It has now been over two years since I have started helping, I have had many good experiences and lessons learned. I am very excited to continue this path and share my knowledge with my community and to those who want to learn. I am very proud doing what I do and extremely grateful for my mother, it is only the beginning of the new journey I am on.

Canadian musician Susannah Zou is an active solo and chamber performing pianist. She began her musical journey at the age of six and became a regular competitor in festivals and competitions, winning numerous awards and scholarships. As a performer, Susannah has been described as sensitive and spirited. She has held solo recitals across Canada, as well as internationally in Italy, and the Netherlands. She was a national finalist in the Canadian Music Competition of 2023. In 2017, shemade her solo debut in the Crescendo International Music Competition where she claimed the first prize award and had the opportunity to perform at the Weill Concert Hall of Carnegie Hall.

She has attended the Holland International Music Sessions ,Orford Musique, the Amalfi Coast Music Festival, Tuckamore Music Festival, as well as the Casalmaggiore International Music Festival. Aside from solo piano, Susannah enjoys collaborating with instrumentalists frequently, and is the co-founding pianist of Duo Avenoir and Trio Hiraeth.

Susannah Zou has recently graduated from the University of Toronto and has completed her Bachelor’s degree in piano performance under the tutelage of Lydia Wong. She is the recipient of the Women’s Musical Club of Toronto Centennial Scholarship for 2023.

Susannah Zou was generously supported by the George Brough Memorial Endowment.

Pianist Seolyeong Jeong has performed internationally both as a soloist and a chamber musician. Following her solo debut at Kumho Art Hall in Seoul at age thirteen, she has performed in various concert halls, including Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Morse Recital Hall, Stude Concert Hall, and Seoul Arts Center.

Seolyeong is a top prizewinner in international competitions, such as the American Virtuoso International Music Competition, the Young Texas Artists Music Competition, the Shepherd School Concerto Competition, the Connecticut Young Artist Competition, the New York Piano Festival & Competition.

Seolyeong graduated summa cum laude from Seoul National University and received a Master of Music and a Master of Musical Arts from Yale University. Seolyeong was the recipient of the Charles S. Miller Prize, awarded to “a gifted pianist who has done outstanding work during the first year of study at Yale School of Music” in 2016, and was one of the representing soloists at the Yale School of Music Commencement Concert in 2017. She received her Doctor of Musical Arts from Rice University in May 2024.

Seolyeong served as an Adjunct Faculty at The University of Tampa and Southeastern University and is an Affiliated Artist at MIT’s Music and Theater Arts.

Seolyeong Jeong was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.

Sam embarked on his musical journey at the age of 7 and quickly fell in love with music. When he was 14, he made his solo debut in front of a large audience of more than 350 people. Over the years, he has won numerous international, national, and local competitions. Since 2021, he has been taking lessons with Colleen Athparia and has continued to excel in various music competitions. Praised by Ian Parker for having “world-class artistry,” he won first place in the
2023 Canada West Performing Arts Festival. Most recently, Sam was awarded the Rose Bowl and a $10,000 cash prize at the 2024 Calgary Performing Arts Festival. He also won first place in the 2023 Amadeus International Music Competition in Salzburg, Austria, and third place in the Vancouver International Music Competition in the 18-35 year-old category, making him the youngest to ever place in the top three. Later this summer, he will compete in the finals of the
Samson François International Competition in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France. Sam will be pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on an almost full scholarship under the tutelage of Jon Nakamatsu and Garrick Ohlsson.

Sam Zefreh was generously supported by the Michael Davies Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Sabrina started learning piano and went on an international student exchange program in the United States two years later receiving a certificate of achievement for “having demonstrated exceptional ability in the concepts of music”, and made her debut in Carnegie Hall when she was seven years old. She won first prizes at the Crescendo International Competition and in the Junior Category at the McGill Concerto Competition in 2010, and won 2nd prize at the Canadian Music Competition in 2012.

She spent her pre-college years at the Montreal Conservatoire de Musique and the Phil & Eli Taylor Performance Academy. Festivals she has attended include the Philadelphia International Music Festival, Orford Academy, Amalfi and Vivace music festivals, studying with Ronan O’Hara, Jerome Lowenthal, Boris Slutsky, Hee-sung Joo and many other professors. Other artists she has played for include Alice Sara Ott, Hugh Sung, David Louie and the violinist Ray Chen.

In 2023, she traveled to London on an exchange program at the Royal College of Music, studying with Dmitri Alexeev.

She is now pursuing her undergraduate studies with Olga Kern at the Manhattan School of Music.

Sabrina Chen was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.

Described as a “phenomenal talent” by the Atlanta Audio Club, Peruvian pianist Priscila Navarro is the first prize winner of several international competitions, including the Liszt-Garritson International Competition in Baltimore, Maryland, Beethoven Sonata Competition in Tennessee, Chopin International Competition of Texas, Artist Series of Sarasota, Florida, Imola City Awards, Italy, and the Heida Hermanns International Music Competition in Connecticut. Priscila made her Carnegie Hall solo recital debut in 2013 and returned there in 2022 for further concerts. She received a Special Bach prize from Martha Argerich at the International City of Vigo Competition in Spain, being one of five finalists from over 400 participants. Her performances have been streamed on BBC public radio as well as the Medici TV channel.  Besides her busy performance career, Priscila is a passionate pedagogue and has been on the jury at several international competitions, including the Chopin International Competition for Latin American pianists, the Heida Hermanns International Competition, and the Parnassus International Competition. She is also the artistic director and founder of the Parnassus Music Society. In 2022, she received the Christa-Marshall Bach foundation prize at the Leipzig Bach competition. Priscila joined the roster of Astral Artists as a winner of the 2022 competition. 

Priscila Navarro was generously supported by the Heather Edwards Artist Award.