All Past Adjudicators

Dr. Arnesen is the Director of Piano Studies at Southern Virginia University. He holds degrees from Brigham Young University and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He is a committed pedagogue who regularly presents and serves as a clinician at national conferences on piano pedagogy.

Praised for her “exquisite sensitivity” and a “style filled with class and elegance” by La Voz de Asturias (Asturias, Spain), American pianist Amy E. Gustafson is a Yamaha Artist and has performed across the United States, Eastern and Western Europe and in Asia. She is the director of The Palmetto International Piano Festival in South Carolina and the Gijón International Piano Festival in Gijón, Spain.

A native of the Bay Area, Carrie received her BM from San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a double MM in piano performance and chamber music at the University of Michigan. She recently completed her DM in piano performance at Indiana University, with a minor in music education.

Lyndon currently serves as Staff Pianist at Rutgers University and is a candidate for the Doctor of Musical Arts at the Yale School of Music. He was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Chicago International Music Competition and has performed extensively throughout the USA and Europe.

Dr. Rachel Yu Chen is a pianist and educator known for her vibrant artistry and student-centered approach. Now based in Washington, D.C., she serves on the Board of the Washington D.C. Music Teachers Association (WMTA), teaches at the Levine School of Music, and is an Adjunct Professor of Piano at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).

Hailed as a pianist of “dazzling virtuosity”, “enthralling sound”, and “wisdom beyond his years” by the Hyde Park Herald, Philippine-born Stephen Joven-Lee is an award winner of almost two-dozen competitions which have led him to perform in many renowned stages including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Severance Reinberger Hall.