Steinway International Artist Hans Boepple debuted with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at age 10 and continues to solo with orchestras of distinction and appear in recital. Professor of Music at Santa Clara University since 1978, he is an in-demand and dedicated teacher whose students have garnered over 250 state, national and international awards.

David Cartledge, NCTM, is Director of Graduate Studies and Professor of Piano at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He has performed across the United States and internationally. A recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Trust Award for Young Australians and the Sir John Crawford Scholarship of the Australian American Association Canberra, he has also been awarded grants from the Ian Potter and George Alexander Foundations.

A native of Australia, Cartledge is a graduate of the Australian National University, Canberra. His graduate studies were at Indiana University, where he completed his master’s and doctoral work. His teachers were Gyorgy Sebok, Béla Síki, Christopher Elton, John Luxton and Angela Griffiths. He has a comprehensive background as a pedagogue, having been involved in the instruction of students at all levels over many years.

Connor Chee (b. 1987) is a Diné (Navajo) composer and pianist known for blending Western classical music with the rich cultural heritage of the Navajo people. His compositions often draw inspiration from traditional Navajo stories and beliefs, creating a powerful and evocative sound that speaks to both his heritage and his classical training. Connor is dedicated to music education and cultural preservation, inspiring the next generation of musicians.

Canadian pianist Winston Choi is Professor of Piano and Program Director of Piano at Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. A dynamic concert artist, he gained international recognition as Laureate of the 2003 Honens Piano Competition and winner of France’s 2002 Concours International de Piano 20e siècle d’Orléans. Known for his imaginative interpretations of standard repertoire and passionate advocacy for contemporary music, Choi is in demand worldwide as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator.

GRAMMY® nominated Canadian-American pianist and conductor Kara Huber is quickly establishing herself as a celebrated member of the new class of concert pianists. Hailed as “absolutely dazzling…in a word, flawless” (New York Concert Review) in her Carnegie Hall debut, Dr. Huber combines the polish and warmth of an old-school soloist with the charisma and flair of the new generation of piano virtuosi. She currently serves as the Marjorie Wood Drackett Chair of Piano at the Interlochen Arts Academy.

Pianist Olga Kern has established herself as one of the leading pianists of her generations. She jumpstarted her U.S. career with her historic Gold Medal win at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas, as the first woman to do so in more than 30 years. In 2016 she served as Jury Chairman of both the Seventh Cliburn International Amateur Piano Competition and the first Olga Kern International Piano Competition, where she also holds the title of Artistic Director. Ms. Kern frequently gives masterclasses and since September 2017 has served on the piano faculty of the prestigious Manhattan School of Music.

Described as “an artist with a polished sound and tremendous constructive power” and hailed by the Hoja del Lunes de Madrid, as “the Spanish pianist of his generation,” José Ramón Méndez is one of the most exciting Spanish pianists of today. Currently in the summers, he is the Artistic Director and on the faculty of the Gijon International Piano Festival in Gijon, Spain, as well as frequently being invited to perform and teach at various festivals, such as Atlantic Music Festival, Palmetto International Piano Festival, Porto Pianofest, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, and Adamant Music Festival, among others. He is currently Associate Professor of Piano at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Emile Naoumoff is professor of music in piano at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he has been on faculty since 1998.

He has been likened to both Vladimir Horowitz and Arthur Rubinstein as a pianist, displaying, as one critic remarked, the fire of the former and the poetry of the latter. At the age of seven, after a fateful meeting in Paris, he became the last disciple of Nadia Boulanger, who referred to him as “The gift of my old age.” At age 18, he was signed as a composer by music publisher Schott, Mainz, the youngest on its roster. He is an avid composer of French mélodies and is known for his mastery in transcribing music for the piano. He maintains a video journal of daily improvisations on his YouTube channel.

Born in Israel, Asaf Zohar is one of the most active Israeli pianists and pedagogues. Asaf Zohar is a graduate of the Givatayim Conservatory and The Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. He received his doctoral degree from the Indiana University School of Music, where he has also been a visiting lecturer. Asaf Zohar teaches as Professor of Piano at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel-Aviv University, where he is the chairman of the piano department.