Tony Bello is 15 years old, and has been studying piano for 11 years and violin for 10. He began his piano studies with Ursula Ingolfsson at The Leopold Mozart Academy and went on to study with Nicholas Mynyk before joining Mrs. Clarfield in 2022. Tony studies violin with Grammy-winning violinist Lorenzo Raval.

Tony has won numerous piano awards, notably 1 st Place in the Philadelphia Music Teachers Association Dr. Andor Kiszley competition, 1st Place in the Elite International Music Competition, Gold Prize Winner in the Golden Key Festival and Second Place in the Great Composers Competition-Best Bach Performance. Tony participated in a piano masterclass with Charles Abramovic and a violin masterclass with concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, David Kim. Tony plays violin in the Symphony Orchestra of the Youth Orchestra of Bucks County and is part of their Honors Strings chamber ensemble. Tony attends Conwell Egan Catholic High School and is a member of their Chamber Choir. In his spare time, Tony enjoys watching TwoSetViolin and classical music analyses videos, gaming, and meeting friends for bubble tea.

Benny Breaux, 10 years old, is a 5th grader at Johnson Park Elementary School.

Born in Houston, Texas, Benny and his family recently moved to New Jersey from Indiana this summer. He began playing piano at the age of 5, and has been passionate about it ever since. When Benny wakes up, he plays the piano. When he arrives home from school, he sits at the piano. And it's the last thing he does before going to bed. It's his happy place, his calm place, and his centering place.

Benny also loves to compose music. In the winter of '22/'23 his first written piece went to the national MTNA composition competition as the midwest division winner. Additionally, in 2022 Benny won second place in the Indiana Young Hoosiers state piano competition classical piano. He has performed at the Indiana State Fair and the Newfields Art Museum in Indianapolis.

When Benny's not practicing piano, exploring music on and off of the piano, composing, and playing songs he's heard by ear, he loves to practice karate. He also enjoys science and math, and has competed in Math Bowl and Spell Bowl. A Cub Scout since the age of 5, Benny likes to go camping and enjoys the outdoors. He loves to play outside with his sister and brother, mountain bike, swim, code on his computer, and build Scratch projects. He's so excited to be a part of Professor Clarfield's incredible piano studio.

Taksh Gupta, age 15, is a student of Ingrid Clarfield, Professor of Piano at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. He has been a student of Professor Clarfield for 10 years. He is a sophomore at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. Taksh started participating in piano competitions at the age of 5 and has won numerous awards in the last 10 years. The awards include two time First prize winner at NJMTA Fall Young Musicians Competition, right time High Honors recipient at NJMTA Spring Audition, four time Gold prize winner at Golden Key Music Festival, two times First Prize Winner at Steinway South Jersey Competition, two time First Prize winner at Forte International Music Competition, and three time First Place Winner at Elite Music Competition.

He has performed at many prestigious venues including performing eighteen times at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, twice at Rutgers University, five times at Rider University, twice at Stockton University, and also at the Kimmel and Lincoln Centers.

Music has always been a big part of his life and he enjoys listening to all types of music including classical, jazz and Indian music. Taksh is committed to helping the society and community through his music, by participating in fundraising events like Children Helping Children Performathons to support Ronald McDonald House. He has also performed for local nursing homes. Taksh has also helped to organize a benefit concert for Sphoorti, a charity that helps orphans and destitute children.

Taksh enjoys playing the piano in the Lawrenceville jazz band. Outside of music, Taksh runs cross country and track for Lawrenceville. He set the school's freshmen records in the 5k and the 3200m last year with times of 17:17 and 10:24, respectively.

My name is Daniel Haiduc. I am 15 years old, and I joined Mrs. Clarfield's private studio in the fall of 2021. During these two years she taught me a very valuable lesson: a young musician has to always find ways to give back to his local community. She inspired me to volunteer to teach piano to very young students, and play in many Performathons: raising money for the Homefront Organization, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and World Central Kitchen to benefit Ukraine. This year I organized a virtual Instagram Live Concert to Benefit Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and I was thrilled to raise over $1000 dollars for children and families in need. I also recently performed as a Piano Youth Ambassador at Princeton University's Lewis Center for Arts in a program started by Legacy Arts International.

I started my first piano lessons in kindergarten, playing in piano recitals at the Liederkranz Foundation, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Steinway Hall, Greenwich House Music School, Tishman Auditorium at Mannes School of Music, and more recently at Merkin Concert Hall, Westminster Conservatory, McCarter Theatre in Princeton, The College of NJ's Mayo Hall, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

During the past two years I won the first prize in my age group at the Piano Teachers Congress of New York Piano Competition, AADGT International Young Musicians Competition, and the grand prix at the Young Maestro International Music Virtual Competition. I reached the finals of Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition, and won a special prize for the best performance of a piece by an underrepresented composer. In 2023 I was awarded the third prize at the XIV Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford, CT, in the very competitive Young Artist category, and I was invited to play in the Winners Recital.

Mrs. Clarfield also encourages her students to perform in masterclasses. Over the years I played for Professor Meng-Chieh Liu, Alessio Bax, Hung-Kuan Chen, Mikhail Voskresensky, Yoheved Kaplinsky and John Perry. I have been also taking music theory, analysis and composition lessons with Eric Chernov. I am a fellow of the Artemisia Akademie at Juilliard under the guidance of Tema Blackstone and Hung-Kuan Chen.

This fall I started my sophomore year at Princeton High School, where I play jazz in the Studio Band. In my free time I study math and I enjoy playing tennis. I am also passionate about taking aerial photographs and videos from everywhere I travel.

Hi, my name is Gracelynne Hao and I'm a junior at Bridgewater Raritan High School.

I've been studying piano with Professor Clarfield for eleven years. I started learning the piano when I was four years old and when I was six, I realized it was something I enjoyed a lot, so I decided to audition for Mrs. Clarfield's studio. Luckily, I was accepted and have been learning from her ever since. She has really helped me see what music is, past the notes and markings of the piece, into the art of storytelling and expression. She taught me how to practice on a daily basis up until how to perform on stage and capture an audience's attention. With Mrs. Clarfield, I have won High Honors at the NJMTA Spring Audition 10 times, placed in the NJMTA Young Musicians Competition 8 times, earned gold at the AADGT “Passion of Music” Festival, won 1st thrice at the Elite International Music Competition, and 3rd at the Camerata Artists International, which has given me the opportunity to perform in prestigious venues like Carnegie Hall. My biggest takeaway from Mrs. Clarfield's studio so far though has been my appreciation and passion for using my talents to give back to the community. Since entering her studio, I have also participated in the Performathon for CHOP and the NJMTA Performathon and have helped organize the CHOP Performathon and nursing home performances ever since.

Aside from piano, I am co-editor of the school yearbook and do musical theater. I have qualified nationally for the math and chemistry olympiads, and in my free time, I like to journal and read. I'm really excited to continue working hard and hopefully achieve a lot more things during my last year in this studio!

~Gracelynne

Hi, I'm Dennis. I'm a freshman at WWP High School South. I started playing piano when I was 7 years old, and switched to study with Mrs.Clarfield when I was 10.

For me, playing the piano has made me more disciplined. Practicing every day lets me clear my head and just focus on music, almost like meditation. Playing the piano is something that I can rely on doing every day, even in an ever changing environment.

With Mrs.Clarfield, I have entered and won awards at numerous competitions, including the Hartford International Chopin Competition(Second Place), NJMTA Young Musicians Competition (HM), Elite International Competition(Gold star award), Great Composers Competition(best Tchaikovsky Performance), and Musicfest Rising Talents Competition(grand prix).

Besides piano, I also enjoy reading, swimming, video games, and math. I also play viola in the school orchestra.

Hi, my name is Lilian, and I'm ten years old. I'm a sixth grader at Thomas Grover Middle School. I started piano at the age of four, with Mrs. Chloris Li, and came to study with Mrs. Clarfield after two years. Every class with her has brung me joy, while also improving my piano skill and technique.

During the past few years with Mrs. Clarfield, I have received many awards, including NJMTA Young Musicians Competition(HM), International Chopin Competition(third place), Piano Teachers Congress of New York - Honors Program(first place), Bellagrande International Music Competition(third place), Gold Medal in Young Maestro Competition, and Camerata Artist International Competition(first place).

Besides piano, I enjoy playing tennis, making art, and reading in my spare time.

Effie Li, 16, a junior at Montgomery High School (MHS), was 4 years old when she first started studying piano with her grandfather, shortly before transitioning to her aunt, Yuhui Chloris Li. With her guidance, Effie was able to achieve the 5 year award for the NJMTA Spring Audition, as well as having competed and awarded in the MEA competition, the NJMTA Young Musicians Competition, and the Composer Commission Competition.

At age 9, Effie was labeled as a special student in Mrs. Clarfield's studio, which resulted in eventually getting accepted as a regular student. Since then, Effie has amassed numerous awards as both a solo pianist and a duet member. Effie and her sister, Sammi, were awarded second place for the national division of the Music Teachers National Association Senior Piano Duet Competition and first place for the MEA Annual Piano Competition. As a solo pianist, she has won first place in the West Chester University Annual Pre-Collegiate Piano Competition, the Camerata Artists International Competition, and the VIVO International Music Competition. She was awarded as a silver medalist for the Bravura Young Artists Concerto Competition, and a featured star in the Elite International Music Competition. Effie has had the honor of performing in notable venues, including Kaufman Center, New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Carnegie Hall, and in a masterclass with Yoheved Kaplinsky. She also performs in nursing/senior homes in order to utilize her talents towards the benefit of others.

Effie expresses her passion for music not only by studying with Mrs. Clarfield, but also by joining musical groups elsewhere. Effie was selected into the MHS Wind Ensemble Program for oboe and piano and the MHS Pit Orchestra for the annual spring musical. Effie is a member of the Somerset County region of the Back to BACH Project, which strives to spread music and arts to young children. Effie was accepted into the MHS Peer Leadership 1 program, elected the secretary of the MHS International Club, and a member of MHS Blue Moon Music.

In her free time, Effie is committed to watching asian dramas and anime across various genres in order to broaden her understanding of different cultural perspectives. Effie also draws and crochets to strengthen her artistic and creative senses. She enjoys playing Minecraft with her friends in order to train her collaboration and problem-solving skills.

Hi, my name is Ryan Li and I am 7 years old. I am in 3 rd grade at Frank Defino Central Elementary School. When I was five, I started piano with Miss Olga Smirnova in Pennsylvania. I achieved 1 st place in Little Mozart 2023. My family moved to Marlboro NJ this summer. I joined Professor Clarfield's studio in August. Apart from piano, I enjoy playing soccer, swimming, chess, coding, and gaming whenever I can.

Evan, 16, is a junior at Princeton Day School and has been playing piano for 10 years. He started piano when he was 6 and began lessons with Professor Clarfield in the winter of 2020. He has won numerous awards, including 2nd place in the ENKOR International Music Competition in 2017 and 2019, 1st place in the 2017 Greater Princeton Steinway Society Competition, 3rd place in the NJMTA Young Musicians Competition in 2019, 2nd prize in the Orbetello Junior International Competition in 2021, the Silver Award in IMPACT 2021, the Bronze Prize and the Judge's Award in the Musicale Winter Festival in 2022, the Gold Medal in the Young Maestro International Competition in 2022, and numerous Great Composer competitions, more recently including Best Beethoven and Best Rachmaninoff. He also performed at Carnegie Hall twice and at the 5th Princeton Symphony masterclass in 2019.

Outside of piano with Prof. Clarfield, Evan accompanies his school orchestra and heads the Tri-M Honors Society branch at PDS. He is interested in biological and chemical science, attending a summer program for biomedical research at UPenn. He heads Princeton Day's Science Olympiad team and founded its Med Club. He is an involved member of the Model UN team, receiving Best Delegate at Cornell's 2022 MUN conference. He is passionate about helping children to enjoy learning from a young age and teaches middle/elementary schoolers math, science, and ESL. On the side, he runs cross country and plays tennis at PDS. In his free time, Evan enjoys listening to music and trying to read more. His favorite artist is Taylor Swift and his favorite book is The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson.

Evan is so grateful for everything music has given him and hopes to continue doing what he loves.

Hi, my name is Alex, and I'm nine years old. I am in fourth grade at Amsterdam Elementary School. I learned how to read music and recognize notes on the keyboard at age three. I started taking lessons at the age of five, with Ms. Kathryn Winter in Berkeley, CA, when my father was on sabbatical there. Following the covid pandemic, I took lessons from Ms. Chiu-tze Lin from 2021-2022, and I started in Mrs. Clarfield's studio in November 2022. With Ms. Lin, I achieved High Honors in the 2022 NJMTA Recital Audition and Distinctions in the ABRSM Grades 3 and 4 Practical Exams. In 2023, under the tutelage of Mrs. Clarfield, I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall (Young Maestro International Competition Finalist - Honorable Mention and MusicFest Grand Prix), the NJMTA Spring Recital (High Honors), and the CHOP Performathon. In addition to piano, I enjoy reading, playing board games and card games (especially chess, bridge and Monopoly), and playing Minecraft.

Hi, my name is Alex Wang, and I am a 16-year-old junior at WWP High School North. I began learning the piano when I was six years old and achieved ABRSM grade 8 piano performance certification at the age of 12. A year ago, I joined Professor Clarfield's private studio, and under her guidance, I have made significant progress in the past year. I have participated in several piano competitions, winning awards such as the Grand Prix at the Rising Talent Festival, Gold Medal at AADGT International Young Musicians Festival, First Place at Elite International Music Competition, and Honors at NJMTA. This year, I have also performed several times at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.

In addition to playing the piano, I also play the violin. During middle school, I was a first violinist in the Community Middle School Orchestra and the CMS Chamber Orchestra. In 7th grade, I was accepted into the CJMEA intermediate-level chamber orchestra. For the past two years, I have been a first violinist in the Symphonic Orchestra at GPYO (Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra), and I am currently a first violinist in the Youth Orchestra of Central New Jersey (YOCJ).

Aside from music, I am also interested in math, computer programming, science, and drawing. I am an AIME qualifier and a USACO silver competitor. I have been a published artist in the "Celebrating Art" contest since 3rd grade, and I won Honorable Mention Awards in the Scholastic Arts and Writing competition last year.

I am excited to continue pursuing my passion for music and moving to the next level with the guidance of Professor Clarfield.

Hi! My name is Rick Wang and I'm 11 years old and I go to school at Montgomery Lower Middle School. I started piano when I was 5 and began studying with Mrs.C in August of 2022. I had recently moved here from Arizona. Back in Arizona, I studied piano with Dr. Svetlana from the Rachmaninoff Music Academy of Tucson from December 2018 to December 2020. I then began to study with Dr. Jinghua Pu until we moved.

Some of my piano achievements include winning first place in the 2019 Arizona State Music Teachers Association's James R. Anthony Honors Recital, 1st prize in the 2023 Franz Liszt Center Intl. Piano Competition, 2nd prize in the 2023 Orbetello Junior International Piano Competition, Gold prize of the 2023 Golden Key Music Festival, High honors in 2023 NJMTA Spring Recital Auditions.

Besides piano, I also play and enjoy sports. I swim and I play tennis. In my spare time, I enjoy cooking and watching Youtube.

Overall, I think piano and music fit into my life and my personality greatly. And I am excited to play piano like I never had before by learning with Mrs.C.

Hi, my name is Averie Wu, and I'm twelve years old.

I started learning piano with Dr. David Leifer when I was five. Shortly afterwards, I studied piano with Chloris Li for two years, and she helped me build a solid technical foundation for my piano performance. I was lucky to join Mrs. Clarfield's studio in 2018. Studying piano with Mrs. Clarfield is a lot of fun. She is a wonderful teacher who is extremely knowledgeable about music and piano performance. She teaches with a good sense of humor and has a lot of imagination. She always challenges me with a positive attitude, and I enjoy every minute in her class. With Mrs. Clarfield, I have won prizes in NJMTA Young Musicians Competition (1st, 2nd, 3rd, HM), Piano Teacher's Congress of New York Honor Program (1st place), Cecilian Club Young Artist Competition (1st place), VIVO competition (winner), NJMTA Spring Auditions (high honor), XI Chopin International Piano Competition Hartford (3rd place), and Bravura Young Artists Concerto Competition (3rd place). I have played in Carnegie Hall and in Victoria Theater in NJPAC. My performances have been aired on the radio via Kids on the Keys-AM program.

Besides piano, I also enjoy reading, biking, and swimming. I also play the violin in the school orchestra.

Alyssa Xu is a 17-year-old who started piano lessons with Dr. Zhong Chen at age 6, and has been studying with Professor Ingrid Clarfield, Head of Piano Division at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, since age 11. She made her concerto debut with the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra as a Gold Prize winner in Bravura Young Artists Concerto Competition and has won a series of other awards including Gold Prize in the Young Pianist Concerto Competition of New Jersey, First Place in NJMTA Young Musicians Competition, V Future Stars International Piano Competition, and Sixth Camerata Artists International Competition, Winner of National League of Performing Arts - Young Virtuosi Recital Competition, Second Prize in VI Krystian Tkaczewski International Piano Competition and XI Chopin International Piano Competition, Alternate at MTNA (NJ) Student Performance Competitions, Third Prize in the Thousand Island Piano Competition, and a Finalist in The Claudette Sorel Piano Competition & Fellows Program. She has performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Kaufman Music Center. One of her recordings was aired on the Kids on Keys program at WWFM Classical Network. Alyssa is thrilled to have had the opportunity to play in masterclasses with Inna Faliks, Yoheved Kaplinsky, and Krystian Tkaczewski. In addition to participating in competitions, Alyssa has dedicated herself in the last five years to co-organize Performathon for CHOP - an annual fundraiser for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. She is also the vice-president of Rescue Music Foundation, which works to fundraise for various organizations through the talents and hard work of young musicians.

Hi, my name is Hannah Zou. I am 13 years old, entering 8th grade at Community Middle School in Plainsboro.

I am currently studying piano with Mrs. Ingrid Clarfield. She always has a positive attitude, a good teaching technique, helpful practicing strategies and I enjoy learning from her a lot. I started playing the piano when I was 4 with Chloris Li for 6 years. During the past few years, I have received many awards, including 1st place in the Vivo International Competition, 1st place in the Elite International Competition, 1st place in the American Protege Concerto Competition, gold prize in the IMPACT competition, a finalist at the Princeton Festival Piano Competition, Grand Prix in Music-Fest Competitions, 2nd place in the CAI competition and 3rd place in NJMTA Young Musicians Competitions. During the pandemic, I won honorable mention in the stay home international piano competition, and was one of the only two pianists from US who received awards. I was also invited to play in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall multiple times. I am very grateful to have the privilege of studying with Mrs. Clarfield.

Aside from piano, I have been playing the cello for 4 years. Playing the cello, while very different from the piano, is also an enjoyable experience for me. I have received medals and awards in math competitions like CML, Math League, and AMC8 as well. Last school year, I was accepted into my school's MathCounts and Science Olympiad teams. Our school placed 2nd in the New Jersey SciOly State Competition, and I placed 6th for the Ornithology event. In my free time, I like reading, playing games, grinding Bird ID and chatting with my friends.

Amber Wang is a junior at Peddie School. Amber started playing piano at the age of four and has enjoyed learning and performing ever since. She started out as a "special student" of Professor Ingrid Clarfield at the age of 5 in 2010. In 2015, Amber became a regular student of Ingrid Clarfield. Studying with Mrs. C has been eye opening for Amber and helps take her piano performance to another level. Amber enjoys being part of the studio and appreciates all the hard work Mrs. C has put into helping her develop.

Amber has won many awards over the years: including first place in NJMTA young Musicians for many years, Ciclian Club Competition, Crescendo International Competition. She recently won the state division of MTNA (Music Teachers National Association) and represented the state of New Jersey in the sectional competition. Amber is also frequently heard on "Kids on Keys" on the Classical Radio station.

Prior to being on the Peddie Swim Team for school, she was on Xcel Swimming. She has competed in various state and east coast championships such as the Junior Olympics and Eastern Zones Championships. Amber is an active student and enjoys spending time helping the school community. She is a tour guide and student ambassador for Peddie School, she is also Chapel Committee. Amber loves math, reading and playing cards with her friends. Amber loves practicing and performing. and hopes to continue doing what she loves.

Jennifer Liu, 17 years old, is a senior at Montgomery High School. She started to learn piano at four and she has been studying with Ingrid Clarfield, Professor of Piano at Westminster Choir College, since she was 12.

Jennifer has won numerous awards from competitions including the "I Got Rhythm" Young Artist Competition, Music-Fest, IMPACT, Hartford international Chopin Competition, Golden Key Music and Art Festival, Cecilian Club Piano Competition, Crescendo international competitions, AFAF international Romantic Music competition, Forte music competition, VIVO Youth International Competition, Concert artists international virtuoso competition II, AMTL, Elite international music competition, NJMTA composer competition and spring audition. She made her concerto debut at the Killian Hall of MIT, and she has performed numerous times at Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall and other musical halls.

Jennifer is committed to using her music to help the community. She teaches kids piano lesson, she actively performs for fundraising events and other community outreach programs.

Besides piano, Jennifer plays the guitar. She enjoys drawing and painting, and she has an online art store at ETSY. She also likes photography, reading and travel as well.

Sammi Li, 16, was born in Illinois and first studied piano there with her dad at the age of 3. In 2007, she and her family moved to New Jersey, where she then studied piano with her aunt, Yuhui Chloris Li, with whom she has studied for approximately 7 years before being accepted into the Clarfield Studio at the age of 11. Sammi is now going into her sixth year of studying with Mrs. Clarfield and has won numerous awards with her help. Most notably, she was a semi-finalist in the Kaufman Youth International Competition and received Honorable Mentions in the XI Chopin International Piano Competition senior category and the state division of the MTNA junior category. She won first place in the NJMTA Young Musicians Competition, the West Chester Annual Pre-Collegiate Piano Competition, the Piano Teachers Congress of New York Honors Program, the Greater Princeton Steinway Society Piano Scholarship Competition, and the New York Debut Young Musicians Competition. She also received second place in the Israel Bookstaber Memorial Competition while being the youngest competitor. Sammi continues to participate in the NJMTA Spring Auditions, and received the consecutive 12 years High Honors/Honors award this past year. Sammi has had the opportunity to perform at NJPAC, Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall, Lincoln Center, Kaufman Center, and has appeared on WWFM's Kids on Keys series.

Inspired by Mrs. Clarfield's emphasis on the importance of helping others through music, Sammi has participated in Performathons for CHOP, the Ronald McDonald House, and Homefront, NJ and routinely performs at nursing homes. She is a board member of Harmonies of Pianists Everywhere (HOPE), an organization that strives to unite different communities through classical music, and works on the graphics team. She is also a piano tutor for the Do Re Mi Project.

Sammi is a junior at Montgomery High School, where she enjoys playing piano in chamber groups with her peers. Other than piano, Sammi is a flautist in Montgomery High School's Symphonic Winds. She likes to swim, read, write, draw, and watch TwoSet Violin on YouTube in her leisure time.

Hello! My name is Adrianna Ang, and I am currently a sophomore attending the Academy of Allied Health & Science Vocational School. I've had continuous lessons from Mrs. Clarfield for the past two years now since 2020 and it's been a thrilling and enjoyable, yet slightly stressful ride. I've unlocked my full potential and have additionally discovered a whole new realm of repertoire and performance levels. Luckily, I have been fortunate enough to be guided by Mrs. Clarfield to win many achievements such as the Vivo International Music Competition, Best Chopin Performance for the Chopin International Music Competition, Third in the Franz Liszt Competition, NJMTA high honors, distinction in the Royal School of Music Exam, as well as performing at the Candlelight Fundraiser for Ukraine, and multiple other charity events. I want to thank this amazing studio and my teacher for giving me the opportunity to compete and gain tremendous performance experience. This year I will be the pianist and clarinetist in the Youth Bravura Orchestra conducted by Mrs. Clarfields' friend Ms. Chiu Tze Lin. I believe that this opportunity to perform with an orchestra will help with my accompaniment skills.

As a former competitive swimmer of five years, I still gravitate towards swimming whether that be on trips, in a friends pool, the YMCA, or ocean. Despite having stopped dancing after covid, I learn choreographies on my own time and post it on social media. I love fashion and frequent things that I find aesthetically pleasing such as museums, cafes, and boutiques. My favorite thing in the whole world is food! I'm not a picky eater and love trying new recipes. My favorite cuisine would still have to be either Chinese, Korean, or Japanese food. Being Malaysian also allows me to go back and eat my grandmas' delicious cooking. In school, I am an avid member of the student council and help organize things such as fundraisers and social events . Being involved in my school helps me to not only branch out and meet new friends, but gives me a chance to be creative and put my input into things. I'm very into reading romance novels and have very peculiar interests such as world war 2 and monarchies.

In general, I hope the rest of my highschool experience will be intertwined with both social and musical activities. I am so thankful to have such a great teacher leading me in the right direction.

Jacqueline Chen, a senior at the Lawrenceville School, has been playing the piano for 12 years. She has earned many awards in prestigious national and international piano competitions, most notably 1st place in Crescendo International Competition, the Elite International Competition in New York, Great Composers International Competition, International Concerto Competition/American Fine Arts Festival Concerto Competition, and Concert Festival Concerto Competition. She has performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in Manhattan over 20 times.

What Jacqueline has enjoyed most about her involvement in music is using it to help the community. She organized charity concerts within her piano studio and at her school to raise money for the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and St. Jude's. She has also traveled to local hospitals and retirement homes to perform for the sick and elderly.

At Lawrenceville, Jacqueline is a Prefect who mentors first-year students, editor-in-chief of the science journal, and is a principal violin chair in the orchestra.

Jacqueline is so grateful for Mrs. Clarfield's positivity, guidance, and unwavering support for the past seven years. She will carry the lessons Mrs. Clarfield has taught her onto the rest of her life.

I studied piano with Mrs. Clarfield for about ten years while growing up in New Jersey.  Although she had me on the classical track, I also found time to learn jazz piano while I was in high school.  I left NJ in 1986 to study Electrical Engineering at the University of Michigan.  After college, I moved to Boulder, Colorado, to work as a software engineer.  Here in Boulder I met my wife Laura, and we now have two children – Charlie (6) and Simon (2). 

I still play the piano quite a bit.  In fact, I occasionally drag out some of my old sheet music, still marked up with Mrs. Clarfield’s magic marker.  I have also been playing in various jazz and rock bands for several years.  At one point I was playing every week at a piano bar in Denver; however, this is getting harder now that I have children.

I have fond memories of the years I spend with Mrs. Clarfield as a child, the hours of practice, and the countless recitals.  She is definitely a great teacher.

My name is Davina Barr. I was born in Ghana, South America. I began playing the piano at the age of three and began formal lessons at age five. In 1979, when I was ten years old, my family moved to the United States. Shortly after moving to the US, I began taking piano lessons with Ms. Clarfield, along with my older brother, Wayne. I studied with her for seven years. During that time, I competed in numerous piano competitions on the state, national, and international levels. I have many fond memories being a part of Ms. Clarfield's piano studio. While in high school, I also started my own studio, teaching piano lessons after school, under Ms. Clarfield's guidance.

After high school graduation in 1987, I entered the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, Ms. Clarfield's alma mater, as a piano performance major. I had the privilege of studying with Joseph Schwartz, who was head of the piano department at that time. One of the highlights for me at Oberlin was performing in a master class with pianist, Leon Fleischer.

During my time at Oberlin, I gave my life to the Lord. My mind was now focused on ministry and reaching out to help people in whatever capacity. After graduating from Oberlin in 1991, I was part of a fellowship where we ministered, spreading a positive message through music and drama.

In 1997, I came to Ghana, West Africa, working with Oiada International (www.oiadaintl.org), a nonprofit organization based in Newark, NJ and Cape Coast, Ghana. Since 1997, Oiada has been working in Ghana in various communities in the areas of education, healthcare, and community outreach. In 2009, we opened two cultural centers, one in Newark, NJ, and the other in Cape Coast, Ghana. The cultural centers specialize in distance learning. Using equipment donated to us by Polycom, we connect Ghanaian students with their peers all around the world, from Alaska to Australia, through videoconferencing. Through live, face-to-face interaction, the students have cultural exchanges and learn that they have more similarities than they do differences.

I'm also a music teacher at an informal school called Mate Masie. I teach students from kindergarten to twelfth grade. I teach a variety of instruments including the piano, violin, viola, cello, guitar, and bass guitar. The biggest challenge for me as a music teacher here in Ghana is the availability of instruments. My mission is to equip as many students as I can, with the instruments of their choice. I have a wish list of students and the instruments they would like to play. There's an eight-year-old on my list who wants to play the violin. She checks with me every week to see how our wish list is coming along. It is with her in mind that I make an appeal to anyone reading this page, who may know of individuals, schools, colleges, churches, or organizations that are interested in donating instruments they are no longer using, to music students in Ghana. Please contact us at Oiada International (email: Tonne@oiadaancc.org).

Last, but not least, I am the keyboard player in a band called Rewop, which is "power" spelled backwards. Our music is a fusion of funk, jazz, gospel, and R&B. We perform original music and also music of artists such as James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, Kool && the Gang, and a variety of Ghanaian and international artists. Rewop performs at various venues such as schools, universities, concert halls, outdoor festivals, churches, hotels, etc.

I thank Ms. Clarfield immensely for the example she has been to me, and for being such an influence in molding me into the musician that I am today.

I studied piano with Mrs. Clarfield for about ten years while growing up in New Jersey.  Although she had me on the classical track, I also found time to learn jazz piano while I was in high school.  I left NJ in 1986 to study Electrical Engineering at the University of Michigan.  After college, I moved to Boulder, Colorado, to work as a software engineer.  Here in Boulder I met my wife Laura, and we now have two children – Charlie (6) and Simon (2). 

I still play the piano quite a bit.  In fact, I occasionally drag out some of my old sheet music, still marked up with Mrs. Clarfield’s magic marker.  I have also been playing in various jazz and rock bands for several years.  At one point I was playing every week at a piano bar in Denver; however, this is getting harder now that I have children.

I have fond memories of the years I spend with Mrs. Clarfield as a child, the hours of practice, and the countless recitals.  She is definitely a great teacher.

Hi everyone! I studied with Mrs. Clarfield for five memorable years before graduating high school. Mrs. C was the most inspiring and passionate piano teacher I've ever met, and her passion was contagious! Some of my fondest memories took place in Mrs. C's studio, including watching her colorfully mark up all my music score and always cracking up through my lessons. And how I loved her second side-by-side Steinway setup!

Since then, I've graduated from college, worked for 14 years, got married, and have three kids (ages 5, 5, 1). My daughters started piano lessons about a year ago and we were lucky enough to get Mrs. C's referral for their teacher. I am forever grateful for the way you inspired me as a child and the lasting gift of music that I will bring with me for the rest of my life. Thank you, Mrs. C. I cannot wait to bring my kids to watch your studio's spring recital this year!

Hi everyone! I'm David and am a rising Senior at Duke University. I've been studying w/ Professor Randall Love for the past three years, and before Duke studied w/ Professor Ingrid Clarfield for eight years. Crazy how quickly time flies by!

Though not easy, I feel lucky to have been able to keep up music seriously the past few years. Most recently, I was featured on WQXR, one of the biggest classical music radio stations in the US, and performed Ravel's Ondine from Gaspard de la Nuit. Last May, I made my Professional Carnegie Hall Debut, performing a 15-minute solo recital (Mozart's Fantaisie in D Minor, K. 397 & Ravel's Scarbo from Gaspard de la Nuit) as the 3rd Prize Winner of the Professional Category (Ages 19 - 32) of the Debut Int'l Piano Competition, where I competed against those from 10 countries. In June, I was the youngest of 14 semifinalists at the Washington Int'l Piano Competition (Ages 18 - 30), where contestants came from top conservatories such as Juilliard and Curtis as well as professionals. Back in October, I was the 1st Prize Winner of the North Carolina MTNA Young Artist Competition (Ages 19 - 26), and representing NC I placed 3rd at the Southern Division Semi-Finals. Also last year, I was awarded a prestigious Benenson Award in the Arts at Duke, the youngest of 16 recipients, and through this award received a full scholarship to study at the Brevard Music Festival this summer. At Brevard, I studied piano intensively for three weeks and had the wonderful opportunity to perform at a singer's recital.

My Freshman Year at Duke, I founded Devilish Keys, Duke's premiere all-pianist's ensemble. We hold benefit concerts every semester featuring multiple hands and multiple pianos (we once had 5 keyboards!) and all of our proceeds to go A Child's Place, a nonprofit in Charlotte, NC that seeks to combat the effects of homelessness on children's educations. I have also been a volunteer pianist at the Duke University Hospital since my Sophomore year, and always love uplifting the environment through works like Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. Aside from the Duke Hospital, I have previously volunteered at the Zhuhai No. 9 Middle School the summer after freshman year through a DukeEngage fellowship, where I taught 150 Middle Schoolers English, math, and music. Presently, I am also a volunteer at the Durham Nursing & Rehabilitation Center.

Besides music, I am passionate about medicine, math modeling, technology, and health policy and hope to work at the intersection of those fields one day. After graduation, I hope to pursue an MD / PhD, with the PhD in either applied math or machine learning. At Duke, I am a Math Major, and minoring in Computer Science and Chemistry, while completing Pre-Medical coursework. Last year, I was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, an honor typically awarded to excellent Seniors but given to Juniors at the very top of their class in terms of academics and extracurricular involvement.

Outside of music and academics, I will be serving my second term as the President of the Duke University Math Union and previously served as the Director of the Duke High School Math Meet. I also started and am lead instructor of a course at Duke, ‘AI, Medicine, and Policy, Oh My!', which explores the nexus of medicine, AI / technology, and health policy with a particular focus on their sociological implications. My research is primarily in the mathematical /computational biomedical space, and I have undertaken four projects during my time at Duke. My first seeks to explain musical expression as a science, rather than an art, using quantitative techniques, and I have worked on this as a PRUV Fellow the summer of my Sophomore year, and plan to use this as my Senior Honor's Thesis. I have also worked with Electronic Health Records previously, and am currently working on a project that analyzes sleep signals through a signal processing / machine learning lens. This summer, I completed a research internship at Harvard Medical School, where my project focused on signatures in cancer genomes, and I am also continuing that project this semester. While at Harvard, I also had the wonderful chance to take part in an extensive seminar series, where I learned even more about the intersection of technology, policy, and medicine.

Thanks for reading, and feel free to reach out if you want to talk about anything!

Jacqueline Hua, age 18, is a freshman at Northwestern University. She is currently on the pre-med track, and is interested in majoring in Sociology and becoming a sports medicine doctor. Her career aspirations stem from her status as a student-athlete, as she was recruited to fence on the Northwestern Women's Fencing Team.

At age 5, she began to study piano with Ingrid Clarfield, Professor of Piano at Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Since then, she has won several piano competitions since age 5, including first and second places in the New Jersey Music Teachers Association competitions, first place of Steinway Society Scholarship Competition, Cecilian Club Young Artists Competition, Golden Key music festival, Chinese American Cultural Association Young People Music Program and the American Fine Arts Festival Piano competition. She has also received High Honors/Honors from the New Jersey Music Teachers Association Annual Auditions for the past eleven years. She has performed several times in New York including Weill Recital Hall and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall and Steinway Hall. However, her greatest experience as a pianist was her performance during the Princeton High School Winter Concert, when she performed the first movement of the Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor with the Princeton High School Orchestra at the Princeton University Chapel.

While college brings the end of her long time in Mrs. Clarfield's studio, Jacqueline will continue to play the piano as a hobby. Among her previous repertoire, she will try to maintain Debussy's Claire de Lune and Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, as those remain as some of her favorite pieces of all time.

I finished med school in 2009 and then moved across the country to do residency in general surgery at UCSF, where I graduated in 2016 then stayed for a year as an acute care surgery attending. The most recent big move was just this summer, to Chicago, where I'm doing a fellowship in colorectal surgery. I'll be looking for a faculty job soon, so I'll let you know where I end up! Fun trivia tidbit: in homage to the fabulous teachers in my past(!), I conduct surgical education research (how to teach better), got a master's in education at Berkeley during residency, and was the most junior faculty at UCSF to win the resident teaching award in 2017.

-- Emily Huang

"I am currently still an eCommerce Consultant and mother of two (ages 8.5 and 6.5). But, I also started teaching piano again! I now have 12 students and 3 more families are interested as well. It's tough juggling 2 jobs while practicing tennis and piano with my 2 children; but, we're managing."

Since studying with Mrs. C from 2000-2006, I graduated from Johns Hopkins University in 2016, where I majored in English and Writing Seminars, and did a dual degree in Piano Performance at Peabody Conservatory where I studied with Yong Hi Moon.

After that, I spent a couple years in Philadelphia working on a PBS arts show called Articulate with Jim Cotter. Now, I'm living in Portland, OR and continuing my film career as the Production Manager of an Emmy award-winning film studio called Muse Storytelling.

In my free time, I'm a marathon runner and of course, I still play whenever I get the chance!

Christine Kim is currently a senior at Swarthmore College, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Music. Her talents and interests are varied. She continues to learn and apply both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand the political, social, and economic implications of government. She is interested in pursuing finance as a career upon graduation.

Her most recent experience is working in Leveraged Finance at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She accepted an offer from Bank of America Merrill Lynch to join its Investment Banking Analyst program in July 2017. In line with working in finance, she hopes to continue encouraging and supporting her non-profit organization, Redefine Her Street, that seeks to help women from elite liberal arts colleges to successfully navigate the finance recruiting process and help provide resources for career-building.

Christine is also a pianist, and she uses her musical talent in support of non-profit organizations such as the Harmony for Peace Foundation, Hope for Henry, and Tune Up Philly. From June 2012 to December 2015, she was the pianist for the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, having previously played in this position for the Swarthmore Orchestra (2013 - 2015) as well.

At Swarthmore College, she served as Student Body President. She was chosen as a Richard Rubin Scholar and Swarthmore Foundation Grant recipient. She was honored in June 2015 as a National Association for Asian American Professionals Philadelphia Chapter Scholarship recipient, and she was honored in February 2016 as a Scholarship of Distinction recipient from Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

"It has only been a few months since Amanda graduated from Mrs. Clarfield's studio, but she already misses her piano lessons with the teacher who never fails to make her laugh and smile. Amanda knows she won't be missing her laughter and music-filled lessons for long though, as she hopes to continue studying with Mrs.Clarfield when she heads off to Princeton University in the fall. As Amanda spends her senior year summer with relatives in China, she is mentally preparing herself to head off to college, an experience she is both extremely excited and nervous for. Amanda hopes that as she adjusts to both the academic and social life at Princeton, she will continue to make music a part of her life, as it has been all these years.

Thanks so much!"

After finishing high school in Montgomery, New Jersey, I am now a freshman at Rutgers University. I first started to learn to play piano with Mrs. Jolanta Szewczyk in Yorktown, Virginia when I was 4 1/2 years old. She was a wonderful teacher who I studied with for 5 years. I went to the Virginia Music Teachers Association state piano competition twice, winning 2nd place in November 2007 and 1st place in November 2008. After moving to New Jersey, I studied briefly with Mrs. Malvina Potop.

I spent the next eight years of my piano carrier studying with Mrs. Clarfield. Lessons with Mrs. C. were always fun, and thanks to her guidance, I was able to earn Honors and High Honors in the spring NJMTA audition multiple times, as well as Honorable Mention in the fall NJMTA competition. I played multiple times at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Merkin Hall. I also played at Baruch College Engelman Hall three times as a guest soloist with the Omega Ensemble, and at the State Department in Washington DC. Outside of competitions, I liked to play for NJMTA's Performathon, which helped raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. I was also a piano accompanist for the Bartle School Chorus for two years and in pit orchestra for three musicals.

While I don't expect to continue studying piano as seriously as before, I believe it will remain something I can turn to whenever I am stressed or just have some free time. Playing the piano and studying with Mrs. C have helped me grown in many ways: as a pianist, as a student, and as a person. As I continue into college and so on, I hope I will continue to use all I have learned as a foundation for my new experiences.

Charlie Liu is Junior majoring in Computer Science at Princeton University, and is one of the directors of the Princeton Piano Ensemble. He has taken part in the most renowned International and National competitions in the USA and won multiple top prizes, including 1st Prizes in the David Dubois Piano Competition and Thousand Islands International Piano Competition, 2nd Prizes in the MostArts Festival and Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition at the SouthEastern Piano Festival, 3rd Prizes in the 7th Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition. He is a seven-time 1st place winner in the New Jersey and Massachusetts Music Teacher Associations (including MTNA), and won 1st place of Steinway Society Scholarship Competition, Gold Prize of American Fine Arts Festival, and many more. At age 11, Charlie made his orchestra debut with the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra. He has since soloed with the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra, Ambler Symphony Orchestra, twice with the MostArts Festival Orchestra, and twice with the Midwest Young Artists Orchestra in the Millennium Park in Chicago.

In 2008, Charlie won the Lang Lang International Music Foundation Scholarship and remains the youngest ever selected by the Foundation. He set a world record at age 8 by completing a Carnegie Hall "Grand Slam" (performing in all 3 concert halls of the world-famous Carnegie Hall). Charlie performed in the Youtube Symphony Orchestra debut in the Carnegie Hall, on the Ellen DeGeneres Show and Oprah Winfrey Show as well as for luminaries such as Queen Rania of Jordan and Bono of U2. He also performed at other top venues across the U.S. from Lincoln Center and Merkin Hall in NY, to the Segerstrom Concert Hall in California.

Charlie is committed to helping the society and the community through his music, by initiating and organizing benefit events such as "Young Artists for Haiti" and 5 benefit solo recitals since age 9 that raised nearly $12000 for UI Children's Hospital, The Preemie Project, Plainsboro Rescue Squad and his own Rescue Music Foundation. He also regularly helps out at other charity events, fundraisers and community events, bringing the joy of classical music to local schools and communities through public solo recitals.

Charlie is also a recipient of the Scheide Fund, Elmer and Louise Menges and Dr. H. Korkina Scholarships and a participant of the Westminster Conservatory's Young Artists Program and various chamber groups. In his leisure time, Charlie enjoys a variety of video games and excelled in top level individual and team Math competitions. He was a travel hockey player for 8 years.

Ralles is a senior 17 years of age studying at West Windsor Plainsboro High School North. He has been studying with Ingrid Clarfield, Professor of Piano at Westminster Choir College of Rider University, since 2011.

Being a senior means that life is changing rapidly for Ralles. Not only are college applications fast approaching, but also school workload continues to mount. However senior year isn’t all negatives, being a senior also means being much more independent. Mainly thanks to his license, Ralles has much more freedom to go where he wants or do what he pleases. Despite these various changes that come with senior year, Ralles is glad to know that piano is something that will remain in his life. As busy as he may be he will always make sure to allocate time to play piano.

Ralles began playing piano in kindergarten and always loved music. Before studying with Mrs. Clarfield, Ralles studied with Mr. Yining Wang and later with Mrs. May Liu. Ralles feels lucky to have these two great teachers. Looking back, Ralles is amazed with his progress in piano, and is proud to be able to study with Mrs. Clarfield. He has received awards in various competitions such as NJMTA and Golden Key, Crescendo and performed at many renowned stages such as Carnegie Hall.

Each of Mrs. Clarfield's piano lessons are both beneficial and engaging. Whether Mrs. Clarfield is reprimanding Ralles for his lack of dynamics or poking fun at his inconsistent tempo, every lesson helps improve Ralles' piano ability. Last year he won 3rd place at the NJMTA Young Musicians Competition which was something he had not expected. This year, Ralles will be going into the competition with higher expectations and more confidence. In addition to piano ability, Mrs. Clarfield's lessons are also filled with life lessons. Ralles feels that these life lessons are even more important because they will stay with him for the rest of his life.

Outside of piano, Ralles has been playing travel soccer for over 6 years. This year he is excited to play for the varsity squad. Playing sports has always been a way for Ralles to release stress and stay healthy. The workload of senior year has significantly increased but, Ralles enjoys his classes and socializing with his friends in school. Outside of school, Ralles enjoys playing video games such as League of Legends.

Ralles is excited to be able to continue his musical career with Mrs. Clarfield, despite the occasional scheduling conflict.

Sarah Liu is a sophomore double major at Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music. She first started to play the piano right before she turned five years old, and learned with her great aunt, May Liu. From the start, it was apparent to her family and relatives that she had a strong passion for music and the arts so they put a lot of time and effort to help Sarah achieve her full potential. Sarah put in hours a day to play the piano leading her to win numerous awards.

After a couple years of studying piano, her great aunt was very impressed by Ingrid Clarfield who is a piano professor at Westminster Choir College. Sarah and her great aunt had heard many of her students play in recitals, performances, and parties and they were both awed by how exceptional they were. Sarah's family and piano teacher concluded that this was a result of a great piano teacher. Shortly after, Sarah auditioned for a spot in Mrs.Clarfied's studio in hope of being as good as the other students in her studio, and after working very hard, she was so excited to be accepted.

Sarah loves working with Mrs.Clarfield. She is always so welcoming and cheerful during lessons even when she is exhausted from such a long day. She has such a positive attitude towards her students, not putting them down if they had a memory slip or down day during a performance, competition, or audition, only encouraging them to move on and learn from their mistakes. At the same time, she pushes her students to do better every time.

As a result of her correct teaching, Sarah succeeded in piano. She won numerous awards in competition such as Young Musicians Competitions, NJMTA, Cecilian, Young Pianist Competition in New York, Piano Teacher's Congress, Crescendo, Music Fest, IMPACT, etc. As a result of winning some competitions, Sarah was able to perform in Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and many other places. She also participated in the Ronald McDonald donation foundation Center that helped kids who were sick, where she raised hundreds of dollars and performed no one of Van Cliburn's pianos.

Other than practicing piano, Sarah loves spending time with her friends, drawing, and playing soccer. Sarah plays soccer in a club called Mercer FC and her team name is Santos.

Sarah is very excited to take on her second year in high school and hopes to do well in her extracurricular activities too, such as piano and soccer.

I am a freshman at Yale University planning to major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Ever since the age of 5, I have loved practicing and performing piano. Exploring the beauty and magic of music was what originally enticed me to play the piano. Now, having played pieces written by all-time-greats including Chopin, Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and Debussy, I know that beginning piano at the age of 5 was the right decision - but that there is still so much more to explore.

My sister, Aparna, initially introduced me to the fundamentals of piano. I continued learning piano under the tutelage of Mrs. Marina Kreslin who guided me in the right direction, introducing me to many new pieces, composers, and concepts of music theory. In the summer before 9th grade, I was very fortunate to have been accepted into Mrs. Clarfield's music studio. Under her teaching, I was able to broaden my understanding of music by learning how to practice more effectively and perform with confidence. With Mrs. Clarfield I have competed in many competitions with fruitful results, including 1st place in the NJMTA fall audition, first place in Crescendo Festival, Grand Prix in Music Fest, third place in the Steinway Society Competition, High Honors in NJMTA's spring audition, several performances in Carnegie Hall, as well as participating in the Children Helping Children Performathon event, helping to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House each year.

I truly am so fortunate to have been a part of Mrs. Clarfield's studio for four years. In that time, I have grown immensely as a pianist, a musician, and a person in general. In those years, I somehow grew more disciplined, more competitive, and more able to enjoy music at the same time. At Yale, I am still trying to figure out how to explore music further, but I find myself returning to a piano whenever I feel stressed out.

Andreea Pautza In Concert
Friday, January 20th
Cafe Vivaldi, Listening Room - 7:30 pm
With the full band!!
*Josh Feinberg, bass * Eric Platz, drums * Jeremy Udden, saxophones
Free show for directions

"I was a private student of Mrs. Clarfield all throughout highschool. I attended the New England Conservatory of Music, and graduated with my Bachelors in Piano performance.Most recently, I graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education with my Masters in Arts in Education. Performing and teaching are very important and fulfilling aspects of my life. I recently relocated to New York City, in hopes of pursuing both. I currently have an album out of my original compositions for piano and band (sax, drums, bass, others), which is more in the third stream character (third stream being a mixture of the first 2 streams, classical and jazz).  I'm currently working towards my second album, just recorded in June in Boston.  I'm also part of a metal band (yes, metal), as a singer (kind of like Evanescence), and my current passions involve songwriting for the piano and voice.  Please stay in touch, if you have any questions, or if you're ever in NYC to see a gig.  You can also check out my websites and listen to some tracks:  www.dreea.com for the metal tunes as well as bio, and tracks from the first CD.  The second site, www.sonicbids.com/andreeapauta contains new band information, with some excerpts from the second album (yet to be released). Also, you may email me at dreea@hotmail.com.  Looking forward to hearing from all of you! "

I am a junior at Amherst College and previously attended West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South. I have played piano for fourteen years, five of which were spent with Mrs. Clarfield, and have competed in several competitions including the PTC of New York, where I won the best performance of an American composer award in 2013 and 3rd place in 2014, Cecilian Club, where I won first in 2013 and 2014, NJMTA, where I have been awarded Honors in 2010 and High Honors since 2011, and Bravura Concerto Competition. In addition, in the past I have been selected for master classes with renowned pianists Jerome Rose and Steven Spooner, and have accompanied other musicians multiple times in string instrument and singing auditions. I have also performed in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and Lincoln Center, and participated in the NJMTA Performathon from 2012 until 2016 to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. In 2012, I organized a Hurricane Sandy relief concert with the studio and raised over $1,000 for those affected by the storm.

Outside of piano, I spend a lot of time taking care of the three fish tanks and windowsill full of various types of plants that I keep in my dorm room; a hobby that I share with my younger sister. Even though I'm away from home, I also devote a few minutes every day to fawning over my dog (who I miss very much while I'm away at school!). I also enjoy singing, writing, and creating art. My awards in art include two Gold Key awards in the Scholastic Art and Writing Competition as well as several publications by Celebrating Art, and I am continuing to paint in my free time at school. I have also played violin for eleven years, and in 2014 my high school orchestra went on a tour to Italy to perform in Bologna and Padua. After high school, I have performed music including Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 "Leningrad," Tchaikovsky's "Pathetique," and Dvorak's New World Symphony as a violinist in the Amherst Symphony Orchestra.

I am honored to have had the opportunity to study with Mrs. Clarfield and am continuing to practice piano at Amherst College in my spare time, working on both classical piano repertoire as well as my own compositions (of which there are not many, and the ones that exist are still quite simple). I am part of the Amherst crew team on which I have also served as diversity representative for two years, and the sport definitely takes up a good part of each day, six days a week. I am also taking classes towards a neuroscience and music double major. This past summer, I interned at Harvard Medical School to conduct neuroscience research on the development of specific types of neurons, and in the future I hope to be able to combine my interest in neuroscience with my passion for music in a research setting.

Hello, everyone! I was a Clarfield rugrat from the early aughts and, after a 15-year leave of absence, have come back home to Princeton. We (wife, Lisa; daughter, Charlotte; son, Lucas) live right across the street from the Choir College and I'm currently a Ph.D. student at Princeton University in Computer Science. What this really means is I chase after the kids (Charlotte's recently become mobile) and Lisa earns our keep. Despite our proximity, I haven't been able to make that many of the recitals, but plan to now that the kids are a little more under control!

Vivian Xu, 18, is a freshman at Yale University thinking of being an Applied Mathematics major concentrated in Economics. She studied piano for 13 years, 7 of which with Professor Ingrid Clarfield of Westminster Choir College of Rider University. Her former teacher was Mrs. AnLi-Young. Vivian has won numerous top awards including First Place in American Protege International Concerto Competition, First Place in American Fine Arts Festival International Concerto Competition, First Prize and Best Performer in VIVO International Music Competition, Third Place in International Young Artist Piano Competition, Third Prize in ENKOR International Music Competition and International Grande Music Competition, Finalist in Dubois Piano Festival & Competition, Alternate winner of MTNA New Jersey Junior Performance Competition, and Third Prize in International Grande Music Competition. She has also received First Prize for Associated Music Teachers League Scholarship and New Jersey Music Teachers Association Young Musicians Competition. She won Third Prize and Best Performance of Work by a Living Composer in the 2016 Piano Teachers Congress Honors Program. In 2017, she received the twelve-year award at the New Jersey Music Teachers Association Spring Auditions. She was also the Gold Prize winner of Young Pianist Competition of New Jersey for scoring the highest in all three competition divisions. Vivian was also the Third Place winner of the Distinguished Artist Competition of Shore Music Educators Association and has won prizes in the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra Young Artists Concerto Competition, National League of Performing Arts, and Steinway Society Scholarship Competition. Being one of the five Elmer and Louise Menges Scholarship Recipients, Vivian made her orchestral solo debut performance with the Ambler Symphony in 2013. Vivian has performed as a soloist in many prestigious venues including all three halls of Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, and the Kennedy Center.

Vivian studied piano at the International Institute for Young Musicians (IIYM) and worked with renowned pianists including Steven Spooner and Dr. Jack Winerock for two summers. As a result of being selected as the winner of the New Jersey State Conference Master Class, Vivian has also worked with distinguished pianist, Dr. Barry J. Snyder.

Vivian is also an avid flutist and was a member of the 2012 and 2013 Central Jersey Intermediate Regional Band. At the 2014 Central Jersey Music Educators Association Region II Concert Band Festival, Vivian received the "Outstanding Musicianship" award for her flute solo. She has been seated first chair for her school's band for five consecutive years. In 2015, she and her high school band appeared on American Idol for performing at Jax's homecoming parade.

Most importantly, Vivian is committed to using her music to help the community. She actively worked with Ronald McDonald House's Children Helping Children Performathon, The Chelsea, New Jersey Veterans Memorial Home, and Saint Peter's Hospital. She has also worked with Bravura Youth Orchestra's Chamber Ensemble and accompanied violinists and singers. Vivian especially enjoys teaching beginner pianists.

At Yale, she is planning on joining Yale Undergraduate Piano Collective and Instrumental Connection (teach New Haven kids piano lessons). She is currently a pianist for Yale's Saybrook College Orchestra in their 2017-18 season.

In her spare time, Vivian enjoys listening to music, swimming, playing tennis, skiing, traveling, and attending music concerts and festivals.

I'm now starting my second year of medical school at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson. Studying piano under Mrs. Clarfield has greatly influenced my medical studies. As with music, medicine is both a science and an art. With patience and grit, one can learn the technicalities of medicine. With humanity and soul, one can seek transcendence in the human condition. The time spent with Mrs. Clarfield has been a precious honor, teaching me so much about curiosity, resilience, and dignity.