Newtown Students Among Honorees

At Prestigious Piano Auditions

Three Newtown residents – piano students Celia Song, SiYuang Sun and Hannah Xin-Li Grant – were among eight students who recently received Special Medal Plaques, an International Honor Medal, for their National Piano Playing Auditions last spring during a competition sponsored by the National Guild Piano Teacher Association (NGPTA)/Teacher Division of the American College of Musicians (ACM).

The students performed their auditions in May, but the awards were announced just a few weeks ago.

All eight recipients are students of Felicia Feng Zhang, the owner of Felicia’s Professional Piano Studio in Southbury.

The students performed in the National Piano-playing Auditions and strive for Pledge, Local, District, Hobbyist, Duet, Ensemble, State, National or International honors. The Special Medal program is the highest international level program.

Each student performed 15 pieces by memory in about half hour in the presence of a professional adjudicator chosen by the national organization, who then examined their playing for pre-approved repertoires.

The students gain one year membership in the National Fraternity of Student Musicians, sponsored by the National Guild of Piano Teachers/Teacher Division of the American College of Musicians.

Each student was presented a certificate, a gold embossed pin and a report card. After all students were evaluated by faculty at the association’s headquarters in Austin, Texas. A limited number of students across the country win the plaque. Their pictures and name will be printed in the autumn 2005 issue of  Piano Notes, a national magazine published by NGPTA.

Each year, throughout the United States and abroad, more than 100,000 piano pupils from around the world participate in the annual national NGPTA/AQCM auditions.

Celia Song, the daughter of Zhiqiang Song and Yun Shen, will be a senior at Newtown High School this year. She has studied piano for six years, and has studied for one year with Ms Zhang.

Celia received an Advanced Bach Medal with superior grade from ACM.

SiYuan Sun, age 9, as known by his nickname Don, will attend the fourth grade in Sandy Hook School in the fall. He is the son of HaiHang Sun and ZhiHong Yang.

Don began studying piano with Ms Zheng in August 2003. He won Special Recognition honors at the Western Music Teacher Association’s (WMTA) Select Student Honors Recital at Western Connecticut State University in March 2005. He also received Honorable Mention in the Audrey Thayer Piano Competition at University of Hartford in April 2005.

Don won the Early Bach Medal with superior grade from ACM in May.

Hannah Xin-Li Grant, 8, the daughter of Mae and Marshall Grant, will be in third grade at Middle Gate School this fall.

She has been studying with Ms Zhang for 2½ years.

She has won many awards, including Special Recognition at the Select Student Honors Recital Competition at the WMTA Select Student Honors Recital in March.

In May she won the Sonatina Medal with superior grade from ACM.