Newtown Piano Students Honored

By State And National Groups

Four Newtown residents have been recognized by the National Guild of Piano Teachers (NGPT) Teacher Division of the American College of Musicians (AMC). The students, who received Special Medal Plaques, study piano with Felicia Feng Zhang, the owner of Felicia’s Professional  Piano Studio in Southbury.

Biota Hung, Abben Hung, SiYuan “Don” Sun, and Hannah Xin-Li Grant were among 14 local students who auditioned in May.

The NGPT recently announced the award winners.

The participants in the Special Medal Program earn the Plaque award by performing 15 pieces from memory. A professional adjudicator assesses their playing of preapproved repertoires.

The students receive a one-year membership in the National Fraternity of Student Musicians, a certificate, a gold embossed pin and a report card.

Also their names and pictures will be published in the autumn 2006 edition of Piano Guild Notes, NGPT’s national magazine.

Each year, more than 100,000 piano students throughout the United States and abroad participate in the annual National Piano auditions.

In addition to their recognition by the National Guild of Piano Teachers/Teacher Division of the American College of Musicians, three of the local students also passed the Musicianship Achievement Program (MAP) sponsored by the Connecticut State Music Teachers Association in May.

For this competition students needed to take exams in the areas of theory: written and aural awareness; and performance: keyboard skills and playing from memory for a qualified judge. Certificates are awarded to those who qualify.

Biota Jung won a Sonatina Medal with a superior plus grade in the National Guild Piano Audition. She has passed Level 5 with honors in MAP.

Biota, a ninth grader at Newtown High School, is the daughter of Simon and Peiqing Hung.

Abben Hung won the Early Bach Medal with superior grade in the National Piano Guild Audition and was also a Selected Student Piano Competition winner. He performed at the Whitney Center Recital Hall in Hamden hosted by the New Haven Music Teacher Association in February.

Abben passed Level 6 with high honors in MAP. A seventh grader at Newtown Middle School, Abben is the son of Simon and Peiqing Hung.

SiYuan “Don” Sun won the Sonatina Medal with superior grade in the National Piano Guild Audition in May. He was also a Selected Student Piano Competition winner at the Whitney Center Recital Hall competition in February.

Don has passed Level 4 with high honors in MAP. He is in fourth grade at Sandy Hook Elementary School and is the son of HaiHang Sun and ZhiHong Yang.

Hannah Xin-Li Grant won the Early Bach Medal with superior grade at the National Guild Piano Audition in May.

She also received a Selected Student Piano Competition winner. She also performed at the Whitney Center Recital Hall in February.

Hannah is a third grader at Middle gate Elementary School. She is the daughter of Marshall and Mae Grant.