2026 Vahe Khochayan Young Artist Concerto Competition Junior Division Finalist
My name is Angela Wang, and I’m a 6th grader at Marce Herz Middle School. I’ve been learning piano since June 2022, and I love to learn new pieces and improve. Music and art are my favorite hobbies. I could spend hours sketching people, food, or anything that pops into my head. I also love shopping for adorable stationery, especially notebooks, pens, and stickers. If you’re ever heading to a big city or an amusement park, feel free to bring me along—especially if there are sweets. I love noodles, fruity popping boba, chocolate, and almost every kind of food. I also like beautiful flowers (don’t worry, I don’t eat them). My big goal is to work hard in school so I can go to Stanford University someday. Overall, I’m a creative and ambitious person who enjoys piano, art, good food, and fun trips with my family.
Sophia Shi is an eighth grader at the Davidson Academy of Nevada. She has been playing piano since the age of four and finds great joy in music. Under the guidance of Professor Park at the University of Nevada, Reno, she has achieved significant milestones in her piano studies. Sophia has consistently achieved First Class Distinction with Honors in the Royal Conservatory of Music exams, currently working towards The Associate Diploma of Piano Performance. She has also had the honor of performing at Carnegie Hall. In addition to piano, Sophia has been playing the cello for over four years. She is a member of the Reno Youth Symphony Orchestra. She also has a keen interest in music theory and history and is currently exploring how to compose counterpoint. Beyond music, Sophia enjoys figure skating, embracing both the artistry and athleticism of the sport.
Deidre Nolan, age twelve, was born and raised in Reno, Nevada, and is currently attending the North Star Online school. She began studying the violin at the age of five and has trained under Valerie Nelson, Robyn Neidhold, and Ruth Lenz. In addition to her violin studies, Deidre enjoys exploring music through a variety of instruments, including guitar, ukulele, and piano. Since the age of eight, she has been a member of the Reno Philharmonic Youth Orchestra and currently performs with the Youth Symphony Orchestra, where she continues to develop her musicianship in an orchestral setting. Beyond music, Deidre is an active athlete and enjoys playing soccer. In her free time, she enjoys painting and traveling. 
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Isaac Ahn has a love for music and joy of creative exploration.  He began studying the piano at the age of four and has deepened his focus on classical training since nine.  He is currently studying under Dr. Cicilia Yudha at the University of Nevada, Reno.  His previous teachers include Olga Steinberg, Morgan Hunkele and Yulia Roubtsova (RCM Theory) at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.  He has attended the UNCSA Summer Piano Intensives several times and has taken classes taught by Dr. Dmitri Shteinberg and Dr. Dmitri Vorobiev.  Isaac has been awarded first prizes at the 2025 Reno Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition (Junior Division) and the 2024 Moxley Competition, and second prizes at the 2024 and 2023 UNCSA Piano Weekend Competitions.  He is an 8th grader at the Davidson Academy and loves to ski during his free time.
2026 Vahe Khochayan Young Artist Concerto Competition Senior Division Finalist
Ethan Ahn aspires to be a dynamic musician and loves to pursue opportunities to expand his musical horizons. He currently studies classical piano under Dr. Cicilia Yudha at UNR as well as RCM music theory under Yulia Roubtsova at UNCSA. His past teachers include Olga Steinberg, Morgan Hunkele, and Brian Haskell. He has participated in the 2020, 2023, and 2024 UNCSA Piano Weekend Competitions where he won first place in each of the Senior Chopin, Senior Classical, and Senior Bach categories in 2024, and an Honorable Mention in 2023. He placed second in his age division at the 2024 Moxley Competition. Ethan also enjoys performing at outreach concerts and masterclasses where he has learned from Angela Cheng, Dr. Dmitri Shteinberg, and Dr. Dmitri Vorobiev. He has also participated in the UNCSA Summer Piano Intensive program multiple times and interned there in 2025. Along with classical music, he also enjoys learning and arranging jazz and pop pieces to perform with his school club, both solo and as an accompanist.
Felicity Phan, now 17, was born and raised in Reno.  She began playing the piano at age four and violin at age five.  Her passion for music developed at a young age when her aunt played the piano for her. However, she wanted another instrument that she could always carry around on her, so she began learning the violin. Ever since her first exposure to music, she has found music a very comforting companion and her favorite form of expression. Her love of music has led her to various different competitions winning accolades in many. At age 9, Felicity was a soloist on the piano with the Reno Phil Youth Orchestra playing Haydn’s Piano Concerto No. 11 in D major.   She has represented the state of Nevada in the 2022 MTNA piano competition as well as winning first prize in the senior strings division and grand prize on piano for the 2023 Reno Phil Concerto Competition.  In September of 2022, she was also featured as a soloist and played Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto in a performance with the Reno Philharmonic. Since then, she has had other soloistic opportunities with the UNR Symphony Orchestra as well as the Youth Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she is an active member of the Reno Phil Youth Orchestras and started at the age of 7.  She currently studies with Dr. James Winn on piano and Dr. Ruth Lenz on violin and hopes to continue her musical journey in the future.
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Nolan Hopkins is a Junior at TMCC High School and has been playing piano since the age of three. Nolan began learning piano with Christine Barden, coauthor of the  Music for Little Mozarts  books and music education course. Nolan continues to take private lessons from Barden and is grateful for her mentorship and guidance. In 2022, Nolan won first prize in the Reno Tahoe Piano Competition. He is also a recipient of the Northern Nevada Music Teachers Association (NNMTA) Young Artist Medal. In 2025, he was both the high school division winner and the grand prize winner of the Reno Pops Orchestra Solo and Concerto Festival.
Linnea Lamb is a sophomore at Damonte Ranch High School who has been playing oboe for the past two and a half years. She is currently principal oboe in the Reno Phil’s Youth Symphony Orchestra for the second time. Linnea has participated in numerous honor groups, played with TOCCATA Tahoe Symphony, won honorable mention in the winds division of the RPYO concerto competition, and was accepted into both the Interlochen Oboe Intensive and John Mack Oboe Camp which she will attend this upcoming summer. Linnea studies with Amy Heald and will soon begin studying with Dr. Aaron Hill as well. Linnea enjoys playing chamber music in small ensembles and spending time with friends.
Zachary Hiatt is a 16-year-old student at Nevada State High School’s early-college program, where he takes courses at Truckee Meadows Community College (TMCC) while earning both his high school diploma and college associate degree. He studies piano with Cheryl Warnick and comes from a musical family, proudly continuing a legacy of excellence inspired by his great-grandmother, a former piano professor at Utah State University. Zach began piano lessons at age seven and, over the past nine years, has developed a strong work ethic and a genuine love for music. He has mastered increasingly challenging repertoire and earned eight consecutive Superior ratings at the Reno Federation of Music Clubs Festival. Gifted with remarkable speed, agility, and facility at the keyboard, Zach combines technical command with expressive musicality. His teacher often notes how exceptionally coachable he is—quick to absorb feedback and immediately translate it into refined performance. In eighth grade, he began accompanying his middle school orchestra and was featured in a piano passage from Jurassic Park, an experience that showcased both his virtuosity and artistic confidence. During his first two years of high school, Zach served as accompanist for the orchestra at McQueen High School, helping the program earn an invitation to perform at the National Orchestra Festival in San Francisco. He quickly grasps complex scores and brings them to life with clarity, depth, and expressive nuance. Beyond piano, Zach is a top competitor in cross country and track at McQueen High School. He is known by peers and mentors alike as kind, hardworking, responsible, and a positive role model. In his free time, Zach enjoys learning interesting history and science facts, skiing, and watching sports. Zach is eager for the opportunity to perform with an orchestra, recognizing it as an exceptional experience, and continues to work diligently toward that goal.
Sidonie Williams, 18 years old, is a senior at North Valleys High School. She began her French horn studies at 10 years old and has loved it ever since. Throughout the years, she has been high brass section leader, horn sergeant, and lead drum major for two years in her marching band. Outside of school, Sidonie has played first chair French horn in the Washoe County Honor Band, the Nevada All-State Orchestra, the Nevada All-State Band, and the Reno Phil Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has a passion for film scores and has goals to pursue a career of being a Hollywood studio musician. After high school, Sidonie will be majoring in French horn performance at UNR. Outside of music, she loves theater, drawing, playing with her pets, and writing. 
Rylan Li is a 10th grader at the Davidson Academy with a deep passion for piano and classical music. He has been playing the piano for 8 years and loves romantic-era music, especially Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky. Rylan was the winner of the Junior Piano Division in the Reno Phil Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition in 2023 and received Honorable Mention for the Grand Prize in the same competition in 2025. Rylan has also performed at the Classical Tahoe Family Day Concert and given performances at local senior centers. In addition to piano, Rylan is an accomplished violinist and is currently in his seventh year in the Reno Phil Youth Orchestra program. Beyond performing, he enjoys composing his own music, playing tennis, and spending time playing Minecraft with his friends.