This story originally appeared in The Centre County Gazette.
Talented young performers from across Central Pennsylvania took center stage at the 41st annual Phyllis Triolo Music Competition, held at the State College Area High School auditorium on Saturday, May 17.
The event, sponsored by the Central Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association (CPMTA), featured students competing in two divisions: junior and senior. The competition was chaired by Victoria Petrosky and held in collaboration with State College Area High School choir director Erik Clayton and the Tri-M Music Society.
The junior division spotlighted emerging talent in piano performance. First place went to Leo Hao, a student of Dea Baba. Serena Tian, a student of Victoria Petrosky, earned second place, and Fangjun Li, studying under Amy Gustafson, took third.
In the senior division, Alexander Yu won first place for his piano performance as a student of Melody Quah. Second place was awarded to cellist Hannah Kifer, who studies with Jonathan Dexter. Genavieve Clayton, a voice student of Erik Clayton, placed third.
Judges for the competition included respected music educators Amanda Gunderson of Lycoming College and Melody Quah and Sarah Schouten from Penn State University’s School of Music.
Now in its fourth decade, the competition was founded to honor the legacy of local music educator Phyllis Triolo and to inspire excellence in young musicians through professional growth and development in the art of music. CPMTA continues to serve as a valuable platform for area students to showcase their dedication, technical skill and artistry.
More information about CPMTA and its programs can be found at cpmta.org.
