May 5, 2026 – Raleigh – May 9, 2026 – Statesville
Lynn Wilemon – Scholarship State Chair
Zina Astrakhan – Royalty State Chair
Elizabeth Huss – Junior Composers State Chair
PIANO
Allen and Teresia Queen Sacred Piano Solo Award – Benny Rodriguez, Teacher: Marie Humphrey
American Patriotic/Folk Song Award – Olivia Rareshide, Teacher: Teresia Queen
Eva Victoria Graham Award – Aaron Tzeng, Teacher: Alice Zhao
Marlene Speece Clifford Memorial Award – Kayla Zhang, Teacher: Janie Xing
Mary Davis Memorial Award – Jerry Qi, Teacher: Janie Xing
Teresia Queen Piano Solo Award – Daniel Wan, Teacher: Kaylyn Tan Lee
Maxine Taylor Fountain Memorial Award – Kenan Lee, Teacher: Kaylyn Tan Lee
Norma Alexander Award – Nathaniel Ianc, Teacher: Robert Setzer
NCFMC Past Presidents Award – Louis Gao, Teacher: Florence Ko
Robert Setzer Piano Award – Oliver Cui, Teacher: Vivian Adams
Lynn Wilemon Piano Award – Caroline Liang, Teacher: Alice Zhao
Hinda Honigman Memorial Piano Award – Edward Zhu, Teacher: Florence Ko
Mabel Doggett Memorial Duet/Duo Award – Amelia Hager & Annie Sun, Teacher: Alice Zhao
Estelle Brady Senior Piano Concerto Award – Benjamin Luo, Teacher: Florence Ko
Greg McCallum Memorial Piano Award – Raphael Mouawad, Teacher: Akiko Yamazaki
VOICE
Nettie Loflin Memorial Musical Theatre – Hannah Roberts, Teacher: Laura Black
STRINGS
Benjamin Swalin Memorial Award – Lena Antonopoulos, Teacher: Elizabeth Beilman
Lamar Stringfield Memorial Award – Keegan Clayton, Teacher: Bonnie Thron
Gerhardt Zimmermann Memorial Award – Joy Berry, Teacher: Georgia Schmidt
John Charles Lucht Concerto Award – Natalia Biasotto, Teacher: Cecilia Guida
Impresario Piano Quartet Award – Aria Kradlak, Jackson Freeman, Leila Wilson, Keegan Clayton, Teacher: Elizabeth Beilman
Eastern Festival of Music Award – Olivia Lee, Teacher: Isoa Chapman
Brevard Music Center Award – Henry Lewis
HYMN PLAYING
Carolyn Jones Summerlin Memorial Award, Class I – Blythe Barnes, Teacher: Teresia Queen
Carolyn Jones Summerlin Memorial Award, Class II – Andrea Quintana, Teacher: Marie Humphrey
Peggy Robinson Matthews Award, Class III – Heather Wong, Teacher: Ginny Hotchkiss
Peggy Robinson Matthews Award, Class IV – J.J. Lyon, Teacher: Terrie MacDowell
John and Jonsey Queen Memorial Award, Class V – Katelynn Beadle, Teacher: Teresia Queen
ROYALTY
Page Boy – Aaron Tzeng, Teacher: Alice Zhao
Page Girl – Kayla Zhang, Teacher: Janie Xing
Lord – Wallace Shen, Teacher: Jean Park
Lady – Avery Cheng, Teacher: Jean Park
Prince – Oliver Cui, Teacher: Vivian Adams
Princess – Ava Tsang, Teacher: Olga Urick
King – Edward Zhu, Teacher: Florence Ko
Queen – Jinyu Zhang, Teacher: Janie Xing
JUNIOR COMPOSERS
Class I – Albert Liu, Teacher: Diane Higgins
Class II – Ava Tsang, Teacher: Tom Lohr
Class III – Jesse Sawaya. Teacher: Jared Miller
Class IV – Isabel Yang, Teacher: Diane Higgins
Note: REGIONAL AND NATIONAL WINNERS
Ava Tsang, 1st Place – Junior Composers Class II, Teacher: Tom Lohr
Jesse Sawaya, 1st Place – Junior Composers Class III, Teacher: Jared Miller
Clare Lee, 1st Place – Martha Mack Voice Scholarship, Teacher: Kimberley Bentley
Natan Larkin, 3rd Place – Mary Alice Cox Strings Scholarship, Teacher: Leonid Finkelshteyn