Nadia Azzi and Austin Shin

Byrd Piano Ensemble: Pre-College Division: Honorable Mention

Nadia Azzi

Nadia Azzi is 12 years old, and a 7th grade student at The Center for the Gifted Studies Magnet Program housed at Dunedin Highland Middle School in Dunedin, FL. She began playing the piano at the age of five with Kinuyo Engelbrecht who is now teaching her music theory. Her current teacher is the renowned international pianist, Leonidas Lipovetsky, and she receives additional tutelage from Dr. Grigorios Zamparas, a concert pianist and professor at University of Tampa. She has become the winner of numerous piano and music competitions at the county, district, state, national, and international levels. Some of her most recent achievements include being the winner in the Early Music Open Junior Category at 2011 Walgreens National Concerto Competition held in Fort Sheridan, IL; 1^st place winner in the 2010 Orfeo International Music Competition in piano category held in Vipiteno, Italy; Gold Medalist at 2010 Passion of Music International Music Festival and has performed at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in NY; the recipient of 2010 Ruth B. Lockmiller Memorial Award at FFMC; nominated for Irene Muir Memorial Award at FFMC; and other numerous awards/scholarships at FFMC and FSMTA piano competitions.  In the past, she also had the honor of studying with Dr. Rita Fandrich of Florida Southern College, and had the opportunity of attending the 2010 Orfeo Music Summer Festival in Italy studying under Vladimir Khokhlov.

She will make her first orchestral debut in Cambridge, MA with the Boston Neo-Politan Orchestra in June of 2011, and will attend the Aspen Music Festival and School this summer studying under Yoheved Kaplinsky of the Juilliard School.

She also studies violin with Lei Liu, Second Assistant Concert Master at the Florida Orchestra. She became the concert master in the 2009-2010 All County Middle School Orchestra as well as the advanced orchestra at her middle school. Besides her music interests, she has excelled at many area of studies. She has won several awards such as 2010 MathMovesU Middle School Scholarship and Grant Program sponsored by Raytheon Company; 2009 Math P.R.I.D.E Award; and Award of Excellence in Odysseys and Expeditions at the Arts Center in St. Petersburg, FL. She is fluent in Japanese and English. She has attended Japanese pre-schools, and elementary schools for 2 months almost every summer since she was 3 years old. She received a bronze award in 2009 Fukui Prefecture Japanese Calligraphy Competition.

Austin Shin

Austin Shin was born in Tampa, Florida on January 26, 1994. He is 17 years old and is in the 11’th grade at Berkley Prepatory School in Tampa. He has been playing piano since the age of 3.  He is currently studying with Vladimir Kharkhlov.

Austin is also active in the Patel Conservatory where he plays the violin and piano for the Youth Symphony.  He has been with the Patel Conservatory since he was 10. Austin is an Eagle Scout.  At his school Austin is an active member of the Math Club, the Chinese Club, the Robotics Club, the Philosophy Club and the Science Tutors Club and currently serves on the Berkley Honor Council. He participates in Cross Country and Track at his high school. He also enjoys playing basketball in his spare time and studying math.

He won first place in the Young Artist Competition for piano Jr. Division in 2008 and won 1^st  place in the FSMTA District competition for piano in 2009. He studied under Martin Canin at the Bowdoin Music Festival in the summer of 2009 and participated in the Orfeo Fesitval in Vipitano, Italy this summer. He participated in the Walgreens Midwest National Competition in Chicago in December of 2010 and received an honorable mention for his performance.

Also, in December of 2010, he won the Patel Conservatory Youth Orchestra Concerto competition and will perform his winning piano concerto with the Patel Conservatory Youth Orchestra in May of 2011.

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