Concert Star International Music Competition Seattle District
Seattle Regional District 2026
Education • Performance • International Opportunities
Date
2:30 pm, September 20, 2026
Venue
Crossroads Community Center,
Theatre Room,
16000 NE 10th St,
Bellevue, WA 98008
Official Regional Competition
The Concert Star Seattle Regional Competition is an official regional qualifying event of the Concert Star International Classical Music Competition. Outstanding participants may be invited to advance to the International Finals, presented annually at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City.
Unlike the Online Division, the Los Angeles Regional Competition offers a live performance experience before an internationally distinguished jury, providing participants with direct artistic feedback and valuable educational opportunities in a professional concert setting.
Beyond the Competition
Participants in the Los Angeles Regional Competition also enjoy:
* Live performance before an internationally distinguished jury
* Written adjudication sheets with judges’ comments
* Complimentary observation of selected masterclasses
* Exclusive Los Angeles Regional Trophy and Certificate
* Eligibility for the Concert Star International Finals at Carnegie Hall
* Special recognition certificates through Concert Star’s international educational partnerships (selected awards)
Distinguished Jury
Dr. Miao Ma — Pianist & Seattle District Director
Dr. Miao Ma is a pianist, educator, and arts leader serving as the Seattle District Director of the Concert Star International Classical Music Competition. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree in Piano Performance from the University of Kansas. She earned her Master of Music degree from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, where she received a Music Talent Scholarship, and her bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Xinghai Conservatory of Music with the Yingcai Scholarship.
An accomplished pianist, Dr. Ma has received numerous honors in international competitions, including the Gold Award at the Asian International Youth Piano Competition and the Silver Award at the Hong Kong International Piano Open Competition. She has appeared as a solo and chamber musician in the United States, China, and the United Kingdom, with performances at distinguished venues including Carnegie Hall in New York and Dora Stoutzker Concert Hall in Cardiff.
Alongside her performing career, Dr. Ma is dedicated to piano education and scholarly research. Her academic interests include the piano works of Nikolai Medtner and Mozart, as well as cross-cultural musical dialogues between China and the West. Her work brings together performance, pedagogy, and international perspectives in music education.
As Seattle District Director of Concert Star, Dr. Ma works to expand performance and educational opportunities for young musicians in the Pacific Northwest and to connect emerging artists with the competition’s broader international platform.
Dr. Chen Liang — Pianist & Jury Member
Dr. Chen Liang is an internationally active pianist, collaborative artist, and educator whose performances have taken him across China, Japan, the United States, Austria, Germany, Italy, and Russia. Praised by New York Concert Review for his artistic potential, he has appeared as a soloist with orchestras in both the United States and China. He is also a signed artist with KNS Classical in Spain and Chengdu City Concert Hall.
An award-winning pianist, Dr. Liang has received top prizes at numerous international competitions, including the Lyra International Piano Competition, Manhattan International Music Competition, and Clara Schumann International Music Competition.
Dr. Liang currently serves as a Term Instructor of Piano at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. His previous teaching appointments include the Chopin Academy of Music in Seattle, Eastman Community Music School, and the State University of New York at Geneseo. He has also maintained active collaborative engagements with the Seattle Choral Company and Central Washington University. In addition, he is the Co-Founder and Artistic Director of the Beyond Clouds Summer Piano Festival in Chengdu, China.
Dr. Liang earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Lynn University Conservatory of Music, studying with Dr. Roberta Rust, and his Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied with Natalya Antonova.
Dr. Tong Liu — Pianist & Jury Member
Dr. Tong Liu is a pianist and educator who holds a Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree in Piano Performance from the University of Washington, where he studied with renowned pianist Craig Sheppard. During his doctoral studies, he served as a piano instructor and lead teaching assistant at the UW School of Music, working extensively with university-level piano students.
He earned both his Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees in Piano Performance from Roosevelt University’s Chicago College of Performing Arts. While in Chicago, he performed throughout the region representing the university and began his collegiate teaching career as a teaching assistant for secondary piano students.
An accomplished performer, Dr. Liu has received recognition at the Schumann International Piano Competition in China’s Northeast Region and was a multiple winner of piano showcase competitions at Roosevelt University. In 2014, he was selected as a Fellow of the prestigious Gilmore International Keyboard Festival. His collaborative performance experience also includes appearances at the Bach Keyboard Festival in Chicago and various Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) events.
Dr. Liu began his piano studies at the age of seven in China and was admitted to the Middle School affiliated with the Shenyang Conservatory of Music in 2003, establishing the foundation for his international career in performance and music education.
Dr. Xin Chang — Pianist & Jury Member
Dr. Xin Chang is a Chinese-born pianist, collaborative artist, and educator whose career spans North America and Asia. Based in Seattle, she maintains an active performing and teaching career and collaborates regularly with leading musicians and string studios throughout the region.
Dr. Chang previously served as a full-time collaborative pianist at the University of Wyoming and as accompanist for the Seattle Bach Choir. Her festival and faculty engagements have included the Interlochen Center for the Arts, SongFest, Brevard Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and School, Banff Centre, Castleman Quartet Program, Asia Pacific Saxophone Academy, and the International Violin Festival and Competition in Singapore. She has performed with distinguished artists including violinist Charles Castleman, baritone David Small, tubaist Charles Villarrubia, and saxophonist Toshikazu Nagase, and has recorded with double bassist DaXun Zhang.
As a soloist, Dr. Chang was awarded Second Prize at the Colorado International Piano Competition and has appeared with the Jiangsu Orchestra in China. She has also served as Seattle Regional Director for the Orbifold Global Music Competition and as an adjudicator for the World Harmonies Competition and Snohomish County MTNA Concerto Competition.
Dr. Chang earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin, her Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, and her Bachelor of Music degree from Renmin University of China. Her principal teachers include Colette Valentine, Anne Epperson, Jean Barr, and Fang Zhang.
Dr. Zeru Wang — Pianist & Jury Member
Dr. Zeru Wang is a pianist, educator, and adjudicator based in the Seattle area. A native of Hangzhou, China, he earned his doctoral degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and received his earlier training at the University of Missouri–Columbia, studying with distinguished pianists Christopher Taylor and Peter Miyamoto. He has also continued his artistic development through mentorship with renowned musicians including Jerome Lowenthal.
An accomplished performer, Dr. Wang is a prize winner of numerous national and international competitions, including the Carles & Sofia International Piano Competition, WPTA International Piano Competition, Chinese Golden Bell Award, and MTNA Young Artist Piano Competition. He was also the winner of the 2021 UW–Madison Beethoven Competition. His performance career has included appearances at Carnegie Hall as part of the InterHarmony Chamber Music Concert Series, as well as extensive solo and chamber music engagements.
Dr. Wang currently serves as Piano Director of the Vilacello Chamber Music Festival and Chamber Music Program Chair for the Eastside Music Teachers Association. He previously taught at the Chopin Academy of Music and served as Collaborative Pianist and Vocal Coach at Gonzaga University. An active adjudicator, he has served on juries for competitions and festivals throughout Washington State, including the Snohomish Concerto Competition and the Bach Festival at the Seattle International Piano Competition.
Equally committed to performance, education, and scholarship, Dr. Wang maintains a selective private studio of advanced pre-collegiate pianists while remaining active as a chamber musician, coach, and researcher.