The Stars

Zhen Tat Kai, a native of Hong Kong, has embarked on his journey as a professional pianist by studying under the guidance of Mr. Tung Yee Tsun since 2021. Kai has developed a keen interest in playing classic, jazz, and modern piano music. Whenever he plays on stage, he exudes passion and finesse. His ardor for playing the piano is evident in each of his performances, as he showcases his varied playing skills and emotions.

This year has been a milestone for Kai, as he has achieved remarkable success in different music organizations and won several piano competitions worldwide. These accomplishments are a testament to his dedication, hard work, and exceptional musical talent.

Meet Lalita Vetchabutsakorn, a talented 10-year-old singer from Bangkok, Thailand. From a young age, Lalita enjoyed singing karaoke and dancing with her dad. She started taking vocal lessons in February 2022 with her coach, Ms. Onwara, after singing at home for a while.

Lalita has a passion for K-pop music, with BTS and Newjeans being her favorite K-pop groups. Her dream is to become a singer like them in the future.

Lalita is grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Music & Stars Awards competition. She enjoyed practicing and singing the song for the competition and had a great time during the event. Lalita hopes to participate in the competition again next year and continue pursuing her passion for singing.

“My Name is Lucia Boeck, I am from Austria and I study classical saxophone concert stu dies and pedagogical studies in master program under the direction of Christian Maurer  at University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. I have a YouTube channel  Just4Sax that combines different genres of saxophone music (classical music, contem porary music, jazz and crossover) with animated and self-filmed videos that I love to edit.  I also compose music for saxophone and I am self-trained in Video editing.

I love classical music, contemporary music, Austrian folk music, jazz, and pop music.

I study under the direction of Christian Maurer. My saxophone professor plays classical and jazz music and he is a role model in different styles he taught us to play different genres on the saxophone.

I would like to make music with my saxophone in combination with editing music videos for bands, TV, orchestra projects, and so on.

If I had to choose a humanitarian project to sustain, I would choose a project to help poor animals.”

Meet Sara Nishino, a talented young violinist from Tokyo, Japan. Born in 2011, Sara started playing the violin at the age of 5 after falling in love with a fractional-sized violin she found in a music store. Since then, she has made remarkable progress in her career.

At the age of 6, Sara participated in her first competition and has since won numerous awards, including first prize at the “All Japan Junior Classical Music Competition” and recognition from the “Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education”. In 2022, she won second prize at the “International Junior Competition” and participated in the “Student Music Concours of Japan.” She also performed as a child performer in the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra’s “Subscription Concert for Children” in December 2022.

Sara’s love for music is largely due to the support and encouragement of her teachers. Ms. Megumi Morishima taught her the basics and instilled in her the joy of playing music. Currently, Sara is taking lessons from Ms. Mayuko Kamio, a world-renowned violinist and a professor at Tokyo College of Music. Ms. Kamio’s passionate and exciting lessons always inspire Sara to learn something new.

Even with her busy schedule as a student, Sara always finds time to practice the violin at home. She loves singing and playing other instruments too, but her goal is to continue to love and enjoy music while improving her skills as a violinist. She hopes to be able to perform various songs in the future and make a name for herself in the music industry.

Wakana, a native of Japan, began playing the French horn at the age of 13. Her passion for orchestral music and the thrill of performing solos have been her driving forces. She was awarded the gold prize at the Music & Stars Awards in December 2022 and received an honorable mention at the 15th K amateur music competition in Japan.

As a French horn player, Wakana is drawn to pieces that prominently feature the instrument. Her ultimate goal is to play the 3rd movement of Mahler Symphony No. 5 as a principal horn. While juggling her studies as a business student, she dedicates a minimum of four hours per week to practicing. She places equal emphasis on solo pieces and honing her fundamental skills, recognizing the French horn as one of the most challenging instruments to play worldwide (as per Guinness World Record).

Wakana’s musical education is enriched by her mentor, Tom Findlay, a student of the Royal College of Music, whose expressive style she admires greatly. Although she had initially aspired to become a professional horn player, family circumstances led her to abandon that dream. Nonetheless, her unrelenting passion for music motivates her to seek involvement in the field indefinitely.

My name is Almz Jim Yu Shue, and I was born in Hong Kong in 2015. I discovered my love for the Djembe at the age of four when Mr. Daniel Odame Kissi visited my school and played his Djembe. The passion, heat, and raw sound of the music that Mr. Daniel played fascinated me so much that I decided to start learning from him.

After Mr. Daniel emigrated and moved to the UK, I began taking lessons with Mr. Kienou Mamadou and have been practicing with him for a year. I practice the Djembe for about two hours per week and sometimes even practice slapping my thighs in my daily routine to improve my skills.

In November 2022, I received my first award from a local Hong Kong music competition, the Children & Youth Arts & Culture Association. Since then, I have won several awards in both local Hong Kong and international music competitions. Through these competitions and busking, I am refining my skills and building my confidence.

Like any other child, I am a general student at the G.T. (Ellen Yeung) College (Junior Primary Section), and I also enjoy playing “GO” chess and fencing. I try to maintain a balance between my extracurricular activities, such as critical thinking, interactive communication, courage, facing challenges, self-learning, and problem-solving.

Although Hong Kong is widely known as a global metropolis with a bustling city life, it also has a diverse ecosystem and breathtaking views. Many Hong Kongers go hiking in the countryside during their free time to surround themselves with nature, and I often go hiking with my parents. Despite being the youngest climber to climb Hong Kong’s highest peak, I am planning to challenge Mount Everest soon.

“I hope to provide more opportunities for people to learn about the Djembe, which expresses the deepest thoughts of our original civilization and the colors of the universe, through my presentations.”

My name is Savanna Chen. I was born in United States in 2017. I started learning the flute since April 2022 with my teacher Ya-Jung Chuang from Taiwan and I absolutely love it ever since.

This is the first competition that I have entered and I am thrilled that I got the Gold Star Award. This means a lot to me as I have always loved music and enjoying playing music for my family and friends. Apart from flute, I also play other instruments such as piano and french horn. 

This year, I have entered the competition with my favorite song “twinkle twinkle little star”. I have been practicing 4-5 hours a week with different tempo and accompaniment along with 2 online flute lessons with my teacher.

My flute teacher Ya-Jung Chuang. We have 1 on 1 online classes twice a week. She was very patient and provided lots of encouragement throughout my journey, she helped me developed a strong interest in music. has always been very patient and provided lots of encouragement throughout my journey. She has inspired me, helped me developed a strong interest in music and helped build my confidence.

My dream would be to bring people joy through music in the future.”

Kiyo Nai Yow Jia is a six-year-old Malaysian prodigy who hones her craft at the Cartoon ART music center. Her musical prowess has secured her the first/gold prize in international music competitions across 15 countries, including England, America, France, Italy, China, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Estonia, Bosnia, Austria, Spain, Serbia, and Greece. The competitions she excels in are diverse, ranging from age and grade categories to classical, jazz, modern, and original composition.

Kiyo’s remarkable achievements extend beyond her age, as she has received the highest marks and accolades reserved for competitors much older than her. She has also been invited to perform at winner concerts, including the world-renowned Carnegie Hall in New York. Her achievements have been featured in Chinese and English news in her home country, earning her recognition in the Malaysia Book of Records.

In addition to her string of international wins, Kiyo also attained the ABRSM piano grade 5 certification at the tender age of five. Her music serves as a tool to promote healing and support charitable causes such as UNICEF and other events.

Kiyo’s exceptional talent has also earned her numerous scholarships from prestigious institutions around the world. Her music is not merely a means of performance but also an avenue for altruistic endeavors.

“My name is Olivia Sun and I was born in Oakville in 2016 which is a small town near Toronto, Canada. I began my journey in music at the age of four when I followed my big sister’s path to learn piano.

When I was almost five, I showed a lot of interest in violin and started to learn violin with Ms. Svetlana Filippova. During the past 15 months,  Ms. Svetlana not only teaches me violin techniques, but also how to express my thoughts and emotions through the strings.

After school, I normally practice for one hour a day on weekdays and two hours a day on weekends. I have also started to learn singing and dancing recently. I think their rhythms and movements help me understand music from a more dynamic area and help me add some unique colors to playing the violin.

I have competed at local music festivals and competitions and won first prizes. This is the first time I played in an international competition and being awarded the prize is great progress for me.

I will continue to passionately explore the music world and discover more beauty and joy. “

“My name is Gülce Hanişoğlu. I was born in Istanbul in 2007.

I have been studying in Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University Istanbul State Conservatory for 5 years with Bengü Gülöksüz.

I have won the soloist auditions in 2019 when i was 13 years old to perform in a concert with the school orchestra.

I got the opportunity to attend masterclasses of Albrecht Mayer, Lucas Macias Navarro, and Gregor Witt in Istanbul /Turkey in 2022. I have learned that I need to use my instrument like part of my body and the important thing is to feel the music and reflect the same feeling to the people.

In 2022 I have skipped from 9th grade to 11th grade.

I practice around three hours a day.

My first online competition is CAKA Music Competition with 2nd price in 2021 and i got 4th price in London Classical Music Online Competition and i got 2nd price in International Global Art Competition in Antalya-Alanya.

I’m so happy that I got 1st prize Music & Stars Awards Online Competition in 2022.

My dream is to play on world-famous stages as a soloist and part of an orchestra.”