Meet the distinguished international jury of the US-Canadian International Music Competition — a world-class panel of renowned professors, concert artists, and educators from leading conservatories across North America, Europe, and Asia. Our adjudicators bring deep artistic insight and professional expertise to ensure a fair and inspiring competition for musicians of all ages and instruments.
Board of Adjudicators (Jury Members):
Maestro Adam Johnson (USA & Canada) Conductor & Pianist
Prof. Alan Fraser (Serbia & Canada)
Prof. Aline Kutan (Canada)
Prof. Amelie Fradette (USA)
Prof. Andrea Cardinale (Italy)
Dr. Angela Chan (Canada)
Dr. Anna Szpilberg (Canada, Professor at Concordia University)
Prof. Ankhbayar Bayarsaikhan (Mongolia)
Prof. Avguste Antonov (USA)
Dr. Derek Yaple-Schobert (Canada)
Dr. Gabriel Prynn (Co-director, Fibonacci Trio)
Prof. Hitoshi Kawashima (Japan)
Prof. Izaskun Erdocia Uranga (Spain / currently located in Hong Kong)
Prof. Janette Wolff (Canada)
Prof. Jorge Chaminé (International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, Président fondateur du CEM- Centre Européen de Musique)
Prof. Julie-Anne Derome (Canada)
Maestro Maximiliano Valenti (Italy)
Dr. MingMei Yip (USA)
Prof. Nancy Loo (Hong Kong)
Prof. Stephen Wong (Prof. of HKAPA, Chinese University (Hong Kong), Baptist University HK)
Prof. Sebastian Di Bin (Italy)
Dr. Sungho Park (South Korea)
Prof. Suzanne Benoit (France)
Prof. Takahiro Hoshino (Japan)
Prof. Teresa Tang (Canada)
Dr. Tien Feng (China)
Dr. Thomas Green (Chief Examiner of Royal Conservatory of Music) Canada
Prof. Tom Plaunt (Canada) - Retired Chair of Music department at McGill University
Dr. Trần Nại Quyền (Vietnam)
Prof. Victor Khotulev (Russia)
Prof. Warren Cohen (USA)
Prof. Wei He (China)
Dr. Yeh Wei Ding (China)
Dr. Yoonie Yoon Jung Han (South Korea, Hong Kong)
Prof. Yulia Nesterenko (Canada)
Maestro Adam Johnson (USA & Canada) Conductor & Pianist
Prof. Alan Fraser (Serbia & Canada)
Prof. Aline Kutan (Canada)
Prof. Amelie Fradette (USA)
Prof. Andrea Cardinale (Italy)
Dr. Angela Chan (Canada)
Dr. Anna Szpilberg (Canada, Professor at Concordia University)
Prof. Ankhbayar Bayarsaikhan (Mongolia)
Prof. Avguste Antonov (USA)
Dr. Derek Yaple-Schobert (Canada)
Dr. Gabriel Prynn (Co-director, Fibonacci Trio)
Prof. Hitoshi Kawashima (Japan)
Prof. Izaskun Erdocia Uranga (Spain / currently located in Hong Kong)
Prof. Janette Wolff (Canada)
Prof. Jorge Chaminé (International Yehudi Menuhin Foundation, Président fondateur du CEM- Centre Européen de Musique)
Prof. Julie-Anne Derome (Canada)
Maestro Maximiliano Valenti (Italy)
Dr. MingMei Yip (USA)
Prof. Nancy Loo (Hong Kong)
Prof. Stephen Wong (Prof. of HKAPA, Chinese University (Hong Kong), Baptist University HK)
Prof. Sebastian Di Bin (Italy)
Dr. Sungho Park (South Korea)
Prof. Suzanne Benoit (France)
Prof. Takahiro Hoshino (Japan)
Prof. Teresa Tang (Canada)
Dr. Tien Feng (China)
Dr. Thomas Green (Chief Examiner of Royal Conservatory of Music) Canada
Prof. Tom Plaunt (Canada) - Retired Chair of Music department at McGill University
Dr. Trần Nại Quyền (Vietnam)
Prof. Victor Khotulev (Russia)
Prof. Warren Cohen (USA)
Prof. Wei He (China)
Dr. Yeh Wei Ding (China)
Dr. Yoonie Yoon Jung Han (South Korea, Hong Kong)
Prof. Yulia Nesterenko (Canada)
Maestro Warren Cohen - USA
Maestro Warren Cohen has been Music Director of Musica Nova since the founding of the innovative orchestra in 2003. In the course of his time with the group, it has developed an international reputation for its performances and recordings of unjustly neglected music. As music critic Alan Kruek said “nowhere outside of London and NewYork can music lovers enjoy an orchestra of such high quality that is consistently committed to the performance of great neglected music.” Rob Barnett, editor of MusicWeb International said “the great orchestras of the world could learn something from the consistently imaginative programming of this innovative ensemble.”
In addition to his work with MusicaNova, Warren is Artistic Director of the New Jersey Intergenerational Orchestras. For the 2012-2013 season, he was Concert Artist in Conducting at Kean University, the only person ever appointed to this position. He previously was Music Director of the Scottsdale Baroque Orchestra, the Fine Arts String Orchestra, and the Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, where he was appointed Music Director Laureate in 2005.
Warren began his musical career as a pianist and composer, and his early positions included a stint as a ballet accompanist for Honolulu City Ballet and as Music Director of the Kumu Kahua Theatre group, for whom he also wrote the music for a Cantata for Theatre on the life of Princess Kai’ulani. His work in theatre and opera led to his becoming a conductor; his earliest assignments were for obscure works that more established conductors did want to bother to learn, but he soon developed a large repertoire that included many standard works. Within a few years he was also working as an orchestral and choral conductor. As a result, over the past fifteen years he has conducted almost a thousand orchestral, operatic, and choral works. He studied conducting with, among others, Gustav Meier and Paul Vermel, and did a year of study at English National Opera during the last year of the administration of the “power trio” years where the company was led by Sir Mark Elder, David Poutney, and Peter Jonas.
He now divides his time between New Jersey and Arizona with his wife, soprano Carolyn Whitaker, and his 16-year-old son, Graham, an award winning composer and violist who studies in the Juilliard Pre-College Division in New York.
https://www.azpianoinstitute.org/warren-cohen
Professor Hitoshi Kawashima - Japan
Pianist Hitoshi Kawashima began his piano studies at the age of four at Jiyu Gakuen Kindergarten. After graduating from the Music Department of the Tokyo Metropolitan Senior High School of Arts, he continued his musical education at the Tokyo University of the Arts, Faculty of Music, where he majored in piano performance.
During his early career, he was selected to perform in a command performance at the Tōka Gakudō of the Imperial Palace. He subsequently passed the prestigious NHK Audition for Western Music and was featured on the broadcast program FM New Artist Debut Recital.
Awarded a full scholarship by the Polish government, he pursued advanced studies at the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw, earning a Master’s degree. He later continued his postgraduate studies in Paris, completing the postgraduate program at the Conservatoire Hector Berlioz, followed by further studies at the Schola Cantorum de Paris in the class of the late Madame Robert Casadesus, where he was awarded a Diploma with Highest Distinction. In 1998, he received an Honorary Diploma at the Torneo International Music Competition.
During his years abroad, Hitoshi Kawashima appeared extensively in solo recitals and collaborative concerts throughout Europe. At the International Music Festival of the Disciples of André Jolivet in Paris, he presented the world premiere of piano works by Jean-Paul Holstein. Following his return to Japan, he released his debut CD recording featuring Chopin’s Études, Op. 10, and Debussy’s Images, Book II. Since his official return recital in April 1999, he has maintained an active performance career, presenting numerous solo and chamber recitals.
Kawashima has performed at many of Japan’s distinguished venues, including Ginza Oji Hall, Aoyama Gakuin Gaucher Hall, and Kawai Salon Concert Hall (Aoyama). His performances have been noted for their stylistic refinement, technical assurance, and poetic musical expression. In 2025, he joined the Grand Jury Panel of the Global Federation of International Music Competitions.
Dr. Julie-Anne Derome (Canada)
Dr. Julie-Anne Derome, a distinguished Canadian violinist and the founder of the Fibonacci Trio, began her journey with the violin at the tender age of three. Her early studies took her to the Montreal Conservatoire, where she trained under Taras Gabora and Sonia Jelinkova. She later honed her craft with Christopher Rowland at the Royal Northern College of Music in the UK and with Mitchell Stern at the Hartt School in the USA.
Throughout her career, Julie-Anne Derome has garnered numerous accolades and recognitions. In 2003, she was awarded the prestigious Virginia Parker Prize. Her exceptional talent also earned her the opportunity to play on several remarkable violins, including a Pressenda violin loaned by the Canada Council for the Arts instrument bank from 2003 to 2006, a Rocca violin from the same bank from 2000 to 2003, and an Amati violin from the Royal Northern College of Music from 1992 to 1995. Additionally, she received the Prix Opus in 2001 with Trio Fibonacci for their international acclaim and was honored with the Mendelssohn Trust Award in the UK in 1995. In 1991, she was awarded a special prize at the Yehudi Menuhin competition in Paris for her performance of "Anthèmes" by Pierre Boulez.
Julie-Anne Derome is known for her scintillating technique, rigorous bowing, and the original poetic colors she brings to her performances. Her passion for 20th-century music was ignited in 1992 when she gave the world premiere of the revised version of Berg's Violin Concerto with the symphony orchestra of the RNCM. Since then, she has become a champion of contemporary music, regularly premiering concertos by Canadian composers and solo works with various ensembles.
In 1998, Julie-Anne founded the Trio Fibonacci, an ensemble dedicated to performing piano trio music from all eras. The group is particularly renowned for its brilliant interpretations of contemporary repertoire. Trio Fibonacci has performed on every continent except Oceania and has premiered over fifty works by both Canadian and international composers, including Mauricio Kagel, Enno Poppe, Michael Finnissy, Pascal Dusapin, and Jonathan Harvey. https://www.triofibonacci.com/about
Maestro Massimiliano Valenti (Italy)
Prof. Massimiliano Valenti began his studies at age of 4 and then continued his musical studies at the Musical Institute "V. Bellini" in Catania with Professor Ms Mariapia Tricoli, graduating with top honors. Subsequently furthered his potential in Germany with the masters Paul Buch in Stuttgart, and later on in Monaco with the scholar Gerhard Oppitz . In 2000 he met Maestro Aldo Ciccolini in Paris with whom he begins an in-depth analysis of the French repertoire and finally in Romania with Diana Apan. Other Masters who have also contributed to his development are Oxana Yablonskaja, Marian Mika, Luigi Mostacci , Massimiliano Damerini and Dana Borsan.
At a very young age Valenti won numerous national and international competitions in all parts of Italy. Thus he began a brilliant concert activity which led him to perform in Festivals in main Italian cities. In 2004 debut in Brasov ( Romania ) he was described by the critics : "A talent out of the ordinary, who places himself on the path of the great pianism”. Soon he is invited to perform at the Banatul Philharmonic of Timisoara and Sibiu, European Capital of Culture at that time, at the International Festival " Carl Filtsch " in the State Philharmonic. Progressively he obtains appreciation from the international scene, performing at Festivals in prestigious European and overseas halls including: Berlin, Vienna, London, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Porto, Leon, Detroit, Baltimore, Toronto, Montreal and Seoul. since 2016 he has been a regular guest of the most important theaters of China, while 2019 opens the door to Japan. He is regularly invited to give courses of Advanced Piano in Italy and abroad including : the University of Aveiro Music Conservatory of Oporto (Portugal) , the University of Virginia Tech, Radford and Greenville (USA), the Department of Music in Timisoara (Romania) and the National University of Music in Seoul (Korea).
Prof. Massimiliano Valenti began his studies at age of 4 and then continued his musical studies at the Musical Institute "V. Bellini" in Catania with Professor Ms Mariapia Tricoli, graduating with top honors. Subsequently furthered his potential in Germany with the masters Paul Buch in Stuttgart, and later on in Monaco with the scholar Gerhard Oppitz . In 2000 he met Maestro Aldo Ciccolini in Paris with whom he begins an in-depth analysis of the French repertoire and finally in Romania with Diana Apan. Other Masters who have also contributed to his development are Oxana Yablonskaja, Marian Mika, Luigi Mostacci , Massimiliano Damerini and Dana Borsan.
At a very young age Valenti won numerous national and international competitions in all parts of Italy. Thus he began a brilliant concert activity which led him to perform in Festivals in main Italian cities. In 2004 debut in Brasov ( Romania ) he was described by the critics : "A talent out of the ordinary, who places himself on the path of the great pianism”. Soon he is invited to perform at the Banatul Philharmonic of Timisoara and Sibiu, European Capital of Culture at that time, at the International Festival " Carl Filtsch " in the State Philharmonic. Progressively he obtains appreciation from the international scene, performing at Festivals in prestigious European and overseas halls including: Berlin, Vienna, London, Edinburgh, Barcelona, Porto, Leon, Detroit, Baltimore, Toronto, Montreal and Seoul. since 2016 he has been a regular guest of the most important theaters of China, while 2019 opens the door to Japan. He is regularly invited to give courses of Advanced Piano in Italy and abroad including : the University of Aveiro Music Conservatory of Oporto (Portugal) , the University of Virginia Tech, Radford and Greenville (USA), the Department of Music in Timisoara (Romania) and the National University of Music in Seoul (Korea).
Dr. Yoonie Han (Korea / China)
Praised for her "flowing tones, poetic phrasing and heavenly singing melodies" (Cincinnati Inquirer), and “musical imagination and feel for complex textures that drew vivid images” (Washington Post), South Korean pianist Yoonie Han has won top prizes in distinguished international competitions and the highest accolades for her poetic performances in major concert halls in the U.S. and around the world. In 2009, Yoonie Han was honored with the Gawon Music Award as the “most brilliant pianist aged 17 to 31 of any nationality who possesses the most promising potential for global prominence.” She is the first-prize winner of the Washington International Piano Competition, Fulbright Concerto Competition, World Piano Competition, Kosciuszko Chopin Competition, Juilliard’s Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Frederich Nordmann Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Chopin Piano Competition, Music Teachers’ National Association Piano Competition, and has garnered major prizes at the Helsinki Maj Lind International Piano Competition, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize, Concorso Pianistico Ettore Pozzoli Internaziole, and Valencia International Piano Competitions.
Following her grand-prize award in the Korea National Music Competition in 2001, the Korean Ministry of Culture named her its “Most Promising Young Artist.” She is the recipient of “Brava!” award given by the Italian Academy Foundation, as well as an award from London Keyboard Trust. Having made her solo debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at Seoul Arts Center at age 13, Ms. Han has since performed with the Berliner Symphoniker, Buffalo Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Miami Symphony, Gangnam Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony, Juilliard Symphony, New Jersey Festival, New Amsterdam, Presidential Symphony of Turkey, Hong Kong City Chamber, Hong Kong’s SAR Philharmonic, and Banff Festival Orchestras. She has played at such celebrated venues as at the Berlin Philharmonie, Concertgebouw, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Frick Collection, Symphony Space, Tanglewood Festival, Bergamo Festival in Italy, Salle Cortot in Paris, Hong Kong City Hall, and Sejong Performing Arts Center in Korea. In 2012-13, with the supports from Fulbright Foundation, she toured major Steinway Halls in the U.S. and Europe.
Her debut album was released on Concert Artists label (2013), and she has released three albums with Steinway Records. Her ‘Love and Longing’ (2014) on Steinway Records made the Top 21 on the Billboard Classical Chart. Her second album, ‘Goyescas’ (2017), was released to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of the composer, Enrique Granados. Her third album presents the complete ‘Le Rossignol Éperdu’ (2019) by Reynaldo Hahn. In 2020, she released ‘Hollywood Romance’ on Universal Records label. Her Piano Trio, Gloriosa, has released an album (2019) on the Centaur Records label.
Dr. Han received her Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, her Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School, pursued her Artist Diploma from the University of Montreal, and completed her Doctorate from Stony Brook University. She was an Assistant Professor of Piano and Artistic Events Coordinator at Bilkent University in Turkey in 2015-18. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Istanbul International Piano Festival and Steinway Prize in Turkey. She worked as an Assistant Professor of Piano at Hong Kong Baptist University in 2018-23. From 2023, she is an Associate Professor of Art at New York University Shanghai. Yoonie Han is a Steinway Artist and Steinway Honorary Teacher. https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/faculty/directory/yoonie-han
Praised for her "flowing tones, poetic phrasing and heavenly singing melodies" (Cincinnati Inquirer), and “musical imagination and feel for complex textures that drew vivid images” (Washington Post), South Korean pianist Yoonie Han has won top prizes in distinguished international competitions and the highest accolades for her poetic performances in major concert halls in the U.S. and around the world. In 2009, Yoonie Han was honored with the Gawon Music Award as the “most brilliant pianist aged 17 to 31 of any nationality who possesses the most promising potential for global prominence.” She is the first-prize winner of the Washington International Piano Competition, Fulbright Concerto Competition, World Piano Competition, Kosciuszko Chopin Competition, Juilliard’s Gina Bachauer Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Frederich Nordmann Piano Competition, Juilliard’s Chopin Piano Competition, Music Teachers’ National Association Piano Competition, and has garnered major prizes at the Helsinki Maj Lind International Piano Competition, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Prize, Concorso Pianistico Ettore Pozzoli Internaziole, and Valencia International Piano Competitions.
Following her grand-prize award in the Korea National Music Competition in 2001, the Korean Ministry of Culture named her its “Most Promising Young Artist.” She is the recipient of “Brava!” award given by the Italian Academy Foundation, as well as an award from London Keyboard Trust. Having made her solo debut with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra at Seoul Arts Center at age 13, Ms. Han has since performed with the Berliner Symphoniker, Buffalo Philharmonic, Helsinki Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, Miami Symphony, Gangnam Symphony, Santa Cruz Symphony, Juilliard Symphony, New Jersey Festival, New Amsterdam, Presidential Symphony of Turkey, Hong Kong City Chamber, Hong Kong’s SAR Philharmonic, and Banff Festival Orchestras. She has played at such celebrated venues as at the Berlin Philharmonie, Concertgebouw, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Frick Collection, Symphony Space, Tanglewood Festival, Bergamo Festival in Italy, Salle Cortot in Paris, Hong Kong City Hall, and Sejong Performing Arts Center in Korea. In 2012-13, with the supports from Fulbright Foundation, she toured major Steinway Halls in the U.S. and Europe.
Her debut album was released on Concert Artists label (2013), and she has released three albums with Steinway Records. Her ‘Love and Longing’ (2014) on Steinway Records made the Top 21 on the Billboard Classical Chart. Her second album, ‘Goyescas’ (2017), was released to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of the composer, Enrique Granados. Her third album presents the complete ‘Le Rossignol Éperdu’ (2019) by Reynaldo Hahn. In 2020, she released ‘Hollywood Romance’ on Universal Records label. Her Piano Trio, Gloriosa, has released an album (2019) on the Centaur Records label.
Dr. Han received her Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, her Master of Music degree from the Juilliard School, pursued her Artist Diploma from the University of Montreal, and completed her Doctorate from Stony Brook University. She was an Assistant Professor of Piano and Artistic Events Coordinator at Bilkent University in Turkey in 2015-18. She is the founder and Artistic Director of the Istanbul International Piano Festival and Steinway Prize in Turkey. She worked as an Assistant Professor of Piano at Hong Kong Baptist University in 2018-23. From 2023, she is an Associate Professor of Art at New York University Shanghai. Yoonie Han is a Steinway Artist and Steinway Honorary Teacher. https://shanghai.nyu.edu/academics/faculty/directory/yoonie-han
Prof. Alan Fraser - Serbia
Canadian pianist, pedagogue and author Alan Fraser is best known for his books linking piano technique to the Feldenkrais Method. A student of pioneering pedagogue Phil Cohen in Montreal and the virtuoso Kemal Gekić in Yugoslavia, he is a trained Feldenkrais practitioner who has presented at numerous music conferences worldwide and published articles in most of the major piano journals. He has performed in North America, Russia, China, Yugoslavia and many European countries, and leads regular seminars at his Alan Fraser Piano Institute in many North American and European capitals. His latest publication is Pianimals, a new children’s method with Phil Cohen-Feldenkrais style exercises to quickly improve a young pianist’s technique and musicianship.
Dr. Angela Chan Ph.D. - Canada
Recognized as the great-grand student of Alfred Cortot (from the lineage of Frederyck Chopin), Dr. Angela Chan is an accomplished concert pianist who has performed extensively in Canada, Europe, the U.S.A. China and Hong Kong, and has been featured on the Discovery Channel (Canada), Global TV, CBC, CBS, MSNBC, the Australian Television Network, CJAD, CJOH, RTHK (Radio Television Hong Kong) and other media networks. Dr. Chan’s works have also been featured in Maclean’s Magazine, La Scena Musicale, Montreal Gazette and the National Post. Angela Chan holds a Doctorate in Piano Performance, Pedagogy and Education from Concordia University, Montreal, and she is the founder and Director of Lambda School of Music and Fine Arts, an internationally recognized institution for its fine quality and reputation. Dr. Chan is also head of the piano pedagogy division at Lambda School, providing professional and career development opportunities for piano teachers. Dr. Chan has a wealth of experiences in helping students achieve their maximum potential, and has groomed numerous child prodigies in her career. In her 4 decades of extensive music and psychological research, Dr. Chan has unraveled the mysteries of effective and efficient teaching and learning. As a consequence, within short periods of study with Dr. Chan, many of her students have demonstrated phenomenal progress.
Dr. Chan's students have won first prizes in national and international piano competitions and have been invited to perform at the prestigious Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre in New York, the Royal Albert Hall in London (United Kingdom), as well as in Amsterdam (Holland), Rome (Italy), Vienna and Salzburg (Austria), Brussels (Belgium), Bonn (Germany), China, Japan and Hong Kong. Dr. Chan's students have been highly successful under her guidance - they have been accepted by prestigious universities in the US and Canada, including the New England Conservatory, Peabody Institute of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music and the Manhattan School of Music in New York, as well as McGill University in Canada. Dr. Chan's pedagogy students have become outstanding piano teachers, whose students have won international awards.
Dr. Chan is also the author of the new Lambda piano method series developed to help pianists progress at an accelerated pace. Dr. Chan’s book A Guide to Musicality - The Art and Science on her research and experiences with innovative pedagogical approaches has also been released in July 2020. Recognized internationally as an outstanding pedagogue, Dr. Chan has been invited to adjudicate a number of major competitions in Canada, China, Europe and in the US.
Dr. Chan is also retired senior examiner and clinician of the Royal Conservatory of Music. Dr. Chan also serves as pedagogical consultant to the iScore Project – an online pedagogical platform co-developed by the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Concordia University and Queen’s University. Dr. Chan has lectured at Concordia University, and she also serves as artistic and pedagogical consultant for a number of music and arts organizations. She is also currently pedagogical consultant to an innovative pedagogical project in China in the provinces of Shanghai and Guangzhou.