Future emerging: Four young classical musicians win Young Artists Competition * Oregon ArtsWatch

"The future is now, or at least a healthy musical slice of it. Four young classical musicians have been chosen as winners of the inaugural Young Artists Professional Development Competition, held at Portland State University, where competitors played a solo piece of their own choosing and sat with professional musicians to read through an excerpt from the Mozart piano trio K.502."

"The four winners each received a Lewis-Goldstein $1,000 Scholarship Award, and each will perform at chatterPDX, the weekly Sunday morning classical performance series, with members of the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Orchestra or Portland Opera Orchestra, along with other chamber music artists. Performance dates and repertoire will be announced later."

"Emily Liu, piano. Liu, 15, is a student at Camas High School and a music student of Dr. Thomas Otten. She's appeared with the Central Oregon Symphony, and among her several musical honors she is the Grand Prize Award winner of Portland Choir & Orchestra's 2025 Youth Musician Scholarship program. Emily also plays the oboe, and was the principal oboist in the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Concert Orchestra."

"Kristen Kim, cello. Kim, 16, is a student at Westview High School, and began playing cello at age 6, currently studying with Hyun-Jin Kim. She made her solo debut at age 12 with the Oregon Mozart Players Orchestra, and has performed as a soloist with ensembles including the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra and the Oregon Sinfonietta. She's played at Carnegie Hall as a winner of the American Protégé International String Competition, is co-principal cellist of the Portland Youth Philharmonic, and was the principal cellist of the 2025 All-State OMEA (Oregon Music Education Association) Orchestra."

An inaugural Young Artists Professional Development Competition at Portland State University selected four young classical musicians as winners. Competitors performed a solo selection and rehearsed an excerpt from Mozart's piano trio K.502 with professional musicians. Each winner received a Lewis-Goldstein $1,000 Scholarship Award and will appear at chatterPDX alongside members of the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Ballet Orchestra or Portland Opera Orchestra and other chamber artists. Biographical details appear for Emily Liu (piano, 15), Kristen Kim (cello, 16) and Kaylee Nah (violin, 15); one winner's full biography is not provided in the available text.

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