Xiongzan Guan is a talented pianist and composer born into a musical family. He is currently working with Prof. Ran Dank at Eastman School of Music. He has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in many major cities of China. He has actively engaged in original and improvisational music.

Canadian pianist Natalie Yu (18) is studying with Logan Skelton at the University of Michigan. Passionate about collaboration, she has played with the Ontario Philharmonic and Mississauga Symphony and premiered the opera, Gould’s Wall. She has had the privilege of playing for Robert McDonald and Jeremy Denk, among others.

Chaihun Kim holds degrees from Seoul National University and Missouri State University, both with full scholarships. As a pianist and educator, she has performed nationally and internationally. She will begin her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at Rutgers University in Fall 2025 with assistantship and scholarship support.

Calista Maurer is a performer seeking to engage audiences through richness of sound and character. Having previously studied with Asher Armstrong, Calista is a piano performance student of Xiting Yang at the University of Arkansas. Her undergraduate studies will conclude in the Spring of 2026.

Sophia Thomsen is a junior at Fayetteville High and has played piano for thirteen years. She regularly participates in the Sonata Festival and Arkansas State Music Teachers Association Competition. In addition to piano, she is a percussionist in the FHS drumline and percussion ensemble. Sophie enjoys music in various forms.