2026-2027 Lee Studios of Music Inc. ~ Kenneth A. Lee, clarinetist & Dr. Marjorie Lee, pianist
“Encouraging & supporting talented young musicians in discovering their full potential, by acquiring skills that ensure their pleasure of music for a lifetime.”
Thai Nguyen
Finalist 2025 Rosalyn Turek Int'l Competition Second Place 2024 FMMC H.S. Competition
First Place Winner:
2024 E.R. DAVIS Scholarship Competition
Judged Recital
Chris Kies, Chair
Our four WMTA Judged Recitals during the 2025–2026 season were a wonderful success,
providing students with meaningful performance opportunities and valuable educational
experiences. Throughout the year, we were fortunate to have an exceptional panel of judges
who offered thoughtful, encouraging, and insightful feedback to every performer. A heartfelt
thank you to Dr. Minji Kim, Dr. Somruedi Suchitphanit (Kwan), Dr. Francesca Hurst, Dr. Tzuyi
Zoe Chen, Lena Afanaseva, Patricia Huff-Palumbo, Ardita Statovci, and Nolan Alexander Ancil
for generously sharing their expertise and supporting our students.
The first Judged Recital, featuring students ages 12 and under, displayed a high level of
talent, and four students were chosen to perform at the WMTA Honors Recital on May 31, 2026.
Those were Elsa Tseng (teacher: Silva Blazquez), Ly-Ly Ouy (teacher: Silva Blazquez), Caleb
Ding (teacher: Marjorie Lee), and Benjamina Bolger (teacher: Yuan Bolger). Three students
were awarded Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Zhang (teacher: Tzu-yi Chen), Amelia Barry (teacher:
Patricia Huff-Palumbo), and Conor Kelley (teacher: Ardita Statovci). The winner for the second
Judged Recital is Nina Sejd (teacher: Rachel Chen) who was selected to perform at the
Honors Recital. Two students received Honorable Mention: Lucas Cho (teacher: Jeongseon
Choi) and Stella Choi (teacher: Jeongseon Choi). The third Judged Recital was held on March
22, 2026 where nine students presented a diverse program ranging from J.S. Bach to Franz
Liszt and Sergei Prokofiev. Yuchu Li (teacher: Junko Takahashi), and Bowen Wu (teacher:
Marjorie Lee), were selected to perform at the Honors Recital. Honorable Mentions were
awarded to Xinyu Gong (teacher: Silvia Blazquez), and Adelia Nam (teacher: Katerina
Zaitseva). The final Judged Recital took place on April 26, 2026 and eleven students
performed an impressive and varied program showcasing a high level of artistry. Brandon Zhang
(teacher: Nancy Breth), and Theodore Kim (teacher: Marjorie Lee), were selected to perform at
the Honors Recital. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Jaden Kooi-Szocs (teacher:
Anastassia Ivanova), Marcus Yoon (teacher: Nancy Breth), Nora Wang (teacher: Patricia
Huff-Palumbo), Jane Bridgeford (teacher: Minji Kim), and Jamshed Kalsi (teacher: Svetlana
Kaplanskaya). Congratulations to all of our participants, Honors Recital performers, Honorable
Mention recipients, and their teachers on an exceptional season. We encourage all WMTA
members to register their students for future Judged Recitals.
These events provide invaluable opportunities to gain performance experience, receive
personalized feedback from experienced adjudicators, and continue growing as confident,
expressive musicians!
Chris Kies, Chair
Our four WMTA Judged Recitals during the 2025–2026 season were a wonderful success,
providing students with meaningful performance opportunities and valuable educational
experiences. Throughout the year, we were fortunate to have an exceptional panel of judges
who offered thoughtful, encouraging, and insightful feedback to every performer. A heartfelt
thank you to Dr. Minji Kim, Dr. Somruedi Suchitphanit (Kwan), Dr. Francesca Hurst, Dr. Tzuyi
Zoe Chen, Lena Afanaseva, Patricia Huff-Palumbo, Ardita Statovci, and Nolan Alexander Ancil
for generously sharing their expertise and supporting our students.
The first Judged Recital, featuring students ages 12 and under, displayed a high level of
talent, and four students were chosen to perform at the WMTA Honors Recital on May 31, 2026.
Those were Elsa Tseng (teacher: Silva Blazquez), Ly-Ly Ouy (teacher: Silva Blazquez), Caleb
Ding (teacher: Marjorie Lee), and Benjamina Bolger (teacher: Yuan Bolger). Three students
were awarded Honorable Mention: Jeffrey Zhang (teacher: Tzu-yi Chen), Amelia Barry (teacher:
Patricia Huff-Palumbo), and Conor Kelley (teacher: Ardita Statovci). The winner for the second
Judged Recital is Nina Sejd (teacher: Rachel Chen) who was selected to perform at the
Honors Recital. Two students received Honorable Mention: Lucas Cho (teacher: Jeongseon
Choi) and Stella Choi (teacher: Jeongseon Choi). The third Judged Recital was held on March
22, 2026 where nine students presented a diverse program ranging from J.S. Bach to Franz
Liszt and Sergei Prokofiev. Yuchu Li (teacher: Junko Takahashi), and Bowen Wu (teacher:
Marjorie Lee), were selected to perform at the Honors Recital. Honorable Mentions were
awarded to Xinyu Gong (teacher: Silvia Blazquez), and Adelia Nam (teacher: Katerina
Zaitseva). The final Judged Recital took place on April 26, 2026 and eleven students
performed an impressive and varied program showcasing a high level of artistry. Brandon Zhang
(teacher: Nancy Breth), and Theodore Kim (teacher: Marjorie Lee), were selected to perform at
the Honors Recital. Honorable Mentions were awarded to Jaden Kooi-Szocs (teacher:
Anastassia Ivanova), Marcus Yoon (teacher: Nancy Breth), Nora Wang (teacher: Patricia
Huff-Palumbo), Jane Bridgeford (teacher: Minji Kim), and Jamshed Kalsi (teacher: Svetlana
Kaplanskaya). Congratulations to all of our participants, Honors Recital performers, Honorable
Mention recipients, and their teachers on an exceptional season. We encourage all WMTA
members to register their students for future Judged Recitals.
These events provide invaluable opportunities to gain performance experience, receive
personalized feedback from experienced adjudicators, and continue growing as confident,
expressive musicians!
BOYA WU
2ND PLACE WINNER Virginia State Music Teachers Competition NVMTA FALL FESTIVAL PERFORMERS' AWARDS
Clara Allen - Superior Kaye Allen - Superior Caleb Ding - Superior Daniel Du - Superior Sophie Elston - Excellent Ena Jung - Superior Darius Lim - Superior Ferwa Muhammad - Superior Jacob Yang - Excellent Jayden Yang - Superior Jeremy Yang - Superior |
THEODORE KIM
2025 ALTERNATE JUNIOR LEVEL
(11-14)VMTA State Competition ~~ Korean Youth Honor Society Music Competition Grand Prize Winner D.C. Area |
Congratulations!
Virginia State Music Teachers Honors: Theodore Kim - Alternate VMTA Junior Level Piano Zack Lam - Alternate VMTA Senior Level Piano Boya Wu - 2nd place VMTA State Audition Winner Hiroki Matsui - 2nd place VMTA State Audition Winner Our piano studio is the home of bright and energetic students working in an atmosphere of mutual support, love of music & focused practice. The supportive and involved parents of studio members are an essential part of our team!
|
Theodore Kim ~ Korean Youth Honor Society
|
THANK YOU to all the hard- working pianists in our studio 🎼
We are very proud of you!
Slideshow:
Dr. Marjorie Lee
Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame, USIS ARTISTIC AMBASSADOR TO Western Europe ~
Press Comments:
"She is a steel-fingered pianist who can ripple through pages of music, offering firmly propulsive, tightly exciting accounts of the music."
The New York Times.
"Marjorie Lee is a greatly gifted musician with fingers and personality of equal force."
The Washington Post.
"Marjorie Lee brought a pyrotechnic dazzle to her performance, a sustained dazzle that brought amazing clarity to her performance. Fireworks ran through her entire recital."
The Washington Star News.
"She is a steel-fingered pianist who can ripple through pages of music, offering firmly propulsive, tightly exciting accounts of the music."
The New York Times.
"Marjorie Lee is a greatly gifted musician with fingers and personality of equal force."
The Washington Post.
"Marjorie Lee brought a pyrotechnic dazzle to her performance, a sustained dazzle that brought amazing clarity to her performance. Fireworks ran through her entire recital."
The Washington Star News.
