By Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra
For its fourth season’s finale, the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra will present “A Concerto Extravaganza” on Sunday, May 22, 2011 at 7 pm, at the Princeton Alliance Church on 20 Schalks Crossing Road, Plainsboro, NJ, 08536, at the intersection with Scudders Mill Road in Plainsboro.
This concert will be conducted by its music director, Chiu-Tze Lin of Manalapan. It will feature winners of the Bravura’s 2011 Young Artists Competition: flutist Jessica Hu, pianist Kevin Kong, cellist Noah Lee and pianist Penny Luan. These young soloists were selected among a group of over 45 contestants who came from all across New Jersey to participate in the competition held in late February.
Jessica Hu, age 15, is a sophomore at Marlboro High School. She has been a student of Joseph Lu for the last four years. Under his instruction, Jessica has participated in the All-Shore Intermediate Band, in which she was the first chair flutist during the 2007-2008 year. She has also participated in the Region II Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. In 2009, she performed in Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall for the Asian American Fine Arts Association (AAFAA) and now she currently participates in the New Jersey Symphony Youth Orchestra.
Jessica also studies piano, and has been the student of Mrs. Liang-Huei Huang Tsai. She passed the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) Grade 8 piano examination and received numerous awards from the AAFAA, the New Jersey Music Teachers Association (NJMTA) Recital Auditions, and the Shore Music Educators Association Evaluation Program and showcase auditions. She has performed in prestigious venues such as Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and the Kimmel Center. With such a passion for music, Jessica has decided to pursue music education as her major. Jessica’s other hobbies include the drums, dance, tennis, choir, and art.
Fourteen year old Kevin Kong is an eighth grader at Community Middle School in Plainsboro. He currently studies with Dr. Chiu-Ling Lin of West Windsor and was a student of Chiu-Tze Lin and Michael Jacobson.
Kevin has won many piano competitions including the First Prize in the NJMTA Young Musician’s Competition for three years. Most recently, Kevin was chosen as a 2011 Elmer & Louis Menges Scholarship Award winner and will be featured as a soloist with the Ambler Symphony Orchestra in February 2012. He is a two-time winner of both the Music Teacher National Association Junior Piano Division and the Greater Princeton Steinway Society Competitions. Kevin won the Golden Key Festival Auditions, and as a result, received the opportunity to perform at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. In 2005, Kevin received the highest score for his grade in the ABRSM in the tri-state area.
Kevin studied violin with Philip Pugh and Dezheng Ping and plays in his Middle School Orchestra. He was the winner of the Westminster Conservatory Scholarship Competition for violin. Kevin also enjoys giving music back to the community and has performed in local nursing and senior citizen homes.
Noah Lee, age 10, is a fifth grader at Heights Elementary School, in Oakland. He started playing the cello at age 8, under the tutelage of his mother, Soo Lee. After two years of study, he was accepted into the Juilliard School, Pre College Division. He is currently studying with Minhye Clara Kim. Noah was the first place winner in the 2009 New York Music Competition, a prize winner in the 2010 New York International Music Competition, and the first place winner at the 2010 NJ ASTA Solo Competition, early bird division. Noah was selected to participate in Master Classes given by Steven Isserlis and Fred Sherry. He has performed solo and chamber music at Bryant Park in the “Classical Kids” summer concert series in 2008 and 2009. In the past, he participated in the Bergen Youth Orchestra and “Juilliard Discoveries”, a pilot DVD to encourage classical music to youth. Noah has performed in Eric Brown Theater, Promise Theater, and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. This summer, Noah is headed to The Meadowmount School of Music, where he will study with Hans Jorgen Jensen. Noah is currently a praise leader at Cornerstone Fellowship. In his free time, Noah likes to read, play football, and play Wii.
Penny Luan, age 14, is a freshman at West-Windsor Plainsboro High School South. She has been a student of Chiu-Tze Lin for the past six years. Her former teachers were Ingrid Clarfield and San-Wa Ching.
Penny is the youngest person to receive the Diploma from the ABRSM (DipABRSM) in the tri-state area for piano performance, at a age of 12. She has won numerous competitions, including the Greater Princeton Steinway Society Competition, the NJMTA Young Musicians Competition, the Cecilian Music Club Young Artists Competition, and the Golden Key Piano Competition. Penny has performed at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. In addition, she has traveled with the Northeastern American Arts Troupe to China, where she performed at the Shanghai Grand Theater and the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center.
Aside from her piano, Penny is an avid violinist. She currently studies violin with Mr. Hua-Yi Wang. She was a member of the Central Jersey Music Educators Association Region II High School Orchestra, and also participated in the Manalapan Battleground Symphony Orchestra. At High School South, Penny is Concertmaster of the String Ensemble, President of the Freshman Orchestra Council, and a member of the High School South Quartet. She is a varsity athlete on the track team and a member of the swim team.
General admission for the concert is $15, $12 for seniors and students. Premium Seating is available at $25 each. Tickets purchased in advance are $12 and can be obtained by visiting www.bravuraphil.org or calling (609) 790-9559 or (732) 792-2070.

