Zachary Li began piano studies at the young age of four and quickly showed remarkable dedication and skill, passing the ABRSM Grade 8 piano examination at just seven. His talent has earned recognition in major competitions, including the Henle International Piano Competition and the Australian National, Shoalhaven, and Cowra Eisteddfods. He has received scholarships such as the Ann Thompson Memorial Scholarship (2023), Doris Rowland Excellence Award (2024), Farleigh Instrumental Scholarship (2023), and First Prize in the ACT Young Virtuoso Awards (2024 & 2025). He holds both LMusA and AMusA with distinction from the Australian Music Examination Board under the guidance of Dr. Stephanie Neeman.

Driven by a deep commitment to sharing his passion for music, Zachary performs within his community, bringing live music to those with limited access. His recent charity concert raised funds for the Canberra Hospital Foundation to support children in need, and he also helped raise $2,000 for the Australian National Eisteddfod Piano Division. He continues to use his music to inspire and give back to others.

Born in 2007, Cecilia Xu began learning the horn at eight and is currently under the tutelage with Yang Xiao and Nico Fleury. She received her AMEB AMusA (2022) and LMusA (2023), both with distinction, and won the Music Society of Victoria Herbert Davis Memorial Award and the 3MBS Victorian Young Performer Award.

A Year 12 student and Music Captain at Melbourne Girls’ Grammar, she is the orchestra’s principal hornist and has twice received the Bond Family Cup for best piano accompanist (2024, 2025).

This year, Cecilia appeared on the 3MBS radio program The Talent, winning the audience prize. She was also a member of the Melbourne Youth Orchestra Flagship and the Melbourne Conservatorium Young Artists Academy.

Apart from music, Cecilia is a 2025 recipient of the Victorian Premier’s Spirit of ANZAC Prize and is an avid French learner, founding her own French magazine ‘Mots Entre Nous’.

Adelaide-based pianist Jenny Su is a First-Class Honours graduate of the Elder Conservatorium of Music, where she received numerous scholarships and prizes, including the David Galliver, Maude Harriet Riley, Patrick Cecil Greenland, Daisy Burmeister Salotti, and Jack De Vos Scholarships. In 2025, she was awarded the University Medal for outstanding academic excellence.

Jenny has participated in masterclasses with internationally acclaimed pianists, Angela Hewitt, Paavali Jumppanen, Stephen Kovacevich, Phillip Moll, and Paloma Kouider. Her performance highlights include appearances at the Art of Possible Festival and PianoLab, as well as collaborations with violinist, Helen Ayres and violist, Stephen King for the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia’s Ruby Festival. Following her 2023 Elder Hall Lunch Hour Top-Class Concert performance, she was awarded the Peter Brooker Prize for Musical Excellence and, in 2025, was invited to return as a guest performer.

In 2023, Jenny represented South Australia at the Australian Showcase for the Sydney International Piano Competition. She is a four-time recipient of the Wilf Mader Memorial Medallion and has won the Senior Division of the Adelaide Eisteddfod for three consecutive years (2023–2025).

Jenny is currently pursuing a Master of Music at the Elder Conservatorium, where she studies with Lucinda Collins.

Elijah Baker, 15, is the 2025 NSW Young Virtuoso Award Winner, earning his place in this
year’s National Final. A Year 9 student at Sydney’s Conservatorium High School, he has
already distinguished himself nationally and internationally. In July, he was invited to perform
in the finals of the ITA Gilberto Gagliardi Competition at the International Trombone Festival
in Canada. Another major highlight was performing the Grøndahl Trombone Concerto at The
Concourse, Chatswood, in the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra Secondary Schools
Concerto Competition, where he received the Players’ Award.
Elijah’s 2025 achievements include winning the Lane Cove Community Bands Young
Soloists’ Competition, multiple Sydney Eisteddfod titles, and securing his third consecutive
Australian National Junior Tenor Trombone Championship. He has also been invited to join
Australia Brass, performing at the 2026 World Music Competition in Kerkrade, Netherlands.
Elijah studies under Gregory van der Struik (Opera Australia).

Described as a pianist with “technical wizardry and versatility” (Sounds Like Sydney), Cairns-born Reuben Tsang began learning the piano with Koko Julian and has continued under the guidance of Natasha Vlassenko OAM and Daniel de Borah at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University. At this institution, Reuben was honoured to receive the 2024 Conservatorium Medal.

In 2024, Reuben won First Prize, Best Recital and Peoples’ Choice Award at the Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition. Additionally, he was a recipient of several prizes at the 2023 Sydney International Piano Competition, a semi-finalist at the 2023 Aarhus International Piano Competition in Denmark and the Elisabeth Murdoch First Prize winner at the 2022 Great Romantics Competition.

Reuben’s highlights of 2024 include performing an Australian national recital tour with Piano+ and performing at the Musical Chairs Chamber Music Festival in Montreal. In 2025, he performed extensively in festivals such as the Canberra International Music Festival, Queensland Art Song Festival and Out West Piano Fest.

Reuben has also enjoyed performing concertos with orchestras across Australia including Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, Brisbane Symphony Orchestra and North Queensland Chamber Orchestra.