MY STUdents
Mariya Akhadjanova, DMA Program
Mariya Akhadjanova, a native of Uzbekistan, is a DMA candidate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at University of Iowa where she studies under the tutelage of Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. She is currently working as a staff collaborative pianist at School of Music, University of Iowa. In October 2021, she performed at Carnegie Hall, New York, as a winner of the 2021 “Golden Classical Music Awards" International Competition and in May 2022 at Merkin Concert Hall, Lincoln Center, in New York City as a finalist and Second prize Winner of the Music International Grand Prix 2022. In the past few years, she participated in various online piano competitions and received the First Prize in the Swiss International Music Competition, Quebec International Music Competition, and Music and Stars Awards. Mariya received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Uzbekistan State Conservatory in Tashkent. She earned her second Master at Music degree in Piano Performance under Dr. Dmitri Vorobiev and Dr. Vakhtang Kodanashvili at the University of Northern Iowa in May 2018.
Paul Casiano, DMA Program
Born and raised in the Philippines, Paul Benjamin Casiano started taking piano lessons at the age of ten. Immediately, he began accompanying choral groups and church congregations. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance at the University of the Philippines College of Music in 2018 with Prof. Richelle Rivera. In those years he was awarded two prestigious scholarships for performance and academic excellence, namely the Regalado Jose grant and the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines. He garnered top prizes in the Piano Teacher’s Guild of the Philippines and the Leonor Kilayko Piano Competitions. In 2021, he obtained his Master of Music in Piano Performance at Western Illinois University with Dr. Jeffrey Brown, where he received a graduate assistantship award. He was a prize winner in the 2019 MTNA Illinois Chapter and the 2022 Thursday Musical Young Artist Scholarship Competition. Paul is currently in his second year of his Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Iowa, under the tutelage of Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. He is also one of the current Teaching Assistants at the School of Music, where he conducts group piano classes and individual piano lessons, as well as a piano accompanist for student musicians.
Ming Hu, DMA Program
Ming Hu, a native of Hunan, China, joined Eastman Community Music School as an instructor for group piano classes and an accompanist for choral groups in Fall 2023. She is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Iowa studying with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. Throughout her musical career in the United States, Hu has won a number of prizes, including Honorable Mention in Schubert Club Scholarship Competition in 2017, Bronze Award in The 3rd World Piano Teachers Association of Finland and Second Prize in The 5th International Moscow Music Competition in 2021. In 2016, she was the recipient of The Margaret Gary Daniels Keyboard Performance Award at Lawrence University. During her performance career, Hu has made successful apperances in concerts across Europe, North America, and Asia. Hu has performed in master classes with pianists such as Nelita True, Julian Martin, Tamás Ungár, and Eduardo Delgado. In Summer 2018, Hu attended the Semper International festival in Italy and the Wiener Musikseminar in Austria. In 2021, Hu released her first CD with singer Xingyu Huo (soprano), Song Cycle – Seasons (Twenty-Four Solar Terms) by Cong Liu. They were the first to debut and record this song cycle. Hu started playing piano at the age of four. She decided to start her professional musical studies in the fourth grade, entering the Elementary School of Music affiliated to Wuhan Conservatory, and finishing her middle school and high school studies in the Middle School of Music affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory, studying with Keng Zhou. Hu has studied with Carmen Wilhite, Luba Poliak, and earned her Bachelor’s degree of Music in Piano Performance with an Accompanying Fellowship at Lawrence University under the guidance of Catherine Kautsky
Yaqi Huang, DMA Program
Yaqi Huang, a Chengdu native from China. She holds degrees from the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in China (BM 2019) under the guidance of Prof. Tiantian Bao, and the Manhattan School of Music (MM 2021) where she studied with Dr. Inesa Sinkevych. Currently, Yaqi is embarking on her doctoral journey in Piano Performance at the University of Iowa, pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree as a Simms Fellowship recipient for the 2023-2024 academic year, studying with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. Throughout her musical career, Yaqi has participated in numerous piano competitions and musical festivals. Notable achievements include winning the Boya Award at the China International Piano Art Festival in 2015, securing second place (first place vacancy) in the Grazonov International Music Competition in 2016. In 2023, Yaqi achieved first place with an excellence nomination in the Modern category of the Vivaldi International Music Competition. Additionally, she received an Honorable Mention in the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition in the same year. Yaqi was granted a full scholarship to attend the University of Florida International Piano Festival in the summer of 2022. Her performances have taken her across various countries, including the United States, Russia, China, Singapore, and Thailand.
Neil Krzeski, DMA Program
Neil Krzeski is a DMA student at the University of Iowa where he studies piano with Ksenia Nosikova. Neil has appeared as a soloist with the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra and Concord Chamber Orchestra and has had success in several competitions including first place in the National Federation of Music Clubs Student/Collegiate Biennial Competition, second place and Glenn Gould Memorial Award in the “Bach With a View” International Young Artists Competition, and first place in the Wisconsin Music Teachers Association Badger Collegiate Performance Competition. Neil has played in masterclasses for Jeremy Denk, Ursula Oppens, John Perry, Awadagin Pratt, and David Kaplan. Neil received his master’s from Northwestern University studying with José Ramón Mendez, and he graduated from Lawrence University under the tutelage of Michael Mizrahi.
Hyewon Lee, DMA Program
Hyewon Lee is a Korean pianist, born in Seoul. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Iowa studying with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. She has performed in Vienna, Seoul, Flaine, and New York City, and has participated in festivals in the Vienna International Pianists Festival, Asia International Piano Academy and Festival in Seoul, Opus 74 in Flaine (France), Mannes Sounds Festival, and Amalfi Music and Arts Festival. Hyewon earned a BM from Sangmyung University Seoul under the guidance of Professor Heejin Kim. She graduated with a Master of Music degree and Professional Studies Diploma(PDPL) from Mannes School of Music in New York, studying with Dr. Blair McMillen. She was the recipient of the President’s Scholarship and Supplemental Scholarship from Mannes School of music, The New School. She also studied at the University of Connecticut for Performer’s Certificate under the tutelage of Dr. Angelina Gadeliya. Recently, she joined University of Iowa School of Music’s Community Music Lesson Program as an instructor. In her free time, she enjoys jogging, playing badminton, and hiking.
Feiyang Li, DMA Program
Feiyang Li, from Henan Province, China, is currently a D.M.A student at the University of Iowa studying with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. Ms. Li received her B.M. degree in Piano Performance at Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL under Prof. Adam Neiman’s instruction. She was also selected as one of the students as the winner of the piano showcase competition held at Roosevelt University in 2015. She received her M.M in piano performance in 2020 at Indiana University Bloomington (Jacobs School of Music) under Prof. Arnaldo Cohen and worked as a TA in the Piano Academy Summer Program at IU Jacobs School of Music in 2019. She participated in many music festivals during her piano study; she joined several summer music festivals held by ETSU in 2013. She took part in the St. Andrews Music Festival in 2016 and won the second prize in the St. Andrews International Concerto Competition in Canada that year. In 2017, she participated in the MMF (Manchester Music Festival) in Vermont. She also joined the ACIMA (Ameri-China International Music Association) New York Winter Festival in 2018. She won the third prize in the 2023 Wiener Musikseminar competition in Vienna. During the years of performing piano, she had some chances to have master classes with several famous professors from different Conservatories. For instance, Professor Mengjie Liu from Curtis Institute, Professor Matti Raekallio, and Ernest Barretta from Julliard School.
Bowen (Peter) Liu, DMA Program
Bowen (Peter) Liu is a current graduate student studying at University of Iowa with Dr.Ksenia Nosikova. He is from Beijing, China and has been studying in the U.S since third years of high school. Peter has been playing piano for 15 years, and throughout those years has studied under many different teachers who have helped him grow in his piano career. In his piano career, he has gotten to perform in various venues and settings. Peter has participated in various piano competitions. His most recent awards include, first place, MTNA State competition, 2017; winner of concerto and aria in University of Northwestern, St. Paul. First place, MMTA competition, 2019; Second place in Schubert Club competition, 2019; and first place in Thursday young artist college division, 2019. Recently, Peter had won the concerto and aria competition in University of Iowa.
Canlin Qiu, DMA Program
Canlin Qiu is a pianist from China. She is currently pursuing her Doctor ’s Degree in Piano Performance at the University of Iowa under the tutelage of Ksenia Nosikova as a recipient of the Doctoral Fellowship. Past studies include Master ‘s Degree under the tutelage of Evelyne Brancart at the Jacobs School of Music ( Indiana University) and Bachelor’s Degree under the tutelage of Meina Yu at the China Conservatory of Music
Henrique Rabelo, DMA Program
Henrique Rabelo is a pianist, composer, and arranger original from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Henrique currently lives in Iowa City, IA, pursuing his doctoral degree in Piano Performance under Dr. Ksenia Nosikova at the University of Iowa. Henrique got his Master’s degree in Piano Performance at the University of Wyoming with Dr. Theresa Bogard, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Rio de Janeiro at UniRio with Dr. Erika Ribeiro. As a pianist, Henrique Rabelo has participated in various music festivals and competitions. He has been a soloist performing with the University of Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, after winning the 2022-2023 Jacoby concerto competition at the University of Wyoming, the Orquestra Jovem de Guarulhos and the Orquestra Sinfônica da UniRio. Henrique has worked closely with the international pianist Maria João Pires during an artistic residency in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2019. He also has participated in masterclasses with many illustrious pianists from around the globe such Andrew Harley, Eduardo Monteiro, Jean-Louis Steuerman, Guigla Katsarava, David Korevaar, Tim Ovens, Cristian Budu, Flávio Augusto, Roberto Domingos, Débora Halász, Markus Stange, Ney Fialkow, Paulo Álvarez and Pedro Burmester. He has been working intensely in chamber music groups and as a collaborative pianist in duos and ensembles. As a composer, Henrique’s recently premiered works include his Sonata for Clarinet Solo, Collectives, for mixed ensemble, and Variations on a Theme by Ravel, for piano 4-hands, as a result of his collaborations with wonderful artists such as Theresa Bogard, Blake McGee, and The Playground Ensemble (Colorado), besides studying with the composer Anne Guzzo. His piece The Lodgepole Pine, for string quartet, was recently premiered in the 2023 Wyoming Festival.
Yifan Zhang, DMA Program
Yifan Zhang, a gifted pianist hailing from China, obtained her Bachelor's degree at Renmin University under the guidance of Prof. Yuchun Kang. She further refined her skills by earning a Master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied under the mentorship of Prof. Alexandre Moutouzkine. Currently in her third year as a DMA student at the University, Yifan is under the guidance of Dr. Nosikova. Over the course of her career, Yifan has garnered extensive experience in stage performance. Her accomplishments include securing first place in the International Chinese Piano Competition in 2017 and emerging as the victor in the prestigious Hope Cup Piano Competition. Notably, in 2022, she demonstrated her musical prowess with a successful solo concerto performance at the University of Iowa. Additionally, in 2023, she also performed in the Key Change Concert Series.
Tim Berry, MM Program
Timothy Berry is an Alabama native who recently graduated from the University of Alabama with his Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance under the instruction of Kevin Chance. He is currently studying with Ksenia Nosikova for his Masters of Arts in Piano Performance. He has won awards in numerous competitions such as the Music Teachers National Association Auditions; the Huxford Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition; National Society of Arts and Letters; Gulf Coast Steinway Society, Charleston International Music Competition; Birmingham Music Club Guild Scholarship Competition; and Alabama Music Teachers Association Solo, Chamber Music, and Concerto divisions. In 2019, he was awarded the Clara Wells Fellowship by the American Matthay Association for piano. In December 2020, he was featured in Make Music New York’s 32 for Third cycle of the Beethoven piano sonatas. He has attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival where he studied with Douglas Humphreys, and the New Orleans Piano Institute where he studied with Kevin Chance, Frank Heneghan, and Igor Resnianski. He enjoys collaborating with others and has participated in the UA Percussion Ensemble, Huxford Symphony Orchestra, and other chamber ensembles. In addition to music, he thoroughly enjoys his academic studies, bowling, and attending live theatre and concerts.
Jun Lee, BM Program
Duong T Le is a piano major under the tutelage of Dr. Nosikova at the University of Iowa. She came to the US for her bachelor degree after 9 years studying at the Vietnam National Academy of Music. She earned a Silver medal in 2018 - Asia International Piano Academy & Festival with Competition in Korea and participated in Chopin International Piano Competition in Thailand 2019.
Eric Newton, BM Program
Eric Newton is a second-year undergraduate student pursuing a dual-degree in Computer Science and Music at the University of Iowa. He began learning piano at age 4, and he remained primarily self-taught until age 17 when he joined the studio of Dr. Marian Lee, following a successful recommendation by Dr. Robert Satterlee from Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. He now studies under the tutelage of Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. Eric has received numerous awards in both the arts and sciences, such as U Iowa Hackathon Special Prize, IMTA Level F Winner, Best in Center (Solo/Ensemble and Jazz), National History Day Special Prize & National Qualifier, Science Olympiad State Medalist, and multiple Division 1 solo ratings. His ensemble experience includes Iowa All-State, Quad Cities Chamber Institute, Hawkeye Marching Band, and Bettendorf Varsity Band (Drum Major) He has also worked many related jobs, such as Water Resources Engineering intern in San Francisco, CA, John Deere Computer Science Academy in Bettendorf, IA, Countryside Community Theater in Eldridge, IA, and as an accompanist/organist for several Catholic churches. Currently, Eric is the President of U Iowa chapter of League of United Latin American Citizens, a Research Assistant for the department of Political Science, Director of Sonidos Encendidos (Latin Ensemble), and a member of University Honors, the Association of Computing Machinery, and Music Teachers National Association.
Henry Wolf, BM Program
Pending
Ana Yam, BM Program
Ana Yam, a San Francisco, California native, is currently a junior undergraduate pursuing a dual major in Piano Performance and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa, where she studies under Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. She began her studies at the age of nine and has won numerous state, regional, and international piano competitions. For consecutive years, Ana was named winner of IMTA, MTNA, and Terrace Hill competitions along with first prize at the 2017 Lee University International Piano competition. She was granted the title of “Steinway’s Young Artist” at the 2018 Steinway Young Artist Competition and was named Grand Champion of the Bill Riley Competition at the Iowa State Fair that same year. Ana has won several concerto competitions and received the opportunity to perform with the Fort Dodge Symphony, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony, and the Central Iowa Symphony. In addition to solo work, Ana has worked collaboratively as a four-year ‘all-stater’ for the piano department and has performed works of Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Dvorak with her previous trio ensembles.
Zhang, Sarah, BM Program
Sarah Zhang is a first-year undergraduate student at the University of Iowa. She competed in multiple sonata festivals and competitions in the Chicago area throughout her high school career. She placed fourth in an Illinois (ISMTA) competition in 2019. In 2020, she placed second in the NSMTA (Northshore Music Teachers’ Association) Piano Competition and in 2023, she placed third in the Chicago-wide Roberta Savler competition. Sarah has also received gold and silver medals from NSMTA and CAMTA (Chicago Music Teachers’ Association) sonata festivals.