MY STUdents
Mariya Akhadjanova, DMA Program (ABD)
Mariya Akhadjanova, a native of Uzbekistan, is a Doctoral Candidate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Iowa, where she studies with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. She currently serves as a staff collaborative pianist at the University of Iowa School of Music, actively performing with students and faculty across a wide range of instruments and ensembles.
In 2023, Mariya was awarded both the Absolute Platinum Prize and the Rachmaninoff Prize at the Grand Maestro International Music Competition, and her performances were selected for publication on Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube Music. She has also received First Prizes in the Swiss International Music Competition, Quebec International Music Competition, and Music and Stars Awards. Her performance highlights include a debut at Carnegie Hall (2021) as a winner of the Golden Classical Music Awards, and an appearance at Merkin Concert Hall at Lincoln Center (2022) as a finalist and Second Prize Winner of the Music International Grand Prix.
Mariya holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Uzbekistan State Conservatory in Tashkent. She earned a second Master of Music in Piano Performance from the University of Northern Iowa in 2018, studying with Dr. Dmitri Vorobiev and Dr. Vakhtang Kodanashvili
Paul Casiano, DMA Program (ABD)
Paul is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Iowa School of Music, where he studies under Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. He earned his Master of Music in Piano Performance from Western Illinois University and his Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance, magna cum laude, from the University of the Philippines College of Music. His piano teachers include Armando Salinas, Lourdes Siobal, Imee Villanueva, Mark Olivares, Richelle Rivera and Dr. Jeffrey Brown.
An active performer, Paul has appeared in solo and collaborative recitals in the Philippines and the United States. His work spans vocal, instrumental, and chamber music collaborations, as well as theatrical and dance productions. He has served as staff and assisting artist at the University of Iowa, Western Illinois University, and the University of the Philippines, and has premiered contemporary works by Filipino composers.
Paul is also dedicated to teaching. He has taught group and individual piano at the University of Iowa, Black Hawk College, and community programs including the Preucil School of Music. His teaching emphasizes artistry, technique, sight-reading, improvisation, and ensemble playing, with a goal of cultivating well-rounded musicianship in his students.
His performances and artistry have been recognized with awards from the Thursday Musical Young Artist Competition and the Illinois State Music Teachers Association Competition. He now serves as Staff Pianist at Western Illinois University, where he collaborates with students and faculty across the School of Music.
Nuo chen, DMA Program
Nuo Chen is currently a student in the Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) program at the University of Iowa, where she studies under the guidance of Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. She is also a recipient of the Iowa Performance Fellowship. Nuo earned her Master’s degree from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, studying with Professor Peter Bithell.
She has participated in numerous competitions and received top prizes, including the Concerto and Aria Competition at East China Normal University, the 29th International Frédéric Chopin Piano Competition in Shanghai, and the Yamaha Piano Competition in Hunan Province. Guided by an enduring passion for performance, Nuo has also performed widely at distinguished venues such as Milton Court, St. James’s Paddington Church, the University of Oxford, St. Michael’s Sittingbourne Church, Dartington Hall, Shanghai Concert Hall, and the Opera House of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.
Hyewon Lee, DMA Program
HYEWON LEE is a Korean pianist, born in Seoul. Currently, she is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree (DMA) at the University of Iowa studying with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. She is a recipient of a School of Music Scholarship. She has performed in Vienna, Seoul, Flaine, Amalfi, Iowa, 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 graduated with a Master of Music (MM) degree and Professional Studies Diploma (PDPL) from Mannes School of Music, The New School in New York City, 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 earned a Bachelor of Music (BM) from Sangmyung University Seoul under the guidance of Dr. Heejin Kim, and she also studied at the University of Connecticut for Performer’s Certificate under the tutelage of Dr. Angelina Gadeliya.
As a teacher, Hyewon joined the University of Iowa School of Music’s Community Music Lesson Program as an instructor. Additionally, she has accompanied ballet classes and has played with various instruments. In her free time, she enjoys jogging, badminton, and hiking.
Bowen (Peter) Liu, DMA Program (ABD)
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 (ABD)
Canlin Qiu is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Piano Performance at the University of Iowa. Under the guidance of the Ksenia Nosikova, Canlin is a recipient of the Doctoral Fellowship and Teaching Assistantship. She completed her Master's Degree from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where she studied with Evelyne Brancart. She studied in China Conservatory for her bachelor degree in piano performance.
Canlin has achieved first place in various competitions, including the Austria Mozart Internationaler Klavierwettbewerg, the Third KAWAI Cup Youth Piano, the Second JINGZHU Cup Piano Competition, and the CEKK Piano Competition. With a sincere passion for her craft, Canlin Qiu has recently performed in the V Festival de Piano de Natal in Brazil, the Key Change Concert Series in Iowa, USA, and the Wiener Musikseminar in Vienna, Austria. As a chamber/collaborative musician, she has worked and performed with faculties and musicians from UNT, Central Conservatory of Music (China), China Conservatory of Music, Indiana University, China Philharmonic Orchestra, Houston Ballet Orchestra, Orchestra Iowa, and Des Moines Symphony. Canlin has given presentation about Ethlomusic in conferences like MGMC, IMTA. Recently, she has given performances, masterclasses, and presentations in Medellín, Colombia, and Quebec, Canada.
Henrique Rabelo, DMA Program
Pianist Henrique Rabelo, 28, is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in Piano Performance under the guidance of Dr. Ksenia Nosikova at the University of Iowa. Henrique has had the opportunity to perform at various venues and music festivals around the world, in countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, and Austria, frequently working with renowned artists and teachers. Henrique is a recipient of the Iowa Performance Fellowship and works as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Iowa, where he teaches classes and piano lessons, collaborates with other instrumentalists, singers, conductors, as serves as Dr. Nosikova's studio assistant. In the Spring of 2024 Henrique had the opportunity to perform Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1 with the University of Iowa Symphony Orchestra after winning the university's concerto competition in the previous Fall. At the university, he is also currently serving as President for the University of Iowa MTNA Chapter, promoting an atmosphere of collaboration among students and projects for the local community.
His interests encompass a wide range of solo repertoire, chamber music and historical performance practices. Henrique is also a composer and arranger, with works performed by wonderful musicians in the United States, Brazil, and Ireland. He earned his Master of Music degree from the University of Wyoming and his Bachelor of Music degree from UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, his hometown.
Jiachen Tang, DMA Program
Jiachen Tang is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the University of Iowa with Ksenia Nosikova. He earned a Master’s degree from the Mannes School of Music under Ann Schein, a Performance Certificate at the University of Connecticut with Javor Bracic, and a Bachelor’s degree from Central South University with Tingting Shen.
Tang has participated in masterclasses with Yuntian Liu, Heidi Louise Williams, Aleksandra Hałat, Christophe Giovaninetti, Muhiddin Dürrüoğlu, Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden, Liudmila Gorgevskaya, Rieko Aizawa, Andrius Zlabys, Simon Mulligan, and Yuval Shapira.
As a chamber musician, he studied piano–violin duo repertoire with Yibin Li and attended the Musicalp Festival in France under her guidance. At the University of Connecticut, he worked with cellist Sophia Shao and pianist Angelina Gadeliya, and he regularly performs on frame drum with drummer Yubo Wang.
Tang has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, the National Opera Center, Ernst C. Stiefel Hall, the Auditorium at 66 West 12th Street, and J. Louis von der Mehden Recital Hall. During his undergraduate years at Central South University, he was active as a collaborative pianist with the university choir, performing under conductor Yutian Liu throughout his four years of study. Recently, he served as artistic director for a recital in Lishui, China with tenor Yuan Lai.
Passionate about music and life, Tang is grateful to his parents, teachers, and friends, expressing this gratitude through his performances.
Zijie Wang, DMA Program
Zijie Wang is a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) student in Piano Performance at the University of Iowa, where he studies under Professor Ksenia Nosikova and serves as a Teaching Assistant.
He earned both his Bachelor’s degree in Musicology and Master’s degree in Piano Performance from Hunan Normal University. He was admitted to the master’s program with top rankings in both performance and academic assessments and completed his degree with first place in thesis evaluation.
Wang represented Hunan Normal University in the Provincial College Student Arts Competition, where he received the First Prize in the Instrumental Solo Category. He was also recognized in the First Hunan Provincial Chopin International Youth Piano Competition, among other awards.
An experienced educator, Wang holds a Chinese High School Teacher Certification and has taught extensively at Changjun Bilingual Experimental School and Shenzhen Longhua Foreign Language School. His students have been successfully admitted to leading Chinese universities.
His academic and artistic interests center on piano teaching, fundamental music education, and the study of musical aesthetics. His article “Problems and Countermeasures in the Music Appreciation Course Module” was published in the journal Juying Yuebao and indexed by CNKI.
Yimu Wang, DMA Program
Yimu Wang started piano lessons in elementary school. From 2008 to 2014, she studied with Professor Mai Wang at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, one of the most prestigious conservatories in China. She has participated in master classes with outstanding international teachers such as Theresa Bogard, Tianshu Wang, Robert Garcia, Boaz Sharon, and Boris Berman. She participated in various piano competitions held in China with various honors, from participation awards to grand prizes.
She won the first prize and “Excellent Art Talent Prize” in the 3rd Excellent Art Talent Contest of Sichuan Province, in the year of 2007, the first prize of the YAMAHA Piano Competition in Chengdu in 2010, and the grand prize of the 4th ChangJiang Piano Competition in Chongqing in 2010. For her undergraduate degree, she attended the prestigious Oberlin College starting in 2014 where she studied with Professor Robert Shannon.
In 2017, Wang participated in the Jiulong Music Festival held in Chongqing, China, and had lessons with Professor Bruce Brubaker and Miss Chufang Huang. In fall 2018, she won the “Oberlin 2018 Senior Concerto Competition” and was a featured performer with the Oberlin Symphony the following spring performing the Shostakovich Concerto No. 1. She graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin College in 2018.
She completed her Master’s degree in Piano Performance at the University of Wyoming in 2021 studying with Dr. Theresa Bogard. She held a Graduate Assistantship in both teaching and collaborative piano and was highly sought after as a collaborator. She got the Music Performer’s Certificate at the University of Wyoming in 2023. Wang is currently a doctoral student studying with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova at the University of Iowa.
Her future plans include pursuing a doctoral degree, focusing on piano performance and collaborative piano. She hopes to teach at the university level and continue her performing career. She helped her middle school professor Mai Wang and her mother, Jie Zheng, a piano professor and collaborative coaching in Sichuan Conservatory, with their collaborative piano projects since middle school. She was a Graduate Assistant in University of Wyoming who worked as a main collaborative pianist and chamber music pianist, and was known as a fast learner with sensitivity to musical emotion and balance.
jONATHAN bASS, mm Program
A native of Washington Island, WI, USA, Jonathan Bass is currently a Master’s student at the University of Iowa where he studies with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova and is a Teaching Assistant in the School of Music. Jonathan received his graduate diploma with high honors in piano from the École normale de musique de Paris-Alfred Cortot under Prof. David Lively, supported by a Fulbright-Harriet Hale Woolley scholarship; as an artist-in-residence at the Fondation des ÉtatsUnis in Paris, Jonathan regularly collaborated with fellow musicians and visual artists to contribute to FEU’s cultural programming. Jonathan graduated summa cum laude from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI, where he studied primarily with Dr. Michael Mizrahi, with additional accompanying and chamber music instruction from Drs. Cathy Kautsky and Anthony Padilla and jazz instruction from Professor Bill Carrothers. Jonathan has been named a winner in numerous competitions, including the Lawrence Concerto Competition, Miroslav Pansky Memorial Concerto Competition, National Federation of Music Clubs Biennial College Piano Competition, Wisconsin MTNA Competition, and Thursday Musical Young Artist Scholarship Competition. At Lawrence, Jonathan was a recipient of both the Margaret Gary Daniels and Marjory Irvin awards in piano and chamber music, as well as the Miriam Clapp Duncan Award in Harpsichord Literature. The Lawrence University Accompanying Fellowship gave him opportunities to accompany the choir and opera programs in addition to solo vocalists and instrumentalists. He also enjoys performing regularly in chamber music and jazz combo settings. Jonathan is a graduate of the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied with Dr. Michael Coonrod, and an alumnus of numerous summer music festivals, including Rocky Ridge, Brevard, the Gijón International Piano Festival, and the Decoda Chamber Music Festival, for which he was awarded a full-tuition fellowship. Dedicated to expanding the repertoire of music performed regularly by pianists, Jonathan helped create a database of chamber works with piano by contemporary and historically underrepresented composers. He regularly works with living composers and has given multiple world premieres of new music. Jonathan began his musical education on Washington Island at age three with lessons from Diane Kahlscheuer and is extremely grateful for the unfailing support that Door County has shown him ever since
Henry Giles, MM Program
Henry Giles is a second year graduate student at the University of Iowa, studying with Ksenia Nosikova. He completed his bachelor's degree at Lawrence University under Michael Mizrahi. He had been studying the piano since the age of four. Prior to college, he studied under Amanda Kirkpatrick, Head of Piano at Washington University in St. Louis. His summer festival studies include the Decoda Chamber Music Festival, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Gijon International Piano Festival, and PianoSummer at New Paltz.
Nicklas Hull, MM Program
Nicklas Hull is a pianist, educator, and collaborator hailing from Stoughton, Wisconsin. He completed his undergraduate degree in Piano Performance at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music in Appleton Wisconsin under the tutelage of Dr. Catherine Kautsky. He is now in his first year as a Masters student at the University of Iowa studying with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. Nick graduated magna cum laude from Lawrence University and enjoyed a wide array of musical activities and responsibilities, including accompanying singers and instrumentalists, performing in chamber ensembles and jazz combos, and teaching. At Lawrence he was a recipient of the Marjory Irvin prize in piano as well as the Lawrence University Accompanying Fellowship. Nick has attended and performed in domestic and international summer festivals. He's also received guidance from Dr. Karen Leigh-Post, Dr. Samantha George, and Bill Carrothers.
Jun Lee, MM Program
Jun (Duong) Le is an international student from Vietnam studying Master in Piano Pedagogy under the tutelage of Dr. Nosikova at the University of Iowa. After spending 10 years at the Vietnam National Academy of Music with Dr. Dao Thu Le, she came to the US for her bachelor’s degree and to pursue her musical career. In her early life, 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. During her college years, Jun Le has performed at various Series by the School of Music like the Key Change Series: Scriabin, and multiple Lunch Concert Series. She is also involved in community service performances, including a full recital at Oaknoll Retirement Center, and performance for the MTNA event at the animal shelter. She also teaches at Music4Life as a part-time piano teacher and has been actively teaching since 2020.
John Thomas Morris, MM Program
John Thomas Morris is in his second year of graduate study at the University of Iowa, where he studies with Ksenia Nosikova. Morris's musical passions include teaching, performing works by composers that do not receive enough recognition, and composition.
Morris graduated from the Alabama School of Fine arts in 2020, where he studied piano with Lucy DeSa. At the Alabama School of Fine Arts, he also composed and performed his string trio on his senior recital. Morris has placed highly in various piano competitions such as placing first in the 2023 New Orleans Piano Institute Solo Competition and then placing second in the 2023 New Orleans Piano Institute Concerto Competition. He also placed second at the Lois Pickard Concerto Competition in 2020. Since his upbringing in Alabama, Morris has graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied piano with Alvin Chow and composition with Michael Frazier. Morris premiered his piano quintet, "Contemplation," on his junior recital at Oberlin in 2023. Other than music, Morris is interested in studying astronomy and languages, currently focusing on Russian.
Adrianna Ang, BM Program
Yuet-Ying Adrianna Ang is a freshman from Marlboro, New Jersey. She started piano at the age of 6 and has privately studied under Conductor Chiu-Tze Lin and Ingrid Clarfield. She was named Judge’s Pick in the 2020-2021 International Vivo Competition, awarded the Grand Prize in the 2024 National League of Performing Arts Competition, and has placed in many other local and regional competitions. In addition to solo works, she has competed and placed in chamber music competitions with both piano and clarinet, which have led to performances at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall.
In May 2025, Adrianna was honored with a 10-year plaque from the New Jersey Music Teachers Association in addition to concluding her high school career by performing the first movement of Rachmaninoff's Concerto No.2 with the Bravura Youth Orchestra. She has also participated in numerous charity performances, including concerts benefiting the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and has actively served as a clarinetist and pianist at her local church.
Helen Mao, BM Program
Freshman Helen Mao developed her strong passion for piano at the age of four with Pam Sibbel, Larisa Kanevski, and Dr. Mei-Hsuan Huang. She is the winner of the Terrace Hill Senior Division Piano Competition, semifinalist of the 2025 Dubois Piano Competition & Festival, three-time IMTA State winner, three-time MTNA State winner, Victor Borge Legacy winner, and a Young Artist who performed with the Central Iowa Symphony and the Fort Dodge Symphony. She also performed at Carnegie Hall and at the Museum of Danish America. Helen enjoys playing tennis, writing, and percussion, where she performed in the All-State Band (2023) and Orchestra (2024). She loves to perform piano and percussion for her community within ensembles, jazz bands, gigs, and parades. Helen is thankful for the unconditional support of her family, friends, and teachers. She is currently majoring in piano performance and pre-med.
Eric Newton, BM Program
Eric Newton is a Master of Computer Science: Software Engineering student at the University of Iowa, also pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with University Honors. He studied piano with Dr. Marian Lee in high school and currently studies with Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. Eric is a composer, performer, and collaborative chamber musician.
He is currently a Software Engineering Intern at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), where he develops large-scale software systems. At Iowa, Eric serves as President of the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), leading workshops, student-industry partnerships, and major tech events, and as a GCRU Fellow with Iowa Vital Voices, where he contributes to bilingual oral history and health equity research.
Eric has received international recognition, including Outstanding Talent at the Walled City Music International Academy in Northern Ireland and 2nd place at the Ponce Project's Third International Piano Competition. He also performed at Conexões Pianísticas in Natal, Brazil, where he was invited to showcase Latin American repertoire. He recently won the University of Iowa Concerto/Aria Competition, performing Ponce’s Concierto Romántico para Piano y Orquesta with orchestra. He frequently appears in Key Change: Piano Revolutionaries, Piano Sundays, and Eine Kleine Lunch Music, in addition to chamber music collaborations.
Henry Wolf, BM Program
Henry Wolf is an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa where he studies Piano Performance and Music Education under the instruction of Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. He is originally from Geneva, Illinois where he began piano lessons at the age of seven and has performed with ensembles such as the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra in Illinois. Henry’s performances have included appearances at prominent international festivals, including the Walled City Music International Piano Festival in Derry, Northern Ireland, and the Wiener Musikseminar in Vienna, Austria."
Ana Yam, BM Program
Ana Yam, a San Francisco, California native, is currently an 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.
Sarah Zhang, BM Program
Sarah Zhang is a third-year undergraduate student from Northbrook, Illinois. She is currently pursuing a dual degree in piano performance and choral music education and at the University of Iowa, where she studies under Dr. Ksenia Nosikova. Her past performances include playing in recitals, competitions, and the Key Change concert series. In 2025, she was invited to participate in the Festival of Connections in Natal, Brazil where she collaborated with pianists and singers from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN) School of Music.