Anne Valerie Ter was born in Alexandria, Virginia. Her exceptional academic and musical gifts manifested at a very early age, and her talents have been fostered by her parents from the time she was a toddler. Anne Valerie was able to read by herself, in both English and Russian, since she was three, and she was a student of the piano before she was three years old. As a pianist, the balance between Anne Valerie’s mathematical skills and musical talent form a symbiotic relationship, allowing her to perform at a level beyond her years. She regularly participates in piano competitions. In 2019 she won first place in her age group in the Robert Spencer Piano Concerto Competition. As a result she was chosen to perform with Amadeus Orchestra (she played Haydn's Piano Concerto in D Major). In the spring of 2019 she was a winner of Sonata Festival at George Mason University and from 850 young pianists she also was chosen to play at the honor concert there. In 2020 she participated and won Bronze Prize in the 2ND WPTA Finland International Piano Competition and then she got a 3^st prize at the 10th International Piano Competition in Milan, Italy. In 2021 she won Gold North America Regional Award (USA) in the Solo Professional Category of the ICA International Piano Competition . Anne Valerie was the winner of several NVMTA judged recitals, and she has been awarded with the Grand Prix of the International Planet of Arts Festival for two years in a row. She has performed at several events in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC (embassies, community centers and churches). Currently, at the age of ten, Anne Valerie is a six grade student in the advanced academic program of Stratford Landing Elementary School. She is currently studying piano under Dr. Anna Balakerskaia and enrolled into the Year-Round Artistic Program in Kirov Academy of Washington DC. In addition, she is involved in a range of different activities, including the National Children’s Chorus, drama, swimming, tennis, and ice skating.

Matthew Chang (b. 2008) is a student at the Kirov Academy’s Gifted and Talented Program. He has been studying piano with Dr. Kuei-I Wu for six years, and has received numerous accolades during his career, including winning first prizes in the Chopin Competition in Hartford, CT, the William Knabe International Piano Competition, the Great Washington Steinway Piano Competition, and the International Young Artist Piano Competition. Matthew was also a recipient of the Steinway Young Artist Grant and the Kern Foundation’s Aspiration Award in the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition. Matthew has performed with the Washington Conservatory Orchestra and made his European debut in the Metallener Saal Muskkverein in Austria when he was seven years old. He has had six performances featured in Carnegie Hall and also performed in Poland and German Embassies in Washington D.C. as one of the winners of the Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition.

Through the Kirov Academy’s Piano Legends Masterclass Series, he has attended numerous masterclasses and performed for world-renowned artists such as Gary Graffman, Jerome Lowenthal, and John Perry.

“He projected the life of each distinct phrase with a joyful and intense involvement. His rhythm was not merely solid, but also full of dance-like energy.”  - New York Concert Review -

Sumin Lee, 17, from Korea, is an eleventh grader attending Kirov Academy of Washington DC.
She has won numerous competitions such as Ho Chi Minh International Competition, Kirov International Music Competition, Korean Music Education Newspaper Competition, Sunhwa Arts School Chamber Music Competition, Edu Classic Competition, and the Review National Competition. She has performed with the orchestra at the 25th Anniversary of Việt Nam-Korea
Relations concert. In addition to these accomplishments, Sumin had the honor of performing at the Kennedy Center and Moscow State Conservatory in 2019. She studies with Emil Chudnovsky.

Elizabeth Vinokurov is sixteen years old, currently in her first year studying ballet and piano at Kirov Academy with Dr. Jinha Park. She has been studying piano since the age of five, and has participated in many serious competitions since she was eight, taught by Ms Elena Arseniev.

Elizabeth has won the MSMTA Gertrude S. Brown Concerto Competition three times and has performed with an orchestra in 2014, 2016, and 2018. Some of her other awards include first place at the MSMTA Gottlieb Piano Competition and second place at the WMTA Viola Hartman Piano Competition. Aside from piano, Elizabeth also is training for a professional career in ballet, and enjoys spending time drawing and listening to music in her free time.

Born in 2007 in Seoul, Eun-seo Cho started learning the piano at age 6 and gave her first public recital at age 9 in 2016. She was a participant at the 36th Young Musicians Festival in 2019. She performed solo piano recital, ‘Kumho Prodigy Concert’ sponsored by Kumho Foundation, which is one of the most prestigious art and music foundations in Korea, and she also successfully conducted a collaborative performance with Seoul Citiphilharmoni Orchestra in 2020.   

She has achieved many accolades throughout her career. She has received many first prizes at a variety of national competitions in Korea and US. She has won first prize from the Kirov International Competition and as a result, she performed the winners’ gala concert at John F. Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. US, and the winners’ recital at Moscow Conservatory in Moscow, Russia, the Eumag-Chunchu Piano Competition, the Teenager Piano Concours and the T&B International Artist Concours, and also she has won second prize form the Eum-Youn Music Competition and the Sung-Jung Piano Competition. In addition, she won the 3rd prize from Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition for young pianists in Washington D.C., US and conducted the winners’ concert at Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition for young pianists in Washington, D.C. US. She received musical guidance from Prof. Na-jung Kim and Ye-won Ju, and she also has participated in a number of masterclasses with music maestros including Prof. Sergei Dorensky, Prof. Jerome Lowenthal, Prof. John Perry, and Prof. Ian Hobson. Currently as a student at Yewon School, she always continues to endeavor to be a better musician.

Yunsun Shin. 15, is currently homeschooling. She graduated from Yewon School in February of 2021. Majoring in Piano, she has also been studying with pianist Jungwon Suh at the private Trinity School of Music since 2015. Prior to attending Yewon School, she was a student at Seoul Art Center Academy for Gifted in Music.

Known for passion in music and hard work ethic, Yunsun has won numerous awards and competitions. She was awarded First Place at the Kirov International Junior E-Piano Competition, Grand Prize at the 2020 Steinway Competition, Korea, and Third Place in the International Chopin Piano Competition in Yokohama, Japan. She has also had opportunities to perform and participate in numerous concert, the On Dream Ensemble Concert sponsored by Chung Mong-koo Foundation (Hyundai Motor Company), Steinway Competition Winner’s Recital, and performing as a soloist with the Prime Phillharmonic Orchestra and the Seoul Orchestra.

Yunsun was recently selected for the Chung Mong-koo Scholarship Program sponsored by Hyundai Motor Company for her musical talents, receiving full support for her musical education for three years. The music scene is also paying attention to Yunsun with her selection for the Kumho Prodigy Support Program by Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation. This foundation is renowned for nurturing and supporting world-class musicians.

While participating in performances and competitions, Yunsun participated in Master class with musicians such as Jerome Lowenthal, John Perry, Steven Osborne, Fabio Bidni, Hee sung Joo, Phillip Kawin, Edward Auer, Jacob Leuschner, Konstantin Semilakovs, and Soojung Shin to improve her musical capabilities. Yunsun also participated the Edward Auer Piano Workshop, Euro Music Festival & Academy’s Piano & Chamber Music Workshop, and the Toolmusic Summer Music Academy.