On March 28, we will have the exciting opportunity to hear three winners from the NVMTA Concerto Competition perform with the McLean Symphony.  The performance will be at Columbia Baptist Church, 103 W Columbia St., Falls Church, VA 22046. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m.

Two generous donors have provided funding for up to 100 free tickets for this concert.

Tickets will be distributed on a first come-first served basis by filling out this form:  McLean Symphony Free Ticket Request (limited to 100 tickets). Once the tickets have been claimed, additional tickets can be purchased from the Symphony at their website or at the door. Children may attend for free.

Meet the Performers

Max Zhang is a freshman at Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland. He has been studying with Nancy O’Neill Breth since the start of his piano journey. He has won many first prizes in state and nationwide competitions, such as the Gertrude Brown Concerto, piano achievement awards, MPM, MSMTA Piano Ensemble, OPUS nationals, and Charleston International Competition.  Music is the heartbeat for his soul, without it his life wouldn’t be complete. Through years of dedication and passion, Max has formed a strong bond with the instrument and with music, a connection that has played a pivotal role in shaping who he is today.

 

Theodore Kim is a sixth-grade student in the Spanish Immersion Program at Laurel Ridge Elementary School and has studied piano under the guidance of Dr. Marjorie Lee since 2022. He has earned numerous honors in regional and state competitions, including recognition as the 2025 MTNA Virginia Junior First Place Alternate and First Place in the 2025 NVMTA Robert Spencer Piano Concerto Competition (Level 2).

In 2024, Theodore was awarded the Grand Prize in the Korean Youth Honor Society Music Competition in Washington, D.C., which led to a performance at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. He was also the Junior II winner of the 2024–2025 MSMTA Gertrude Brown Memorial Piano Concerto Competition and performed with the New England Youth Ensemble.

His additional distinctions include First Place in the 2024 NVMTA Achievement Awards, Second Place in the 2023 VMTA State Audition, and honors in the NVMTA Baroque and Sonata Festivals.

Hiroki Matsui is currently a 12th grader at Battlefield High School. He has studied piano for over seven years with Dr. Marjorie Lee in Vienna, VA. Hiroki is the winner for the 2025 NVMTA Northern District competition, the 2024 NVMTA Robert Spencer Concerto competition, the 2024 Piedmont Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Concerto Competition, and the 2022 MSMTA Gertrude Brown Memorial Piano Concerto Competition (Senior Division). Hiroki also enjoys studying the oboe under Professor Stephen Key, and he recently was ranked #1 oboist in Virginia for the 2026 All State competition. In the fall, Hiroki will be attending Cornell University studying the biological sciences and music.

We hope that many NVMTA members and friends in the community will come to support these outstanding young musicians for this exciting evening of music!