Sophia, fourteen, is a freshman at Folsom High School. She began learning piano at age five and currently studies with Steinway Artist Dr. Natsuki Fukasawa. Sophia also was a two-time first place winner of the California Association of Professional Music Teachers Honors Auditions state finals in Los Angeles, CA, in 2013 and 2015. In 2018, she placed first at the United States Open Music Competition in both the Showcase and Open Solo categories in Oakland, earning a Best Outstanding Gold Medalist Award at the winners’ concert. Sophia was also the first place winner in the International Music Festival in Sacramento and the first place winner in the Steinway and Sons Junior Competition in Reno, Nevada. Recently, she was awarded the first prize in the international Art of Piano Competition based in London and is also the third prize winner of the Los Angeles Young Musician International Piano Competition.
At 10, she passed the Certificate of Merit Evaluation Advanced Level, the highest level in the program, with honors. In addition, Sophia performed Beethoven’s first Piano Concerto
with the Pacific Youth Symphony in May 2019 and performed Mozart piano Concerto K414 as a soloist with the Folsom Lake College Youth Chamber Orchestra in December 2019. Sophia is also the second place winner of the Great Composers Artist of the Year award and the first prize winner of the Art of Piano competition. Besides the piano, Sophia also enjoys playing the violin. She is a member of the Folsom Lake College Youth Chamber Orchestra. In her free time, she enjoys reading and skiing in the winter.
