Get to know the 2016-17 Rising Stars!

June 30, 2016

Portrait of Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner looking down

This season, we’re bringing seven talented young pianists from around the world to Kalamazoo in our Rising Stars Series! That’s a record for us – the largest season in the series’ 17-year history. Get to know each young virtuoso – and subscribe to the series today!

1. Sean Chen – September 18, 2016

Sean Chen
Sean Chen is already known to many as a prizewinner at the 2013 Van Cliburn Competition – as well as the winner of the 2013 DeHaan Classical Fellowship from the American Pianists Association. But did you know he’s also a composer?

2. Emmet Cohen (jazz) – October 16, 2016

Emmet Cohen
Emmet Cohen performs at The Gilmore alongside his trio, including bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole. Watch the trio perform a Dizzy Gillespie piece together at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola at Lincoln Center in New York.

3. Pavel Kolesnikov – December 4, 2016

Pavel Kolesnikov
Pavel Kolesnikov has proved to be an avid competitor and recitalist. Watch the BBC New Generation Artist perform Mozart’s Fantasy in C minor, K. 475 for the BBC Radio.

4. Roman Rabinovich – January 22, 2017

Roman Rabinovich
Roman Rabinovich was born in Uzbekistan and moved to Israel with his mother in 1994. He has painted since the age of 10, and you can see his paintings on his website.

5. Seong-Jin Cho – February 19, 2017

Seong-Jin Cho
Seong-Jin Cho has been in the spotlight since winning the 2015 Chopin Competition. He’s the most frequently searched Korean pianist on Google! When asked what he would say if he met Chopin today, Cho responded, “‘Excuse me, could you play for me, sir?’ And if I could ask a second question, I would say, ‘Could you play again?’

6. Sara Daneshpour – April 2, 2017

Sara Daneshpour
Sara Daneshpour recalls growing up in a family that placed a high value on music and art. Now, she focuses on the art of music-making above all else. “This career is about music,” she says. “Not me.”

7. 2014 Gilmore Young Artist Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner – May 14, 2017

Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner
Our 2014 Gilmore Young Artist Award winner Llewellyn Sanchez-Werner got a very early start on his education. After finishing his associate’s degree impressively early, he was the youngest-ever admittee to The Juilliard School at age 14! Watch Sanchez-Werner conduct and perform with the Juilliard Chamber Orchestra.

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