Overview

The Aspen Music Festival and School is the premier classical music festival and school in the United States, noted both for its concert programming and its musical training of young-adult music students. The Simms/Mann Family Foundation knows how important it is for young musicians to experience transformational music created by world-class teachers and peers. In 2000, the Foundation endowed a Piano Chair at the Aspen Music Festival and School. The Chair is awarded to a member of the Aspen piano faculty for special recognition of teaching prominence. This gift also supports 2 Aspen Music Festival and School piano students annually.

 

aspenmusicfestival.com

Desired Impact

The Simms/Mann Family Foundation gift helps the Aspen Music Festival and School attract the best and brightest musicians from around the globe. For over 2 decades, the Foundation has given over 50 young musicians the opportunity to attend the Aspen Music Festival and School. These students enjoy 8 weeks of intensive study with 120 artist-faculty representing renowned music schools, conservatories, and professional orchestras. During this time, students play alongside the great concertmasters and principals of orchestras, learn from accomplished artists, and attend performances from more than 100 guest artists.

2024 Piano Fellows

Taige Wang

2024 Piano Fellow

13-year-old Taige Wang, Young Steinway Artist and LLIMF Scholar, studies piano at The Juilliard School with Yoheved Kaplinsky. In 2023 as the youngest competitor, he made the quarter finals at The Cliburn Junior Competition and...

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Chenxi Chu

2024 Piano Fellow

Chu Chenxi, born January 2009 in Shanghai. His piano journey began at four-and-a-half, under Guo Ge, a German-trained pianist. By September 2019, Chu entered grade 5 at the Primary School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of...

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Yuval Chen

2023-2024 Piano Fellow

Israeli-born pianist Yuval Chen has been performing as a soloist from a young age, including notable performances with the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra and at the esteemed Aspen Music Festival in Harris Hall. Noteworthy...

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2023 Piano Fellows

Yufei Cathy Chen

2023 Piano Fellow

Yufei Cathy Chen, 16 years old, started to study piano with her mother at the age of 5. In 2018 she was admitted to the Juilliard School, where she studied with Professor Matti Raekallio. She is now studying with Dr. Yoheved...

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Anwen Deng

2023 Piano Fellow

Fourteen-year-old pianist Anwen Deng was born in Brisbane, Australia. She began her piano study at the age of three and was accepted into the Juilliard School pre-college program at the age of six. Anwen is the recipient of top...

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Daniela Liebman

2023 Piano Fellow

Mexican pianist Daniela Liebman currently studies with Julian Martin and Veda Kaplinsky at the Juilliard School. Her most recent engagements include soloing with the Orquesta Sinfónica del Sodrey in Montevideo, Uruguay, and the...

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Past Piano Fellows

Michael Shinn

2004

Liany Farinas

2004

Yuan Tian

2005

PuoChi Huang

2005





Jose Menor

2006; 2007

Esther Shin

2006; 2007

Dariya Bukhartseva

2008

Daniel Walden

2008





Steven Lin

2009; 2010

Hanbo Liu

2009; 2010

Silvan Negrutiu

2011

Hyun Jung Kim

2012





Amanda Gessler

2012

Hyung-Do Kim

2013

Carmen Knoll

2013

Taek Gi Lee

2014





Tsotne Tsotskhalashivili

2014

Qixuan Fan

2015

Jiacheng Xiong

2015; 2016

Dongxu Jin

2016; 2017





Jonathan Heifetz

2017

Elliot Wuu

2018

Eyul Esme Bolucek

2018

Micah McLaurin

2018





Harmony Zhu

2017; 2018; 2019

Yuval Hen

2019

Daniela Liebman

2019; 2021

David JeongMin Kim

2021





Umi Garrett

2021

Youlan Ji

2022

Jiacheng Xiong

2022


Endowed chairholders

Ann Schein

Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute

Yoheved (“Veda”) Kaplinsky

The Juilliard School

John O’Conor

Belvedere College

Choong Mo Kang

The Juilliard School





Richard Aaron

The Juilliard School

Gabriel Chodos

New England Conservatory

John Perry

University of Southern California




I’m so excited and honored to learn from Professor Kaplinsky and the many incredible musicians both in my studio and throughout the entire community here.”

Jiacheng Xiong, 2022 Piano Fellow