2024 Winners

Paderewski Festival Announces Winners of the 2024 Youth Competition
 

This year’s annual Youth Piano Competition was held in Paso Robles on Sunday, October 13, 2024. Competition judges included Janet Joichi, a Cal Poly professor of music, India D'Avignon, a Paderewski Festival Board member, and Marek Zebrowski, Paderewski Festival Artistic Director and Director of the USC Polish Music Center.

Fourteen participants from the Central Coast Region (including Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Fresno Counties) participated in the Junior Division (ages 10-14) and Senior Division (ages 15-18). The 2024 Youth Piano Competition winners include the following young musicians, who will receive diplomas and cash awards ranging from $100 to $750:

The 2024 Youth Piano Competition finalists in the Junior Division are:

 1st Place: Tobin Hallum, student of Brandon Bascom in Fresno

 2nd Place: Chloe Silva, student of Natasha Kilensko in Santa Barbara

 3rd Place (Tie): Daniel Lien,student of Andreas Werz in Fresno

3rd Place (Tie):  Sela Yarbrough, student of Andreas Werz in Fresno

The 2024 Youth Piano Competition finalists in the Senior Division are:

 1st Place: Ellen Butler, student of Natasha Kilensko in Santa Barbara

 2nd Place: Noelle Handall, student of Pascal Solomon in Santa Barbara

 3rd Place: Tim Yao, student of Rycharde Gambin in Fresno

 Legacy Award: Anna Albright, student of W. Terrence Spiller in San Luis Obispo