March 2024 Concert Program

About Our Soloist – Katelyn Deng

Katelyn Deng, age 14, is a 9th grader from Fremont, California. She started piano at the age of 4 and has been studying with Mrs. Kai Chi Zhu for more than eight years. In 2022, Katelyn was awarded First Place in the United States Open Music Competition for the Junior Concerto Category and First Place in the Junior Solo Showcase Category. She was also awarded the Runner-Up prize for the Alvin Dockter Award in the 2022 Young Artist Competition by Fremont Symphony.

In 2023, Katelyn won the First Place award in the United States Open Music Competition for the Intermediate Solo Showcase Category. She also won First Prize in the 2023 Pacific Musical Society and Foundation Competition, First Prize in the 2023 KAMSA Piano Competition, First Place in the 2023 East Bay Music Foundation Piano Competition, and Second Place in the 10th ENKOR Competition. Recently, Katelyn was awarded Third Prize in the 2024 Young Artist Competition by Fremont Symphony for the complete concerto category. She was also accepted as a finalist for the Henry and Carol Zeiter Piano Competition and invited to perform at the University of the Pacific in late January, ultimately winning Honorable Mention. Katelyn has also performed in masterclasses taught by Steinway Artist Natsuki Fukasawa, Curtis Institute Professor Meng-Chieh Liu, Leeds Piano Competition First Place winner Sofya Gulyak, and highly-decorated pianist Armen Babakhanian. Additionally, she has participated in the Junior Bach Festival for three consecutive years. Besides music, Katelyn enjoys writing, reading books, and watching movies or documentaries. About the Composer Born in 1994, Chris grew up in Morgan Hill. Since graduating from Ann Sobrato High School in 2013, Chris has had numerous world premieres with the South Valley Symphony, including “Mushroom Mardi Gras” (2016), and “Ozian Symphony” (2020). After obtaining A.A. degrees in both music theory and psychology, Chris graduated from Humboldt State University with a B.A. in Psychology in 2021. Chris is currently working as a Clinical Leader/Behavior Consultant with Center for Social Dynamics, helping children on the Autism spectrum overcome their communicative and regulatory challenges. Chris is looking forward to furthering his education by pursuing a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology.