Introducing Scottsdale’s Newest Musical Gem!
Don’t miss the thrilling launch of the Executive Piano Series on Sunday, September 28, 2025 at 2PM—a bold celebration of the European piano tradition, featuring the electrifying works of Mozart, Chopin, and Liszt.

Be swept away by some of the most challenging and expressive pieces ever written for the piano, including Liszt’s Spanish Rhapsody and Reminiscences de Norma, as well as Chopin’s Barcarolle Op. 60 and the hauntingly beautiful Nocturnes Op. 27 No. 1 and Op. 48 No. 1.

Performed by a remarkable group of young, award-winning pianists from across the U.S.—Robert Yan, Eric Shan, Leonard Mai, and David Liu—all current or former students of distinguished teachers Dr. Ivona Kaminska and Dr. Christopher Bowlby.

Representing the best of European elegance and American artistry, this concert promises a dazzling afternoon of technical brilliance and emotional depth.

Artistic Directors:
Dr Ivona Kaminska Bowlby and Dr Christopher Bowlby are directors of the Chopin Academy of Music, Inc, Chopin Piano Arts, Inc, founders and presidents of the Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition. Extremely passionate about the classical piano repertoire, they devote their time to both teaching gifted students, performing, and creating many educational events and competitions to cultivate the best of classical piano traditions. For more info: www.chopin-piano-arts.com

Performers:
Robert Yan
Robert is committed to life as an artist. His approach to music-making is closely tied to his observation of life. Through this lens, he has captivated audiences around the world with raw, visceral performances of Romantic repertoire. His favorite composer is Frederic Chopin, and his favorite pianist is Sergei Rachmaninoff, Josef Hoffmann a close second.

Robert began his piano studies with Dr. Christopher Bowlby at the age of seven. He later studied with Dr. Ivona Kaminska, Dr. Logan Skelton at the University of Michigan and Professor Alexander Korsantia at the New England Conservatory of Music.

As a youngster, he was the first prize winner of many local competitions in Washington State and performed frequently at New York’s Carnegie Hall. Some of his most recent achievements include the gold medal at the Seattle International Piano Festival and Semi-Finalist of the Chopin International Competion in Asia.

David Shichu Liu
Born in China, Shichu Liu began his piano journey at the age of four, laying the groundwork for what would become a lifelong devotion to music. With a rare blend of discipline, artistry, and technical brilliance, he quickly distinguished himself in competitions across China and the United States.

After relocating to Seattle, Shichu continued his musical development under the mentorship of Dr. Ivona Kaminska at the Chopin Academy of Music. He is currently pursuing his studies at Berklee College of Music in Boston while remaining an active student in the Chopin Academy’s Outreach Program. There, he not only continues his training with Dr. Kaminska, but also serves as a practice instructor, mentoring the next generation of young pianists.

Shichu’s accomplishments include multiple First Prizes at distinguished competitions such as the 2015, 2016, and 2018 Bach Festivals, the 2016 Virtuoso Festival, the 2017 Chopin Festival of the Northwest, and the 2017 Outstanding Artists Competition of Washington State. He also earned Second Prize at the 2017 Simon Fiset Competition, a further testament to his consistent artistic excellence. In 2018, he was selected to perform Chopin’s Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 21 with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra at the esteemed Chan Centre in Canada.

A committed lifelong learner, Shichu has enriched his artistry through masterclasses with renowned pianists such as Dr. Logan Skelton, Dr. Christopher Bowlby, Dr. Peter Mack, and Dr. Sara Davis Buechner. His performances have graced prestigious venues including Benaroya Hall in Seattle and Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City—milestones that mark him as a rising force on the international classical stage.

In addition to his academic and performance pursuits, Shichu is dedicated to sharing his love for music with others. He teaches private students and serves as the pianist at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Issaquah, WA. His journey is a vivid testament to the transformative power of music, and to a young artist’s unwavering commitment to excellence and expression.

Eric Yechong Shan:
A native of Shanghai, the versatile young artist Yechong (Eric) Shan moved to Seattle in 2016, studying under Dr. Ivona Kaminska Bowlby at the Chopin Academy of Music. Since then, he has won first prizes in the Washington State Outstanding Artist Competition, Simon Fiset Competition, Carmel Klavier International, NLMF Concerto Competition in Minnesota, Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle, Grand Prize Virtuoso Festival, and received platinum in the 2023 North American Virtuoso International Music Competition (piano solo category). Eric has performed on the stages of Carnegie Hall, Oriental Art Center in Shanghai, Center for the Performing Arts in Scottsdale, Benaroya Hall, and many others. He has also coached with artists such as Alexander Tutunov, Logan Skelton, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Peter Mack, Douglas Humpherys, Xiang-Dong Kong, and Christopher Bowlby. Currently pursuing a degree in Music Technology at NYU, Eric is expanding his artistry through sound design, composition, and production. He continues to expand his artistic voice by creating original works that blend classical, jazz, and contemporary genres. He is especially interested in cross-genre storytelling through music and the emotional narratives that emerge from sound.

Children/Senior tickets are available through the box office for $20.