2026 Daniel Cheng International Etude Competition - Official Results

🌟 Overall Top Three Winners

• Top Performer: Sora Corro (16), Fremont, CA. Teacher: Sandra Shen. Piece 1: Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata Op 10 No 3 I. Presto | Piece 2: Frédéric Chopin - Etude Op 10 No 5 "Black Key"
• 1st Runner Up (tie): Dylan Zhang (12), River Forest, IL. Teacher: Sueanne Metz. Piece 1: Frédéric Chopin - Étude Op.10 No.1 in C Major | Piece 2: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Piano Sonata No.18 in D Major, K.576, Mvt. III-Allegretto
• 1st Runner Up (tie): Zhen Yu Lai (12), San Jose, CA. Teacher: Peyhwan Kuan. Piece 1: Frédéric Chopin - Etude Op. 10, No. 4 in C♯ minor | Piece 2: J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue in C# major, BWV 848

🎹 Group II

• First Prize: Aisling Xue (9), San Jose, CA. Teacher: Peyhwan Kuan. Piece 1: Nikolai Kapustin - Etude op. 40 no. 3 "Toccatina" | Piece 2: Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op.110, 1st mov.
• Second Prize: Serina Hirao (9), Foster City, CA. Teacher: Kaori Okura. Piece 1: Muzio Clementi - Sonatina Op36, No3 1st Movement | Piece 2: Friedrich Burgmuller - La Chevaleresque Op 100 No 25

🎹 Group III

• First Prize (tie): Dylan Zhang (12), River Forest, IL. Teacher: Sueanne Metz. Piece 1: Frédéric Chopin - Étude Op.10 No.1 in C Major | Piece 2: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Piano Sonata No.18 in D Major, K.576, Mvt. III-Allegretto
• First Prize (tie): Zhen Yu Lai (12), San Jose, CA. Teacher: Peyhwan Kuan. Piece 1: Frédéric Chopin - Etude Op. 10, No. 4 in C♯ minor | Piece 2: J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue in C# major, BWV 848
• Second Prize: Jayvon Ong (12), San Jose, CA. Teacher: Peyhwan Kuan. Piece 1: Francois Morel - Deux Etudes de Sonorite No.2 | Piece 2: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Sonata K310 in A Minor 1st movement

🎹 Group IV

• First Prize: Sora Corro (16), Fremont, CA. Teacher: Sandra Shen. Piece 1: Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata Op 10 No 3 I. Presto | Piece 2: Frédéric Chopin - Etude Op 10 No 5 "Black Key"
• Second Prize (tie): Dana Zhang (15), River Forest, IL. Teacher: Sueanne Metz. Piece 1: Frédéric Chopin - Étude Op.10 No.7 in C Major | Piece 2: Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Sonata No.23 in F Minor, "Appassionata", Op.57, Mvt. III-Allegro ma non troppo-Presto
• Second Prize (tie): Junyuan Liu (15), Naperville, IL. Teacher: Sueanne Metz. Piece 1: Frédéric Chopin - Étude Opus 25 No. 11, “Winter Wind” in A Minor | Piece 2: Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53, Mvt. 3
• Third Prize: Castor Li (16), Fremont, CA. Teacher: Evren Ozel. Piece 1: Moritz Moszkowski - Moszkowski: Etude in F Major, Op. 72, No. 6 | Piece 2: Joseph Haydn - Keyboard Sonata in E-flat Major, Hob. XVI:25
• Honorable Mention: Alexander Tang (15), Mountain View, CA. Teacher: Wen Chun Ku. Piece 1: Frédéric Chopin - Etude in C major Op. 10 No. 1 | Piece 2: J.S. Bach - Prelude & Fugue in G Major, BWV884
• Honorable Mention: Johnny Du (15), Fremont, CA. Teacher: Peyhwan Kuan. Piece 1: J.S. Bach - Prelude and Fugue in d minor BWV 851 | Piece 2: Serge Bortkiewcz - Le mysterious inconnu. Etude, Op.29 No.7
• Honorable Mention: Kai Xin (15), Palo Alto, CA. Teacher: Pilar Hsue. Piece 1: Moritz Moszkowski - Moszkowski Etude op. 72 no. 6 | Piece 2: J.S. Bach - Prelude from English Suite #2 in A Minor, BWV 807

🎹 Group V

• Honorable Mention: Christopher Tang (17), Cupertino, CA. Teacher: Li-Ling Chen. Piece 1: Moritz Moszkowski - 15 Etudes de Virtuosité Op.72 No. 5 | Piece 2: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Alla Turca: third movement from Piano Sonata No.11 in A major, K.331