2026 CMC-BC Gala Concert Celebrate Excellence in Young Musicians
Vancouver, BC – June 14, 2026 – The Canadian Music Competitions of British Columbia Society (CMC-BC) proudly presented the 2026 CMC-BC Provincial Gala Concert, showcasing the exceptional talent, dedication, and artistry of young classical musicians from across British Columbia.
This year’s provincial competition brought together 120 participants from BC aged 7 to 25, representing a wide range of disciplines including piano, strings, voice, woodwinds, harp, guitar, and chamber music. The Gala Concert highlighted the achievements of provincial winners and distinguished performers through two separate concerts: one featuring strings, woodwinds, harp, guitar, voice, and chamber music, and the other dedicated to piano performance.
The event opened with welcoming remarks from Lynn Liu, President of the Canadian Music Competitions of British Columbia Society, who congratulated the participants and thanked the teachers, parents, adjudicators, volunteers, sponsors, and community partners for their continued support.
Greetings were also delivered by Vancouver City Councillor Lenny Zhou, who recognized the important role music education plays in developing creativity, confidence, and cultural understanding among young people.
The audience was honoured to hear from Dr. Jane Coop, internationally acclaimed Canadian pianist, Steinway Artist, and Professor Emerita of the UBC School of Music. Dr. Coop shared words of encouragement with the performers, highlighting the lifelong value of artistic excellence and musical study.
A special highlight of this year’s event was the recognition of the inaugural 2026 CMC-BC Ambassadors: Olivia Yi, Xiyun Huang, Charles Lim, Bonnie Wong, and Elliana Sun, who exemplify both artistic achievement and community leadership.
Gala Concert I
Strings, Woodwinds, Harp, Guitar, Voice & Chamber Music
Peilin Na – 2nd Place, Strings Age 11 Category
Performed Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Op. 33, Allegro non troppo by Camille Saint-Saëns.
Zephan Wu – 2nd Place, Strings Age 16 Category
Performed Concerto No. 1, Op. 19, Third Movement by Sergei Prokofiev.
Sabrina Feng – 2nd Place, Woodwinds Age 15 Category
Performed Sonatine by Pierre Sancan.
Tedrick Sak – 2nd Place, Strings Age 16 Category
Performed Hungarian Rhapsody, Op. 68 by David Popper.
Alina Nicolenco – 2nd Place, Strings Age 16 Category
Performed Recitativo and Scherzo-Caprice by Fritz Kreisler.
Henry Wang – 1st Place, Strings Age 7 Category
Performed Concerto No. 1 in A Minor by J.B. Accolay.
Anna Kim – 1st Place, Harp Age 8 Category
Performed Baroque Flamenco by Deborah Henson-Conant.
Lilian Ma – 1st Place, Strings Age 9 Category
Performed Zapateado, Op. 23 No. 2 by Pablo de Sarasate.
Renee Zhao – 1st Place, Harp Age 9 Category
Performed Nataliana by Deborah Henson-Conant.
Yujing Lin – 1st Place, Strings Age 10 Category
Performed the first movement of Violin Concerto in E Minor by Felix Mendelssohn.
Jingxuan Sun – 1st Place, Strings Age 11 Category
Performed Nigun No. 2 by Ernest Bloch.
Kaitlin Janelle Hui – 1st Place, Harp Age 12 Category
Performed Girl in the Red Skirt by Lori Pappajohn.
Lukas Nicolenco – 1st Place, Strings Age 12 Category
Performed Ripsnorter Finale by Malcolm Forsyth.
Lucas Zhongcheng Yang, Olivia Jing Xian Xi, Jericho Zheng, and Erdong Yu – 1st Place, Chamber Music Age 11–14 Category
Performed Quartet for Four Violins, I. Allegretto – Allegro giocoso by Grażyna Bacewicz.
Catherine Huo – 1st Place, Guitar Age 14 Category
Performed Variations on a Theme by Sor by Miguel Llobet.
Elise Nicolenco – 1st Place, Strings Age 14 Category
Performed Romanza Andaluza by Pablo de Sarasate.
Erya Gu – 1st Place, Woodwinds Age 14 Category
Performed the first movement of Concerto No. 1 in G Major, K.313 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
Iris Zhu – 1st Place, Strings Age 15 Category
Performed the first movement of Concerto No. 1 in A Minor by Camille Saint-Saëns.
Jae (Jaein) Park – 1st Place, Strings Age 16 Category
Performed Sonata No. 3 in D Minor (Ballade) by Eugène Ysaÿe.
Amber-Jinghe Shen – 1st Place, Voice Age 16 Category
Performed Die Nacht by Richard Strauss.
Valery Lou, Charles Lim, Hyden Ho, and Michiyo Yu – 1st Place, Chamber Music Age 15–18 Category
Performed the third movement of String Quartet No. 3 in F Major, Op. 73 by Dmitri Shostakovich.
Gala Concert II
Piano Showcase
Xiyun Huang – 2026 CMC-BC Ambassador
Performed The Cat and the Mouse (Scherzo Humoristique) by Aaron Copland.
Melinda Liu – 2nd Place, Piano Age 7 Category
Performed Invention No. 6 by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Oliver Cao – 2nd Place, Piano Age 10 Category
Performed Toccata by David L. McIntyre.
Tiger Wu – 2nd Place, Piano Age 13 Category
Performed Contrapuncti Nos. 4 and 9 by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Gabriel Sun – 2nd Place, Piano Age 13 Category
Performed Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 by Franz Liszt.
Patrick Cao – 2nd Place, Piano Age 14 Category
Performed Étude in A Minor, Op. 25 No. 11 by Frédéric Chopin.
Hannah Chen – 2nd Place, Piano Age 14 Category
Performed La cathédrale engloutie by Claude Debussy.
Hongye Chen – 2nd Place, Piano Age 15 Category
Performed Oiseaux Tristes from Miroirs by Maurice Ravel.
Charles Lim – 2026 CMC-BC Ambassador and 2nd Place, Strings Age 15 Category
Performed the Prelude from Cello Suite No. 6 in D Major, BWV 1012 by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Elliott Sung-Kwon Cheon – 1st Place, Piano Age 8 Category
Performed Waltz in C-sharp Minor, Op. 64 No. 2 by Frédéric Chopin.
DanDan Xiao Xu – 1st Place, Piano Age 9 Category
Performed movements 2 and 3 of Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056 by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Stephanie Yueyou Liu – 1st Place, Piano Age 10 Category
Performed the first movement of Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50 by Joseph Haydn.
Joy Jiahe Lou – 1st Place, Piano Age 11 Category
Performed Trois Écossaises, Op. 72 No. 3 by Frédéric Chopin.
Bradley Lim – 1st Place, Piano Age 13 Category
Performed movements II and III of Phantasie in F-sharp Minor, Op. 28 by Felix Mendelssohn.
Ethan Wang – 1st Place, Piano Age 14 Category
Performed Jeux d’eau by Maurice Ravel.
Bonnie Wong – 2026 CMC-BC Ambassador and 1st Place, Harp Age 15 Category
Performed Contemplation by Henriette Renié.
Valery Lou – 1st Place, Piano Age 16 Category
Performed the first movement of Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor by Frédéric Chopin.
Andy Yi & Giulianna Chen – 1st Place, Piano Duet/Duo Age 15–18 Category
Performed movements III and IV of Fantasie in F Minor by Franz Schubert.
Provincial Awards Ceremony
Both Gala Concerts concluded with an Awards Ceremony recognizing the First, Second, and Third Place winners across all categories. Prize winners were invited to the stage to receive their awards and certificates, followed by group photographs celebrating their achievements. These special moments provided an opportunity to honour the hard work, dedication, and musical accomplishments of the participants while creating lasting memories for performers, teachers, and families.
Celebrating Excellence Through Music
The 2026 CMC-BC Gala Concert reflected the extraordinary talent and dedication of young musicians throughout British Columbia. CMC-BC extends its sincere congratulations to all participants, teachers, and families and looks forward to continuing its mission of fostering artistic excellence, leadership, and community engagement through music.
