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Bay Shore’s St. Peter’s By-the-Sea Episcopal Church is set to be filled with the sweet sounds of classical music this Sunday as 13-year-old prodigy pianist Jessica Zhao takes the stage at the Island Symphony Orchestra’s Spring Concert.
Jessica, who was crowned Grand Prize Winner of the 2023 Island Symphony Orchestra Young Performers’ Competition, will perform the lively Piano Concerto No. 1 by Ludwig van Beethoven. The concert program will also feature Richard Wagner’s Overture to Tannhauser and Beethoven’s thrilling Symphony No. 5.
Tickets for the eagerly anticipated concert, which starts at 2:00 pm on April 2, will be available at the door for just $10.
Jessica’s impressive musical journey began at the tender age of five when she first began learning piano. Since then, she has gone from strength to strength, delivering her first Carnegie Hall performance as a winner of the American Music Talents International Piano and String Competition back in 2016.
Now in the eighth grade at Portledge School in Locust Valley, Jessica was admitted into the Pre-College division of the Manhattan School of Music at just seven years old. She went on to be admitted into the Pre-College division of the prestigious Juilliard School at the age of 10, where she continues to study under the tutelage of Dr. Julian Martin.
Earlier this February, Jessica gave a breathtaking solo recital at Juilliard’s Paul Hall, earning her much-deserved praise from critics and fans alike.
The Island Symphony Orchestra Young Performers’ Competition, which was established by the long-time Island Symphony Orchestra Music Director Dr. Howard Cinnamon in 1995, showcases exceptionally talented young musicians by giving them the opportunity to perform with a symphony orchestra.
Open to musicians aged 18 and under who reside in Nassau and Suffolk County, the competition offers the Grand Prize Winner a cash award of $750, with the second-place winner receiving $250.
For more information about the Island Symphony Orchestra’s Young Performers’ Competition, head to https://islandsymphony.org/young-performers-competition/.
Top: Pianist Jessica Zhao. (Courtesy)
