Competition: 10:00am – 1:00pm
Winner’s Recital: 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Musicians compete in all disciplines for a chance to win cash prizes. The competition features a panel of distinguished judges who will provide feedback and mentorship to the contestants throughout the competition, before announcing the winners. The application opened this past spring to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in a music degree program (up to age 26) at a college/university located in 11 Southeastern states: NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TN, KY, WV and VA.
First Place: $2,500 + afternoon recital
Second Place: $2,000
Third Place: $1,500
Honorable Mention: $1,000
Audience Choice: $500
Named in honor of Mrs. Muriel Rosen and two of Mrs. Rosen’s family members, Nancy and Neil Schaffel, the Rosen-Schaffel Competition continues to uphold a legacy of excellence and artistic growth. This event is a cornerstone of Appalachian State University’s commitment to fostering the arts and providing exceptional opportunities for young musicians to achieve their dreams.
Free Event – Open to the Public and Livestreamed
Contact theschaefercenter@appstate.edu, call 800-841-2787 or 828-262-4046, visit the box office at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, or purchase online.
FREE and open to the public
Parking
Parking can be challenging, particularly for sold-out events. Please allow extra time to park and arrive at the theatre before showtime. See map for parking recommendations.
Accommodations
App State is committed to providing an inclusive experience for individuals with disabilities. If accommodations are needed in order to fully participate on the basis of a disability, contact the Office of Disability Resources (828-262-3056). It is recommended that accommodation requests be made two weeks prior to the event.
Finalists
Eric Hoang, piano
Eric Hoang, a NC-born pianist and conductor, has appeared on NPR’s WUSF ClassicsFM 89.7 Live Radio in Tampa, Florida for his interpretations of Schubert and was featured on The Art of Piano, a PBS Premier Stage documentary for his interpretations of Mozart and insight on life as a pianist. He currently holds a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina School of the Arts under the mentorship of Dmitri Vorobiev. Hoang has been invited into the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland for the 2025-2026 year. An avid chamber musician, Hoang has performed alongside notable artists such as Robert Demaine, principal cellist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and internationally acclaimed, award-winning violist Jordan Bak. Hoang was the youngest person to have ever been awarded a piano faculty position at the UNCSA Community Music School. He has mentored students who have gone on to the Curtis Institute, Yale School of Music, and Eastman.
Zhanweiyi Liu, piano
Zhanweiyi Liu is a DMA student in piano performance at UNCG. She developed an interest in music at age 4, and at age 11, learned piano performance in the affiliated middle school of Sichuan Conservatory of Music in China. She participated in the 2019 Chopin International Piano Competition in ASIA, Asian Division, and received Honorable Mentation and in the 2019 Liszt International Piano Competition, Chinese Division, and received First Prize. In 2021, she received her B.M in Piano Performance at Sichuan Conservatory of Music. In 2022, she came to the U.S to begin her M.M degree in Piano Performance at Oklahoma State University and work for the Greenwood School of Music’s Preparatory Academy in Springfield, Mo. In 2023, she took First Place in the OMTA Piano Competition, Piano C, and earned Honorable Mention in the MTNA Piano Competition, Young Artist Piano.
Yue Zhang, mezzo soprano
Yue Zhang, mezzo-soprano, is a first-year Doctor of Musical Arts student in Voice Performance at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she also earned her master’s degree in 2024. She has worked with distinguished artists in international masterclasses, including Craig Rutenberg, Bruno de Simone, Edith Bers, and Elizabeth Bishop. Her operatic credits include Cherubino (Le nozze di Figaro), Rosina (Il Trionfo dell’onore), Third Lady (The Magic Flute), and Mother Jeanne (Dialogues of the Carmelites). A recipient of numerous honors, she won Second Prize at the 2024 Young Artist International Singing Competition and a Gold Medal at the 2021 German Philharmonic Music Competition. She currently serves as Alto Leader at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro.
Jurors
Diane Birr
Diane Birr (professor of piano) has been a faculty member since 1993 at Ithaca College School of Music, where she teaches courses and lessons in collaborative piano, private piano, and class piano, as well as coaches both vocal and instrumental chamber music. Dr. Birr has performed with numerous vocalists and instrumentalists in recitals and master classes throughout the United States, and in Australia, Canada, France, Scotland, Austria, and Norway. She has also served as an official collaborative pianist for multiple conferences and competitions, including the Music Teachers National Association’s (MTNA) national competitions, the International Double Reed Society Conference, the International Horn Society and the International Trombone Association’s conferences, and the inaugural International Brass Conference. Dr. Birr received collaborative piano training with Brooks Smith and Gwendolyn Koldofsky at the University of Southern California (USC) and completed her doctorate in Accompanying and Chamber Music at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Jean Barr.
Peter Kairoff
Dr. Peter Kairoff is Professor Emeritus at Wake Forest, having taught in the Department of Music for 36 years. A native of Los Angeles, he studied at the University of Southern California and in Florence, Italy as a Fulbright scholar. He has performed as pianist throughout the world to great acclaim, and has published seven CD albums on the Albany Records and Centaur labels. A Steinway Artist, he was also recently inducted into the Steinway and Sons Hall of Fame, for outstanding contributions to the field of piano performance and pedagogy.
Margaret Underwood
Dr. Margaret Underwood is the Director of the School of Music and Director of Bands at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. An active and respected guest conductor, adjudicator, and clinician, Dr. Underwood’s influence extends nationwide, with her ensembles performing at state and international conferences. Her presentations have reached prominent stages, including College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) Regional and National Conferences, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) International Conference, U.S. Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, College Music Society National Conference, and the International Society for the Research and Promotion of Wind Music (IGEB) International Conference, as well as various state music education conferences.
Dr. Underwood has been a champion of new music, commissioning works by notable composers such as Jennifer Higdon, Julia Wolfe, James Stephenson, and Hilary Purrington. Furthermore, her ensembles have premiered pieces by Paul Osterfield, Jennifer Merkowitz, and Andrew Hannan, expanding the repertoire with fresh and innovative works.
Her academic and teaching career includes previous faculty appointments at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania and Otterbein University in Ohio, as well as teaching middle and high school bands in New York. She holds degrees from the State University of New York at Fredonia, The Ohio State University, and the University of Minnesota.
