1st place winners stand for a photo next to a Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation sign. They are Chloe Emma Silva, left, Lydia Plaut, Nikki Seppala Kurnik. (Monie photograph)
1st place winners are Chloe Emma Silva, left, Lydia Plaut, Nikki Seppala Kurnik. (Monie photograph)

The Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation (PASF) has announced the winners of its 2026 Music Competition following the final concert.

Ten finalists were selected through a multi-step audition process from more than 30 applicants across the region.

Top honors were awarded in the Junior Instrumental, Junior Vocal, and Senior Instrumental divisions, recognizing excellence in technical precision, musical interpretation, and performance.

In recognition of their achievement, all finalists received monetary awards totaling $21,000 across all divisions and placements to support their continued artistic development. Funds may be used for private instruction, summer programs, higher education, and the purchase or improvement of instruments.

A panel of judges with international performance and academic experience adjudicated the competition.

Judges included Antonio Artese, pianist and composer and former dean of the Global Academic Program at Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy; Brynn Albanese, violinist, former Tanglewood concertmaster, and Boston Symphony Orchestra member; Jamie Chamberlin, soprano who has performed with LA Opera, Chicago Opera Theatre, and San Francisco Opera; and Robert Koenig, concert pianist with appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and international venues.

“The level of artistry continues to grow each year, both in depth and maturity,” said Deborah Bertling, PASF Board president. “We’re seeing musicians arrive not only with strong technical skills, but with a real sense of musical voice and expression.

“At the same time, many of these students are part of a broader continuum, returning to the competition after previous recognition or studying with teachers who once stood in their place, which speaks to the strength and reach of this musical community.”

The 2026 Music Competition winners are:

Junior Instrumental Division

First place: Pianist Chloe Emma Silva, a young artist with international performance experience, including appearances in Japan, and training through master classes with university-level faculty. She studies with Natasha Kislenko.

Second place: Violinist Seungyoo Kim-Jung, a returning PASF award finalist and accomplished youth symphony concertmaster.

Honorable Mentions: Pianist Leon Guo and violinist Skylar Abello.

Junior Vocal Division

First place: Soprano Nikki Seppala Kurnik, a versatile performer with national recognition in musical theater competitions. She has trained through programs such as Kristin Chenoweth’s Broadway Bootcamp, and studies with Brett Mutinelli.

Second place: Shared by sopranos Aria Bonski Evans and and Amelia Checketts. Evans has participated in intensive classical training programs including the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. Checketts has performed in advanced vocal ensembles and summer conservatory programs.

Senior Instrumental Division

First place: Violist Lydia Plaut, a professionally trained musician with degrees in performance and pedagogy from leading conservatories and orchestral experience including major festival fellowships.

Second place: Pianist Noelle Hadsall with pianist Annabelle Zhang receiving an Honorable Mention. Both Hadsall and Zhang are former first-place winners in the Junior Instrumental Division (2021, 2025, respectively), a distinction that advances recipients to compete at the senior level.

Beyond the results, this year’s competition highlights a continuity within the PASF community, organizers said.

“Several finalists returned after earning recognition in prior years, demonstrating continued artistic growth, while others are now studying with instructors who once competed on the same stage as PASF finalists and winners,” they said.

“We’re now watching the vision of PASF come to life in ways we could only hope for years ago,” Bertling said. “Former scholarship recipients have gone on to become accomplished professional performers, including Grammy Award winners, while others are returning as teachers and mentors to students following the same path.

“Seeing that kind of legacy carried across generations is extraordinary.”

For more information about the PASF, including how to contribute and support scholarship opportunities, visit pasfsb.org.