Frost Chopin Festival: An Evening of Ukrainian & Polish Song

• Olga Pasichnyk, soprano
• Kevin Kenner, piano
• Ewa Pobłocka, piano
• Malvyn Lai, piano
• Katherine Liu, piano
• Saaya Hara, piano

Join us for an evening of song with Ukrainian-Polish soprano Olga Pasichnyk, winner of the Queen Elisabeth International Competition in Brussels accompanied by pianists Kevin Kenner and Ewa Pobłocka in a selection of works by Ukrainian composers, Chopin, and Poland's operatic master Stanisław Moniuszko. We will also highlight some of our talented academy students, American pianist Malvyn Lai and Katherine Liu, who are scholarship recipients of the Chopin Foundation of the U.S., and pianist Saaya Hara, who has traveled all the way from Japan. She was a semifinalist at the XVIII International Chopin Competition in Warsaw.

About University of Miami Frost School of Music

https://www.frost.miami.edu/

About Olga Pasichnyk, soprano

https://www.olgapasichnyk.com/

About Kevin Kenner, piano

http://www.kevinkenner.com

About Ewa Pobłocka, piano

http://www.ewapoblocka.com/?lang=en

About Malvyn Lai, piano

Malvyn Lai, 18 years old, began his piano studies at age 5 and currently studies with Prof. Ning An. At age 10, he made his orchestral debut with the Kostroma Symphony Orchestra in Russia. He has since performed with the Danube Symphony in Budapest, Hungary, Toruń Symphony Orchestra in Poland, Culver City Symphony in California, Grossmont College Symphony in San Diego, and Concert Festival Orchestra in Long Island, NY. He also received the honor of performing with the Temecula Valley Symphony three times from 2015–2017 as the winner of their Young Artist Competition.

Malvyn has won many awards and scholarships. His recent competition accomplishments include: 2021 National YoungArts Foundation Finalist and a Silver medal in Classical Music, 2021 Conrad Bruderer Award and 2022 Fenstermaker Scholar Award given by the San Diego Musical Merit Foundation with a full scholarship to the Aspen Music Festival in 2023, an acceptance to the 2022 The Morningside Music Bridge Festival with a full scholarship at New England Conservatory, Silver prize of the 5th La Palma d’oro Piano Competition in Italy (age 16–36), 2021 Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition Discretionary Award, first place of 2021 Grossmont Music Scholarship Council Competition, The Dr. Milton H. Saier, Sr. Memorial Award and the first place of the 2020 La Jolla Symphony Young Artist Competition, 2020–2023 Chopin Foundation of United States Scholar, first place of the 2021 Southern California Philharmonic Young Artist Competition, first place of the 2020 Walgreens National Concerto Competition in piano, 2020 California Music Center Spotlight Merit Award, 2020 Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition For Young Pianists, top winner of 2022 The Nextgen International Piano Competition, first place in the 2019 OC International Steinway & Sons Competition, first place in the 2019 Parness Young Artist Competition, second place in the 2019 Lee Piano Festival Competition, first place in the Southern California Regional CAPMT Concerto competition, first place in the Statewide Steinway & Sons Young Artist Piano Competition, and many other scholarships and competitions.

Malvyn's previous teacher was Dr. Irina Bendetsky who introduced and taught him the strong fundamentals of piano technique. Besides music, Malvyn enjoys playing tennis, swimming, reading, science, and math. He was a three-time American Invitational Mathematics Examination qualifier and 2023 National Merit Scholarship Finalist. He will be attending Stanford University this fall.