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GOCAA 2024 SAN DIEGO

The 2024 GOCAA Int'l Music Competition San Diego Preliminary will be held on Saturday, April 13th at La Jolla's prestigious Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center. The deadline for applications is March 31, 2024 at 18:00.

Jury Panel

Judges include top local and national musicians and instructors

Our distinguished jury panel includes local and national musicians and instructors with wide coverage, each bringing their unique expertise and perspective to our competition. Their diverse backgrounds and broad experiences enrich the judging process, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of the talents showcased.

Award Ceremony and Performance Concert
Program List
19:30-22:15 @ Baker-Baum Concert Hall

Spring River Flower Moon Night

Bei Bei Monter

Shengyu Mei

Kelly Au

Chengyu Shi

Zixuan Mo

Wei Lin

Rose Jin

Giang Do

Ella Wu

Violin Solo

Sonata No. 3 in D minor, Op. 27  “Ballade”

Eugene Ysaÿe

Lucas Lee

Violin Ensemble

by YOYI Msuic School

Exodus

Tonci Huljic

arr. by Maksim Mrvica

Bing Li

Yoyo Shi

Yolanda Yu

Boyang Mou

Stella Wang

Ellabelle Yang

Christina Wang

Mary He

Zixi Su

Ella Sun

Siyu Diao

Zimo Weng

Steven Xiong

Diana Xu

Mia Liu

Samuel Xiong

Greyson Dai

Frank Li

Fiona Deng

Jayden Liu

Lucas Li

Piano Solo

Danses de salon No.1 Tarantella

Albert Pieczonka

Angela Cai

Piano Trio

Sonata for Piano Trio in C major, Op. 15, No. 1, W.B 49

J.C. Bach

Piano: Lucas Lei

Cello: Gavin Zheng

Violin: Helena Leachman

Lotus Bud Guzheng Ensemble

Chinese Classic

Piano Duet

Hungarian Dance No.5

Johannes Brahms

Bernie Huang
Athena Zhou

Aria

 “Un bel di vedremo”

from Madama Butterfly 

Giacomo Puccini

Katherine Backues 

String Quintet

Music Bash From East to West

Folk Songs 

Yanchen Ding

Youcheng Yang

William Zhang

Tian Cheng

Ariel Lavelle

Sophia Wei

Samantha Yang

Piano Solo

Star Chaser (Original)

Mikita Li

Mikita Li

Cello Duet

Concerto for 2 Cellos in G minor, RV 531, Allegro

Antonio Vivaldi  

Zinuo Cai

Ethan Dang

String Ensemble

Tango “La Cumparsita” 

Rodriguez-McLean

Molly Mo

Daniel Chen

Katherine Yu

Felix Chou

Gavin Chen

Ryan Dong

Bethany Xia

Yihan Ma

Sharon Zhao

Piano Solo

Scherzo No.2, Op.31

Frédéric Chopin

Yilin Zhu

Guo Yun Guzheng Ensemble

Flourishing Age 

Wei Zeng, Jinyang Sun

Grace Ma
Elena Song
Ivy Zhang
Annie Xu
Daisy Wu
Claire HU
Elaine Meng
Lucas Zhang

Piano & Drum Duo

Improvisation Piano and Drum

Sarah Zhang

Eddie Hong

Piano Trio

From that Distant Land

Luobin Wang

arr. by John Van Deursen

Piano: Angela Lin

Violin: Alice Xu

Cello: Nicole Liu

Piano Eight Hands

Galop-Marche for Eight Hands

Albert Lavignac

Amy Jia

Yuhan Chen
Tianrui Zhang
Heyongxi

Piano, Flute and Cello Trio

Trio in G minor, Op.63 I. Allegro

Carl Maria von Weber

Piano: Yilin Zhu

Flute: Alisa Timmerman

Cello: Evelyn Nedelciuc

Piano Solo

Le Rossignol, S.250/1

Franz Liszt

Grace Wang

Piano Solo

Etude de Concert S. 144 No. 3 "Un Sospiro"

Franz Liszt

Dylan Lee

Piano, Flute and Cello Trio

6 Piano Trios, Op.352, No 3

Carl Bohm

Piano: Nicole Liu

Flute: Melody Hui

Cello: Jeremy Wang

Guidelines

About GOCAA

The "Global Outstanding Young Musicians Selection Competition," founded by the Global Outstanding Chinese Artists Association (GOCAA), aims to bring young musicians to the stage and onto the world scene. With a focus on providing a platform for Chinese piano students, it aims to guide their future development through a professional and authoritative jury. Since its inception in 2013 with over 100 participants from 14 cities in China, the competition has grown significantly. By 2022, its 9th edition, it has seen participation from thousands of contestants from 12 countries including China, the USA, UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, Russia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Thailand.

Each edition's finals feature a jury comprising renowned piano department heads and masters from international music colleges. About six outstanding young performers are selected for contracts in each final, totaling 80 signees from 31 cities across 8 countries to date. These young artists have been provided with nearly a hundred solo concerts and over ten concerto concerts in four countries, collaborating with orchestras like the Wuhan Philharmonic and the Sichuan Philharmonic. Moreover, winners of the top three prizes from each edition have been given opportunities to perform thematic concerts in professional music halls, making it one of the most influential professional piano events internationally.

In 2022, the 9th edition included five major international regions: the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and China, with all certificates issued by the GOCAA. Since 2020, the competition has been a part of the Agrigent Foundation - International Piano Competition Member Organization (AAF).

Starting from 2022, each year's GOCAA competition is named after a US city. In 2023, New York was chosen to attract global music students. The competition has retained an online format and will continue in a hybrid form of both live and online formats, allowing global participants to choose their preferred mode of participation.

In 2023, GOCAA hosted its 10th competition, with the San Diego region being added as a new preliminary round location. It was one of the largest and most prestigious preliminary regions. A total of 180 participants competed in various categories, including piano, string instruments, folk music, and vocal music. Over 30 people proceeded to the finals in New York and Boston, winning various awards including gold, silver, and bronze.

Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, opened in 2019 in La Jolla, California, is the heart of cultural and arts education activities in the region and the permanent home of the La Jolla Music Society. Designed by Epstein Joslin Architects, the center is renowned for its state-of-the-art acoustics by Yasuhisa Toyota, known for his work on global venues like the Walt Disney Concert Hall. It features the Baker-Baum Concert Hall with a capacity of 513, and The JAI, a 140-seat theater. The Conrad hosts a variety of performances and events, making it a key cultural destination

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