Washington, DC Area Piano Students Perform With Great Success at Sydney Opera House and The Piano in New Zealand
European Academy of Music and Art (EAMA) students at the Sydney Opera House, Sydney, Australia, June 23, 2026
EAMA students at The Piano: Centre for Music and the Arts, Christchurch, New Zealand, June 26, 2026
Dr. Bella Eugenia Oster's EAMA students, winners of IAMGC's International Piano Contest, honor Australian composer Percy Grainger at two landmark venues.
SILVER SPRING, MD, UNITED STATES, July 27, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On the evening of June 23, 2026, before an enthusiastic Australian audience, twelve young American pianists from the European Academy of Music and Art (EAMA) in Silver Spring, Maryland walked onto the stage of the Sydney Opera House. Three days later, on June 26, and across the Tasman Sea, they performed again at The Piano in Christchurch, New Zealand. Two countries, two of the Southern Hemisphere’s most celebrated concert halls, in a single week.
The Sydney concert was dedicated to Percy Grainger, the Australian-born pianist and composer whose piano transcriptions of Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Rachmaninov, and Schumann ran throughout both programs. The programs also included works by Beethoven, Chopin, Saint-Saëns, Liszt, and others.
“Dedicating our Sydney concert to Percy Grainger felt right,” said Dr. Bella Eugenia Oster, Principal and Professor of Piano Performance at EAMA. “His arrangements run through our students’ repertoire, and to honor an Australian master on Australian soil, performed by young pianists from Maryland, speaks to what classical music does best. It crosses every border.”
The young pianists, ranging in age from 11 to 17, are residents of the Washington DC metropolitan area, including Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Many began their studies at EAMA as early as age three.
Each student prepared virtuosic repertoire demonstrating talent, dedication, diligent work, and the benefits of a comprehensive music education. The performers are Jayden Zhou (11), Brian Liu (12), Arman Charnoubi (13), Kavin Charnoubi (13), Daya Wampler (14), Sarina Li (14), Aria Mahtani (14), Ahana Rao (15), Natasha Charnoubi (15), Kavan Wampler (16), Jonathan Wang (16), and Victoria Zhong (17). All are students of Dr. Oster and 2026 Winners of IAMGC’s International Piano Contest.
“A team isn’t a crowd of people all doing the same thing,” said a parent of one of the performers, speaking at the Sydney concert. “It’s a group of individuals, each mastering their own part, and it’s exactly that individual excellence, offered up to the group, that lifts everyone.”
The two venues carry their own histories. The Sydney Opera House is among the most recognized buildings in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Piano, a purpose-built concert hall in central Christchurch, opened in 2016 as part of the city’s rebuilding after the Canterbury earthquakes and celebrates its tenth anniversary this year.
Under Dr. Oster’s guidance, students have developed skills that allow them to tackle repertoire typically reserved for conservatory-level musicians. Dr. Oster’s five decades of experience in music education have established EAMA as an institution where students regularly advance to perform at world-renowned venues including Carnegie Hall (NY), Royal Albert Hall (UK), Teatro Colón (Argentina), Bastille Opera House (France), Dubai Opera (UAE), Musiikkitalo (Finland), Harpa Concert Hall (Iceland), and numerous others.
The students serve as cultural ambassadors, representing the Washington metropolitan area on an international stage while demonstrating the quality of education and opportunity available through EAMA under Dr. Bella E. Oster’s leadership.
About the European Academy of Music and Art (EAMA)
Founded in 1991, the European Academy of Music and Art is located at 15420 New Hampshire Avenue in Silver Spring, Maryland. Under the leadership of Dr. Bella Eugenia Oster, the academy provides comprehensive piano education for students ages 3-18, combining advanced technical training with music theory and performance opportunities. Students have performed at prestigious venues worldwide and have gained admission to leading universities including Harvard, MIT, Yale, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, Duke, UC Berkeley and other elite institutions.
About the International Association for Musically Gifted Children (IAMGC)
The International Association for Musically Gifted Children (IAMGC) supports the intellectual and artistic growth of children through classical piano study and international and national concert performances. The organization conducts annual international piano contests and provides performance opportunities for young musicians worldwide.
Dr. Bella Eugenia Oster and Lisa Vora
European Academy of Music and Art
+1 301-908-6928
alexoster@comcast.net
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
