Capital District Council for Young Musicians
The Glens Falls Symphony is thrilled to welcome the Capital District Council for Young Musicians to perform Camille Saint-Saëns, “Carnival of the Animals” Piano Duets on stage with the orchestra on Sunday, March 16, 2025, 4pm at First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls. Below you will find a brief bio on each student performer. Enjoy!
Capital District Council for Young Musicians:
William Xu is 12 years old, and he is an 8th Grader at Acadia Middle School. He is currently under the tutelage of Dr. Young Kim. William started playing piano at age 6, taught by Professor Daisy Jungtzu Lin until 2023. William received 2 Outstanding with Distinctions for NYSMATA Audition in 2019 and 2022. He won first place in the Novice Division of the 2022 CDCYM Chopin Piano Competition in the Capital Region in New York. In addition, he received 2nd prize in The Great Piano Masters “Rudolph Kehrer Edition” International Piano Competition in July of 2022. This year, he has been invited to perform at the 18th Annual NYSSMA Piano Showcase during the 2024 All-State Winter Conference. He also has many other hobbies, including tennis, reading, and playing the violin. On the violin, he received an A+ in NYSSMA Level 6 in 2022 and 2023.
Brian Y. Sun is a sophomore at Niskayuna High School. He has been playing piano for ten years, starting with Ms. Dianne Hellert and currently with Dr. Young Kim since 2021. Brian was the 2023 CDCYM Chopin Competition Apprentice winner, 2023 Junior Piano runner-up in the New York State MTNA Competition, and the runner-up in the junior high division of the 2022 Heddy Kilian Empire State piano competition. He was also one of the ten students selected to perform in the 2022 NYSSMA Piano Showcase in Rochester, NY. Outside of piano, Brian enjoys math, science, soccer, and debate.
Sophia Xiao is a senior at Columbia High School in East Greenbush, NY. Starting at the age of eight, Sophia first studied with Professor Daisy Jungtsu Lin and currently studies with Dr. Young Kim. By achieving a perfect score in level six NYSSMA in 2023, she was one of the eleven selected to perform at the Seventeenth Annual NYSSMA Piano Showcase in Rochester, NY. Outside of piano, Sophia participates in regional and state competitions within Science Olympiad. She is also a part of her school’s Jazz band, Mastermind’s team, and Math League. Sophia wishes to continue her piano studies in college and plans to major in chemistry.
Charles Zhang is a 12-year-old pianist living in Loudonville, New York. He was born in April 2012 in Manhattan to a Chinese family. At just six months old, he experienced Hurricane Sandy. When he was 3 years old, he was bitten by a dog and had to endure three painful rabies shots, a memory he won’t forget. In 2015, Charles and his family relocated to the Albany metro area, where he now attends Shaker Middle School. Charles began formal piano lessons at the age of 7 with Mrs. Dianne Hellert, who provided him with a strong foundation in key areas such as fingering, tempo, and sight-reading. Under her guidance, Charles quickly mastered beginner pieces and moved on to more complex works. In 2021, he continued his musical journey with Mrs. Akina Yura, where he further refined his skills and deepened his understanding of piano playing. Charles enjoys performing both fast-paced, technically demanding sonatas and slow, introspective nocturnes. Charles sees music as a way to communicate emotions and ideas beyond words, and this belief is evident in his performances. For him, playing the piano is more than technical precision—it’s about storytelling, evoking feelings, and creating a connection between the performer and the audience. His repertoire ranges from the delicate, lyrical pieces of Mozart to the emotionally intense works of Chopin. In March 2024, Charles took his first NYSSMA Level 6 test and achieved a perfect score of 100/100. That same year, he competed in the Albany metro-area Tchaikovsky competition, where he earned 2nd place. His talent was recognized by the North Colonie School District, which invited him to perform a mini solo concert at the Town Hall. His performance was met with great enthusiasm and cheers from the audience. Beyond music, Charles enjoys skiing, playing tennis, sailing, world travel, and video games.
Sean Cooney is a rising senior at Doane Stuart high school in Rensselaer, NY. Sean started learning piano at the age of 4. Currently studying under Akina Yura, he has won multiple competition awards including Thomas Hulbert 2024 International Piano Competition Honorable Mention, UK International, Debussy International, Global Genius, Carl Reinecke International, Eastman Music School’s Vincent Lenti, World Classical Music Awards, SoCal International, New York International and several regional competitions. He’s looking forward to pursuing music studies in college.
Juliet McCaughey is a senior at Schuylerville High School in Schuylerville, NY. She started piano at the age of seven and currently studies with Maura Hall, N.C.T.M. She has participated in MTNA evaluations since age eleven, receiving outstanding scores and performing in honors concerts. She plays piano in Schuylerville High School's jazz ensemble and percussion in symphonic band. She is active in high school chorus, select vocal ensemble, select treble choir, and has been nominated for the NYSSMA All State Chorus. Outside of music, she is a French language enthusiast and is president of the high school French Club, and runs lighting in the school's drama productions. She plans to pursue a degree in psychology and continue studying music and French in college.