Snowy Range Piano Competition, a regional piano competition for young artists of ages 16 to 19, who are residents of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana and Idaho sponsored by the Linford Pfeifer Foundation and the University of Wyoming.

The goal of the Snowy Range Piano Competition is to advance the arts, promote piano performance, and encourage young pianists residing in the Rocky Mountain region to pursue higher education. The competition is sponsored by the Linford Pfeifer Foundation in partnership with the University of Wyoming. There are two divisions. The University of Wyoming Division competition is held in alternate years, with the next competition in November 2009. UW students who are 17 to 26 years of age are eligible. The Regional Division is held annually for young pianists who are of age 16 to 19 and are residents of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Montana, or Idaho. The 2009 regional competition was held on the weekend of May 23-24. Both competitions are in recital format. Further details on eligibility, performance requirements, facilities, and prizes are currently available on this website. The application, as well as the rules and regulations, for the 2010 Regional Division will be available online in November 2009. We encourage the participation of music professionals and others dedicated to the arts to ensure the success of the program. Contact information and links to participating organizations are provided below.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan in 1989, Fan-Ya Lin began her piano studies at age four. She studied with Dr. Ru-Lin Lai and Qing-Wen Tu at the Affiliated Senior High School of National Taiwan Normal University. Fan-Ya has been selected as a top prize winner in numerous piano competitions in Taiwan, including first place at the 2000 Mandarin Daily News National Piano Competition, first place at the 2002 KAWAI National Piano Competition, second place at the 2003 YAMAHA National Piano Competition, honorable mention in the 2006 New Art National Music Competition, honorable mention in the 2006 Hsing Tein Kong Music Competition for Talented Youth, and first place at the 2007 National Chamber Music Competition. In 2007, Fan-Ya was selected by The 3rd Treasury of Young Musicians Project as one of the "rising stars" and most promising young pianists in Taiwan, through which she received rigorous training sponsored by the Taiwan Government to prepare for a professional career and represent Taiwan in several international piano competitions. Fan-Ya Lin has attended many music festivals and piano master classes by renowned pianists and music teachers such as Gwhyneth Chen, Ivo Pogorelich, Gergely Boganyi, Lev Klychkov, Dr. Boris Berman, Dr. Rektor Siegfried Mauser, Tamas Vasary, Sung-Won Lee, Nelson Delle-Vigne Fabbri, Stephane Lemelin, Dr. Nelita True, and Dr. Regina Yeh. Fan-Ya was accepted into several prestigious music schools in Taiwan and the United States. Receiving a four-year scholarship, she enrolled in Weber State University in Utah and is a student of Dr. Yu-Jane Yang and Dr. Ralph ven der Beek. In 2008, Fan-Ya Lin won first place prizes at the University of Utah Concerto Competition, the Utah Symphony "Salute to Youth" Auditions, and the University of Utah SummerArts Competition. She placed fourth in the New York International Piano Competition. With great love and passion for music, it is Fan-Ya's ultimate goal to become a concert pianist.

Michael Stewart, born in 1989, began his piano studies at the age of 6. He has won many prizes at competitions including first prize in the Aloha International Piano Competition, second prize in the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition, and fourth place in the New York International Piano Competition. In addition, Mr. Stewart has received first place awards in the National Coeur d'Alene Symphony Competition, Utah State Fair Competition, Utah Symphony Youth Guild Competitions, and the University of Utah SummerArts and Concerto Competitions. He has placed and received top honors in many other competitions including the UFMC Stillman Kelley Competition, the MTNA Competition, and the International Competition for Creative Pianists. In addition, Michael has been a finalist in the Lennox International Competition and the Sterling Scholar Program. Mr. Stewart has been a featured soloist over a dozen times with various orchestras including the Utah Symphony, Coeur d'Alene Symphony, SummerArts Symphony Orchestra, Salt Lake Symphony, Utah Philharmonia, and Riverton Metropolitan Orchestra. Michael has appeared in the following venues: Greenwald Hall at the Congregation Emanu-El in New York, the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church in Washington, D.C., Abravanel Hall, the Libby Gardner Concert Hall, the Assembly Hall on Temple Square, the Utah Governor's Mansion, and numerous others. Michael has also performed in master classes with Murray Perahia, Martin Canin, Ian Hobson, Martin Jones, Leslie Howard, Ana Maria Bottazzi, and Jon Kimura Parker. Professionally, Michael has accompanied numerous soloists and choirs and is a pianist at the Desert Star Cabaret Theatre. Michael has been an adjudicator at WestFest, as well as a peer jurist at the Gina Bachauer International and the Julia Crane International Competitions. He maintains a piano studio and enjoys sharing the beauty and joy of music with others. Currently, Michael is pursuing an honors degree in Piano Performance under the direction of Dr. Susan Duehlmeier at the University of Utah, with whom he has been studying since 2001.

Christina Qi started taking piano lessons at the age of 4. At age 6, she took first place in a regional piano competition and at age 10 became a student of Gary Amano. Since then, she has regularly taken home prizes in a wide variety of local, regional, state, and international piano competitions. In 2008, Christina took first place in the Bradshaw and Buono International Piano Competition in New York. She also took first place prizes in baroque/classical and impressionist categories in 2008 at the Utah State University Piano Festival Competition. Also, this past year, she received first place honors at the Festival for Creative Pianists in the baroque/classical and impressionist/contemporary categories. Christina received honorable mention at the 2008 Utah State Fair Competition. With perfect pitch, a "photographic" aural memory, and a strong background in theory, sight reading, ear training, and performance, Ms. Qi has become acquainted with a number of music enthusiasts and professors at universities in Utah and New York, many of whom she aspires to emulate.

2009 Regional Competition Finalists

Finalists of 2009 Regional Competition

Kellice Bradley Michael Stewart Alie Yorgason
Christina Qi Fan-Ya Lin

Winners of the 2008 Regional Competition

Winners of 2008 Regional Competition

John Sargeant has studied piano for over eleven years, seven of which have been with Professor Gary Amano. He won first place in the MTNA National Junior Baldwin Piano Competition in 2005, the UMTA State Concerto Competition in 2002 and 2008, the Utah Symphony Youth Guild Competition in 2002 and 2006, the USU Piano Festival competitions in 2002 (elem.), 2004 (jr.), and 2005 (sr.), and the Utah State Fair Competition in 2002. Mr. Sargeant has performed with six orchestras. He will enter Utah State University in the fall of 2008, continuing his piano studies with Prof. Amano.

Conlan Miller is the 2006 and 2007 State of Utah MTNA winner in the Senior Piano Division and the winner of the 2008 Southwest Division. He took first place at the Utah Valley Symphony Young Artist competition in 2007. At age eleven, he performed Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the Utah Valley Symphony in Provo, Utah. He performed the complete Second Piano Concerto by Rachmaninoff with the Utah Symphony in 2006, in addition to his previous engagements with the symphony in 2003 and 2005. Mr. Miller will continue his piano studies with Prof. Irene Peery-Fox at BYU.

Jessica Roderer began piano at the age of three. She received first place at the Utah State Fair Music Competition in 2006, the UMTA Concerto Competition in 2005, and the USU Concerto Night Competition in 2006. She also won the California MTNA Competition in 2005 and was a finalist in the national competition in that year. She has received top prizes at the Idaho International Piano Competition in 2002, 2003, and 2004. Ms. Roderer was a soloist with the Utah Symphony in 2004 and soloed at the USU Concerto Night in 2007. She will continue her piano studies at the University of Southern California under Prof. Norman Krieger.

Winners of the 2007 UW Division

Qiong Liu and Yu Zhang
Students of Theresa Bogard

The first place winner of the UW competition, Qiong Liu, studied under Dr. Bogard during the 2007-8 academic year and recently received her Performance Certificate. She has returned to China to pursue a career in piano performance and teaching.

Yu Zhang, also a student of Dr. Bogard, is the second place winner of the UW competition. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree at the end of the 2007-8 academic year and is currently continuing his piano studies at UW.