Program Mentors

Sungyeon Ahn (mentor)

Sungyeon Ahn is a native of South Korea. She has performed as a solo pianist and chamber musician in South Korea, Germany, Brazil and the United States. Sungyeon has appeared in several master classes, including with Steven Lin, Christopher Harding, and Ian Hopson. Ahn received a Master of Music degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she studied with Norman Krieger. Sungyeon is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Michigan State University where she is awarded full graduate assistantship under the tutelage of Derek Kealii Polischuk.

Kelly Bohan (mentor)

Kelly Bohan is a master’s student in piano performance at Michigan State University. A student of Professor Deborah Moriarty, she recently completed her undergraduate degree in performance at MSU. She enjoys both solo playing as well as collaborating with other musicians. In 2022, she gained experience in two-piano repertoire in a substantial project with MSU pianist Philip Roragen. They competed in several competitions, including the 2023 MTNA Stecher and Horowitz Two-Piano Competition in Reno, Nevada, where they were prize winners.

Aside from piano, Kelly studies organ under Dr. Hae Won Jang, with an interest in sacred music. She is also a part of You Can Feel the Music, a team seeking to make written music accessible to both non-sighted and sighted individuals. Along with MSU graduate Dr. Yoo Jin Noh, she was invited to present their work at the 2022 Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show.

Jiwon Chun (mentor)

Jiwon Chun, from Seoul, South Korea, is currently studying for a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance at Michigan State University under the tutelage of Eric Zuber. She received her MM from Northwestern University under Jose Ramon Mendez and her BM from Yonsei University under Young Lan Han.

She participated in the Talent Music Summer Courses & Festival in Italy and has performed in masterclasses with Boris Slutsky, Kathryn Brown, Angela Hewitt, and Patrick O’Byrne. Ms. Chun is currently on a full scholarship and is a GA recipient at MSU, where she works with the flute and cello studios. She recently performed in the Chamber Music Showcase Recital and the Duo Piano Recital.

Jingting Huang (mentor)

Jingting Huang is a Chinese pianist dedicated to exploring a variety of musical styles. She has performed in solo and chamber recitals across the United States and China and has participated in numerous music festivals, master classes, and concerts in Asia, Europe, and the United States. In addition to her piano expertise, she studies organ, harpsichord, and fortepiano.

Jingting finished her Master’s degree in Piano Performance from the Mannes School of Music in New York, where she studied with Professor Morozava. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Piano Performance under the guidance of Professor Deborah Moriarty at Michigan State University.

Sunah Jeong (mentor)

Born in South Korea, Sunah Jeong is currently pursuing her Doctoral of Musical Arts degree in piano performance at Michigan State University under the guidance of Derek Kealii Polischuk, with a full graduate assistantship. Started her musical education at the age of four, Jeong gave her solo debut with the Gimhae Philharmonic Orchestra at age 12. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Pusan National University College of Arts in Korea receiving scholarships, where she studied with Hye-ryeong Kwon and Quentin Kim. She continued her studies in the USA and received a Master of Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, as a recipient of a scholarship and fellowship, under the tutelage of Jean-Louis Haguenauer. She has participated in master classes with legendary musicians such as Boris Slutsky and Attila Némethy.

Jiwoon Sim (mentor)

Born in South Korea, Jiwoon Sim is currently studying at Michigan State University for a Doctoral of Musical Arts degree program in piano performance under Derek Kealii Polischuk where she is awarded a full graduate assistantship. She has performed in several masterclasses with Boris Slutsky, Logan Skelton, Roland Pöntinen and Xi Zhang. She was a student of Norman Krieger at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where she earned her Master of Music degree in piano performance with scholarships.
She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Ewha Womans University in Korea receiving scholarships and honors where she studied with Yoon-bo Jung and Yoon-Jung Song.

Minmin Sun (mentor)

Minmin Sun is a solo and collaborative pianist based in China, she’s currently pursuing her doctorate degree in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano in Michigan State University where she is awarded full graduate assistantship under the guidance of Derek Kealii Polischuk and Zhi-hua Tang. She has performed in several masterclasses with Marc Silverman, Alexander Shtarkman, Steven Harlos, and Todd Phillips. As an active performer, she gave recitals in Todi, Italy; Manhattan, New York; Kalamazoo, Michigan; Tianjin, China; and Shenzhen, China.

She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from Tianjin Conservatory of Music receiving scholarships and honors where she studied with Lina Qian and master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music studied with Alexandre Moutouzkine.

Dailin Zeng (mentor)

Born in China, Dailin Zeng began her musical journey at six. An accomplished pianist, Zeng has won numerous awards, including the grand prize at the 2020 Ronald Sachs International Music Competition, first prizes at the 2022 Music International Grand Prix and GOCAA International Piano Competition, and first place at the 2024 America Youth Talent International Music Competition. Zeng has performed in masterclasses with Gary Graffman, Hung-Kuan Chen, Meng-Chieh Liu, Jerome Lowenthal, and Robert Levin. She has appeared at prestigious venues including Merkin Hall at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall in New York City, Barbro Osher Recital Hall in San Francisco, Carlo della Giacoma Arts Center in Italy, and the Shanghai Oriental Art Center. Zeng has been featured at esteemed music festivals such as the Texas State International Piano Festival, Rebecca Penneys Piano Festival, and New York International Keyboard Festival, and was the program assistant at the 2018 Walnut Music Festival.

Zeng holds BM and MM degrees from the Eastman School of Music, studying under Nelita True, Boris Slutsky, and Joseph Rackers. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in piano performance at Michigan State University, serving as a graduate assistant under Deborah Moriarty.