Mika Matsuyama (16), student of Jeffrey Panko, Mary Sauer, and Sean Bennett, was awarded second prize in the American Protege competition and will perform in the coming months at Carnegie Hall. Mika also received Honorable Mention placement at the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra Stanger Concerto Competition.

KEN GALLWAS, FIRST PLACE
ROCKFORD SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA CONCERTO COMPETITION

Congratulations to Ken for winning the RSYO Concerto Competition performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37, III. Rondo. Allegro-Presto. Ken studies with Mary Sauer, Jeffrey Panko and Sean Bennett at NMS.

About:
Kenneth Gallwas of Chicagoland, a senior at York Community High School, has quickly emerged on the piano scene as the 3rd Place winner of the 2024 MTNA National Competition (Senior Piano Duet) with his twin brother, Joseph. An avid 17-year-old concerto and solo pianist, he has performed with the Chicago Arts Orchestra, the TIMM Ensemble Orchestra in Todi, Italy, and the SEEN Festival Orchestra under Conner Gray Covington, and earned top prizes in the DuPage, IYACC, ISMTA, Sejong, Aloha International, and other national and international competitions. Kenneth studies with Jeffrey Panko, Mary Sauer, and Sean Bennett at the New Music School in Chicago, and has performed in masterclasses with renowned pianists including Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Steven Osborne, and Joyce Yang. Also a cellist and varsity ice hockey player at York, he is a Level 4 USA Hockey referee, youth coach, sports counselor, and community musician performing at senior residences and churches in Elmhurst.

Congratulations Joseph Gallwas (@joegallwas.piano) and Ken Gallwas (@ken.gallwas) for taking first and second place at the 2024 Aloha International Piano Competition. 

Joseph and Ken are House of Ravel (Level 4) students of Jeffrey Panko (@pankopiano) and Mary Sauer (@marysauerpiano) and coached by Sean Bennett (@seanbennettpianist) at @newmusicschool.

Both Joseph Gallwas and Ken Gallwas of Chicagoland are the reigning 3rd place 2024 MTNA National Champion in Senior Piano Duet, both performing at Carnegie Hall at age 9 together. Avid 16-year-old concerto pianists, they have performed in the US and Italy, including for Joe Chopin Concerto #1, Rachmaninoff Concerto #3, Shostakovich Piano Concerto #2, and for Ken, Prokofiev Concerto #1, Ravel G Major Concerto, and many others. 

Both have participated in masterclasses with the esteemed pianists Antonio Pompa-Baldi (@pompabaldipiano), Steven Osborne (@stevenosbornepiano), Dang Thai Son (@dangthaison) Jon Nakamatsu (@jonnakamatsu), and Joyce Yang (@joyceyangpiano).