Musical Merit Foundation

06/05/2026

Today’s featured protégé is Stephanie Smith! Stephanie is this year’s winner of the $10,500 prize & the Trovillo-Graham award 🎶
Check the comments for a clip of Stephanie’s performance at our awards concert! ⤵️

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 is a Coloratura Soprano from Southern California. Her previous operatic roles include Barbarina and Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Adele in Die Fledermaus, Laurette in Le docteur miracle, and Amy in Little Women. Stephanie has performed internationally in recitals and orchestra concerts Graz, Austria with the internationally acclaimed opera studio at the American Institute of Musical Studies (AIMS). She has also participated in masterclasses with world-class opera singers Angel Blue, Angela Meade, and Sylvia McNair. Stephanie has performed with notable professional choruses Musica Vitale, San Diego Bach Collegium, and La Jolla Symphony Chorus and is a founding member of San Diego-based vocal octet Vox Humana. Stephanie has won awards from the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) in the San Diego 2024 & 2025 district competitions, taking 1st place in the advanced college category both years. She is also a 2nd-place award winner in the advanced college category of the NATS Cal-Western 2025 regional competition. Stephanie has recently graduated from San Diego State University with her Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance.

Come see Stephanie perform on 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲 𝟏𝟐 𝐚𝐭 𝟕𝐩𝐦 at Daniel Recital Hall at CSU Long Beach!

06/03/2026

Today’s featured protégé is Ethan Zhou! Ethan is this year’s winner of the $11,000 prize 🎶
Check the comments for a clip of Ethan’s performance at our awards concert! ⤵️

𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐙𝐡𝐨𝐮, 17, is a junior at Del Norte High School who began studying violin at age five and currently studies with Michael Tseitlin. He has earned top prizes in major competitions, including the VOCE State String Solo and Ensemble Competitions, 1st place in the 2024 La Jolla Emerging Artists Competition, and 1st place in both the Junior and Senior divisions of the MTAC San Diego Concerto Competition. Since 2023, Ethan has been a member of the San Diego Youth Symphony and currently serves as principal second violin of the Symphony Orchestra. Ethan has also attended prestigious national music programs, including From the Top, NYO2, and Interlochen Arts Camp. In summer 2026, he will attend the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute and the Aspen Music Festival.

06/01/2026

Today’s featured protégé is Yoyo Wu! Yoyo is this year’s winner of the $11,500 prize & the Aspen award 🎶
Check the comments for a clip of Yoyo’s performance at our awards concert! ⤵️

𝐘𝐨𝐲𝐨 𝐖𝐮 is a gifted high school musician recognized for her versatility on marimba, percussion, and piano. She is a 2026 National YoungArts Winner with Distinction in Classical Music and was featured on NPR’s From the Top, Show 475. She has been selected for the National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO‑USA), performing at Carnegie Hall in July before a European tour, and was a member of NYO2 in 2025. Her honors include first place in the 2025 Great Plains International Marimba Competition (high school division) and the Best Contemporary Award at the 2025 La Jolla Emerging Artists Competition, along with numerous piano competition awards, including a Carnegie Hall performance. She has appeared as a marimba soloist with the San Diego Youth Symphony and Coastal Communities Concert Band and shares her passion through recitals, performances, and leading the Carmel Valley Summer Symphony, a student-run nonprofit orchestra.

Come see Yoyo perform on July 11 at the Winner’s Recital at the Great Plains International Marimba Competition in Oklahoma City!

06/01/2026

Congratulations Dan Yu!

05/29/2026

Today’s featured protégé is Anne Liu-Pianist! Anne is this year’s winner of the $12,000 prize & the Conrad Bruderer award 🎶
Check the comments for a clip of Anne’s performance at our awards concert! ⤵️

𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐮, a Young Steinway Artist, has appeared in major venues including the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Steinway Hall in New York, the New World Center, the Harris Concert Hall, as well as internationally in Italy and China. Named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, receiving recognition from the White House, Liu has earned top prizes in competitions including the ArsClassica International Competition, Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition, Musical Merit Competition, Davidson Fellow Scholarship, Los Angeles International Young Musician Competition, Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, and invitations to appear on NPR’s From the Top. Making her concerto debut at twelve, Liu has performed with orchestras like the South Coast Symphony, the Southern California Philharmonic, the La Jolla Symphony, and the Ningbo Symphony Orchestra. Originally from San Diego, she did undergraduate studies through the Columbia–Juilliard Program, studying under the guidance of Professor Hung-Kuan Chen at The Juilliard School. She then received her Master’s from the New England Conservatory with Alessio Bax and is pursuing her DMA at the USC Thornton under the tutelage of Dr. Lucinda Carver.

Come see Anne perform on 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟒 𝐚𝐭 𝟒𝐩𝐦 at the La Jolla Women’s Club!

05/26/2026

Congratulations to our 2026 winners! 🏆 What a fantastic concert they gave this past weekend 🎵
Learn more about each winner as we highlight them individually over the next few weeks!

Anne Liu-Pianist, piano — $12,000 + Conrad Bruderer Award
Yoyo Wu, marimba — $11,500 + Aspen Award
Ethan Zhou, violin — $11,000
Stephanie Smith, soprano — $10,500 + Trovillo-Graham Award
Daniel Torerro, bassoon — $10,000
Søren Pedersen, baritone — $9,500
Bradley Carpiuc, piano — $9,000
Nathan Haghgoo, flute — $8,500
Mariam Mouawad, mezzo-soprano — $8,000
Dylan Ellis, violin — $7,500

05/24/2026

Come see these brilliantly talented young musicians and our other finalists today at 3pm at our Awards Concert! Over $100,000 in prizes will be given out today 🏆🎼
Livestream link in comments ⬇️

05/24/2026

Awards Concert today at 3:00pm at
First United Methodist Church of San Diego!
Free admission!

https://www.youtube.com/live/huGD8rZ6WZ8?si=OdZd9pqJJIJJPrhg

11/05/2025

11/05/2025

Please join us this Saturday November 9 at 4:00pm for a wonderful concert featuring three of our most recent protégés!