The curtains open and electrifying notes fill the hall. On the stage is Jiashun Gong, passionately striking the keys of his electric organ. His great precision and focus make the audience roar. Following, Matthew Cheng wraps up the concert prelude with his explosive rhythms on the drums.
Boston International Music Competition (BIMC) held its third annual Winners’ Concert and Awards Ceremony at Cary Hall on July 20, 2025. The performances ranged from voice to a variety of instruments such as the piano and the dulcimer.
BIMC was founded in 2022 and put together by professors from WeStar Academy of Music, Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, and the Department of Music of Harvard University. It recruits participants from all across the globe to take part in the competition. This year, there were participants from 16 countries, including China and Ukraine, and commentary was given in both English and Mandarin. With a diversity of contestants, BIMC not only aims to foster an environment for showcasing musical talent, but also one for encouraging cultural exchange.
The concert showcased a wide variety of up-and-coming musicians aged 7-29 years old. This year, 116 contestants entered the finals, with the level of talent higher than ever before, according to BIMC. One contestant, Teddy Edgar, is a Broadway operatic tenor. Another, Sofia Shkidchenko, has appeared on “Ukraine’s Got Talent” and “Spain’s Got Talent.” There was also a greater variety of instruments involved than previous years. Harry Zhu, founder of BIMC, even had one instrument shipped from abroad specifically for the concert.
There were five categories in the competition: Voice, Piano, Strings, Other Instruments and the Composition. The majority of the acts were voice performances. Genres ranged from opera to pop to international songs. The young singers turned well-known music into their own, their voices filled with emotion and passion.
One performance was by Stellar Voices, a vocal ensemble that performed “Matchmaker” from Fiddler on the Roof, a musical from 1971. With the ensemble consisting of five members, they demonstrated collaboration, focus and harmony, as they used both their vocal and acting skills to bring the piece to life. With a unique performance that combined two artistic disciplines, this group left the crowd stunned with their musical abilities.
Next, a beautiful array of classical melodies were played by the pianists. They conquered these difficult pieces with artistic flair and confidence. Tiffany Shen, who was in the 11-14 year old group, amazed the crowd with her performance of “La leggierezza” by Franz Liszt. The piece started off slow and picked up as it went along. Shen was able to showcase her ability to handle complex rhythms in spite of her young age.
The classical music didn’t stop with just piano. Violinists sent rosin spiraling into the air as the strings created an intricate soundscape. Lily Yang demonstrated this with her performance of “Csardas” by Monti. Yang was part of the 5-10 years old group, the youngest group, but that didn’t stop her from taking on a difficult piece. Keeping her attention on her violin with a track in the background, she brought soothing sounds to the audience’s ears.
In the “Other Instruments” category, Andrew Jelen Lee played the piece “Clarinet Concerto in A Major (2nd mov.)” by Mozart, with a piano accompaniment by Miles Goldberg. While the clarinet was only featured in one performance, it captured the audience’s attention with its soothing sounds blended with the gentle piano accompaniment. The music was soft, alternating between just the clarinet, and the clarinet with the piano.
Also featured in this category was an instrument unknown to many: the dulcimer. The fast movements of the dulcimer mallets created an impressive visual performance to complement the rich rhythms of the instrument. Yuwen Miao provided the crowd with a new listening experience with her performance of “Sunshine on Tashkurgan” by Chen Gang. Miao made a second appearance within a Quintet, featuring the cello, dulcimer, harp and ruan.
At the end of a music-filled afternoon, BIMC announced the winners of four awards: The Outstanding Achievement, Bronze, Silver and Gold. Proud families and friends gathered around the stage to snap memories of their dedicated performers.
Zhu assures the stars of tomorrow that they will always have a home here in Boston.
“I promise, for the next 10 years, this stage is for you,” said Zhu.