Two Oregon students, Hansen Berrett and Alexis Zou, won first prize in the Senior Piano Duet category at the 2023-2024 MTNA Competition Finals in Atlanta, Georgia on March 17, 2024. Berrett and Zou, both 16 years old, are currently studying with OMTA teacher Dr. Renato Fabbro in the Portland, Oregon area.
The pair began playing piano four-hands together about two years ago. This is the not the first win for these two talented pianists. They also won the 2022 Charleston International Piano Competition for piano duo, the 2022 Oregon MTNA Senior Piano Duet Competition, as well as winning second prize in the 2022 Enkor International Music Competition Ensemble division.
Berrett currently attends West Linn High School while Zou attends Lake Oswego High School.
They both compete individually as solo pianists as well and have won or placed in numerous competitions such as Oregon MTNA, OMTA scholarship, PYP Piano Concerto, Pacific Northwest Piano Competitions, Bellegrande International Music Competition and others.
“Bravo” to these two fine musicians!
We also extend our applause to Oregon flutist, Macy Gong, who took home the third place prize in the Senior Woodwinds final.
Macy Gong, 18, is a senior at Oregon Episcopal School. She began studying the flute at the age of six and is currently a student of Dr. Sydney Carlson. Besides winning first prize at the National Flute Association’s High School Soloist Competition in 2022, Macy has won many other awards, including Winner in the 2022 YoungArts National Competition, 2nd place in the 2023 VSO Young Artists Competition, 3rd place in the NFA Junior Soloist Competition, and she has won the GPFS Young Artist Competition multiple times. As a three-time OSAA State Solo Competition 1st place winner, Macy performed as a soloist with the Oregon Symphony in 2022, and has won the Cognizart Young Artist Debut! Concerto Competition, soloing with members of the Oregon Ballet and Oregon Symphony Orchestras.
Additionally, she was one of three flutists across the nation selected to participate in the National Youth Orchestra 2 (NYO2) 2020, and attended the Flute Workshop at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute in 2022. Currently, she is in her seventh season with the Portland Youth Philharmonic, serving as principal flute for the last five years. She was the winner of the PYP Concerto Competition for the centennial season and will be performing with PYP in May. Aside from flute, she is heavily involved with piano, participating and earning awards in competitions and festivals. Outside of music, Macy enjoys traveling and spending time with friends and family.