Sunday, May 21, 2023 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to our students who participated in Sonata Festivals this spring!

Aruni Veluri and Caeli McIntosh earned the top rating of Superior at Springfield Music Club Sonatina/Sonata Festival. 

Michael Nguyễn and Leah Weber earned the top rating of Superior at Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association Sonata Festival. In addition, Michael received the designation of Honors and performed in the Sonata Festival Honors Recital at George Mason University. 

Monday, May 1, 2023 | Student Awards and Honors

On April 30 2023 we hosted a Master Class at the studio featuring local legend and longtime independent teacher Nancy Breth. Congratulations to the fine students who stepped up to perform! 

Leah (Sonatina, Kabalevksy) 

Helena (Invention in E Major, Bach)

Karthik (The Spruce, Sibelius)

Eliana (Nocturne in E-flat major, Chopin)

Alex (Ritual Fire Dance, de Falla)

Monday, March 13, 2023 | Student Awards and Honors

On March 10 and 11, 2023, many of our students participate in NFMC Festival, hosted locally by Springfield Music Club. In this nationally sponsored, locally run event, students play two pieces from memory for comments and a rating. The event is non-competitive and accessible to a wide range of students/levels. The following students earned the top rating of Superior:

Samiya Bhuvanagiri ♪ Graham Halvaksz ♪ Sarah Hellman ♪Noa Herzog ♪ Owen Horgan ♪ Liam Horgan ♪ Helena Horowitz ♪ Ryo Lee ♪ Caeli McIntosh ♪ Keshavan Nair ♪ Kaitlin Nguyen ♪ Gizem Onerci ♪ Priya Perakam ♪ Ryan Qi ♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ Pelin Sarac ♪ Sakura Sasaki ♪ Lucia Severino ♪ Anne Severino ♪ Anastasia Vassilopolous ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Ethan Williams. In addition, Karthik Thyagarajan received the top rating of "Superior" on both his solo pieces and his concerto, the first movement of Mendelssohn's piano concerto in g minor. 

Monday, March 6, 2023 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to Pelin Sarac who was awarded Super Bronze in this competitive video-entry event! 

Monday, February 27, 2023 | Student Awards and Honors

On February 18 2023, Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association hosted the annual Bach-Baroque Festival. Students had the opportunity to present two works from the Baroque era (1600-1750) and also had the chance to try their music out on a harpsichord. The following students earned the top rating of Superior: Helena Horowitz ♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ Leah Weber ♪ James Yao. In addition, Helena and Leah were awarded Honors and performed in the Honors Recital on Saturday February 25.

Monday, November 7, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

On November 5, 2022, Virginia Music Teachers Association (VMTA) held their first in-person Fall Festival event since 2019. Participating students presented two pieces from memory. One piece in contemporary style; the other piece in historic style. The following students received the top rating of Superior in this non-competitive event:

Helena Horowitz ♪ Zachary Moeller ♪ Kaitlin Nguyen ♪ Priya Perakam ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Leah Weber ♪ James Yao

Monday, September 12, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to Aruni Veluri who recently participated in her RCM Piano (practical) Exam at Level 7 and was recognized with First Class Honors with Distinction. Learn more about this rigorous yet non-competitive evaluation program via: https://www.rcmusic.com.

Monday, June 27, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to our high school senior Owen Rollins for earning Honors with Distinction on his Level 10 RCM Exam in December 2021. The Level 10 exam requires students to present five repertoire pieces in varied styles as well as two etudes and an assortment of foundational practical skills. Students who pass this exam have demonstrated a level of practical knowledge and performance skill similar to a third-year college undergraduate piano major. Owen performed Prelude & Fugue in A-flat Major, WTC 1 (J.S. Bach) ♪ Sonata in F Major Op. 10 No. 2, first and second movements (L. van Beethoven) ♪ Nocturne in b-flat minor, Op. 9 No. 1 (F. Chopin) ♪ Clair de Lune (C. Debussy) ♪ Graceful Ghost Rag (W. Bolcom) ♪ And, etudes by Chopin and Czerny. 

Throughout the Winter/Spring season, we have had many other students participating in this rigorous but non-competitive event! Learn more about it via rcmusic.com

♪ Abby Wang ♪ First Class Honors at Level 1 (February 2022)

♪ Noa Herzog ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 2 (February 2022)

♪ Hannah Wang ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 5 (February 2022)

♪ Keshavan Nair ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 2 (March 2022)

♪ Kavya Thyagarajan ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 4 (March 2022)

♪ Audrey Wang ♪ First Class Honors at Level 4 (April 2022)

♪ Helena Horowitz ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 4 (April 2022)

♪ Alex Xu ♪ First Class Honors at Level 9 (April 2022)

♪ Liam Horgan ♪ First Class Honors at Level 2 (May 2022)

♪ Karthik Thyagarajan ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 7 (May 2022)

♪ Ryan Qi ♪ First Class Honors at Level 3 (May 2022)

♪ Gizem Onerci ♪ First Class Honors at Level 1 (May 2022)

♪ Ethan Williams ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 1 (June 2022)

♪ James Yao ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 2 (June 2022)

♪ Abby Wang ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction at Level 2 (June 2022)

♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ First Class Honors at Level 8 (June 2022)

♪ Alex Xu ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction Level 8 Theory (June 2022)

♪ Karthik Thyagarajan ♪ First Class Honors with Distinction Level 7 Theory (June 2022)

Friday, May 27, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

On May 15, 2022, we were lucky to host the fabulous Dr. Paulo Steinberg of James Madison University for our second and final Guest Artist Masterclass of the 2022 school year. Congratulations to the students who stepped up to perform and learn with us!

Hannah Boesen (Invention in a minor, Bach) ♪ Ai-Lan Pho (Waltz in c-sharp minor, Chopin) ♪ Kavya Thyagarajan (Courante from French Suite No. 2, Bach) ♪ Aruni Veluri (Sonatina for the Young Op. 118 No. 1, Schumann) ♪ Owen Rollins (Liebestraum No. 3, Liszt)

Friday, May 27, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

On May 14 2022 Springfield Music Club held a Sonata/Sonatina Festival. And on May 22 2022 Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association did the same! In these events, students performed two contrasting movements from a sonata or sonatina. The following students received the top rating: Alexa Garcia • Aruni Veluri • Varun Veluri • Hannah Wang.

Sunday, May 1, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Each year, the National Federation of Music Clubs hosts a Spring Festival. Nationwide, this event reaches approximately 100,000 students! Locally, this event is sponsored and run by Springfield Music Club. Students prepare two contrasting pieces and perform them from memory for a small audience. Students receive constructive written feedback on their performance and a rating. The following students earned the top rating of Superior. 

Sebastian Annett ♪ Juliet Barrett ♪ Sarah Hellman ♪ Noa Herzog Owen Horgan ♪ Liam Horgan ♪ Helena Horowitz ♪ Stephen McElvain ♪ Keshavan Nair ♪ Lindsay Nguyen ♪ Gizem Onerci ♪ Seth Peleg ♪ Ryan Qi ♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ Pelin Sarac ♪ Lucia Severino ♪ Anne Severino ♪ Karthik Thyagarajan ♪ Elena Valdez-Torres ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Ethan Williams ♪ Alex Xu

SOLO AND CONCERTO: Varun Veluri 

Monday, April 18, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

On April 9, 2022, we gathered at the Woman's Club of Arlington for our annual Honors Recital. We also enjoyed a special faculty performance of Beethoven's Sonata Op. 27 No. 1 by Winton Tin Vi La. Learn more about our Honors Recital via pianowitz.com/for-our-students. Congratulations and thank you to the following students who were invited and chose to join us:

Alexa Garica ♪ Aiden Lu ♪ Keshavan Nair ♪ Gizem Onerci Ai-Lan Pho ♪ Hong-Duc Pho ♪ Katie Rasmussen ♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ Pelin Sarac ♪ Lucia Severino ♪ Anastasia Vasillopolous ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Hannah Wang ♪ James Yao

Monday, April 4, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

On Saturday April 2 we were lucky to have Jocelyn Swigger of Gettysburg College join us in our Studio as the guest artist for our first in-person master class in over two years. Congratulations to the students who joined us by performing in this challenging yet rewarding environment:

Noa Herzog (Wild Honeysuckle Rag, Meir) ♪ Pelin Sarac (Wayside Inn from Waldenszenen, Schumann) ♪ Noah Tennenbaum (Basso Ostinato, Shchedrin) ♪ Varun Veluri (Sonata Op. 13 “Pathetique”, Beethoven) ♪ Hannah Wang (Sonatina in C Major Op. 36 No. 3, Clementi) ♪ James Yao (Little Preludes in E Major and F Major, J.S. Bach)

Thursday, March 24, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Bach/Baroque Festival, an annual event hosted by Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association (NVMTA.org) was held February 26 at Cherrydale United Methodist Church. We are proud of our students selected for the top rating of "Superior": Alexa Garcia ♪ Sakura Sasaki ♪ Elena Valdez-Torres ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Hannah Wang ♪ Alex Xu ♪ James Yao. In addition to their Superior rating, Hannah and Alex were invited to perform in the Honors Recital on Sunday February 27. Hannah played the Sinfonia in b minor BWV 801 and Alex played the Prelude & Fugue in c minor from WTC 1. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to Zara Ogut who earned 2nd Place in for her performance in the NMVTA Concerto Festival, held March 5 at the Woman's Club of Arlington. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2022 | Student Awards and Honors

Since March of 2020, there has been an explosion of video events for students, but Golden Key has operated in a video-audition format for many years. In winter 2022, we congratulate: Aruni Veluri, Abby Wang, Hannah Wang (Gold Medal) ♪ Katrina Nelson (Silver Medal) ♪ Pelin Sarac (Bronze Medal)

Thursday, December 23, 2021 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to the following students who earned the top rating of Superior at 2021 Fall Festival, an event sponsored by Virginia Music Teachers Association. In this event, students prepared two pieces: one in contemporary style, and one in historic style. This year's event was held by video.

Alexa Garica ♪ Caeli McIntosh ♪ Courtney Nguyen ♪ Kaitlin Nguyen ♪ Lindsay Nguyen Ai-lan Pho ♪ Ryan Qi ♪ Eliana Rougle ♪ Pelin Sarac ♪ Karthik Thyagarajan ♪ Elena Valdez-Torres ♪ Anastasia Vasillopolous ♪ Aruni Veluri ♪ Hannah Wang

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 | Student Awards and Honors

Many of our students challenged themselves by participating in the spring session of the RCM Certificate program. In this program, students don't just play one or two pieces, but a comprehensive program of repertoire and practical skills. Learn more at rcmusic.com.

Congratulations to: Sarah Hellman (Level 1 Piano) First Class Honors ♪ Noa Herzog (Level 1 Piano) First Class Honors ♪ Liam Horgan (Level 1 Piano) First Class Honors ♪ Helena Horowitz (Level 3 Piano) First Class Honors ♪ Vihaan Mathur (Level 7 Piano) First Class Honors ♪ Keshavan Nair (Level 1 Piano) First Class Honors with Distinction ♪ Kaitlin Nguyen (Level 2 Piano) First Class Honors ♪ Lindsay Nguyen (Level 4 Piano) First Class Honors ♪ Courtney Nguyen (Level 4 Piano) First Class Honors ♪ Nia Rubin (Level 2 Piano) First Class Honors

Tuesday, June 1, 2021 | Student Awards and Honors

Congratulations to Aruni Veluri and James Yao for earning the designation of Honors at Sonata Festival. This annual semi-competitive event is sponsored by Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association. In 2021, students submitted video recordings of two contrasting sonata movements. 

Friday, May 21, 2021 | Student Awards and Honors

Each year in May, Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association sponsors a competition they call Achievement Awards. It's a chance for the region's most high-achieving and dedicated youth students to compete for prizes and to receive expert commentary. This year's event was held using pre-recorded videos due to the coronavirus situation. We were lucky to have several students interested to step up and prepare for this demanding event. Congratulations to Philip Wang, who was selected for Honorable Mention. His program: Prelude and Fugue in c minor, WTC 1 (J.S. Bach); Sonata in D Major Hob. 37 (F.J. Haydn); Jazz Prelude No. 4 (Nikolai Kapustin).