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A highlight of the Rising Stars Gala will be musical performances by winners of Discover Classical's Young Talent Search. Learn more about the musicians below. Discover Classical's Young Talent Search is sponsored by Vernon and Janet Fernandes.

Sophia Fan, pianist
Mingde Hirakawa, flutist
Landry Niles, soprano
Alexander Wang, violinist
Maya Vansuch Wurth, soprano

Sophia Fan, pianist
Age 13, Mason

Pianist Sophia Fan from Mason is thirteen now, but she clearly remembers starting lessons at age five. "I walk in and I see the piano," she recalled, "and I'm excited to start playing piano for the first time." In her studies with Dr. Jackson and Benita Leung, Sophia is exploring the versatility of her instrument. "There are so many different ways you can play each note," she says. "I could release my feelings and play the music in my own style." Besides music, Sophia enjoys reading, playing tennis and having fun with her friends and family. She also participates in Chinese folk dancing, and integrates what she learns from dance to enhance the musicality of her piano performances.

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Mingde Hirakawa, flutist
Age 17, Oakwood

Flutist Mingde Hirakawa, a junior at Oakwood High School, says that music can be heard in his home around the clock. "My parents are both musicians," he said. "Music has always been part of my life." Mingde started out playing piano, but he changed instruments in fourth grade. He said he "never really clicked with piano" and the "flute was just something I was always attracted to." Now he plays flute with youth orchestras in both Dayton and Springfield. Mingde is honored to be a Young Talent Search winner for Discover Classical, a radio station he has listened to since he was a child.

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Landry Niles, soprano
Age 18, Troy

Soprano Landry Niles grew up singing in her church choir, but didn't venture into operatic or classical repertoire until she got to high school. She said, "I had no clue that I could sing opera and it scared me at first, but I ended up falling in love with it." A senior at Troy Christian, Landry plays basketball and golf and is a member of the National Honor Society. She's planning to attend the University of Dayton and double major in Psychology and Vocal Performance, with a concentration in Musical Theater. Landry has performed in several musical theatre productions in the area and hopes music will always be a part of her life. "I feel like I'm my happiest self when I'm singing on stage," she says. "It brings me the most joy."

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Alexander Wang, violinist
Age 16, Mason

Violinist Alexander Wang is concertmaster for both the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra and Walnut Hills High School, where he is a sophomore. He believes that "music is what makes people human," and he strives to express the emotion of pieces that he plays. Alex is drawn to works from the Romantic era because of the "changing feelings that you can definitely hear, but you can also feel at the same time." He's grateful for the friends he's gained while playing in chamber ensembles and orchestras. Alex said, "That's what music has given to me: a lot of connections."

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Maya Vansuch Wurth
2013 Young Talent Search Winner

The gala will culminate with a special star performance by soprano Maya Vansuch Wurth, who was a winner of our Young Talent Search in 2013. A native of Dayton, Maya performed the role of Young Katie in Dayton Opera's world premiere of Finding Wright by Laura Kaminsky. Maya is pursuing her Master's of Music at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she recently was the soprano soloist in Mozart's Requiem. Maya was an Artist-in-Residence with the Dayton Opera in 2019-2020 and was the soprano soloist in The Messiah and Clorinda in La Cenerentola. Other roles include Annina in La Traviata with the Dayton Opera, and Najade in Ariadne auf Naxos with the IU Opera Theatre. Maya received her Bachelor's degree in Vocal Performance from Indiana University in 2018. She joined the University of Dayton as Adjunct Professor of Voice from 2023-2024. She currently lives in Middletown with her husband and two children.

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If you have questions about the Rising Stars Gala, contact Martha Harris at marthah@dpr.org or (937) 222-9377.