Congratulations to all of the winners and participants of the 2024 Hawaiʻi State Music Competition!!!

Strings (pre-level)

1st Place:
Nirmala Widana, violin (Contestant #5), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

2nd Place:
Elise Ogomori, violin (Contestant #3), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

3rd Place:
Janie Ruan, violin (Contestant #4), student of Joan Doike

Honorable Mention:
Emilia Tjoeng, violin (Contestant #1), student of Rachel Schifino

Bach Award:
Emilia Tjoeng

Classical Award:
Emilia Tjoeng

strings (level I)

1st Place:
Emily Ramirez, violin (Contestant #2), student of Laurie Shimabukuro

2nd Place:
Mirella Thibadeaux, violin (Contestant #5), student of Joan Doike

3rd Place (TIE):
Isabelle Elston, violin (Contestant #4), student of Guangnan Yue

3rd Place (TIE):
Hiwalani Lederer, violin (Contestant #1), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Honorable Mention:
Mahealani Lederer, violin (Contestant #3), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Hiwalani Lederer

Bach Award:
Isabelle Elston

strings (level II)

1st Place:
Sean Ishikawa, violin (Contestant #5), student of Mio Unosawa Herzog

2nd Place (TIE):
Veronica Lau, cello (Contestant #11), student of Nancy Masaki

2nd Place (TIE):
Lilian Polley, violin (Contestant #10), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

2nd Place (TIE):
Lincoln Sueoka, cello (Contestant #4), student of Nancy Masaki

3rd Place:
Bella Arnone, cello (Contestant #3), student of Nancy Masaki

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Gina Esaki, violin (Contestant #12), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Annaka Lau, violin (Contestant #7), student of Joan Doike

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Mia Clark, violin (Contestant #1), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu
Lilian Polley

Classical Award:
Bella Arnone
Jacob Kim, cello (Contestant #6), student of Nancy Masaki
Annaka Lau
Lilian Polley
Lincoln Sueoka

strings (level III)

1st Place:
Elena Tjoeng, cello (Contestant #12), student of Rachel Schifino

2nd Place:
Lantana Widana, violin (Contestant #10), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

3rd Place (TIE):
Olivia Kawashima, violin (Contestant #9), student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

3rd Place (TIE):
Olivia Kim, cello (Contestant #11), student of Nancy Masaki

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Luca Arnone, cello (Contestant #5), student of Nancy Masaki

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Victoria Lu, violin (Contestant #14), student of Joan Doike

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Olivia Kawashima

Bach Award:
Ethan Lim, cello (Contestant #3), student of Nancy Masaki
Elena Tjoeng

Classical Award:
Olivia Kim
Lantana Widana

violin (level IV)

1st Place:
Elissa Bilharz (Contestant #6), student of Ignace Jang

2nd Place (TIE):
Julie Kang (Contestant #13), student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

2nd Place (TIE):
Coco Kim (Contestant #9), student of Mariko Yuen

2nd Place (TIE):
Katherine Wu (Contestant #4), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

3rd Place:
Noah Tanaka (Contestant #15), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Honorable Mention:
Christopher Oyama (Contestant #8), student of Ignace Jang

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Elissa Bilharz

Bach Award:
Elissa Bilharz
Katherine Wu

violin (level V)

1st Place (TIE):
Eric Camacho (Contestant #3), student of Katharine Hafner

1st Place (TIE):
Leia Choi (Contestant #8), student of Asia Doike

2nd Place:
Ella Cheung (Contestant #5), student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

3rd Place (TIE):
Shannon Kanemaru (Contestant #1), student of Katharine Hafner

3rd Place (TIE):
Gwyneth Tenn (Contestant #9), student of Mariko Yuen

Honorable Mention:
Lily Nomura (Contestant #2), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Ella Cheung
Maya Kim (Contestant #7), student of Mariko Yuen

low strings (level IV)

1st Place:
Evangeline Tjoeng, cello (Contestant #1), student of Dr. I-Bei Lin

2nd Place:
Sophia Chan, cello (Contestant #2), student of Aris Doike

3rd Place:
Yunseo Lee, viola (Contestant #3), student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

low strings (level V)

1st Place:
Ashlyn Ito, cello (Contestant #4), student of Dr. I-Bei Lin

2nd Place (TIE):
Jodie Wung, cello (Contestant #2), student of Nancy Masaki

2nd Place (TIE):
Taigo Yuen, cello (Contestant #3), student of Dr. Sung Chan Chang

3rd Place:
Anson Akemoto, cello (Contestant #1), student of Aris Doike

Bach Award:
Taigo Yuen

piano (pre-level)

1st Place:
Teresa Zheng (Contestant #8), student of Joanna Zane Fan

2nd Place (TIE):
Xena Chen Montoya (Contestant #4), student of Ying Liu

2nd Place (TIE):
Kai VanVelzer (Contestant #10), student of Alice Yeung

3rd Place (TIE):
Ryan Kimura (Contestant #5), student of Shandee Teruya

3rd Place (TIE):
Yuna Lim (Contestant #13), student of Bichuan Li

3rd Place (TIE):
Izrael Rodas (Contestant #3), student of Shandee Teruya

Honorable Mention:
Logan Stanford (Contestant #7), student of Emily Stanford

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Yuna Lim
Xena Chen Montoya
Izrael Rodas
Chloe Qi (Contestant #14), student of Alice Yeung

piano (level I)

1st Place (TIE):
David Hayes (Contestant #17), student of Joanna Zane Fan

1st Place (TIE):
Clayton Kuang (Contestant #1), student of Ying Liu

2nd Place (TIE):
Ella Lau (Contestant #18), student of Bichuan Li

2nd Place (TIE):
Mio Mimura (Contestant #19), student of Renee Teruya

3rd Place (TIE):
Emmett Hoole (Contestant #9), student of Noe Baladad

3rd Place (TIE):
Karen Ueda (Contestant #5), student of Renee Teruya

Honorable Mention:
Alan Wu (Contestant #10), student of Ying Liu
Kayla Zeng (Contestant #4), student of Ying Liu
Dori Zhou (Contestant #11), student of Ying Liu

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Emmett Hoole
Clayton Kuang
Ella Lau
Olivia Liao (Contestant #12), student of Noe Baladad
Alan Wu
Kayla Zeng
Dori Zhou

Classical Award:
David Hayes
Kayla Zeng

piano (level II)

1st Place (TIE):
Zuriel Jacynthe Ehara (Contestant #21), student of Bichuan Li

1st Place (TIE):
Sean Ishikawa (Contestant #5), student of Kanae Koshi

2nd Place:
Lily Hakoda (Contestant #11), student of Renee Teruya

3rd Place (TIE):
Cocoro Ishida (Contestant #23), student of Renee Teruya

3rd Place (TIE):
Stephen Xiao (Contestant #6), student of Rosy Wang

Honorable Mention:
Neathan Cheng (Contestant #17), student of Shandee Teruya

Bach Award:
Cocoro Ishida
Jaron Kim (Contestant #22), student of Seon Choi
Stephen Xiao

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Davy Cho (Contestant #20), student of Hyeyon Kim
Lily Hakoda

Classical Award:
Cocoro Ishida

piano (level III)

1st Place:
Codie Yeung (Contestant #4), student of Bichuan Li

2nd Place (TIE):
Kaʻiwa Kim (Contestant #20), student of Seon Choi

2nd Place (TIE):
Alyssa Wu (Contestant #11), student of Dr. Thomas Yee

3rd Place:
Jonathan Yu (Contestant #8), student of Bichuan Li

Honorable Mention:
Keeley Fan (Contestant #12), student of Joanna Zane Fan
Julia Gabriel (Contestant #18), student of Renee Teruya

Bach Award:
Jay Li (Contestant #10), student of Ying Liu

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Nica Oishi (Contestant #17), student of Akiko Sanai

Classical Award:
Kaʻiwa Kim

piano (level IV)

1st Place (TIE):
Amy Siu (Contestant #5), student of Bichuan Li

1st Place (TIE):
Jayden Wu (Contestant #6), student of Dr. Thomas Yee

2nd Place:
Mia Izuka (Contestant #2), student of Dr. Thomas Yee

3rd Place:
Misaki Ho (Contestant #21), student of Dr. Wendy Yamashita

Honorable Mention:
Jenelle Yu (Contestant #8), student of Bichuan Li

Bach Award:
Skyla Chua (Contestant #16), student of Rosy Wang

Diversity and Inclusion Award:
Misaki Ho

Classical Award:
Skyla Chua
Amy Siu
Reese Walther (Contestant #14), student of Dr. Wendy Yamashita
Ashlynn Wu (Contestant #17), student of Xianhe Liu

piano (level V)

1st Place:
Joshua Wung (Contestant #6), student of Annie Kwok

2nd Place:
Holly Hudson (Contestant #4), student of Joanna Zane Fan

3rd Place:
Bixuan Zhang (Contestant #5), student of Dr. Thomas Yee

Honorable Mention:
Li Fairman (Contestant #3), student of Rosy Wang

Classical Award:
Holly Hudson
Joshua Wung
Bixuan Zhang