Jerry Chang, 17, attends the John Burroughs School in St. Louis, Missouri, and currently studies with Ms. Zena Ilyashov and Dr. Sasha Starcevich. Jerry has won top prizes in many prestigious piano competitions, including the 2024 YoungArts Winner with Distinction in the Classical Music/Piano category by the U.S. National YoungArts Foundation, National Finalist and the Chopin Award of 2024 MTNA Senior Solo Piano Competition, Two-Time Chopin Scholarship Recipient by the U.S. Chopin Foundation 2022-2024, First Prizes at David D. Dubois Piano Competition, Chopin Northwest Festival Piano Competition, Chicago International Piano Competition, and Chopin International Piano Competition at Hartford.
Jerry has also appeared on local and national radio programs, including St. Louis Classic 107.3, St. Louis Public Radio, WXQR New York Classical Radio Station, From the Top, and NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert. He is a 2024 From the Top Fellow, collaborating multiple times with the program since age 10, and a soloist for the national Back to Bach Project since 2022. He has given numerous solo recitals, collaborated with multiple orchestras, and performed in many venues across the world.
Beyond the stage, Jerry is committed to spreading the joy of music with his community and frequently volunteers for culture festivals, with local ensembles, and at senior living centers. He is the founder and leader of his high school’s Performance Club which blends cultural inclusiveness with musical artistry. He volunteers at Different Dynamics, making music programs for neurodiverse people, and teaches at the Pianos for People, a nonprofit organization that provides free pianos and music classes to families and children in need.