Congratulations to all of the winners and participants of the 2025 Hawaiʻi State Music Competition!!!

Strings (pre-level)

1st Place:
Rena Kamau, violin (Contestant #2), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

2nd Place (TIE):
Gemma Esaki, violin (Contestant #4), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

2nd Place (TIE):
James Ruan, violin (Contestant #6), student of Joan Martin-Doike

3rd Place (TIE):
Jackson Shindo, cello (Contestant #5), student of Nancy Masaki

3rd Place (TIE):
Emilia Tjoeng, violin (Contestant #1), student of Rachel Schifino

Honorable Mention:
Ashley Gouveia, violin (Contestant #3), student of Kayla Uchida

Musicianship Award:
Rena Kamau

strings (level I)

1st Place:
Ariana Harada, violin (Contestant #1), student of Ignace Jang

2nd Place (TIE):
Hiwalani Lederer, violin (Contestant #3), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

2nd Place (TIE):
Mahealani Lederer, violin (Contestant #5), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

3rd Place:
Toby Yoshimoto, violin (Contestant #4), student of Kayla Uchida

Honorable Mention:
Janie Ruan, violin (Contestant #7), student of Joan Martin-Doike

Bach Award:
Ariana Harada

Musicianship Award:
Ariana Harada

strings (level II)

1st Place:
Emily Ramirez, violin (Contestant #7), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

2nd Place:
Gina Esaki, violin (Contestant #6), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

3rd Place:
Mirella Thibadeaux, violin (Contestant #3). student of Joan Martin-Doike

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Bella Arnone, cello (Contestant #2), student of Nancy Masaki

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Rachel Siu, violin (Contestant #9), student of Joan Martin-Doike

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Kaci Sueoka, violin (Contestant #10), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Bach Award:
Rachel Siu

Musicianship Award:
Bella Arnone
Gina Esaki
Emily Ramirez
Rachel Siu
Mirella Thibadeaux

strings (level III)

1st Place:
Lincoln Sueoka, cello (Contestant #7), student of Nancy Masaki

2nd Place:
Olivia Kim, cello (Contestant #5), student of Nancy Masaki

3rd Place:
Mia Clark, violin (Contestant #8), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Honorable Mention:
Ethan Chan, violin (Contestant #4), student of Asia Doike

Musicianship Award:
Olivia Kim

violin (level IV)

1st Place:
Jayden Kim (Contestant #18), student of Ignace Jang

2nd Place:
Ethan Chow (Contestant #8), student of Ignace Jang

3rd Place (TIE):
Maria Swan (Contestant #9), student of Sheryl Shohet

3rd Place (TIE):
Katherine Wu (Contestant #22), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Avalon Puppione (Contestant #6), student of Katharine Hafner

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Lantana Widana (Contestant #10), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Bach Award:
Maria Swan
Katherine Wu

Musicianship Award:
Jayden Kim

violin (level V)

1st Place:
Coco Kim (Contestant #7), student of Mariko Yuen

2nd Place:
Ellie Chung (Contestant #8), student of Ignace Jang

3rd Place:
Christopher Oyama (Contestant #3), student of Ignace Jang

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Lily Nomura (Contestant #4), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Alexis Phansaithong (Contestant #6), student of Ignace Jang

Musicianship Award:
Ellie Chung

low strings (level IV)

1st Place:
Eliana Chang, cello (Contestant #4), student of Nancy Masaki

2nd Place:
Sophia Chan, cello (Contestant #1), student of Aris Doike

3rd Place:
Sophie Kawashima, viola (Contestant #6), student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Hyunwoo Chang, viola (Contestant #3), student of Asia Doike

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Ethan Lim, cello (Contestant #2), student of Nancy Masaki

Bach Award:
Eliana Chang

Musicianship Award:
Eliana Chang

21st-century Composer Award:
Sophie Kawashima

low strings (level V)

1st Place:
Bryan Wood, cello (Contestant #5), student of Nancy Masaki

2nd Place:
Anson Akemoto, cello (Contestant #1), student of Aris Doike

3rd Place (TIE):
Swan Kim, viola (Contestant #2), student of Craig Young

3rd Place (TIE):
Taigo Yuen, cello (Contestant #4), student of Dr. Sung Chan Chang

Honorable Mention:
Eun Ha, viola (Contestant #3), student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

Bach Award:
Bryan Wood

21st-century Composer Award:
Eun Ha

Musicianship Award:
Anson Akemoto

piano (pre-level)

1st Place:
Rena Kamau (Contestant #7), student of Renee Teruya

2nd Place:
Xena Montoya (Contestant #3), student of Xianhe Liu

3rd Place:
Elisa Genka (Contestant #6), student of Noe Baladad

Honorable Mention:
Yuna Lim (Contestant #10), student of Bichuan Li

Musicianship Award:
Elisa Genka
Rena Kamau
Xena Montoya

piano (level I)

1st Place:
Alice Li (Contestant #1), student of Ying Liu

2nd Place:
Terence Zheng (Contestant #16), student of Joanna Zane-Fan

3rd Place:
Dori Zhou (Contestant #5), student of Zehua Zhou

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Ella Lau (Contestant #14), student of Bichuan Li

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Aubrey Liu (Contestant #9), student of Dr. Thomas Yee

Bach Award:
Alice Li
Dori Zhou

21st-century Composer Award:
Novienne Hilton (Contestant #22), student of Carolyn Stanton
Terence Zheng

piano (level II)

1st Place:
Riley Beattie (Contestant #3), student of Renee Teruya

2nd Place:
Harumi Nakamura (Contestant #14), student of Renee Teruya

3rd Place:
Sara Hayashi (Contestant #5), student of Renee Teruya

Honorable Mention:
Cocoro Ishida (Contestant #7), student of Renee Teruya

Musicianship Award:
Riley Beattie
Harumi Nakamura

piano (level III)

1st Place:
Zuriel Ehara (Contestant #4), student of Bichuan Li

2nd Place:
Lily Hakoda (Contestant #13), student of Renee Teruya

3rd Place:
Kaʻiwa Kim (Contestant #2), student of Seon Choi

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Neathan Cheng (Contestant #23), student of Renee Teruya

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Jeffrey Li (Contestant #1), student of Christine Lee

Bach Award:
Stephen Xiao (Contestant #19), student of Rosy Wang

21st-century Composer Award:
Lily Hakoda

Musicianship Award:
Zuriel Ehara

piano (level IV)

1st Place:
Luciana Gelber (Contestant #13), student of Steven Casano

2nd Place:
Jenelle Yu (Contestant #18), student of Bichuan Li

3rd Place:
Skyla Chua (Contestant #5), student of Rosy Wang

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Keita Kobayashi (Contestant #16), student of Yumiko Yagi

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Jonathan Yu (Contestant #6), student of Bichuan Li

Bach Award:
Skyla Chua

piano (level V)

1st Place:
Mason Domion (Contestant #8), student of Joanna Zane-Fan

2nd Place (TIE):
Herrick Ni (Contestant #9), student of Xianhe Liu

2nd Place (TIE):
Alicia Pearson (Contestant #6), student of Thomas Yee

3rd Place:
Mihoko Tanaka (Contestant #10), student of Annu Shionoya

Honorable Mention:
Linnea Ellis (Contestant #3), student of Steven Casano

Bach Award:
Linnea Ellis