Congratulations to all of the winners and participants of the 2026 Hawaiʻi State Music Competition!!!

Strings (pre-level)

1st Prize:
Rena Lim, violin (Contestant #1), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

2nd Prize (TIE):
Gemma Esaki, violin (Contestant #3), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

2nd Prize (TIE):
Lily Green, violin (Contestant #2), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

3rd Prize:
Naoki Kurahashi, violin (Contestant #4), Student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

Strings (Level i)

1st Prize:
Jovia Liang, violin (Contestant #8), Student of Katharine Hafner

2nd Prize:
Elise Ogomori, violin (Contestant #6), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

3rd Prize:
Nala Widana, violin ((Contestant #9), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Mary Ramirez, violin (Contestant #2, Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Janie Ruan, violin (Contestant #1), Student of Joan Martin-Doike

Musicianship Award:
Jovia Liang

Strings (Level II)

1st Prize:
Ariana Harada, violin (Contestant #1), Student of Ignace Jang

2nd Prize:
Kaci Sueoka, violin (Contestant #3), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

3rd Prize:
Harumi Nakamura, violin (Contestant #9), Student of Dr. Clara Kim

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Hiwalani Lederer, violin (Contestant #5), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Mahealani Lederer, violin (Contestant #2), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Musicianship Award:
Harumi Nakamura
Koa Horie, violin (Contestant #10), Student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

Strings (Level III)

1st Prize (TIE):
Jaron Kim, violin (Contestant #8), Student of Asia Doike

1st Prize (TIE):
Sean Ishikawa, violin (Contestant #2), Student of Mio Unosawa Herzog

2nd Prize:
Gina Esaki, violin (Contestant #5), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

3rd Prize:
Annaka Lau, violin (Contestant #10), Student of Joan Martin-Doike

Honorable Mention:
Lilian Polley, violin (Contestant #4), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Musicianship Award:
Mia Clark, violin (Contestant #1), Student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu
Elias Gimber, violin (Contestant #9), Student of Joan Martin-Doike
Sean Ishikawa
Annaka Lau
Jaron Kim
Noah Swan, violin (Contestant #3), student of Sheryl Shohet

Bach Award:
Sean Ishikawa
Lilian Polley

Strings (Level IV)

1st Prize:
Victoria Lu (Contestant #8), student of Ignace Jang

2nd Prize (TIE):
Julian Gesullo (Contestant #4), student of Katharine Hafner

2nd Prize (TIE):
Runxin Wang (Contestant #14), student of Katharine Hafner

2nd Prize (TIE):
Dominic Chi (Contestant #6), student of Nancy Shoop-Wu

3rd Prize:
Avalon Puppione (Contestant #13), student of Katharine Hafner

Honorable Mention:
Austin Kamemoto (Contestant #5), student of Dr. Nikki Ebisu

Bach Award:
Mizuki Mau (Contestant #10), student of Ignace Jang

Violin (Level V)

1st Prize (TIE):
Ethan Chow (Contestant #10), student of Ignace Jang

1st Prize (TIE):
Irena Xu (Contestant #6), student of Katharine Hafner

2nd Prize:
Maria Swan (Contestant #8), student of Sheryl Shohet

3rd Prize (TIE):
Geon Cha (Contestant #4), student of Asia Doike

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

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Phoenix Shelton (Contestant #5), student of Mariko Yuen

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Marc Yoo (Contestant #7), student of Asia Doike

Bach Award:
Katherine Wu
Maria Swan

low Strings (Level IV)

1st Prize:
Sophie Kawashima, viola (Contestant #6), student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

2nd Prize:
Timothy Asamoto, cello (Contestant #3), student of Nancy Masaki

3rd Prize:
Olivia Kim, cello (Contestant #4), student of Nancy Masaki

Honorable Mention:
Madeline Ebisu, cello (Contestant #1), student of Nancy Masaki

Bach Award:
Timothy Asamoto
Madeline Ebisu

Musicianship Award:
Timothy Asamoto
Sophie Kawashima

low Strings (Level V)

1st Prize:
Sophia Chan, cello (Contestant #3), student of Aris Doike

2nd Prize:
Taigo Yuen, cello (Contestant #1), student of Dr. Sung Chan Chang

3rd Prize:
Eun Ha, viola (Contestant #2), student of Dr. Yuseon Nam

Bach Award:
Sophia Chan

Musicianship Award:
Sophia Chan
Eun Ha
Taigo Yeun

PIANO (Pre-Level)

1st Prize:
Oliver Kwon (Contestant #13), student of Shandee Teruya

2nd Prize (TIE):
Ella Alcin (Contestant #10), student of Jireh Harrison

2nd Prize (TIE):
Elise Bui (Contestant #6), student of Shandee Teruya

3rd Prize (TIE):
Tzeyu Cheung (Contestant #7), student of Ying Liu

3rd Prize (TIE):
Elijah He (Contestant #8), student of Alice Yeung

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Mark Phillips Jr. (Contestant #5), student of Alice Yeung

Honorable Mention (TIE):
Lily Twitty (Contestant #11), student of Shandee Teruya

Bach Award:
Ella Alcin

Musicianship Award:
Ella Alcin
Elijah He
Oliver Kwon
Rena Lim (Contestant #1), student of Renee Teruya
Koa Vanvelzer (Contestant #12), student of Alice Yeung

PIANO (Level i)

1st Prize (TIE):
Elisa Genka (Contestant #13), student of Dr. Thomas Yee

1st Prize (TIE):
Teresa Zheng (Contestant #9), student of  Joanna Zane-Fan

2nd Prize:
Logan Stanford (Contestant #6), student of Emily Stanford

3rd Prize (TIE):
Xena Montoya (Contestant #8), student of Xianhe Constance Liu

3rd Prize (TIE):
Ryan Kimura (Contestant #10), student of Shandee Teruya

Honorable Mention:
Ember Tom (Contestant #3), student of Jensen Blue

Bach Award:
Ember Tom

Musicianship Award:
Elisa Genka
Xena Montoya
Mandylin Phillips (Contestant #7), student of Alice Yeung
Ember Tom
Teresa Zheng

PIANO (Level II)

1st Prize:
Alan Wu (Contestant #7), student of Ying Liu

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

2nd Prize (TIE):
Terence Zheng (Contestant #10), student of Joanna Zane-Fan

3rd Prize:
Dori Zhou (Contestant #16), student of Ying Liu

Honorable Mention:
Kaito Bolosan (Contestant #5), student of Jensen Blue

Bach Award:
Alan Wu
Dori Zhou

Musicianship Award:
Kaito Bolosan
Emmett Hoole (Contestant #12), student of Dr. Sadee Xu
Ella Lau (Contestant #4), student of Bichuan Li
Alice Li (Contestant #11), student of Ying Liu
Harumi Nakamura
Kayla Zeng (Contestant #2), student of Ying Liu
Terence Zheng
Dori Zhou

PIANO (Level III)

1st Prize (TIE):
Jacob Kim (Contestant #3), student of Seon Choi

1st Prize (TIE):
Lily Hakoda (Contestant #5), student of Renee Teruya

2nd Prize:
Jeffrey Li (Contestant #2), student of Christine Lee

3rd Prize (TIE):
Stephen Xiao (Contestant #8), student of Rosy Wang

3rd Prize (TIE):
Veronica Lau, (Contestant #13), student of Dr. Wendy Yamashita

Honorable Mention:
Sara Hayashi (Contestant #9), student of Renee Teruya

Bach Award:
Jacob Kim
Lily Hakoda
Stephen Xiao

Musicianship Award:
Quinn Hoole (Contestant #11), student of Dr. Sadee Xu
Jacob Kim
Veronica Lau
Jeffrey Li
Minghong (Simon) Xi (Contestant #14), student of Dr. Tyler Ramos
Eric Zheng (Contestant #1), student of Ying Liu

PIANO (Level IV)

1st Prize (TIE):
Keita Kobayashi (Contestant #4), student of Yumiko Yagi

1st Prize (TIE):
Gabriel Li (Contestant #7), student of Xianhe Constance Liu

2nd Prize (TIE):
Skyla Chua (Contestant #17), student of Rosy Wang

2nd Prize (TIE):
Amy Siu (Contestant #15), student of Bichuan Li

3rd Prize:
Andy Wang (Contestant #19), student of Dr. Wendy Yamashita

Honorable Mention:
Kaʻiwa Kim (Contestant #18), student of Seon Choi

Musicianship Award:
Gabriel Li
Amy Siu

PIANO (Level v)

1st Prize:
Jenelle Yu (Contestant #10), student of Bichuan Li

2nd Prize:
Kawika Ahuna (Contestant #11), student of Cheryl Glaza

3rd Prize (TIE):
Annie Li (Contestant #4), student of Joanna Zane-Fan

3rd Prize (TIE):
Reese Walther (Contestant #5), student of Dr. Wendy Yamashita

Honorable Mention:
Mia Izuka (Contestant #6), student of Dr. Thomas Yee

Bach Award:
Kawaika Ahuna

Musicianship Award:
Annie Li
Jenelle Yu