Concert Star San Francisco Regional Winners Advance to Carnegie Hall Final
Ryan Nagarajan and Sruthi Hariharan earn top honors at the competition’s inaugural San Francisco Regional Division in Palo Alto
PALO ALTO, Calif., August 24, 2026 — The Concert Star International Classical Music Competition held its inaugural San Francisco Regional Division on August 23 at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Palo Alto, where Ryan Nagarajan and Sruthi Hariharan earned top honors and advanced to the competition’s Final Round at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 25, 2027.
Nagarajan was named the winner of Group 1, while Hariharan received the top honor in Group 2. The two regional winners will represent the San Francisco division as the competition continues to its final stage in New York.
The San Francisco Regional Division was organized by the International Classical Music Alliance (ICMA), marking the first time the organization has brought the Concert Star competition to the San Francisco Bay Area. Held as a live performance competition, the regional round featured young musicians in piano and strings performing before a professional jury.
The competition was adjudicated by a five-member jury of performers and educators. Jiyuan Yang, Competition Director, is a violinist and educator who has performed with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and Topeka Symphony Orchestra, as well as in solo and chamber settings at the Lied Center of Kansas. Dr. Mingfu Han, President of the International Classical Music Alliance (ICMA), is a concert pianist, adjudicator, and arts leader who has served as a jury member for competitions in the United States, including events at Carnegie Hall. The panel also included Dr. Dora Yuru Jin, an award-winning pianist and educator who has performed at Carnegie Hall and the Lied Center of Kansas; Dr. Ru Huang, soprano and Lecturer of Voice at the University of California, Berkeley, whose performance credits include Opera San José and the Aspen Music Festival; and Yinxuan Long, pianist and Faculty Pianist at Chabot College.
The San Francisco Regional Division was developed under the leadership of Dr. Yaqi Wang, Founder and Executive Director of Concert Star, an internationally active pianist and educator who has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Columbia University, Cornell University, and UCLA.
For the organizers, establishing a San Francisco regional division creates a new pathway for young musicians in Northern California to participate in the Concert Star competition and pursue performance opportunities beyond the region.
“Bringing Concert Star to the Bay Area gives young musicians another opportunity to challenge themselves in a serious performance setting and to connect their work here with a larger stage,” said Dr. Mingfu Han, President of ICMA. “We are especially excited to see Ryan and Sruthi move forward from Palo Alto to the Final Round at Carnegie Hall.”
As Competition Director, Yang oversaw the artistic and organizational preparation of the San Francisco regional event. The competition concluded with an awards ceremony recognizing the participating musicians and the winners of each group.
“Competitions can be most meaningful when they encourage young musicians to listen, grow, and develop their own artistic voices,” said Jiyuan Yang, Competition Director. “It was rewarding to hear the commitment each performer brought to the stage, and we look forward to following Ryan and Sruthi as they continue to the final round.”
The next stage of the Concert Star International Classical Music Competition will take place at Carnegie Hall in New York City on January 25, 2027, bringing together qualifying musicians from regional divisions for the Final Round.
About Concert Star International Classical Music Competition
The Concert Star International Classical Music Competition provides musicians with opportunities to perform, compete, and advance through regional and final stages. The competition includes multiple age divisions and welcomes performers across instrumental and vocal disciplines, with selected regional winners advancing to the Final Round in New York City.
About the International Classical Music Alliance
The International Classical Music Alliance (ICMA) is a California-based nonprofit organization supporting classical musicians through performance, education, competitions, festivals, and professional development. ICMA organized the 2026 San Francisco Regional Division of the Concert Star International Classical Music Competition as part of its work to expand artistic and educational opportunities for musicians in California.
Learn More
Concert Star International Classical Music Competition
https://concertstar.org/
International Classical Music Alliance (ICMA)
https://articma.org/
