Charlie Liu’s first piano performance was playing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” on an electronic
keyboard for a preschool talent show.
On Sunday the 14-year-old from Princeton, New Jersey, really shined. Performing music by Haydn, Listz and
Samuel Barber, won the 2015 David D. Dubois Piano Competition at Bowling Green State University.
In doing so, he came out on top of a field of 21 semifinalists from across the country to win the $3,000
first prize.
Kevin Takeda, of Indian Wells, California and a student at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan placed
second, a $2,000 award, and Adrian Liao, of San Diego, California, placed third, a $1,000 award.
Nine finalists performed Sunday morning after the field of semifinalists was winnowed on Saturday. The
semifinalists are selected based on recorded auditions. The competition is open to pianists in grades 8
through 12.
Liu said playing music is about communicating the feelings in a piece of music to his listeners. That’s
true even when that audience is a panel of judges a fewer than a dozen other people as was the case
Sunday morning.
For Vadym Kholodenko, who as the gold medalist in the Cliburn Competition knows something about piano
competitions, Liu’s “special approach to sound” is what set him apart.
For the many competitions Kholodenko has performed in, this was his first time on the other side of the
table. Serving as guest judge, he said, made him look at competitions in a new light.
On Sunday he was joined by BGSU piano faculty member Robert Satterlee and professor emeritus Virginia
Marks.
Liu said playing piano is something he plans to continue, though he’s not sure he’ll make it a career.

He’s also interested in video games. Standing nearby his father Mingyi Liu opined he wished his son spent
more time practicing piano, though he note of late he has been not necessarily practicing more, but
being more efficient in his practicing.
Bob Swinehart, the trustee for the Dubois Trust which established the competition praised the talents of
the teenage pianists, and said each year the quality improves.
This was the fifth year for the event, which is coordinated by Laura Melton, of the BGSU piano faculty.