The Charleston International Music Competition has unveiled the roster of musicians advancing to the Final Round of its 2026 Autumn Music Competition, a list that spans more than a dozen instrument categories and includes both soloists and ensembles. The announcement, made public on October 9, 2026, sets the stage for official prize announcements slated for the following day.
CHARLESTON, SC, UNITED STATES, October 9, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Charleston International Music Competition (CIMC) has announced the finalists for its 2026 Autumn Music Competition, honoring musicians whose preparation and commitment to performance earned them a spot in this season’s international Final Round.
For those selected, the distinction reflects far more than a single submitted performance. Each recording represents hours of practice, guidance from teachers, moments of musical discovery, and the persistence required to overcome obstacles. CIMC says it is proud to acknowledge that effort and to give musicians a platform to share their work beyond their immediate communities.
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Since its founding in 2020, CIMC has recognized over 8,000 musicians from more than 100 countries, building an international network bound by a shared commitment to musical excellence. The 2026 Autumn finalists now carry that legacy forward, adding their own voices and artistic sensibilities to a worldwide celebration of music.
2026 Autumn Music Competition Finalists
CIMC extends congratulations to the following musicians selected as finalists for the 2026 Autumn Music Competition:
CELLO
Jiho Eun, William Kim, Chaeyoung Lee, Louise Redwine, Josiah Shin, Noah Yoon
CLARINET
Daniel Xinyu Ai
DRUMS
Asher Stoogenke
EUPHONIUM
Quinn Cunningham
FLUTE
Aarushi Aggarwal, Rhea Bagga, Jimin Jung, Minsol Kim, Somin Park, Pragya Prasanna, Allison Shin
GUITAR
Jayden Kim
HARP
Caitlin Tignor
OBOE
Grace Kwon
PIANO
Katherine Abouchian, Theodore Anderson, Angie Lee Baker, John Chester, Elliott Chia, Oliver Daniel Chilton, Erin Chung, Blakely Mattelyn Clements, Callum Costanza, Anandi Damel, Lilly Deyton, Ronav Dharia, Daniel Fan, Stella Feng, Viaan Ghorpade, Mia Gonzalez, Annabelle Hu, Anya Laura Huang, Jadon Huang, Lukas Jeon, Han Hyun Jeong, Yichen Jiao, Audrey Kim, Eden Kim, Jacob (Jakey) Kim, Riah Kim, Daniel Aleksander Koppel, Noa Zara Koppel, Scarlett Hayoung Lee, Castor Li, Yunhan Li, Michael Litvinsky, Mary Mason, Chandler Val Maun, Harumi Nakamura, Kayla Ostrow, Lena Park, Sejun Park, Seobin Park, Joyce Ryu, Christina Saad, Richard Savoy III, Skyler Shibata, Gunes Sunar, Christine Wang, Margaret Wang, Joaquin Francisco Wong, Hunter Henry Woods, Siyi Xu, Caroline Young, Richard Yu, Atlas Yuksek, Kerem Yuksek, Isabella Zhang, Vivian Zhang, Allison Zhou
SAXOPHONE
Theodore Flake
TROMBONE
Joshua Choi
VIOLA
Lynn Choi, Hyunjun Kang, Cheng-Rui Lu, Sangjun Park, Ethan Qi
VIOLIN
Simon Beack, Young Joon Cho, Emilia Soo Escamilla, Austin Fukuda, Abigail Ellen Galperin, Suehyun Hong, Chloe Mirae Kim, Doeun Kim, Alice Li, Cheng-Xin Lu, Caroline Sim Oh, Ray Shi, Sean Shi, Ray Tong, Muyan Agatha Xie, Yihao Xue (Hedy), Atlas Yuksek, Kerem Yuksek, Tianning Zhang
VOCAL
Julia Alexandrov, Liliana Coykendall, Jian Eun, Samara Hasan, Elena He, Moka Imazeki, Kahlan Kelly, Siya Khare, Zoilita Lester, Irene Lin, Ethan Park, Arleen Prusty, Srijit Raghuram, Elizabeth Rosenberg, Maaya Sankara, Amaira Saxena, Peyton Seifer
ENSEMBLES
Alice Bradier, Clara Bradier, Derek Guan, Jun Jong, Yueqi Lao, Siyoon Lee, Allison Liu, Alice Meng, Louise Redwine, Ahin Shin, Samantha Yee
Each finalist deserves acknowledgment for the work required to prepare and deliver a musical performance. Whether they are pursuing music professionally, studying privately, playing in an ensemble, or nurturing a lifelong passion, these individuals have reached a significant point in their artistic development.
CIMC offers its warmest congratulations to all finalists, along with gratitude to the teachers, parents, mentors, and families whose support makes such achievements possible.
Celebrating Musical Excellence and Individual Achievement
A hallmark of the Charleston International Music Competition is its dedication to recognizing musicians of varying ages, instruments, and experience levels.
Through its online international competitions, CIMC gives students, emerging artists, and seasoned performers the chance to present their work without the cost or travel burdens typically associated with global events.
Finalists are assessed by qualified musicians and educators using established criteria that include technical precision, stylistic interpretation, musical expression, and stage presence. The judging panel draws from musicians and educators across more than a dozen countries.
This method honors musical achievement while acknowledging that every performer brings a distinct blend of experience, readiness, and artistic vision.
For younger musicians in particular, taking part in an international competition can serve as a meaningful source of confidence and motivation to continue their studies.
Recognition That Extends Beyond the Competition
CIMC holds that musical accomplishments deserve to be celebrated, documented, and preserved.
As part of its recognition efforts, the competition supplies finalists with personalized materials designed to capture their achievements and support continued growth.
A central piece of this is the Performance Evaluation Report, which outlines the individual strengths shown in each performance and, where relevant, points to areas for further development.
Rather than receiving only a prize designation, musicians gain tailored feedback they can review with their teachers and apply to future practice sessions.
Other recognition offerings include personalized award certificates, individual artist profiles on the CIMC website, teacher acknowledgment, and performance features on the competition’s official YouTube channel.
Together, these tools let musicians share their successes with family, friends, teachers, schools, and the broader musical community.
From Competition Recognition to Everyday Progress: Introducing Muselo
While competitions highlight key moments of achievement, much of a musician’s growth happens quietly between performances.
To support that ongoing work, the team behind CIMC has created Muselo, a music education platform aimed at helping students and private teachers make progress more visible and meaningful.
Available at https://muselo.app, Muselo allows students to log practice sessions, receive feedback on recorded musical excerpts, track improvement, and build a long-term musical transcript of their development and accomplishments.
Rather than treating each competition as an isolated event, students can assemble a fuller picture of their musical paths, linking daily preparation with the milestones they reach over time.
Muselo also offers resources for private teachers, helping them monitor student progress between lessons and acknowledge the work that leads to successful performances.
For families supporting a young musician, this creates a way to appreciate not just the final award, but also the dedication, perseverance, and measurable growth that enabled the achievement.
Through CIMC and Muselo, the organization aims to connect two complementary sides of music education: honoring outstanding performances and supporting the daily effort that makes them possible.
Learn more about Muselo: https://muselo.app
A Community That Inspires Musicians to Keep Performing
The influence of an international music competition can reach far beyond the announcement of results.
For many participants, competing offers a chance to explore new repertoire, hear performers from other backgrounds, set fresh artistic goals, and draw inspiration from the work of peers.
CIMC’s expanding archive of finalist performances provides a glimpse into this community, highlighting musicians whose interpretations reflect the range and inventiveness of musical expression.
Selected performances from the 2026 Autumn Music Competition are available through the official Charleston International Music Competition YouTube channel, along with recordings from earlier events.
Watch CIMC performances:
https://youtube.com/@charlestoncompetition
The competition also invites prospective participants, teachers, and families to learn about the experiences of past musicians through its collection of written and video testimonials.
Read participant testimonials:
https://charlestoncompetition.com/reviews/
Watch video testimonials:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgdkUhRgoAHrQmKn1dwO4qBX_vGCT7qkA
These firsthand accounts underscore the personal importance of musical recognition and the encouragement that meaningful performance opportunities can provide.
2026 Autumn Music Competition Results
Official prizes and recognition for the 2026 Autumn Music Competition will be announced on October 10, 2026.
Finalists will be honored within their respective age and instrument categories, with results posted on the official Charleston International Music Competition website.
View official competition results:
https://charlestoncompetition.com/results
CIMC congratulates every finalist on reaching this important stage and wishes each musician continued inspiration, confidence, and success in their future musical pursuits.
Upcoming International Music Competitions
As the 2026 season winds down, CIMC continues to offer musicians chances to pursue new performance goals and earn international recognition.
2026 Instrumental Music Competition
Application Deadline: October 15, 2026
2026 Global Music Competition
Application Deadline: November 15, 2026
2026 Finale Music Competition
Application Deadline: December 15, 2026
CIMC welcomes musicians interested in continuing their artistic development through performance, evaluation, and international recognition.
Complete eligibility requirements, repertoire guidelines, and application information are available at:
https://charlestoncompetition.com
About Charleston International Music Competition
Founded in 2020, the Charleston International Music Competition (CIMC) is an international music competition organization dedicated to recognizing musical talent and encouraging artistic development among performers of all ages and experience levels.
Through its year-round online music competitions, CIMC has recognized more than 8,000 musicians from over 100 countries. The organization brings together students, professional and amateur performers, private teachers, and families through opportunities for performance, personalized evaluation, and international recognition.
CIMC also supports musical education beyond competition participation through Muselo, a platform for tracking practice, receiving musical feedback, documenting achievements, and developing long-term musical transcripts.
Learn more:
Charleston International Music Competition: https://charlestoncompetition.com
Muselo: https://muselo.app
Charleston Competition
Charleston Music LLC
contact@charlestoncompetition.com
Why it matters: With more than 8,000 musicians recognized since 2020, CIMC’s latest finalist list underscores how online competitions have become a viable path for global recognition without travel costs. The addition of Muselo also signals a shift toward treating competitions as part of a longer-term educational journey rather than a one-off event.
