Evan Huei doesn’t let much stop him from reaching his goals. He explained, “I will keep trying to perform in piano contests and do my best.”

One day Even was playing an indoor game and tossed a pillow into the air. It hit a lamp, shattered glass and made a deep cut in his arm. Evan’s parents rushed him to the hospital where he received 9 stitches and ended up with a 104 fever. Three days later, Evan was once again, doing what he enjoys most. He entered a piano competition and took first place.

Evan began taking piano lessons at age 5. At age 7, he would listen to music from a video game, memorize it, write down the notes, then play it on the piano. That year, Evan started having his piano skills tested by the Association Board of The Royal Schools of Music, designed for student who have studied piano for at least 8 years. He received a merit score on grade 4. “His performance shocked the judge,” reports Evan’s mom, Rose Liu. Evan’s piano skills quickly advanced. He received a perfect score at the New York State School Music Association Evaluation.

Evan went on to win first place at numerous competitions. Sometimes he placed second. His piano teacher, Fugen Wei, explains, “What’s important is that Evan performs his best, not that he wins…It’s not easy for young people to understand classical music. What makes Evan exceptional is his sensitivity to the music. He not only plays the notes, but he also catches the feeling of the music. He gets so involved in the music that it becomes his own expressive language, and he’s able to sustain the mood, from beginning to end, even if the piece is five minutes long…Evan has unusual stage presence. He does his best when he performs in front of a judge or on stage in front of an audience,” Fugen Wei adds. 

Evan’s secret to staying calm during his performance is to “imagine the judges are not there. I think I’m practicing at home and it keeps me calm…Playing the piano clears out my mind. It helps me forget everything, good and bad, and makes me feel confident.”

(Middle Village, New York: 2000)