I am Camille Li. I am turning to 9. I have been learning piano with my teacher Mrs. San-Qing Lu Benneman since I was 4 years old.
My teacher is the former piano soloist with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. She has a very respected and well-deserved reputation of excellence. For example, she is very strict with my scales practicing. Surprisingly, I really loved playing scales. I always tried to play scales evenly, clearly and faster, to beat my own record, and to show off my fast-moving fingers to my teacher. I had a drive to be the best in her class and that was what kept me practicing at home every day. When I realized I have perfect pitch and could easily pick up melodies and rhythms whenever I hear, I see my love and passion in piano. When I am done with my daily practice, I would usually sit at the piano to play the melodies in my head to make up songs and then I sing along with them. I had so much fun!
Under my teacher’s instructions and guidance, I was able to enter many piano competitions in the past three and half years. I gradually earned my experiences of performing on various grand pianos, at large stages, before audiences, and I also had trophies from success. These experiences and successes inspired me to share the wonderful piano music with other people. I started performing piano at local senior centers on Sunday. Beginning 2022, I have been playing for seniors over 100 times. I was so happy to see the smiles from my audiences, and I also noticed my skills skyrocketing.
I am very happy for myself with these awards:
• 2nd Place at Maryland State Music Teachers Association (2022)
• 1st Place at Metropolitan Classical Music Festival (2022)
• 1st Place at Maryland State Music Teachers Association (2023)
• 2nd Prize at Thomas F. Hulbert International Piano Competition (2023）
• 2nd Prize at Miriam S. Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition (2023)
• 1st Prize at Charleston World Music Competition (2023)
• 1st Prize at Global Great Composer Mozart Competition (2024)
• 1st Prize at Charleston International Music Competition (2024)
• 1st Place at Maryland State Music Teachers Association (2024)
• 2nd Prize at Miriam S. Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition (2024)
• 1st Prize at 39th International Young Artist Piano Competition (2024)
• 3rd Prize at (2024) Thomas F. Hulbert International Piano Competition (2024）
• 2nd Prize at Metropolitan Classical Music Festival (2024)
• 1st Prize at International Music Competition-Great Composers Competition-Best Chopin (2025)
You can find Camille’s 2023 World Music Competition piano performance here.
You can find Camille’s 2024 Classical Music Competition piano performance here.
Watch Camille Li perform Sonata in F Major Hob. XVI:23 by Franz J. Haydn on the piano for the 2025 Classical Music Competition as part of the Charleston International Music Competition.