Parham Vakili (soloist for the concerto); 2022-2023 Region orchestra rank 1 pianist, 2023-2024 Region orchestra rank 2 pianist, 2023-2024 TMEA All-State rank 2 pianist, 5+ score of 1 evaluation medals for KatyISD solo and ensemble (highest rating), 4 score of 1 evaluation medals for KYAC (extension of solo and ensemble). Andrew Schneider (accompanist for the concerto); Schneider holds a B.Mus., summa cum laude, in music composition from Rice University, and in 2009, was a finalist in the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composers Competition. Choral works of his have been performed by the Piping Rock Singers and at the Denison University TUTTI Composition Festival. Recent composition highlights include the 2022 Houston premieres of his first comic opera, Happy Endings, with Lone Star Lyric Theatre Festival, and of his first string quartet by Zelda Presents.
You can find the duet’s 2023 International Piano Competition performance here.