Pianist Jenny Shih, a Morristown High School senior from Morris Plains, has received an honorable mention citation in the Pearl and Julius Young "Rising Stars" Music Competition, sponsored by The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey. She played Sonata #2, Op. 35, Movement 1 by Frederick Chopin, as one of 14 finalists in the competition held Saturday, March 19, in Dolan Hall, College of Saint Elizabeth.

For her award, she received a $100 cash prize.  The "Rising Stars" competition was established by Sanford and Steven Young in memory of their parents, who lived in New York City. Although they were not musicians themselves, they were devoted to encouraging and mentoring young musicians.

Jenny is currently the top ranking student in her class. She began her piano studies at the age of five and has continued playing for the past 13 years. Ever since performing at Carnegie Hall when she was six, she has received many piano awards from various competitions.

The most memorable came last year when she received first prize from the Music Educators Association of New Jersey. Aside from the piano, Jenny also plays the violin and has successfully auditioned for the NJ All-State and Regional Orchestras. An accomplished athlete, she has played first singles and earned MVP awards for all four years on her school’s varsity tennis team. She has also been a member of the school’s varsity swimming team for that period as well.

Speaking of her award, Jenny said: “The Pearl and Julius Young Rising Stars Music Competition will certainly be a memorable competition in my musical development, not only because of all the competitors, but also its bringing together of like-minded young artists. It showed me real life dynamics as a musician—showcasing our individual pieces, while also communicating and learning from other musicians. All in all, the Honorable Mention prize was only a small token of what I took away from the competition.”