Derek Sun
Junior Division
Nocturne in E minor, op. 72, no. 1
Waltz in E minor, op. posthumous
Derek Sun, born in 2014, embarked on his musical journey at the age of five when he first laid his hands on the piano keys . Since 2022, Derek is under the mentorship of the renowned Canadian famous pianist & educator, Mina Mu. Additionally, in 2022, he expanded his musical realm into the Chinese string instrument erhu, learning from the world famous Erhu master George(Shaoqing), Gao.
At just 10 years old, Derek has already emerged as a prodigious talent in the world of classical music.With an innate ability to navigate the intricate compositions of classical maestros like Mozart, Chopin, J.S. Bach and Beethoven, he infuses each note with a profound depth of emotion.
In 2024, Derek won the 6th place in The 31st International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition for Children in Poland.
In 2023, Derek's talent shone brightly as he participated in the Canadian Music Competition (CMC). Despite fierce competition from the pianists across the country, Derek's virtuosity and musicality propelled him to 1st place in the CMC Final Age 8. And he has also claimed first prizes at numerous competitions, including North York MUSIC FESTIVAL, Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival, CCC Music Festival, Canada International Youth Pianist Festival,NORTHERN LIGHTS PIANO FESTIVAL, Canada Steinway Competition, and OYMI.