Upper St. Clair Junior Nationally Recognized For Music Skills

UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA -The National YoungArts Foundation has awarded an Upper St. Clair High School junior an honorable mention in the 2020 YoungArts Awards. Christian Chiu, a pianist, was recognized in the classical music category.

Christian joins 686 of the nation’s most accomplished artists in the visual, literary and performing arts. This year’s award winners represent the top 9.5 percent of applications across 10 artistic disciplines including classical music, dance, design arts, film, jazz, photography, theater, visual arts, voice and writing. A complete list of the 2020 winners, all 15–18 years old or in grades 10–12, is available online at youngarts.org/winners.

YoungArts awards are given in finalist, honorable mention and merit categories. Finalists are eligible for cash prizes of up to $10,000 and have the opportunity to participate in National YoungArts Week (Jan. 5-12, 2020) in Miami. The organization’s signature program provides artists with an intensive, week-long and all-inclusive program featuring master classes, workshops and mentorship from leading artists in their fields.

Christian will join the 20,000-strong YoungArts alumni community and will receive ongoing support from the organization as he continues to pursue a life in the arts. YoungArts award winners are eligible for exclusive opportunities such as fellowships, symposia and residencies in Miami, Los Angeles, New York and abroad as well as presentation opportunities at major arts institutions.

In addition to being an accomplished pianist, Christian excels in academics. He was recently named an AP Scholar for earning scores of 3 or higher on three or more Advanced Placement exams. Last spring, he was recognized as a first-place winner in the 2019 Secondary School Chemistry Contest, sponsored by the Pittsburgh Section of the American Chemical Society. As a freshman, Christian’s team earned second place in the regional CalcuSolve competition.