Saint Philip’s provides performance opportunities for young musical stars in the Tucson area. The events feature an hour of special chamber music in the church followed by a reception with the artists.

Music lovers will appreciate the stellar performances but the concerts are also special opportunities for young people to watch a peer perform as a featured artist. All are encouraged to bring a young person who might be inspired.

The concerts are free; any donations help support this ministry.

The second of thse concerts will be at 3:00pm on Saturday, February 22. All are invited to hear Ayla Moreno and Bryan Zhang.

Pianist Ayla Moreno is 13 years old. She is home-schooled and attends Quest for Education and Arts. Ayla started playing both piano and violin at age three, and her first piano performance with an orchestra was when she was six.

She has excelled at competitions, including the Chopin International Piano Competition, Cleveland Institute of Music Young Artist Piano Seminar concerto competition, Franz Liszt International piano competition, and Tkaczewski International Piano Competition (Poland). She has participated in several national and international music festivals, including the Chopin Festival in Poland, Piano Concerto Festival in Portugal/Italy, Colburn Piano Festival, Cleveland Institute of Music Young Artist Piano Seminar, Interlochen Arts summer program, and Philadelphia International Music Festival.

Ayla is a piano student of Dr. Kyungsun Choi. She is also a violinist with the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra and a dancer in the Nutcracker and other local productions. Recent performances can be accessed on YouTube by entering Ayla Moreno, piano.

Bryan Zhang is 18 years old and a senior at Catalina Foothills High School. Since age six, he has been studying piano with Dr. Kyungsun Choi.

As a pianist, Bryan has received first place in many competitions including the 2022 Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra Scholarship Competition, ASMTA State Honors Recitals, and TMTA Merit Scholarship Auditions. He performed Piano Concerto No. 2 by Shostakovich with Arizona Symphonic Winds and played Piano Concerto No. 2 by MacDowell with the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra. He has also performed solo works in many venues and performed with the Saint Philip’s Rising Stars concerts twice previously in 2021 and 2024.

In addition, Bryan has played violin since he was five and holds the positions of principal clarinet and principal keyboard in the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra. He has played clarinet in regional bands and the all-state band. He is also part of the Catalina Foothills Falcon Marching Band, where, this year, he is a drum major of the Falcon Band. Beyond performing, Bryan enjoys writing and arranging music and is currently writing for a student-created musical.