Upper East Side Teen Pianist Wins Her Division in Philadelphia International Music Festival Competition

The prestigious Philadelphia International Music Festival (PIMF) awarded over $20,000 USD in scholarships and performance opportunities this past year to young musicians who took top spots in PIMF’s Concerto Competitions, online and at its summer festivals.

Mayu Dahlia Kanai,17, of New York, NY claimed Overall Honorable Mention as well as First Place in the 16-18 Division in PIMF’s June Concerto Competition. She was awarded a $750 scholarship to PIMF’s intensive classical music training program featuring members of The Philadelphia Orchestra, and was offered a rare invitation to perform in concert alongside members of The Philadelphia Orchestra at PIMF’s July 2026 session.

Mayu’s performance of the Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 4 Op. 40, I. Allegro vivace (Alla breve) impressed the judges: Derek Barnes, Cello, The Philadelphia Orchestra; Elizabeth Masoudnia, English Horn, The Philadelphia Orchestra; and Kimberly Fisher, Principal Second Violin, The Philadelphia Orchestra.

“Rach Piano Concerto No. 4 is blatantly peculiar, but simultaneously incredibly poignant,” the rising senior at Special Music School High School said. “It is often overshadowed by the other concertos due to its lack of the famous ‘Rachmaninoff-esque’ style, most likely due to significant cultural developments and shifts, like the Jazz Age and Harlem Renaissance, that emerged while he was living in NYC during the 1920s. Chaos is present in the agitated sections of the movement. It is still unmistakably Rachmaninoff though, with his incredibly long melodies and developments. This concerto is unique in that there is time to breathe. There's time to really listen to the silence in between the notes, rather than being bombarded with fortissimo 100% of the time.”

In July, Mayu returned to PIMF to perform Rachmaninoff's 2nd Piano Suite in its entirety with Dr. Mark Livshits.

“This piece was one of the most difficult chamber pieces I've played,” Mayu recalled. “Dr. Livshits played a big role in allowing me to relax and be truly immersed in the music. We focused mostly on the collaboration aspect, in which he advised me to ‘listen,’ not just hearing my collaborator's music, but responding to his phrases and his sound. One of the biggest takeaways from this experience was being more aware of my sound.”

A gifted musician, Mayu has played both piano and violin since age 4, but in recent years has focused on the keyboard exclusively.

“Music plays an incredibly large role in my life; I revolve around music,” Mayu explained. “I think about music all the time: my repertoire or the piece I want to play in the future or how I can practice more effectively or the advice my teacher gave me in a lesson a few weeks ago. The skills that I've developed through music also impact my non-musical self. The way that I interact with others in conversation, for example, has become more intentional as a result of playing chamber music because I learned how to listen.”

ABOUT The Philadelphia International Music Festival:

The Philadelphia International Music Festival (PIMF) is a resident summer music program directed by Kimberly Fisher, Principal Second Violin of The Philadelphia Orchestra, offering student musicians from around the world the unique opportunity of spending up to four weeks immersed in music education and performance training with members of the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra.

PIMF also offers week-long solo performance intensive programs: Music in the Mansion, during the post-Christmas holiday break in Miami, Florida; and PIMF Vanoli-Cremona in Italy in August.

Chat online for additional information at: pimf.org or phone: 856.875.6816.

The Philadelphia International Music Festival is a program of Sandy Marcucci International Camps, Inc.

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