Maria Stratigou (Greece)
South Korean pianist Seonghun Jeong is a classical performer recognized for his expressive artistry and international competition success. Born in South Korea, he began piano studies at age 14 and went on to win numerous Korean competitions, including first prizes in the Korea International Ensemble Competition, Music Chunchoo Competition, Korea Nanpa Competition, Korean Liszt Association Competition, and Music Journal National Competition. Now based in the United States, Jeong has continued his advanced training and performance career, including studies at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts. His playing reflects a thoughtful approach to classical repertoire and audience communication.
Greek pianist Dr. Maria Stratigou is a concert artist, researcher, and educator based in the United Kingdom. Born in Athens, she studied at the Conservatory of Athens, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the Royal Northern College of Music, where she completed a PhD in performance. A noted advocate for the music of Louise Farrenc, Stratigou became the first pianist to record and release Farrenc’s complete Études, issued by Grand Piano Records and distributed by Naxos. She has taught at the University of Sheffield and the University of Huddersfield, and her work bridges performance, scholarship, and rediscovery of neglected repertoire.
Seonghum Jeong (South Korea)
Italian pianist Elia Cecino has quickly established himself as one of Italy’s most promising young artists. Born in 2001, he began piano studies at age nine and graduated summa cum laude from the Cesena Conservatory at 17. He won the 36th Premio Venezia, a national competition for outstanding Italian conservatory graduates, and in 2023 became the first Italian to win First Prize at the Iturbi International Piano Competition in Valencia, also receiving special prizes for Beethoven and Chopin interpretation. Cecino has studied with Andrzej Jasinski and Boris Berman, and performs internationally as a soloist and chamber musician.
Saturday, November 14, 2026
3:00 p.m.
SECU Auditorium - NC Museum of Art
2110 Blue Ridge Rd. Raleigh, NC 27607
$30 ADULTS
$20 SENIORS
$20 STUDENTS
Sunday November 8, 2026
3:00 p.m.
Historic Smedes - Emory Parlor, Saint Mary's School
900 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27603
Elia Cecino (Italy)
Saturday, November 7, 2026
3:00 p.m.
Historic Smedes - Emory Parlor, Saint Mary's School
900 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27603
French pianist Julie Haismann is a versatile young artist recognized for her energy, curiosity, and wide-ranging musicianship. Born in 2003, she studied piano at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Lyon with Laurent Cabasso and chamber music at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Paris. She is currently pursuing advanced study with Julia Mustonen-Dahlkvist at the Ingesund Piano Center in Sweden. Haismann won the 2024 Paris Regional Conservatory Concerto Competition, performing Brahms’s Second Piano Concerto with the Paris CRR Symphonic Orchestra. Her work spans solo and chamber music, modern and period instruments, composer collaborations, arrangements, multidisciplinary projects, and artistic direction of the Festival de l’Arcouest.
Sunday, November 15, 2026
3:00 p.m.
SECU Auditorium - NC Museum of Art
2110 Blue Ridge Rd. Raleigh, NC 27607
Julie Haismann (France)
ABOUT THE SPONSORS - Brenda Bruce and Dr. Alvin “Mark” Fountain II are co-founders and longtime leaders of the Paderewski Piano Festival of Raleigh, established in 2014 to honor the legacy of pianist, composer, and Polish statesman Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Bruce, who performs professionally under her maiden name, is an accomplished pianist, harpsichordist, teacher, and former chief pianist and harpsichordist for the North Carolina Symphony. Fountain, the Festival’s president, is a former State of North Carolina administrator and longtime history instructor at North Carolina State University. Together, they have helped build the Festival into a distinctive cultural bridge between Raleigh, Poland, and the international piano community.