Whitney Ann Pizza Salt Lake City, Utah Age: 23 Categoy: Open - 1st Place Instrument: Piano Composition: Piano Concerto, 3rd Movement, by Samuel Barber

Whitney Ann Pizza, 23, was recently accepted with a generous scholarship to the Manhattan School of Music to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance this fall.  Whitney also was accepted with a full-tuition scholarship to participate in the Shandelee Music Festival this summer.  She currently studies with Dr. Vera Oussetskaia Watanabe.  Her previous teachers include Dr. Bonnie Gritton.

Whitney’s diverse international performance career includes orchestral appearances with the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra conducted by Gerard Schwarz, Utah Philharmonic Orchestra, and two performances with the Utah Summer Arts Orchestra.  She has appeared as soloist on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Steinway Hall in New York City, Libby Gardner Hall in Salt Lake City, the Assembly Hall on Temple Square, Benaroya Hall in Seattle, and the Liszt Academy in Budapest.

A recipient of numerous awards, Whitney has been a two-time winner of the Utah Symphony Guild Competition, finalist in the Seattle International Piano Competition, finalist in the Federation Young Artist Biennial Audition in Florida, first prize winner of the state and western region competitions at the National Federation Student Auditions, alternate at the 2009 Utah Music Teachers National Association Competition, winner of the Concerto Competition at the Eastern Music Festival, winner of the University of Utah Concerto Competition, first prize at the 2010 Con Brio Competition, and first prize at the Utah State Fair Music Competition.

She recently received Honorable Mention at the Coeur d’Alene Concerto Competition in Spokane, Washington in January 2010.  Last month, she was named one of four piano finalists in the 2010 International Web Concert Hall Competition.

Whitney is an active teacher with a full studio of private students.