For SMTD Piano Alum, Immersion in the Gershwin Initiative Leads to Prestigious Prizes

The activities of the Gershwin Initiative, an ongoing partnership between the University of Michigan and the Gershwin estate, are multifaceted, involving many aspects of SMTD. Comprehensive in scope, the initiative fundamentally blends the abstract with the practical, cutting-edge scholarship with world-class performances. From the George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition, which promises to revolutionize the performance of Gershwin’s music long into the future, to hosting panel discussions, symposia, conferences, numerous performances, and classroom projects, the school here in Ann Arbor is continually humming with all things Gershwin. In the larger sometimes-troubled world at large, the Gershwin Initiative – led by Mark Clague, editor-in-chief, and Andrew Kohler, Alfred and Jane Wolin Managing Editor – is an oasis of positive, life-affirming activity. It is doing something very good indeed. The resulting contributions are substantial, meaningful, and uplifting, representing the best of who we are as a school.

One of the most worthwhile aspects of this endeavor is the deep involvement of students in the entire process. The recent story of Tzu-Yin Huang (MM ’14, DMA ’17), one of the most outstanding piano graduates, is a microcosm of this, a particularly shining case in point.

Over the past decade or so, Tzu-Yin Huang has worked closely with me on the music of Gershwin. During this time, she has helped me make new piano arrangements of much of Gershwin’s music, including many of his songs as well as An American in Paris, the Concerto in F, and pieces from Porgy and Bess. Most recently, she performed the new version of the concerto as it appears in the critical edition, edited by Timothy Freeze (PhD ’10); that performance took place in Hill Auditorium with the University Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Jayce Ogren, associate director of orchestras. A video of the live performance was subsequently submitted to the George Gershwin International Piano Competition, where Tzu-Yin received 1st prize in the concerto category. Part of her prize includes an upcoming performance of the concerto with an orchestra in Tallinn, Estonia.

Tzu-Yin also competed in person as a solo artist during the competition’s semi-final and final rounds in New York City on May 14–17, 2026. Once again, she was awarded 1st prize, this time in the artists category, as well as special prizes for Outstanding Performance of a Work from the Classical Era, Outstanding Performance of a Work from the Contemporary Era, and Best Interpretation of Music by George Gershwin. To say it is hard for any single pianist to achieve such a sweeping result in any competition is an understatement – it’s the equivalent of hitting a grand slam home run in baseball.

For her Gershwin solo performances in the competition, she performed four of my new solo piano arrangements of Gershwin’s songs. She has assisted me in every aspect of making these song arrangements. In the process, she is becoming one of the leading young pianist/advocates for Gershwin’s music, actively presenting the music of Gershwin and representing the work of the Gershwin Initiative to the world in the best possible light. Huang and I frequently perform together on two pianos and piano four hands, including a number of performances on Gershwin’s own personal Steinway piano from his New York apartment. This remarkable and historic instrument, donated to U-M by the Gershwin family and meticulously restored by Robert Grijalva, retired executive director of keyboard maintenance and assistant professor of piano technology, is now housed at U-M.

Congratulations to Tzu-Yin Huang for her accomplishments, for her ongoing contributions to SMTD, and for bringing the music of Gershwin to audiences worldwide.