After a stunning display of musical talent from 25 Upper School students in the 2025 Dora Khayatt Music Competition, three freshmen and a junior were named winners and given the opportunity to perform for fellow students, faculty, and staff in all three divisions. Watch here.
This year's competition, which took place on Monday, March 3, in the Class of 1944 Chapel, was "fierce," said Music Department Chair Jim Erwin. "Our three judges—all professional musicians around Philly—were wowed by the talent, skill, and variety of our Upper School musicians, which included singer/songwriters, a jazz quintet, a classical singer, violinists, and many vocalists and guitarists. Their final selection of the four winners was difficult due to the superb preparation, musicality, and performances by all participants."
The 2025 winners included:
- Keith Dong '28, who tickled the ivories with an incredible performance of a piece by Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian.
- Lucy Ren '28, who showcased her talents on the violin, flawlessly playing "Légende" by Polish violinist and composer Henryk Wieniawski.
- Ksenya Wong '28, who beautifully sang Adele's "Someone Like You" and "Never Enough" from the 2017 film The Greatest Showman.
- Alice Wu '26—also a 2024 Dora Khayatt winner—who wowed the judges for a second year in a row with another impressive performance on the piano. This year, she gracefully played Frédéric Chopin's "Ballade No. 3."
From left: Alice Wu, Ksenya Wong, Lucy Ren, Keith Dong
"I feel honored to have been selected out of the many, many talented musicians," Keith said. "I honestly feel like it was the luck of the draw that I won, but either way, I felt very grateful to have the opportunity to share my music with the school. I chose the Toccata because I knew it very well, and I just enjoy playing it. I spent a week getting it back into shape, but when I initially learned the piece, it took me around two months."
Lucy, who said it was actually more nerve-wracking to be playing in front of the EA community than the judges because "there were just so many people," heeded the advice of her violin teacher to help overcome the nerves: "If you're nervous, don't try to play softer, actually play louder and fuller—trust me, it'll sound way better."
Having played violin since she was seven years old, Lucy selected her piece because she "really loved the dynamics and the way the composer moved from minor to major, soft to loud." She had already played the piece in concerts a few months prior to Dora Khayatt, and said she felt confident after a few rehearsals with her accompanist, Middle School Music Teacher Lindsay Woessner. "I practice [violin] around one hour per day if I'm not too busy," she said.
For Ksenya, who has loved singing and musical theater since she was little, Dora Khayatt was an exciting experience. "As a new student at EA, this was my first year competing in the Dora Khayatt Music Competition," she explained. "I want to stay as engaged as possible in my school community, and this was a perfect way for me to share my love of singing with my peers."
Mr. Erwin said that Dora Khayatt was an "amazing experience" again this year, noting that the "EA Music Department remains so proud of the dedicated time that our students put into showcasing their musical passions."
"If you are considering auditioning for Dora Khayatt next year, please do!" Keith encouraged. "It's a wonderful opportunity to perform, and even if you don't win, there is nothing to lose."
The annual competition and performance opportunity is open to every interested Upper School student musician, each of whom is assigned an eight-minute time slot to present their work in front of three judges from the Philadelphia area. This year's esteemed judges included Jarred Antonacci (trombonist), Monica Schaffer (pianist), and Melissa Brun (cellist).
The Dora Khayatt Awards were established in 1990 in memory of Dora Khayatt, an artist and the wife of former EA's Classics Department Chair John Plant. The Dora Khyatt fund provides annual support for student awards for excellence in the fine arts and music.