Full annual scholarship from the Fondation de Luxembourg awarded to pianist Charmaine Yang

The 21-year-old Canadian pianist Charmaine Yang was born in Ottawa and has been playing the piano for 16 years. In 2024, she gave her bachelor's degree recital and graduated with the highest marks. Since then, Yang has been studying for her master's degree at the Mozarteum University in Salzburg with Professor Andreas Groethuysen. Her previous teachers were Elizabeth Bergmann (Canada), Wei Zhou, and Zhe Tang (Shanghai Conservatory). Charmaine has had the great opportunity to work with renowned musicians from around the world, including Arie Vardi at the 2019 International Concert Work Weeks in Goslar and Yoheved Kaplinsky, Toby Appel, Amy Yang, and others in a program at the Curtis Institute of Music in 2018. Other memorable encounters include André Laplante, Mischa Maisky, Jon Kimura Parker, John O'Conor, Ian Parker, Stéphane Lemelin, and the Gryphon Trio. Charmaine Yang has won numerous competition prizes, including first prize at the 2019 CMC Concours de musique du Canada and, as the youngest eligible participant, second prize in the chamber music category at the 2018 FCMF National Music Festival, as well as first prize at the 2025 August Everding Music Competition in Munich. 

The Armand & Nicky Delvaux Foundation was established by its Austrian-born founder in memory of her husband. It supports medical research and education, humanitarian crises, and environmental disasters, and helps disadvantaged children, young people, and the elderly. Since 2024, the foundation has also been supporting students at the Mozarteum University: the criteria for this are financial need and outstanding achievements by the nominated students, with the decision being made jointly by the university and the Armand & Nicky Delvaux Foundation.