The American Pianists Awards are held every four years to discover the best aspiring young American classical pianists. Winners receive cash and two years of career advancement and support valued at over $100,000, making this one of the most coveted prizes in the music world.

The Premiere Series provides the first live juried performances of the five American Pianists Awards finalists. Over the course of five months, each finalist makes an initial appearance on stage in Indianapolis.

2017 American Pianists Awards finalist Sam Hong, 22, will perform a solo program as well as Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.

Sam has been a Young Steinway Artist since 2010. His previous solo engagements include the Milwaukee, Camerata New York, Fort Worth, Richardson, Waco, Galveston, and Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestras. Sam is a First Prize winner of the New York International, Leschetizky International, Lennox International Young Artist, PianoArts North American, Fort Worth Symphony Young Artist, Snowy Range, and Juanita Miller Competitions. This past summer, he was one of two pianists selected to participate in the Taos School of Music. At the age of 16, Sam graduated Magna Cum Laude from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance, studying with John Owings. He has also studied with Martin Canin and Yoheved Kaplinsky of The Juilliard School. Currently, Sam is a student of Leon Fleisher at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University.