“I feel playing piano is a way to express myself, beyond any words. I love piano. Piano is a hard instrument to learn, but the process is worth it. I want to bring the audience the emotional stories of their own past and present and to be comforted by the sounds.” Katherine Asia Hibbs (Kate), born on 19 April 2013 in Geneva, Switzerland, is a young pianist of Swiss, French, and American heritage. At only 10 years old, Kate has already shown exceptional talent in classical piano. Since the age of four, Kate has been studying under Dr. Jo Anne Link at Crocus Hills Studios in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. In January 2023, Kate and her family relocated to Singapore, where she continued her piano studies with Professor Albert Tiu, head of the keyboard division at the Singapore National University, YST Conservatory. Kate's accolades include being the first prize winner of the Little Mozart International Piano Competition at Carnegie Hall in 2022 and the Salzburg Grand Prize Virtuoso Austria 2022. She also achieved the platinum medalist title in the Quebec Music Competition 2022 and won second prize in numerous competitions, including American Protégé 2022, International Grand Music Competition 2022, Artciál International Piano Competition San Francisco 2022, Singapore International Music Competition 2022, and Frost Young Artist Piano Competition Miami, where she also received the award for Best Baroque Performance. Recently, Kate has added more impressive achievements to her resume. She won the Platinum winner of the Concerto Category and the Best Concerto Award from the World Piano Teachers Association Singapore. Furthermore, she received the Absolute Award (scoring 98.5/100) in the Singapore International Music Competition and has been invited to perform at the state-of-the-art Esplanade Concert Hall on 26 December 2023. Additionally, she is travelling to Tianjin Juilliard on 12 December for the 11th Steinway Grand Final China. For the upcoming year, Kate is already scheduled to participate in the Perugia Music Festival in Italy from 23 July to 1 August. She is also planning to enter the Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany from 4-11 August. Tentatively, she is considering participation in the PianoTexas Festival and Kaufman International Youth Piano Competition 2024 in New York City, depending on the timeline and her repertoire preparations. Kate's passion for music extends beyond the piano; she enjoys playing chess, speaking multiple languages, drawing, arts and crafts, and playing with her friends. Her recent achievement of winning 3rd prize in the Young Musician I category of the 2023 Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition further cements her status as a rising star in the classical piano world.