Senior Elena Weng was recently selected as a winner of a YoungArts Award With Distinction for her work as a jazz pianist, one of just nine student jazz instrumentalists chosen nationwide. The YoungArts Award With Distinction is presented to young artists whose work “demonstrates exceptional technique; a strong, sophisticated, nuanced, and clear artistic point of view; and a depth of thinking/performance that far exceeds the level of peers at this career stage,” according to the YoungArts website. As a winner, Weng will travel to Miami in January to attend National YoungArts Week, where finalists and winners meet to attend workshops and further study their craft. This award also qualifies Weng for a nomination as a U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.

The YoungArts Awards were founded in 1981 to foster the talents and passions of artists aged 15-18 in a variety of disciplines. It has since become one of the most prestigious competitions in the country for teen artists. Weng, who is a member of the Harker Jazz Band, performed in October at the world-famous Monterey Jazz Festival and received the Outstanding Pianist award at the Essentially Ellington Festival in February.