Reeya Desai

Reeya Desai is 16 years old and a rising twelfth grader from San Diego, California. Reeya has been learning piano since the age of 11 with Ms. Julia.

In 2024, Reeya earned third place at the Prima Volta International Music Competition. She has also received Honorable Mention in the American Protégé International Romantic Music Competition, and performed at Carnegie Hall in December 2024. In 2025, she became a Gold Medalist at the American Association for the Development of the Gifted and Talented International Young Gifted Musicians Festival “Passion of Music 2025,” won first prize in the Tokyo “Golden Classical Music Awards” International Competition, and performed at the Tokyo Opera House in August, 2025. She was also invited with scholarship to participate in the Burgos International Music Festival in Spain. That same year, she was awarded 3rd Prize at the Special Venue Music Awards International Competition and performed at Harvard University in September 2025. Reeya also won a Diploma Award in the Northern Lights Piano Festival Competition, Chopin class.

In addition, Reeya was awarded the Silver Medal at the International Young Musicians Festival Competition “Passion of Music 2026”. Reeya was awarded the Silver Medal at the International Young Musicians Competition “Album Young Gifted Performers 2026” hosted by the American Association for the Development of the Gifted and Talented in New York City and was invited to participate in professional recordings in New Jersey as a Silver Medalist recipient. In 2026, Reeya was also named a First Prize Winner in the Advanced Category of the Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition and was selected to perform at the Sölitar Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria. Reeya has received 5 gold medals in the TMTA theory tests during her time with Ms. Julia. Reeya received a Superior Award at the Jazz–Pop–Rock Festival in 2019. In 2022, she received a Superior Award at the Romantic and Contemporary Festival, followed by the Superior Plus Award at the same festival in 2023.