Duo-pianists Fei Chen and Benjamin Tran (BM ’25, Piano), piano ensemble students of Thomas Hecht, won 2nd prize in the 2026 Stecher & Horowitz National Two Piano Competition. Held under the auspices of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) in Chicago, the honors come with a $3,000 cash award.
Their fully memorized program included Stravinsky’s Concerto for Two Pianos (1935), Ravel’s Introduction and Allegro (1909) and Rachmaninov’s Suite No. 2 for Two Pianos, Op. 17. In the short span of three semesters, the duo made remarkable progress under the mentorship of Dr. Hecht, who was appointed to Peabody’s chamber music faculty in 2023.