REVERB NAMES BEN STAHL CEO R everb has named Ben Stahl as the company’s new CEO, ef- fective immediately.
“Over the past 12 years, I’ve admired the vibrant platform Re- verb has built for musicians across the globe, and I’m honored to be part of the community,” Stahl said. “Whether we’re launching new
Ben Stahl
product features to empower buyers and sellers or unlocking new modes of sonic expression for players through Reverb content, our mission remains the same: to make the world more musical.” Stahl’s appointment follows his leadership roles at com- munity-driven creator platforms SoundCloud and Vimeo, where he focused on user feedback to inform product im- provements and drive business growth. At Reverb, Stahl plans to put the platform’s community of buyers, sellers, creators and brands at the forefront of every decision, leaning into the marketplace’s newfound independence to create exceptional products. In the last six months, Reverb’s efforts to better connect music makers with gear through features, such as Wallet and sell in-store, have helped sellers discover increased demand from musi- cians eager to try out different instruments. {reverb.com} JORDAN KITT’S MUSIC ADDS TO SALES TEAM J ordan Kitt’s Music’s has appointed Cath-
Winners of the 2025 Pearl River Kayserburg International Youth Piano Competition.
Pearl River Hosts Annual Global Piano Competition P earl River recently hosted its 42nd annual Kayserburg In- ternational Youth Piano Competition, which continues to foster young musical talent worldwide with a new format, a distinguished advisory council and hundreds of regional stages culminating in the International Grand Final in Xiamen, China. The competition’s footprint is extensive, with more than 200 domestic and international sub-competition zones with more than one million contestants participating on a Kayserburg stage throughout its history. Preliminaries for 2025 began in March, spanning multiple countries and regions to select finalists for the autumn finale in China. Categories span four main groupings (student, duet/en- semble, college and open), subdivided into 10 divisions. After regional events, selected winners proceed to a Preliminary Grand Final, with results slated by late August. The Interna- tional Grand Final takes place in Xiamen, China, from mid- September through October. Winners of the 2025 International Grand Final were an- nounced. In the Young Children Division, Qi Tianyang took first place, while Xiao Yuchen claimed first in Children Division I and Li Yongjun won Children Division II. Teenagers Division I was won by Li Yunze, and Tan Xincao won first place in Teenagers Division II. In the Piano Duet Category, Liu Xuanxi and Liu Zhanhao earned first place. Yao Zihan won the College Category, and Zheng Wenbo was recognized as the top performer in the Professional Teenagers Division. Chen Zhilin took first place in the Young Pianists Division. The top award combines RMB 10,000 (approximately $1,400 USD) and SGD 30,000 (roughly $23,300 USD), a trophy and certificate, an awards-ceremony performance, and a Winner’s Concert at Victoria Concert Hall in Singapore, plus a profes- sional support program offering airfare to compete in major WFIMC-member benchmark competitions within two years. Second and third prizes include parallel recognition and pro- fessional support. Teachers of winners receive Outstanding/ Excellent Awards certificates, underscoring education’s central role in the pipeline. {pearlriverusa.com}
erine Fields to its Fairfax, Virginia, showroom sales team and Jimmy Ren for its Rockville, Maryland, showroom sales team.
Jordan Kitt’s Catherine Fields (left) and Jimmy Ren.
Reporting to store manager Brad Prentice, Fields is a composer and pianist with a diverse body of works for wind band, symphony orchestra, voice, piano and chamber en- semble. She has received commissions from the Acropolis Reed Quintet, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Concert Band and the Waynesboro Symphony and com- posed select works for the American Festival Pops Orchestra, Mason Wind Company, Mason Percussion Ensemble and Hub New Music. Reporting to store manager Tom Grace, Ren is a second bassoon with the Alexandria Symphony and Allentown Symphony, and will serve as acting principle bassoon with the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra for the 2025–2026 season. {jordankitts.com}
20 I MUSIC INC. I DECEMBER 2025
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