Congratulations to the 2026 Billy Strayhorn Jazz Education Scholarship recipient from the Berklee College of Music, Aiden Chang
A big shout out and congratulations to the 2026 Strayhorn Scholarship recipient from the Berklee College of Music, pianist Aiden Chang. A freshman at Berklee, Aiden arrived in the United States from Seoul, Korea to attend Berklee in 2025. Aiden was the winner of the Billy Strayhorn piano competition in playing and arranging Strayhorn songs along with individual compositions of the competition participants.
Aiden, influenced by his father who was a Jazz pianist in Seoul, also finds inspiration from other piano jazz greats like Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Bud Powell, Sullivan Fortner and Aaron Parks, to name a few. He aspires to be a professional jazz pianist himself. On being selected as the 2026 Strayhorn Scholarship award winner, Aiden says “first of all, I am really grateful and honored. Strayhorn was a composer hero of mine. It’s an honor to talk to a family member of his. I really appreciate that.” Aiden is also appreciative of the wide range of musical and diverse styles nurtured at Berklee, both with music and the student population.
Billy Strayhorn Songs Inc. and the Billy Strayhorn Foundation send congrats and best wishes to Aiden on all his future musical and academic endeavors. Also, major applause to Associate Professor of Piano at the Berklee College of Music Jason Yeager, who has been instrumental in this award becoming part of the annual Keys Fest event. Keys Fest is an amazing event that Berklee holds annually highlighting everything that can be done musically with a keyboard.
Listen to Aidens wonderful Billy Strayhorn recital concert from Keys Fest 2026 below:
