For more than 30 years, an East Bay woman has been igniting a passion for music in young people from around the world — all through a competition she helped create.
Lamae Loo, this week’s CBS News Bay Area ICON Award recipient, has spent decades nurturing talent and encouraging expression through piano. For her, the instrument is more than just keys and notes — it’s an outlet for the soul.
“Especially when you are alone or sad, you just sit at the piano, pour out your heart, and it takes care of everything,” Loo shared.
Throughout her 70-year teaching journey, she discovered that motivating students, particularly in classical music, wasn’t always easy.
“Students doing classical often lose interest. They’ll say, ‘I’m tired of this piece,’ or ‘I can’t do it,'” she explained. “But when a competition is involved, everything changes.”
However, when she first tried to register her students in competitions, she encountered frustrating limitations.
“There were so many restrictions,” Loo said. “Often, a teacher could only submit three students, so most kids missed out on the opportunity.”
Determined to make a difference, Loo co-founded the U.S. Open Music Competition in 1992, aiming to provide more access for young musicians.
“Even without advertising, we had 400 students our first year,” she recalled with pride.
Now held annually over President’s Day weekend, the competition draws over 2,700 participants from across the Bay Area and around the globe. Hosted in a large church nestled in the Oakland hills, the event has become a major milestone for many budding musicians.
Top performers earn medals, scholarships ranging from $50 to $300, and the opportunity to showcase their talent in a special concert. Beyond awards, Loo emphasizes that the competition helps students refine their technical abilities and broaden their understanding of classical music.
Former student Jonathan Tsao says the experience taught him how to manage pressure and inspired his journey into music composition.
“She certainly shaped me as a musician and composer,” Tsao shared. “She’s passed on her love and passion for music to generations of students.” Tsao now even composes for the competition’s sight reading category.
Many past participants have pursued professional music careers and returned to support the event as judges. One of them is Fantee Jones, now a faculty member at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She not only evaluates competitors but also imparts valuable life wisdom.
“If you win, great. Your life moves on. If you lose, your life also moves on. That’s an important lesson, in music and beyond,” Jones said.
Since 2014, Loo has served as President of the U.S. Open Music Competition. As she prepares to pass the baton, she’s mentoring Jones to take over her organizational responsibilities.
Reflecting on the competition’s legacy brings a deep sense of fulfillment to Loo.
“I see how they grow into mature musicians and human beings,” she said, beaming with pride.
For her tireless efforts in guiding thousands of students to find their voice and purpose through music, CBS News Bay Area proudly honors Lamae Loo with this week’s ICON Award.
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