For Everett, the piano has become more than a stage for showcasing musical talent. The California teenager has used concerts, competitions, and his growing network in the classical music world to raise money and awareness for children facing difficult circumstances. Now 16, Leigh is the founder of EverEverest, a nonprofit focused on supporting foster and underserved youth through educational programmes, mentorship and supplies. His recent recognition as one of the 2026 Barron Prize for Young Heroes winners has brought renewed attention to his work. The Barron Prize describes Leigh as a young concert pianist who has organised more than 50 benefit concerts, raising $70,000 for foster youth. It also credits him with helping raise an additional $2 million for Foster Love, a major US nonprofit serving children in foster care.
A popular pianist
His work has developed alongside an unusually busy musical career. Leigh began studying piano under Professor Ethan Dong at the age of nine. By his mid-teens, he had accumulated more than 50 international competition victories, according to his Steinway profile and several competition organisations. His honours include the Pianist of the Year title at the AD LIBITUM Warsaw International Piano Competition, first-place finishes at the SoCal Philharmonic Young Artists Concerto Competition and victories at international competitions in Hong Kong, Vienna and elsewhere.He has also performed as a soloist with orchestras including the Pacific Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony and SoCal Philharmonic. His performances have taken him to venues including Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Concert Hall.He has won three consecutive Presidential Gold Volunteer Service Awards alongside special recognitions from the U.S. Congress. Everett is the sole Junior Piano Soloist appointed by the United Nations, representing UNITAR, with his performance at the “Piano Recital Recording Concert for Refugees” at the UN Plaza featured in a documentary produced by the UN.But his work away from the concert stage has become an equally important part of his story.
A changemaker
Through EverEverest, Leigh has helped organise performances and other events aimed at directing resources towards children who need support. The organisation describes itself as a social enterprise that uses the talents of its members and volunteers, from musicians organising benefit concerts to athletes hosting fundraising events. As for Everett, he believes that “opportunity should be a right, not a privilege.“One of the biggest parts of that effort has involved Foster Love. Leigh has performed at the organisation’s fundraising gala, including alongside America’s Got Talent winner Richard Goodall. EverEverest says the gala raised more than $1 million for foster children, while the 2026 Barron Prize announcement credits Leigh’s involvement with helping generate $2 million for Foster Love.
Best of both worlds
His musical journey has continued to expand in 2026. Sempre Musick named Leigh a Grand Prix winner in its 2026 Concerto Competition. The award gives him an opportunity to perform with the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra during the 2026-27 season. The competition’s profile again notes his more than 50 international competition victories and his work with EverEverest.He was also selected as one of the finalists in the 2026 Vancouver Piano Sessions Concerto Competition. In August, he performed the third movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 with the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra at the competition’s gala concert.Leigh’s activities extend beyond conventional classical performance. He has explored the intersection of music, artificial intelligence, engineering and neuroscience through BioMus, a project that investigates ways brain signals and facial movements can be translated into musical expression. His Steinway profile also identifies him as a Young Steinway Artist and notes his appointment as a Junior Piano Soloist representing UNITAR, the UN Institute for Training and Research.For Leigh, however, the growing list of awards and performances appears to be only one part of what he wants music to accomplish. His benefit concerts have given him a way to connect his musical ambitions with a cause beyond the concert hall, turning performances into fundraising opportunities for children in foster care.At 16, he is therefore building two careers in parallel: one as a highly competitive young classical pianist, and another as a youth philanthropist using the reach of music to support children who need it.
