From a Greece-based guitar prize to a New Jersey state stage, John David Sia has collected three podium finishes before finishing sixth grade — with guitar coach Amansinaya Añonuevo behind every performance.
John David Sia, an 11-year-old Filipino guitarist, placed Second at Jersey Talent on May 16, 2026 — a statewide performing arts competition held at the State Theatre New Jersey — capping a run of three consecutive podium finishes across international and U.S. competitions since March.
The results span two countries and three competitions, with John David competing in fields that included performers up to 24 years old.
Jersey Talent: second place, open age division
Jersey Talent, organized by the State Theatre New Jersey, is a statewide talent competition open to participants ages 8 to 25. This year’s cycle began in January with 122 video submissions. Thirty acts were selected for live auditions at the State Theatre; from those, 10 finalists advanced to the May 16 live show before an audience of at least 800 people. A panel of four judges from the New Brunswick community selected the top three winners.
Brucchieri and John Boudouvas.
John David performed “Soothsayer” by Buckethead on electric guitar. He placed Second in a field that included singers, dancers, and instrumentalists — most of them significantly older. At 11, he was the second-youngest finalist in the competition. The oldest was 24.
See his performance video (backstage view) below:
His father, Ferdinand Sia, and mother, Gem Guiang, were present throughout the Jersey Talent audition process — a visible part of the support system behind John David’s 2026 run.
Colibri International Guitar Competition: Grand Prix and First Prize
In March 2026, John David entered the 2nd Winter Guitar Prize organized by Colibri Arts and Music, an international guitar competition based in Greece. Competing in Category B.1 for ages 10–11, he performed “Perpetual Burn” by Jason Becker and won First Prize in his category.
Prize at the Colibri Arts and Music International Guitar Competition based in Greece.
He also received the Grand Prix — the competition’s highest overall award, given to the single most outstanding performer or ensemble across all age groups and categories. Results were announced in March 2026.
See his performance video below:
Charleston International Music Competition: Second Prize
Also in March, John David entered the 2026 Winter Music Competition organized by the Charleston International Music Competition, based in the United States. He performed “Soothsayer” by Buckethead and was named Second Prize Winner in the Ages 10–11 category.
International Music Competition, where he won Second Prize in the 2026 Winter Music
Competition.
See his performance video below:
John David trains under guitar coach Amansinaya Añonuevo. The three competitions — Colibri, Charleston, and Jersey Talent — were completed within roughly ten weeks, with John David performing two distinct programs: Jason Becker’s “Perpetual Burn” for Colibri and Buckethead’s “Soothsayer” for both Charleston and Jersey Talent.
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