The Examiner spotlights good people and good work on its daily Kudos page. Here’s a look at Bay Area residents who are serving their community, reaching milestones, making discoveries and celebrating accomplishments.

THE AFIARA STRING QUARTET

The members of the Bay Area Afiara String Quartet, former students and now faculty members at San Francisco State University, have furthered their status as a fine young string quartet by winning second prize at an international music competition.

Valerie Li and Yuri Cho on violin, David Samuel on viola and Adrian Fung on cello earned the honor earlier this month at the ARD Music Competition in Munich.

In the first round, they played Alban Berg’s “Lyric Suite.” In the finale, they performed Bela Bartók’s Third Quartet and Beethoven’s Quartet Op. 59,  No. 2. They also roused the audience with a supple rendition of Beethoven’s Quartet, Op. 18, No. 2.

The Afiara, now back in The City and scheduled to record Mendelssohn and Schubert quartets, was bested by Polish colleagues, the Apollon Musagétes.

HILDA HUANG

“The Davidson Fellowship is, of course, a great honor. It has given me increased confidence and drive to perform all the keyboard music of Bach over the next 10 years.”

Occupation  Student

Home  Palo Alto

Achievement  The 12-year-old pianist, who is devoted to making classical music relevant to younger generations, is being honored with a $25,000 scholarship from the Davidson Institute for Talent Development, a nonprofit that supports profoundly gifted youth.

KAY KLEINERMAN

“Music is a central means by which children develop the kind of critical and creative thinking abilities that stimulate their love for learning and sense of achievement.”

Occupation  Music in Schools director

Home  San Mateo

Achievement   The administrator at the Community School of Music and Arts at Finn Center recently was appointed Music in the Schools director.

Bay Area NewsentertainmentLocalSan Francisco State University