Participants
Year
- 2023
Placement
- Semifinalist
Hong Kong-Canadian violinist Aaron Chan is recognized for his “calm, affectionate and continuous cantabile performance that has far exceeded the level of playing of his contemporaries.”
A two-time Sylva Gelber Award recipient, Aaron received Bachelor of Music with Stephen Rose and Jinjoo Cho at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) and McGill University’s Schulich School of Music. He then continued his Masters degree at Rice University’s Shepherd School of music under the guidance of Paul Kantor. Aaron was the winner of the concerto competitions at CIM and Rice respectively. During the 2022-23 season, Aaron was a resident of the Rebanks Family Fellowship and International Performance Residency Program at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. In 2023, Aaron was awarded the winner of Young Artist Audition and was selected to join the roster of Musicus Soloists Hong Kong (MSHK). In May of 2024, Aaron joined the Hong Kong Sinfonietta as their Assistant Principal Second Violin.
Aaron especially loves playing chamber music, finding total joy in communicating with other musicians through sound alone. He’s spent summers at the McGill International String Quartet Academy, the ENCORE Chamber Music festival in Cleveland and at the Verbier Festival’s Soloist and Chamber Music Academy in Switzerland.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Quarterfinalist
Alex Zhou is a recent graduate of Harvard University with a degree in statistics. He previously studied under Zhao Wei at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Alex has won awards at the 2012 Andrea Postacchini Competition, 2014 Menuhin Competition, and 2018 Klein Competition. He was also a semifinalist at the 2018 Shanghai Isaac Stern Competition. He has performed with orchestras in the U.S. and around the world including the Palo Alto Philharmonic, University of Texas Orchestra, Symphony Parnassus, Peninsula Symphony Orchestra, and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. Alex is also an avid chamber musician and has performed at festivals including Music@Menlo and the Perlman Music Program.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- 3rd Prize Winner
Alice Lee began playing violin at age 5 in Victoria, B.C. and debuted when she was 11 years old with the Victoria Symphony Orchestra under Tania Miller as the soloist in Victoria Symphony Splash 2011. She is the top prizewinner at numerous international competitions, including 2nd prizewinner at the International Fritz Kreisler Competition 2018 and Vienna Classic Strings Competition 2019, in addition to the 1st prizewinner of the Cullerarts International Competition 2023, Shean Strings Competition 2017, and OSM Manulife Competition 2016. Performing as a soloist with orchestras worldwide, she has worked with the Vienna ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester under Johannes Wildner in the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Slovak Radio Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Menuhin Academy Soloists, Sooke Philharmonic Orchestra, Niagara Symphony Orchestra, Spanish CullerArts Orchestra, LGT Soloists, and the Academy Chamber Orchestra in Koerner Hall, Toronto. She has made several radio recordings and broadcasted live performances with CBC 2 In Concert, and was named in CBC’s 30 hot musicians under 30 in 2017.
A frequent artist at renowned festivals around the world, she has performed at the Kronberg Academy Masterclasses, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, Internationale Musikakademie Liechtenstein, Mozarteum Sommerakademie, Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Rencontres Musicales Internationales Switzerland, Banff String Quartet Festival 2017, Banff Masterclass program, Festival Stradivaria, Herbstoene Festival, Morningside Music Bridge, and the Indiana Summer Academy. Additionally, she has played for artists including James Ehnes, Ana Chumachenco, Boris Kuschnir, Mihaela Martin, Jonathan Crow, Midori, and Paul Kantor.
She currently studies with Donald Weilerstein at the New England Conservatory in Boston, and has previously studied with Maxim Vengerov at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, as well as with Pierre Amoyal, Barry Shiffman, and Victor Danchenko. Alice Lee performs on the 1689 Baumgartner Stradivarius violin, generously on loan by the Canada Council for the Arts Musical Instrument Bank.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Quarterfinalist
Korean-American violinist Aram Kim began her violin studies at the age of six. She is an alumni of the Juilliard Pre-College Division where she studied with Ann Setzer and has served as concertmaster of the orchestra. Kim is now a recent graduate of the Juilliard School, from where she holds a Bachelor of Music degree and is currently pursuing her Master of Music degree in the studio of Hyo Kang.
Kim has received first prize in numerous competitions within the Manhattan area. She was a recipient of the Merit Award in the 2019 Blount Slawson Young Artist Competition in Montgomery and was a semi-finalist in the 2019 Thomas & Evon Cooper International Violin Competition. In 2020, Kim was recognized as a National YoungArts Winner and was also featured that same year on NPR’s “From the Top” as a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. Kim has appeared as soloist with orchestras on stages including Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, the DiMenna Center, and the historical Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. She has played in masterclasses for eminent musicians such as James Ehnes, Midori Gotō, as well as members of the Juilliard String Quartet and Emerson String Quartet. As an enthusiastic chamber musician, Kim has also performed alongside Josef Špaček, Jaime Laredo, and Sharon Robinson.
Kim has been invited to international festivals such as the Narnia Festival in Italy, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Meadowmount School of Music.
Year
- 2023
Placement
- 3rd Prize Winner
Violinist Chaewon Kim has completed her Master’s degree at Juilliard School under Ronald Copes. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Seoul National University with honors. Now, she is pursuing Master of Musical Arts degree at Yale University under Professor Tai Murray.
Born in South Korea, she debuted with Gunsan City Symphony Orchestra at age 7. She continued her studies at Yewon School and Seoul Art High School and serve as a concertmaster. As a soloist, she collaborated with Junju City Symphony Orchestra and Sungnam City Symphony Orchestra. Not only does Chaewon perform as a soloist, but she also has lot of interest in ensemble music. She was the founder of Blanc String Quartet which was one of the five semi-finalists of the Prague Spring International Music Competition year of 2021. She was also accepted by Kumho Young Artist Audition and had a String Quartet recital at Kumho Art hall (Seoul) on August 15, 2020. Recently, her quintet at Yale won second prize at 2023 Coltman Chamber Competition.
At Juilliard, she served as a Gluck Fellowship which is community engagement program and presents music to hospitals and nursing homes. Also, she was the fellow of Music Academy of the West in 2022 and Taipei Music Academy & Festival in 2021. She had collaborated with Takács Quartet at the Music Academy of the West performing Mendelssohn String Octet E-flat Major.
Year
- 2023, 2025
Placement
- Semifinalist
Violinist-violist hybrid Christine Wu has been hailed for her “strikingly bold sound” and “technical facility” (Theater Jones), and performs internationally with recent appearances in Singapore, Sendai, New York City, and Berlin. She has been heard as a soloist with several orchestras ranging from one of America’s top orchestras – the Dallas Symphony Orchestra – to the community-based Mesquite Symphony Orchestra. Recently, she was named a recipient of an Audience Prize at the 8th Sendai International Music Competition, and she has also been named winner of the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition, Lynn Harrell Concerto Competition, Juanita Miller Concerto Competition, and at the Aspen Music Festival and School’s Low Strings Concerto Competition as a violist and performed Martinů’s Rhapsody-Concerto with the Aspen Conducting Academy Orchestra in 2018.
In October 2021, she presented a full program of works by women and black composers for solo violin and solo viola as one of six finalists for the Berlin Prize for Young Artists competition. As an avid and devoted chamber musician, Christine has performed and collaborated with Joseph Silverstein, Mark Steinberg, Nicholas Mann, and David Geber. She regularly organizes and performs chamber music house concerts in New York City through the Groupmuse platform. Leadership roles as concertmaster for various ensembles culminated most recently with the New York String Orchestra in their 50th Anniversary celebration at Carnegie Hall.
Christine studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music, The Juilliard School, and Manhattan School of Music with Jaime Laredo, Sylvia Rosenberg, Masao Kawasaki, and Nicholas Mann. She also holds a minor in Business Management from Case Western Reserve University.
Year
- 2023
Placement
- Semifinalist
Gaia Sbeghen, born in September 2001, graduated in Violin in 2019 with full marks and honors at the “Bruno Maderna” Conservatory in Cesena, under the guidance of Maestro Daniele Pascoletti and continued her studies with a GPD Master at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee in the class of M° Markus Placci beginning September 2021. There, she served as Concertmaster for the Boston Conservatory Symphony Orchestra at Boston’s Symphony Hall and Worcester’s Mechanics Hall.
She attended numerous Masterclasses with internationally renowned Masters including Pavel Vernikov, Svetlana Makarova, Lukas Hagen, Sally O’Reilly, Markus Placci, Daniele Pascoletti, Enzo Porta, Enrico Bronzi. Furthermore, she was the winner of various prizes and scholarships, such as the Rassegna d’Archi di Vittorio Veneto (TV) and “CEMI – Fiorenza Rosi” in Bologna.
She has participated in numerous national and international festivals, both as a soloist and in chamber music groups. These include the Magliano Alfieri Classic Festival (Magliano Alfieri, Italy) Sesto Rocchi Festival (San Polo d’Enza, Italy), Vivace Vilnius International Music Festival (Vilnius, Lithuania), the Roxbury Concert Series and the Harvard Chamber Music Festival (Harvard, Massachusetts).
Year
- 2023
Placement
- Semifinalist
Having made her solo debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 13 in David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center, Hana Miyamoto Mundiya is a sought-after soloist and chamber musician on the world’s top stages throughout the United States, including Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Alice Tully Hall, as well as internationally in Italy, Sweden, Japan, Germany, France, Austria, Spain, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Switzerland. She is the first prize winner of the 2022 Hudson Valley Philharmonic String Competition, and a top prizewinner of the International Johannes Brahms Competition, Leopold Mozart International Violin Competition, and Kosciuszko Foundation Wieniawski Competition.
Hana has performed for the UNHCR, UNESCO, and Mount Sinai Hospital as a member of the UN Chamber Music Society. She has collaborated with RAINN, Futures Without Violence, and Sakhi for South Asian Women to support Asian female survivors of gender-based violence, and plays with The VISION Collective.
Recently featured in the award-winning documentary film, Beethoven – Freedom of the Will, directed by pianist Per Tengstrand, she has performed in recitals at Bargemusic, Music on Park Avenue, and Paesaggi Musicali Toscani.
Born and raised in New York City, Hana holds a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature from Princeton University, and a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Catherine Cho and Naoko Tanaka.
She is a graduate of Juilliard Pre-College and attended the United Nations International School. She started playing the violin at the age of three at the School for Strings.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Audience Choice, 2nd Prize Winner
Hiu Sing Fan has established himself as one of the most promising young stars on the international concert circuit. A laureate of the New York International Artists Association Violin Competition, Verão Clássico Festival, and Musicus Society Young Artist Audition, he was also among the six semi-finalists at the 2024 George Enescu Violin Competition. Fan’s notable appearances include prestigious festivals such as the Marvão Music Academy, Verbier Festival, Verão Clássico Festival, and Great Mountains Music Festival and School.
Since 2023, Mr. Fan has served as Guest Concertmaster with the Cologne Chamber Orchestra, performing at renowned venues like the Cologne Philharmonie and touring with the orchestra at the Internacional de Música de Marvão and Festival Póvoa de Varzim. He has also collaborated with distinguished ensembles such as Camerata Salzburg, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, and the London Chamber Orchestra.
Fan has had the privilege of collaborating with and receiving mentorship from renowned artists, including Leonidas Kavakos, Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider, Vadim Repin, Itzhak Perlman, Kristóf Baráti, Ferenc Rados, Pamela Frank, Gábor Takács-Nagy, Donald Weilerstein, Aaron Rosand, Pierre Amoyal, Quatuor Ébène, and the Emerson String Quartet.
Born in Hong Kong, Fan began his violin studies at the age of four. His exceptional talent earned him scholarships such as the Cordelia Lee Beattie Foundation Scholarship and Betty & Daniel Bloomfield Fund Scholarship at The Juilliard School, where he completed his bachelor’s degree under Hyo Kang and I-Hao Lee. He continued his studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich with Julia Fischer, Christoph Poppen, Lena Neudauer, and Veronika Eberle. As a recipient of the Eckstein Scholarship, he is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree under the mentorship of Gerardo Ribeiro, serving as his teaching assistant at the Bienen School of Music, Northwestern University. He currently plays on a 1742 Guarneri del Gesù, generously on loan through the Chinese Foundation.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Semifinalist
Hyeon Hong, a 25-year-old South Korean violinist, is currently pursuing her A.D. program at the Colburn Conservatory under Martin Beaver. She has won the Grand Prize at the New York International Classic Competition and second prize at the Vietnam International Competition, as well as first prizes at the Ewha Kyunghyang, TBC Music, and Eumyeon Competitions. Hyeon has performed as a concerto soloist with orchestras such as the Bucheon Philharmonic, Sun Symphony, Gyeonbuk Provincial Symphony, MDOP Orchestra, and Seoul National University Philharmonic. She has also served as concertmaster for the Seoul National University Orchestra, New England Conservatory Philharmonic, and Boston Chamber Orchestra. Hyeon has been featured in several chamber music concerts, including at Jordan Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Seoul National University Concert Hall. Through her performances—whether solo, chamber, or orchestral—she aims to create a space of emotional connection, healing, and renewal, offering her audiences solace and understanding through music.
Year
- 2023
Placement
- Audience Choice, 1st Prize Winner
Violinist Jaewon Wee recently won the First Prize at the YSAYE 2022 International Violin Competition and the First & the Audience Prizes at the Washington International Competition. She was awarded the Second & the Special iPalpiti Prizes at the George Enescu International Competition 2021, where she performed Brahms’ Violin Concerto at the Romanian Athenaeum. She was the top prizewinner of the Menuhin International Violin Competition, Tchaikovsky International Competition for young musicians, Kloster Schöntal International Competition, and many others.
As a winner of the Juilliard Violin Concerto Competition 2019, she made her New York debut at Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, performing Prokofiev’s second violin concerto. Jaewon has appeared as a soloist with the George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Italy Palermo Festival Symphony Orchestra, KBS (Korean Broadcasting System) Symphony Orchestra, among others.
As an academy soloist at the 2022 Verbier Festival, she played in numerous solo/chamber recitals, public masterclasses, and community performances. Jaewon performed at Verbier Festival’s main halls, such as Eglise de Verbier and Cinéma de Verbier. In 2021, she was invited as a soloist at the Palermo Classica Festival and the iPalpiti International Music Festival and performed concertos with the festival symphony orchestras.
Graduate of the Korea National University of Arts (Bachelor of Music), The Juilliard School (Master of Music), and New England Conservatory (Graduate Diploma) on the Dean’s-full scholarship, studied under Donald Weilerstein, Jaewon will begin studying for the Artist Diploma with Cho-Liang Lin at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Quarterfinalist
Jihyun Baik is a New York based violinist who enjoys musical collaborations, community engagement, and teaching. Born in South Korea, she developed her passion for the violin under the influence of her mother, a dedicated Suzuki teacher.
The first prize winner of 2020 Euroasia International Competition, Jihyun has performed as soloist with the Seoul Royal Symphony Orchestra and the Sendai Philharmonic Orchestra. She received the special prize of the 36th Rodolfo Lipizer Competition, and is a laureate of the 2022 Chicago Violin Competition. As a chamber and orchestra musician, Jihyun has participated in numerous festivals including Aspen Music Festival, Heifetz Institute of Music, Pacific Music Festival, and Taos School of Music. She has performed in masterclasses with the Esmé and Pacifica Quartets and was invited to the Juilliard New Dances Project, where she collaborated on works by Brahms and contemporary composer Nathan Prillaman. In 2023-2024, Jihyun was part of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Chamber Music Mentorship Program and was invited to perform in the Heifetz Ensemble in Residence Holiday Tour, collaborating with the violist Paul Neubauer.
Jihyun attended Korea National University of Arts on special admission at age sixteen, and later received the Master of Music degree at The Juilliard School. Currently, she is studying at Manhattan School of Music pursuing a Professional Performance Diploma under the guidance of Pinchas Zukerman and Patinka Kopec.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Semifinalist
Violinist Jimin Kim received the Performance Excellence Award and Merit Award at Yewon School and Seoul Arts High School. After graduating from Seoul National University, she completed her master’s degree at The Juilliard School and is currently pursuing an M.M.A program at Yale University as a full scholarship recipient. Starting with the grand prize at the Korean Music Competition at the age of Seven, she won first place in numerous competitions, including the Hankook Ilbo, Music Association of Korea, Seoul National University of Education, Music Education News, Korea Herald, Nanpa, Overseas Dispatch, and New York Summit. She was early recognized as a “Musical Arts Prodigy” by the Kumho Foundation, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts, making her debut at the age of Thirteen with a Kumho Young Artist Recital. She has collaborated with the Seongnam Philharmonic Orchestra, Gangnam Symphony Orchestra, and the SNU Orchestra.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Semifinalist
Violinist Jonathan Okseniuk made his orchestral debut with the Suprima Chamber Orchestra at the age of 5. Other solo appearances include Arizona Musicfest Festival Orchestra, The Phoenix Symphony, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg String Quartet, and an engagement at the Mesa Arts Center. Jonathan has placed first in many national and local competitions, most recently in the Senior Division of the 2023 Dorothy Vanek Youth Concerto Competition. He was named first place laureate in the Junior Division of the 2022 Sphinx Competition, national winner in the 2022 Music Teachers National Association Senior String Competition, first in the Phoenix Youth Symphony Young Musicians Concerto Competition Senior Division and the Arizona Musicfest String Competition Division II. Jonathan was accepted into Curtis Institute of Music in 2023 and is studying with Midori Goto. Over the past fourteen years, since the age of three, he has been a student of Jing Zeng. He has also worked with distinguished teachers including Jan Sloman, Miriam Fried, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Peter Oundjian and William van der Sloot and with esteemed chamber groups including the Dover Quartet and members of the Manhattan Chamber Players. For over six years, Jonathan has played with various youth orchestras including the Metropolitan Youth Symphony, Youth Symphony of the Southwest, and the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra as concertmaster, assistant concertmaster and principal second violin. He has participated in Morningside Music Bridge, Heifetz International Music Institute, and Chamber Music Northwest Young Artist Institute summer programs.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Quarterfinalist
Originally from Seoul, South Korea, June Lee is a promising young violinist currently based in Montreal, Canada. As a musician and artist, June strives to breathe life into every note she plays, aiming to inspire the audience to vividly imagine from the sound they hear. Drawing inspiration from a variety of styles and cultures, she creates a compelling musical experience.
June’s musical journey is marked by several achievements. In 2023, she won the Second Prize at the Schulich Golden Violin Competition, In December 2023, June performed Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto solo alongside the Paju Philharmonic Orchestra in South Korea. She was also part of the 2023-24 Bourgie Hall Mentorship Program with Daniel Hope. Her wins include the 2nd Prize at the Mary Lane Memorial Violin Competition in 2021, Finalist at the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition String Division in 2020.
Beyond North America, June served as Assistant Concertmaster for a European touring orchestra, sharing the stage with the legendary pianist Martha Argerich. She broadened her musical horizons at the IMS Prussia Cove Masterclass in the UK under Gerhard Schulz, a member of the Alban Berg Quartet, and Schiermonikoong Festival with Marc Danel from the Danel Quartet. June has been a fellow at various festivals, including Trondheim String Quartet Academy, MISQA, Encore Chamber Music Institute, Toronto Summer Music Festival, Heifetz International Music Institute, and Sarasota Music Festival.
June is currently a graduate student at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, and studies violin with Jinjoo Cho. Previously, she studied with Jaime Laredo and Jan Sloman at the Cleveland Institute of Music, and with Margaret Batjer at the Colburn Music Academy.
Year
- 2023
Placement
- Semifinalist
Ukrainian-born Kostia Lukyniuk is a world-renowned musician and a true rebel in the world of strings. Kostia revolutionizes the violin by blending genres, breaking stereotypes, and always wowing his audiences with unmatched energy and love for his craft. Kostia made his solo debut at 9 with the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Orchestra after winning 1st Prize in the International Youth Music Competition. Since then, he has won various prestigious musical competitions and given solo performances all around the world at various venues, festivals, and events.
At the age of 18, after a solo performance at the National Philharmonic Hall of Ukraine in Kyiv, Kostia came to the United States to pursue his dream and study with Professor Oleh Krysa at the Eastman School of Music. He graduated in December 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Music and a Performer’s Certificate. In between his studies, he went home to Ukraine just as the war began. After being accepted to an American Master’s Program, he was able to escape Ukraine and continued to perform in Berlin and France to continue raising funds for Ukrainian people in need until he was able to return to the USA. Since August 2022 he’s pursuing a Master of Music degree at Frost School of Music at the University of Miami in the studio of Professor Charles Castleman. He has since taken Miami by storm, performing all over the city and surrounding areas from private events to Art Basel and PBS benefits. Kostia is a winner of the Frost School of Music Concerto competition in 2023.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- 1st Prize Winner
Violinist Laurel Gagnon’s interpretations “sing with a naturalness that [is] both disarming and distinctive” (The Straits Times, Singapore, Singapore). She has performed across the United States, Europe, and Asia, currently residing in New Haven, Connecticut. Ms. Gagnon was awarded top prizes at the Elmar Oliveira and Singapore International Violin Competitions, and was invited to perform in the live rounds of the Queen Elisabeth Competition. Laurel’s teachers include Ben Sayevich, Mauricio Fuks, and Augustin Hadelich; a recent graduate of the Yale School of Music, Laurel will join Carnegie Hall’s Ensemble Connect fellowship program in September.
A passionate chamber musician, she made recent appearances at Halcyon Chamber Music Festival and Avaloch Farm Music Institute. Gagnon is also a member of the award-winning Vinola Trio, an ensemble consisting of clarinet, violin, and piano. The group curates programs of living composers, seeks to expand the trio repertoire, and brings attention to the lesser known works that are already written. Recently, the group completed teaching and performing residencies at Boston Conservatory and Truman State University. Grand prize winners of the Plowman Chamber Music Competition, the trio was a top prize winner at the MTNA National Chamber Music competition and a semifinalist at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
Laurel has worked extensively with Indiana University’s Center for Rural Engagement, bringing music into collaborative community spaces. Ms. Gagnon also taught extensively with Indiana University’s “Fairview Project” and the Yale School of Music’s “Music in Schools” community music project.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Semifinalist
Luna Hayoung Choi is an award-winning violinist from Daejeon, South Korea. Most recently, Choi received 1st Prize at the Bales Violin Competition and won the NEC Honors Chamber Music Competition. Other recent accolades include performing as the feature soloist in a concert with the Aspen Festival Orchestra and David Roberston after winning the coveted 2023 Dorothy DeLay Competition, and winning top prizes at numerous competitions including the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and MTNA National Competition.
Performing from an early age, Hayoung has appeared as soloist with Neo-Strings, Sangrok Orchestra, Seoul Symphony Orchestra, Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra, Macon-Mercer Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Choi has won top prizes in competitions such as the St. Paul String Quartet competition, and has been invited to perform alongside musicians such as Hsin-Yun Huang, Julie Albers, and Francisca Fullana at festivals and concert series like the Moab Music Festival.
Choi is currently pursuing her Master of Music at the New England Conservatory with Donald Weilerstein through the full-tuition Dean’s Scholarship and a stipend through the Presidential Scholarship. She recently completed her undergraduate studies at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings of Mercer University, as a student of Amy Schwartz Moretti, Robert McDuffie, and David Kim.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Quarterfinalist
Noelle Midori Takebe Naito is a Japanese-American violinist. She made her orchestra debut with the Kostroma Symphony Orchestra (Russia), at age 9 and has since performed with the Columbia Orchestra (Columbia, Maryland), Landon Symphonette (Bethesda, Maryland), the United States Army Orchestra, and Flint Symphony Orchestra (Flint, Michigan). Noelle has played in venues such as Weill Recital Hall, Cadogan Hall, Franz Liszt House (Weimar, Germany), The Embassy of Japan, and The German Consulate in NYC. She has participated in music festivals such as Heifetz International Music Institute, Aspen Music Festival and School, and Taipei Music Academy Festival.
Noelle has won numerous competitions including The William C. Byrd Young Artist Competition and the United States Army Orchestra Competition. She was also invited to join the inaugural Heifetz Ensemble in Residence Program “HEIR” in the spring of 2021. Additionally, Noelle has appeared on WFMT radio program “Introductions” in Chicago as a soloist and chamber musician.
Noelle is currently studying with Jaime Laredo and Malcolm Lowe at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she is pursuing her Bachelor of Music. She plays on a 1662 Andrea Guarneri graciously loaned by the Ryuji Ueno Foundation.
Year
- 2023
Placement
- 2nd Prize Winner
Sarah Ma is currently pursuing a double-degree at Oberlin College and Conservatory with Sibbi Bernhardsson after transferring from The Juilliard School with Donald Weilerstein and Li Lin, and with Masao Kawasaki in the Pre-College Division. Sarah has performed internationally with Ensemble 212, New York Concerti Sinfonietta, the Accademia D’Archi Arrigoni, and more. She was featured in Show 393 on NPR’s “From the Top” and was a winner of the 2021 National YoungArts Competition. Sarah has attended the Heifetz International Music Institute, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, and was the Dorothy Richard Starling fellow at Aspen Music Festival for three summers as a student of Robert Lipsett, Donald Weilerstein, and Paul Kantor. In 2019, she was a laureate of the Cooper International Competition sponsored by Florian Leonhard Fine Violins and the Anthony Quinn Foundation, and performed on an 1828 Vuillaume. She is grateful to have worked with Almita Vamos, Robert Levin, Aaron Rosand, and Sarah Chang, among others. Her chamber group, the Poiesis Quartet, recently completed several artistic residencies abroad while on tour in Uruguay. They recently received the Gold Medal and BIPOC Award at the prestigious 2023 St. Paul String Quartet Competition and Bronze at the Glass City Chamber Music Competition. They are laureates of the 2023 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, where they also won the Lift Every Voice Prize. Sarah is the recipient of the Oberlin Conservatory Dean’s Scholarship & John F. Oberlin Scholarship and is a 2023 Benjamin A. Gilman Scholar of the U.S. Department of State.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Semifinalist
Sory Park is a violinist from Gwangju, South Korea currently studying with Ani Kavafian at Yale School of Music. She received her Bachelor of Music at New England Conservatory where she studied with Soovin Kim and her Master of Music at The Juilliard School with Ronald Copes.
Park was the top prize winner at several national and international competitions, including the 2019 Stulberg International String Competition in Michigan, the 2017 Ilona Feher International Violin Competition in Hungary and the 2012 Ewha & Kyunghyang Competition in South Korea. She has participated in several music festivals including Perlman Music Program, Norfolk Music Festival, Yellow Barn, Music@Menlo, Heifetz Music Institute, Bowdoin Music Festival and Summit Music festival.
Ms. Park has had lots of opportunities for masterclasses given by Itzhak Perlman, Aaron Rosand, Peter Oundjian, Ayano Ninomiya, Ian Swensen, Sheryl Staples, Borromeo String Quartet and many other amazing musicians. Her solo engagements have included performances with Incheon Philharmonic Orchestra, APS Symphonia, Kalamazoo Youth Symphony Orchestra and others.
Apart from classical music, she adores exploring lots of abstract arts. Especially, Wassily Kandinsky and Gustav Klimt are her favorite painters. As their paintings enjoy beautiful color palettes, she is exploring her own color palette of music.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Semifinalist
Sungmin Cho, a Violinist from Seoul, graduated from Seoul Arts High School, is currently studying with Prof. David Chan at The Juilliard School, where he also received his bachelor’s degree in 2024.
He had his solo concert debut under the auspices of the Kumho Prodigy Concert Series for gifted Youth at the age of 13. He has acquired years of solo experience, by winning prestigious music competitions and auditions such as the 2024 Princess Astrid International Music Competition, The 38th Music Association of Korea Competition, The 26th Sung Jung Music Competition, The 27th KBS KEPCO Music Competition, The 58th Dong-A Music Competiton, Seoul Youth Chamber Music Competition, TBC Music Competition, etc.
He has appeared as a soloist with world-renowned orchestras, including Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Yamagata Symphony Orchestra, Seoul Symphony Orchestra, Szolnok Symphony Orchestra, Kyungbook Symphony Orchestra, Savaria Symphony Orchestra, etc. Also he has performed at numerous venues worldwide such as Dvorak Hall, Lincoln Center, Seoul Arts Center, Kumho Art Hall, Gyeonggi Arts Center, Samsung Electronics Art Hall, Hitachi Systems Hall etc.
Every summer, he has performed with amzing musicians by participating in music festivals, such as Verbier Festival, Taipei Music Academy and Festival, Domaine Forget Music Academy, Cambridge International String Academy, etc. Also, he has obtained important musical impulses and experiences at the violin masterclasses with many world-renowned musicians including Rodney Friend, György Pauk, Pavel Vernikov, Kyoko Takezawa, Gérard Poulet, Koichiro Harada, and Vadim Gluzman as well as chamber music projects.
Year
- 2025
Placement
- Quarterfinalist
A dedicated violinist with a dynamic international career, Wenqi Ke is recognized for her artistry and leadership on stage. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the Manhattan School of Music under Todd Phillips and Nicholas Mann, Wenqi previously earned her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where she studied with renowned pedagogue Robert Lipsett.
Wenqi has graced the stage as a soloist with ensembles such as the Colburn Orchestra under Maestro Angus Webster and the Shanghai Chamber Orchestra, and she has collaborated with distinguished musicians including Molly Carr, Tessa Lark, and Shlomo Mintz. Her accolades include First Prize at the Hong Kong International Competition.
As a versatile orchestral leader, Wenqi has held concertmaster and principal positions with prestigious ensembles, including the Pacific Music Festival Orchestra, the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, and the Colburn Orchestra. She has also performed with the London Symphony Orchestra as Associate Concertmaster and participated in celebrated festivals like the Perlman Music Program Chamber Workshop and Aspen Music Festival.
Year
- 2023
Placement
- Semifinalist
Yumiko Yumiba is a Japanese violinist born in Oita, Japan. She spent her childhood in Osaka and moved to Tokyo with her family. She started playing the violin and piano at the age of 3. Yumiko’s sister influenced her to love music because she is a violinist too. At the age of 15, she decided to pursue her career in music. Then, she studied at the Tokyo University of the Arts. During her journey of studies in Tokyo, she received the Dean’s scholarship and special awards for outstanding students of the year.
She is currently studying at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Professor Ilya Kaler, as a recipient of the full scholarship, and at the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media with Professor Elisabeth Kufferath.
She has recently performed with the Varna Chamber Orchestra, the Geidai Philharmonia Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media, Orchester Göttinger Musikfreunde, the Toruń Symphony Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Opéra national de Lorraine.
She received many prizes at international violin competitions such as the Varna International Violin Competition, the International Karol Lipiński Violin Competition, and the Mirecourt International Violin Competition. In 2023, she won the Conservatory Concerto Competition at Cleveland Institute of Music and received the 2023 Helen Curtis Webster Award.
She also had recitals at the Music Festivals, including the Gdańsk Music Festival, the International Festival “Nova Music and Architecture”, and the International Music Festival Goslar-Harz.