The 28th Annual Young Steinway Concert Series began on
Sunday, October 4 in Skokie Public Library's Petty Auditorium. For
27 years the concerts have showcased young people with
extraordinary talent, giving local audiences the chance to enjoy first-class
music close to home. Many of our past performers have gone on to great
achievements as professional musicians, and we are proud to count them as
part of our Young Steinway family.
Concerts begin at 3:00pm in the Petty Auditorium. Free tickets are
distributed on a first-come, first-served basis one-half hour prior to each
performance. Limited seating is available for patrons with disabilities.
Skokie Public Library has sound amplification equipment for the hearing
impaired; receivers can be obtained at the East Circulation Desk.
We invite you to learn more about the accomplishments of this season's
performers, and look forward to seeing you at these wonderful concerts!
Coming Soon
December 6, 2009
Les Euterpes
Emma Michalak, piano
Tabitha Oh, violin
Pianist Emma Michalak and violinist Tabitha Oh, both students at Lycée Français de Chicago, make up the duo, Les Euterpes. Emma has been studying piano at the Music Institute of Chicago since she was five years old, and currently studies with Soo Young Lee. Emma has won awards in a number of piano competitions. Her solo performances include the 2007-08 Young Steinway Concert Series. She has also participated in and performed with the summer Duo Piano Festival with Ralph and Claire Nieweem. Tabitha is a member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Junior Academy program, where she studies violin with Desiree Ruhstrat. She began violin at age six and has won prizes in numerous local competitions. She has soloed with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and has studied chamber music with members of the Brentano, Shanghai, and Orion Quartets. View the slideshow...
Slideshow not working? Try the alternate version. Same photos, no music.
Eric Zhang, piano
An eighth grader at Hawthorn Middle School North in Vernon Hills, Eric Zhang began playing piano at age five and studies with Brenda Huang. Eric was a district winner in the junior division of the 2008 Illinois State Music Teachers Association Competition and has won awards in the Confucius Piano Competition, the North Shore Music Teachers Association, and the Granquist Music Competition. He has performed in Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center and began participating in chamber music at age seven. Eric also plays violin and is an active member and section leader of his school’s orchestra and chamber group. When not busy with music, he enjoys reading, math competitions, traveling, and playing video games. View the slideshow...
Slideshow not working? Try the alternate version. Same photos, no music.
January 3, 2010
Kirsten Takaki, piano
Kirsten Takaki, a junior at New Trier High School, studies piano with Sueanne Metz. She was a finalist last spring in the 11th Annual Chopin Youth Piano Competition in Milwaukee and has won numerous prizes in local piano competitions, including the Granquist Music Competition and the Chicago Area Music Teachers Association Sonata Competition. Kirsten has performed on the Wilmette Young Artists recital series and plays frequently at her church. When not engaged with the piano, Kirsten can frequently be found playing soccer. She was a member of both the freshman and junior varsity 1 New Trier soccer teams in past seasons.
Leora Sherman, cello
A senior at Highland Park High School, Leora Sherman began cello lessons with Gilda Barston at age three and continues to study with Ms. Barston through the Music Institute of Chicago. In May, Leora played the Lalo Cello Concerto in d minor with the Highland Park High School Symphony Orchestra as winner of the 2009 Concerto Competition. She has been a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra since 2008, participated in the Illinois Music Educators Association District 7 Honors Orchestra in 2008, and the All-State Honors Orchestra in 2009. Leora has performed in Peru, London, Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. She also enjoys soccer and participating in Amnesty International at school.
February 7, 2010
Christian Bourdon, piano
An eighth-grade student at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Chicago, Christian Bourdon has been studying piano for six years. His teacher is Regina Syrkin. Christian has appeared as a soloist with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra as part of the DePaul University Community Music Division’s Concerto Festival for Young Performers. Christian was a winner in the 2008 Northeast District Audition of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association annual competition and advanced to finalist status in the 2009 Steinway Young Artist Competition. Christian enjoys playing soccer, baseball, basketball, and tennis, as well as traveling to other countries.
Ryan Murphy, violin
Ryan Murphy is a senior at Maine South High School. He started playing the piano at age four and began violin lessons at age nine. His violin teachers are Almita and Roland Vamos and Marko Dreher. His solo performing experience includes concertos with the Oak Park/River Forest Symphony Orchestra, the North Suburban Symphony Orchestra, and the Maine South Symphony Orchestra. Solo performances include Elgin Public Library, Northeastern Illinois’ Mostly Music Series, and at a Silk Road celebration at the Art Institute of Chicago. He has also participated in Midwest Young Artists orchestras for six years and in a piano trio for three years. Honors for Trio Vita include being the 2008 overall winner of the Chicago National Chamber Music Competition. Ryan loves to eat interesting foods and learn about different cultures.
February 21, 2010
Alumni Concert
Brenda Huang, piano
Brenda Huang, winner of the prestigious 1991 Gilmore Young Artist Award, began studying piano at the age of four with her mother, and had principally studied with Emilio del Rosario, Russell Sherman, and Carolyn McCracken-Forough, Pawell Checinki. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at Northwestern University under Alan Chow. She has performed as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Taipei Symphony, and Taiwan Symphony. Ms. Huang was the first prizewinner of the New York Kosziuszko Chopin Competition, the national winner of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), an American Pianist Association finalist, and was chosen to represent the United States at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw by the National Chopin Foundation in Miami. She has performed on the Sunday Piano Series at the Conservatory of Music at Kansas City, the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series at the Chicago Cultural Center broadcast live on WFMT, the Young Artist Series broadcast on New York City radio station WQXR, the Chicago Steinway Society Concert Series, and among many others, at the Polish Cultural Center in New York City, the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston, the Rudolph Ganz Recital Hall and the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, and solo recitals in Taiwan.?? She is a member of the piano faculty at the Chicago Institute of Music and is currently maintaining a large private studio in Palatine.
March 7, 2010
Andrew Chang, piano
Andrew Chang, a freshman at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, has been studying piano since age seven, beginning in Sacramento, California. He currently studies with Soo Young Lee at the Music Institute of Chicago. Andrew won first place in the junior division of the 2009 Chandler Starr Miller Scholarship Competition and was chosen in January for a masterclass with Alan Goldstein at the Coronado Theater in Rockford. He has performed in the Young Musicians Series at the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center in Rockford and in a Music Teachers Association of California Honor Recital in Sacramento. Andrew has also played percussion in his school band and enjoys travel, basketball, tennis, football, and reading.
Kiyoshi Hayashi, violin
A sophomore at Oak Park and River Forest High School, Kiyoshi Hayashi studies with Thomas Wermuth at the Western Springs School of Talent Education. He began playing violin at age seven. Kiyoshi won first place in the 2009 Musichorale Scholarship Contest and won honorable mention in both the junior (2008) and senior (2009) levels of the Walgreens National Concerto Competitions. He has performed in the orchestras at his high school, at Four Winds Waldorf School, and at the Western Springs School of Talent Education. He has also attended the Preludio advanced violin camp at Ithaca College Suzuki Institute. Kiyoshi also enjoys sports and spending time with his friends.
April 11, 2010
Alisa Kolot, piano
Alisa Kolot, a freshman at New Trier High School, began her piano studies at age six. Her current teacher is Brenda Huang at the Music Institute of Chicago. Alisa won honorable mention in the 2008 Illinois State Music Teachers Association Northeast District Auditions and first place in the Olympic Division of the 2007 Granquist Music Competition. She performed in the 2008 Annual Sonata-Sonatina Festival of the Chicago Area Music Teachers Association. In addition, Alisa plays clarinet, practices karate, and loves to read.
Crystal Qi, violin
A senior at William Fremd High School in Barrington, Crystal Qi has studied violin with Cyrus Forough since age eight. She has won awards in numerous local competitions and advanced to the finals of the 2007 Stradivarius International Violin Competition in Salt Lake City, Utah. During the summers, Crystal has attended the Pilzen International Music Academy in the Czech Republic and Bowdoin International Music Camp in Brunswick, Maine. She is a member of the Schaumburg Youth Symphony Orchestra and was a finalist in the 2008 Chicago Symphony Youth Auditions. Crystal also enjoys drawing and playing badminton and volleyball.
May 2, 2009
Jennifer Ding, cello
Jennifer Ding is a senior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. She began her musical studies with piano at age six, and began learning cello at age nine, studying with Gilda Barston of the Music Institute of Chicago, where she has also participated in the chamber music program. Jennifer has won awards in several local competitions and performed in the All-State Honors Orchestra of the Illinois Music Educators Association in 2008 and 2009. She is a member of the Stevenson High School Orchestra, is president of the Stevenson Science Olympiad Team, and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and National Honor Society.
Maximilian Vikhter, piano
A senior at Niles West High School, Maximilian Vikhter studies piano with Kristin Elgersma at the Music Academy of Northwestern University. In 2008, Max was chosen to perform in the honors recital and gala finale of the National High School Music Institute, held at Northwestern University. Max also won first place in the 2008 Illinois State Music Teachers Association Competition, and has won other competitions and scholarships for piano performance and study. At Niles West, Max plays percussion in the band and the orchestra. He is also president of the Russian Club and is a member of the Congressional Student Leadership conference and the Model United Nations Team. He also enjoys studying foreign languages and outdoor activities, such as camping, fishing, and gardening.
June 6, 2010
Aaron Lewis, guitar
Aaron Lewis, a sophomore at New Trier High School, has studied guitar since he was four. He studies with Julia Miller at the Music Institute of Chicago. During the summers of 2007 and 2008, Aaron successfully competed in the Guitar Foundation of America International Competition. He was recently selected to participate in a McDonalds worldwide corporate video to promote music around the world. Aaron has been a Merit Scholarship winner at the Music Institute of Chicago and performs in numerous community locations. He was a member of the New Trier Freshman Volleyball Team and particularly enjoys skiing.
Nicholas Arakel Rejebian, piano
A ninth-grade student at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Nicholas Rejebian has studied piano with Soo Young Lee since he was eight years old. He has won numerous awards in the Granquist Music Competition and the North Shore Music Teachers Association Competition and Sonata-Sonatina Festival. Nicholas has recently performed for a fundraiser for the Armenian General Benevolent Union/Chicago, for His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Canada at St. James Armenian Church in Evanston, and as production musician for James & the Giant Peach at Dr. Bessie Rhodes Magnet School. He is a member of the USSA Flying Fish swim team and plays soccer with Team Evanston.
Past Performers
October 4, 2009
Hannah Kay, piano
A sophomore at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Hannah Kay performed on last year’s series as a member of Trio Bravo. She returns this year to play as a soloist. Hannah was a finalist in the 2009 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions, playing the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1. She began studying piano at age five and studies with Brenda Huang. She has performed in the French Salon Series at Northbrook Public Library and in winners’ recitals for both the Society of American Musicians and Music Festival in Honor of Confucius’ annual competitions. When not engaged with music, Hannah also enjoys volleyball, badminton, and dance. View Hannah's slideshow...
Ben Solomonow, cello
Ben Solomonow, an eighth grader at Solomon Schechter Middle School, began studying cello when he was five years old and has been studying with Hans Jensen for the past three years. He is principal cellist of the Midwest Young Artists Concert Orchestra and a member of the Symphony Orchestra and a piano quartet. In January 2009, Ben won the DePaul Concerto Festival for young performers and played the Haydn C major Cello Concerto with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed that concerto with the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra. Ben has been featured on WFMT’s “Introductions” program and has performed in Ravinia’s Bennet-Gordon Hall and with Mathieu Dufour, principal flutist of the Chicago Symphony. Ben loves to read and collect CDs of famous artists. View Ben's slideshow...
November 1, 2009
Adé Williams, violin; special guest, SugarStrings Trio
Twelve-year-old Adé Williams is the youngest soloist to ever perform with Chicago Sinfonietta, with which she performed the Bach Double Violin Concerto at age six. She has performed with the Lake Forest Symphony and has been honored on ABC 7 Chicago’s “Someone You Should Know” with her trio, SugarStrings. Adé studies with Almita Vamos and has won prizes in numerous competitions, including the Sejong Competition, the Society of American Musicians competition, and the Walgreens Concerto Competition. She is also a recipient of the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation Instrument Loan. Adé is home-schooled and enjoys reading, swimming, and ballet when not busy making beautiful music with her violin.
In 2004, the SugarStrings trio emerged from the developing artistry of talented young cousins Adé Williams, Ayanna Williams (17, cello), and Mira Williams (11, viola/violin). Their first piece together was “Canon in D” by Pachelbel. Soon requests to perform began to pour in from churches, schools, and organizations, and SugarStrings was born. Mira Williams, 11, plays 2nd violin and viola. She served as principal violist for the Chicago Youth Concert Orchestra and concertmaster for the Chicago Youth Debut Orchestra, both under the direction of Terrance Oliveras-Gray. She ended 2005 as a featured performer on the televised Christmas Glory, starring Al Jarreau and Brian McKnight. In 2008, she performed at Musician's Network MECCA events. Mira is a member of the Academy of the Music Institute of Chicago. She studies privately with artist faculty member Marko Dreher and has had master classes with Almita Vamos and Brian Culbertson. Ayanna Williams, began cello instruction in Spring Brook Elementary School’s fifth grade orchestra program. Ayanna won “Best of Day” for her solo performance at the 2008 Illinois High School Association Solo/Ensemble competition. She studies with Chris Fiore under the direction of Tanya Carey, Roosevelt University. She was a member of the Chicago Youth Debut Orchestra during the 2005-2006 season. Ayanna attended the Northwestern High School Music Institute and the Sphinx Performance Academy at Walnut Hill School in Natick, Massachusetts on full merit scholarships. Currently, Ayanna is a junior in the International Baccalaureate honors program at a top 10 Chicago public high school. View Adé's slideshow...(Alternate Web version also available. Same photos, no music.)
Emily Bear, piano
PLEASE NOTE: Emily's performance was postponed due to illness. Watch this space for information about a rescheduled date.
Just eight years old, Emily Bear began her piano studies with Emilio del Rosario at age four. She currently studies piano with James Giles of Northwestern University and jazz with Alan Swain. Additional mentors include Yoheved Kaplinsky, head of the Juilliard piano department and Mary Sauer of The Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Emily is equally comfortable playing classical, jazz, and her own compositions. Emily made her solo debut at the Ravinia Music Festival at the age of five, and was the youngest performer in Ravinia history. She performed at the White House in 2008 and appeared five times on The Ellen Degeneres Show, playing original songs on each appearance. She performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto K. 488 with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony last spring, and has appeared with members of the Orlando Symphony Orchestra when they performed a debut of one of her original pieces. Emily was the recipient of the ASCAP 2008 Morton Gould Composer Award, the youngest in their history, for her original composition, "Northern Lights." Emily has released four CDs of original music and has been featured on numerous television news stories and programs. She is in the third grade and loves arts and crafts and playing duets with her two siblings. View Emily's slideshow...(Alternate Web version also available. Same photos, no music.)
Your Library wins the 2008 National Medal for Museum and Library Service "...the Young Steinway Concert Series... provides valuable performing experience for exceptionally talented youth and free concerts for the community "
Photo highlights from National Medal festivities at the Library
and the White House!
Pianist Emma Michalak and violinist Tabitha Oh, both students at Lycée Français de Chicago, make up the duo, Les Euterpes. Emma has been studying piano at the Music Institute of Chicago since she was five years old, and currently studies with Soo Young Lee. Emma has won awards in a number of piano competitions. Her solo performances include the 2007-08 Young Steinway Concert Series. She has also participated in and performed with the summer Duo Piano Festival with Ralph and Claire Nieweem. Tabitha is a member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Junior Academy program, where she studies violin with Desiree Ruhstrat. She began violin at age six and has won prizes in numerous local competitions. She has soloed with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and has studied chamber music with members of the Brentano, Shanghai, and Orion Quartets. View the slideshow...
An eighth grader at Hawthorn Middle School North in Vernon Hills, Eric Zhang began playing piano at age five and studies with Brenda Huang. Eric was a district winner in the junior division of the 2008 Illinois State Music Teachers Association Competition and has won awards in the Confucius Piano Competition, the North Shore Music Teachers Association, and the Granquist Music Competition. He has performed in Preston Bradley Hall at the Chicago Cultural Center and began participating in chamber music at age seven. Eric also plays violin and is an active member and section leader of his school’s orchestra and chamber group. When not busy with music, he enjoys reading, math competitions, traveling, and playing video games. View the slideshow...
Kirsten Takaki, a junior at New Trier High School, studies piano with Sueanne Metz. She was a finalist last spring in the 11th Annual Chopin Youth Piano Competition in Milwaukee and has won numerous prizes in local piano competitions, including the Granquist Music Competition and the Chicago Area Music Teachers Association Sonata Competition. Kirsten has performed on the Wilmette Young Artists recital series and plays frequently at her church. When not engaged with the piano, Kirsten can frequently be found playing soccer. She was a member of both the freshman and junior varsity 1 New Trier soccer teams in past seasons.
A senior at Highland Park High School, Leora Sherman began cello lessons with Gilda Barston at age three and continues to study with Ms. Barston through the Music Institute of Chicago. In May, Leora played the Lalo Cello Concerto in d minor with the Highland Park High School Symphony Orchestra as winner of the 2009 Concerto Competition. She has been a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra since 2008, participated in the Illinois Music Educators Association District 7 Honors Orchestra in 2008, and the All-State Honors Orchestra in 2009. Leora has performed in Peru, London, Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen. She also enjoys soccer and participating in Amnesty International at school.
An eighth-grade student at Abraham Lincoln Elementary School in Chicago, Christian Bourdon has been studying piano for six years. His teacher is Regina Syrkin. Christian has appeared as a soloist with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra as part of the DePaul University Community Music Division’s Concerto Festival for Young Performers. Christian was a winner in the 2008 Northeast District Audition of the Illinois State Music Teachers Association annual competition and advanced to finalist status in the 2009 Steinway Young Artist Competition. Christian enjoys playing soccer, baseball, basketball, and tennis, as well as traveling to other countries.
Ryan Murphy is a senior at Maine South High School. He started playing the piano at age four and began violin lessons at age nine. His violin teachers are Almita and Roland Vamos and Marko Dreher. His solo performing experience includes concertos with the Oak Park/River Forest Symphony Orchestra, the North Suburban Symphony Orchestra, and the Maine South Symphony Orchestra. Solo performances include Elgin Public Library, Northeastern Illinois’ Mostly Music Series, and at a Silk Road celebration at the Art Institute of Chicago. He has also participated in Midwest Young Artists orchestras for six years and in a piano trio for three years. Honors for Trio Vita include being the 2008 overall winner of the Chicago National Chamber Music Competition. Ryan loves to eat interesting foods and learn about different cultures.
Brenda Huang, winner of the prestigious 1991 Gilmore Young Artist Award, began studying piano at the age of four with her mother, and had principally studied with Emilio del Rosario, Russell Sherman, and Carolyn McCracken-Forough, Pawell Checinki. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at Northwestern University under Alan Chow. She has performed as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic, Toledo Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, Taipei Symphony, and Taiwan Symphony. Ms. Huang was the first prizewinner of the New York Kosziuszko Chopin Competition, the national winner of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA), an American Pianist Association finalist, and was chosen to represent the United States at the International Chopin Competition in Warsaw by the National Chopin Foundation in Miami. She has performed on the Sunday Piano Series at the Conservatory of Music at Kansas City, the Dame Myra Hess Concert Series at the Chicago Cultural Center broadcast live on WFMT, the Young Artist Series broadcast on New York City radio station WQXR, the Chicago Steinway Society Concert Series, and among many others, at the Polish Cultural Center in New York City, the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston, the Rudolph Ganz Recital Hall and the Harold Washington Library in Chicago, and solo recitals in Taiwan.?? She is a member of the piano faculty at the Chicago Institute of Music and is currently maintaining a large private studio in Palatine.
Andrew Chang, a freshman at Boylan Catholic High School in Rockford, has been studying piano since age seven, beginning in Sacramento, California. He currently studies with Soo Young Lee at the Music Institute of Chicago. Andrew won first place in the junior division of the 2009 Chandler Starr Miller Scholarship Competition and was chosen in January for a masterclass with Alan Goldstein at the Coronado Theater in Rockford. He has performed in the Young Musicians Series at the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center in Rockford and in a Music Teachers Association of California Honor Recital in Sacramento. Andrew has also played percussion in his school band and enjoys travel, basketball, tennis, football, and reading.
A sophomore at Oak Park and River Forest High School, Kiyoshi Hayashi studies with Thomas Wermuth at the Western Springs School of Talent Education. He began playing violin at age seven. Kiyoshi won first place in the 2009 Musichorale Scholarship Contest and won honorable mention in both the junior (2008) and senior (2009) levels of the Walgreens National Concerto Competitions. He has performed in the orchestras at his high school, at Four Winds Waldorf School, and at the Western Springs School of Talent Education. He has also attended the Preludio advanced violin camp at Ithaca College Suzuki Institute. Kiyoshi also enjoys sports and spending time with his friends.
Alisa Kolot, a freshman at New Trier High School, began her piano studies at age six. Her current teacher is Brenda Huang at the Music Institute of Chicago. Alisa won honorable mention in the 2008 Illinois State Music Teachers Association Northeast District Auditions and first place in the Olympic Division of the 2007 Granquist Music Competition. She performed in the 2008 Annual Sonata-Sonatina Festival of the Chicago Area Music Teachers Association. In addition, Alisa plays clarinet, practices karate, and loves to read.
A senior at William Fremd High School in Barrington, Crystal Qi has studied violin with Cyrus Forough since age eight. She has won awards in numerous local competitions and advanced to the finals of the 2007 Stradivarius International Violin Competition in Salt Lake City, Utah. During the summers, Crystal has attended the Pilzen International Music Academy in the Czech Republic and Bowdoin International Music Camp in Brunswick, Maine. She is a member of the Schaumburg Youth Symphony Orchestra and was a finalist in the 2008 Chicago Symphony Youth Auditions. Crystal also enjoys drawing and playing badminton and volleyball.
Jennifer Ding is a senior at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. She began her musical studies with piano at age six, and began learning cello at age nine, studying with Gilda Barston of the Music Institute of Chicago, where she has also participated in the chamber music program. Jennifer has won awards in several local competitions and performed in the All-State Honors Orchestra of the Illinois Music Educators Association in 2008 and 2009. She is a member of the Stevenson High School Orchestra, is president of the Stevenson Science Olympiad Team, and is a member of the Tri-M Music Honor Society and National Honor Society.
A senior at Niles West High School, Maximilian Vikhter studies piano with Kristin Elgersma at the Music Academy of Northwestern University. In 2008, Max was chosen to perform in the honors recital and gala finale of the National High School Music Institute, held at Northwestern University. Max also won first place in the 2008 Illinois State Music Teachers Association Competition, and has won other competitions and scholarships for piano performance and study. At Niles West, Max plays percussion in the band and the orchestra. He is also president of the Russian Club and is a member of the Congressional Student Leadership conference and the Model United Nations Team. He also enjoys studying foreign languages and outdoor activities, such as camping, fishing, and gardening.
Aaron Lewis, a sophomore at New Trier High School, has studied guitar since he was four. He studies with Julia Miller at the Music Institute of Chicago. During the summers of 2007 and 2008, Aaron successfully competed in the Guitar Foundation of America International Competition. He was recently selected to participate in a McDonalds worldwide corporate video to promote music around the world. Aaron has been a Merit Scholarship winner at the Music Institute of Chicago and performs in numerous community locations. He was a member of the New Trier Freshman Volleyball Team and particularly enjoys skiing.
A ninth-grade student at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Nicholas Rejebian has studied piano with Soo Young Lee since he was eight years old. He has won numerous awards in the Granquist Music Competition and the North Shore Music Teachers Association Competition and Sonata-Sonatina Festival. Nicholas has recently performed for a fundraiser for the Armenian General Benevolent Union/Chicago, for His Eminence Bishop Bagrat Galstanian, Primate of the Armenian Apostolic Diocese of Canada at St. James Armenian Church in Evanston, and as production musician for James & the Giant Peach at Dr. Bessie Rhodes Magnet School. He is a member of the USSA Flying Fish swim team and plays soccer with Team Evanston.
A sophomore at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Hannah Kay performed on last year’s series as a member of Trio Bravo. She returns this year to play as a soloist. Hannah was a finalist in the 2009 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions, playing the first movement of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 1. She began studying piano at age five and studies with Brenda Huang. She has performed in the French Salon Series at Northbrook Public Library and in winners’ recitals for both the Society of American Musicians and Music Festival in Honor of Confucius’ annual competitions. When not engaged with music, Hannah also enjoys volleyball, badminton, and dance. View Hannah's slideshow...
Ben Solomonow, an eighth grader at Solomon Schechter Middle School, began studying cello when he was five years old and has been studying with Hans Jensen for the past three years. He is principal cellist of the Midwest Young Artists Concert Orchestra and a member of the Symphony Orchestra and a piano quartet. In January 2009, Ben won the DePaul Concerto Festival for young performers and played the Haydn C major Cello Concerto with the Oistrach Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed that concerto with the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra. Ben has been featured on WFMT’s “Introductions” program and has performed in Ravinia’s Bennet-Gordon Hall and with Mathieu Dufour, principal flutist of the Chicago Symphony. Ben loves to read and collect CDs of famous artists. View Ben's slideshow...
Twelve-year-old Adé Williams is the youngest soloist to ever perform with Chicago Sinfonietta, with which she performed the Bach Double Violin Concerto at age six.
She has performed with the Lake Forest Symphony and has been honored on ABC 7 Chicago’s “Someone You Should Know” with her trio, SugarStrings. Adé studies with Almita Vamos and has won prizes in numerous competitions, including the Sejong Competition, the Society of American Musicians competition, and the Walgreens Concerto Competition. She is also a recipient of the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation Instrument Loan. Adé is home-schooled and enjoys reading, swimming, and ballet when not busy making beautiful music with her violin.
PLEASE NOTE: Emily's performance was postponed due to illness. Watch this space for information about a rescheduled date.
