Arizona Musicfest Scholarship

Steven Zhang began studying violin at the age of 13 and viola at the age of 17. He currently studies violin with Jing Zeng, violinist of the Phoenix Symphony, and viola with Susanne Rothaar. Previously, he studied violin for two years with Joy Pan. This fall, Steven will attend The Juilliard School, where he will study viola with Molly Carr. 

As a violist, Steven placed first in the State Viola Competition of Arizona and won top prizes in the Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Strings, Harp, & Guitar Division III Competition and the Phoenix Youth Symphony Young Musicians Concerto Competition Senior Division. He has worked with distinguished professors such as Jeffrey Irvine, Steven Tenenbom, James Dunham, Wenting Kang, Tatjana Masurenko, Masao Kawasaki, Likuo Chang, Toby Appel, Peter Slowik, Victoria Chiang, Helen Callus, Lisa Boyko, and Caroline Coade. He has also played in masterclasses for the esteemed Orion Quartet and Harlem Quartet.

As a violinist, Steven has served as principal second violin and assistant concertmaster of the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra, and concertmaster of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. He has played violin in the AMEA Regionals and All-State Orchestras for three years and held the position of assistant concertmaster in the All-State Orchestra. 

Steven has participated in the Philadelphia International Music Festival and Tetra Chamber Music Institute as a violinist; this summer, he will attend Interlochen Arts Camp on a full scholarship as a violist.

In 2020, Steven founded Light of Music, a nonprofit volunteer program that organizes free concerts at retirement centers, children’s hospitals, and orphanages throughout the valley. The volunteer organization has held over 40 concerts and provided performance opportunities to over 150 student musicians. For his senior project this year, Steven volunteered 15 hours a week for 10 weeks to play music at Banner Gateway Medical Center, Banner Baywood Medical Center, and Inspira Gateway Senior Living. As a musician and member of the community, Steven wishes to continually develop his artistry and share it with as many people as possible.

Campbell Stewart (18) graduated from Pusch Ridge Christian Academy. Campbell has played percussion for nine years, studying under Dr. Trevor Barroero, the Principal Percussionist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Campbell is the Principal Percussionist of the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra and Arizona All State Orchestra. Campbell has 9 first place concerto competition awards from almost every Arizona competition and has been a soloist with all of those orchestras. He performed last summer with the National Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York and at the Gran Teatro Del Cibao in the Dominican Republic. This summer, he is returning to Carnegie Hall with the National Youth Orchestra and embarking on a month-long South America tour with the group.  This fall Campbell will be attending The Manhattan School of Music to major in Percussion Performance to prepare him for an orchestral career.

Sharon Hui currently studies with Dr. Jennifer Hayghe in pursuit of a BM in Piano Performance at the University of Colorado Boulder. She is an instructor at their Youth Piano Program for private lessons and group classes, President of the CU Boulder Collegiate Chapter of MTNA, and is seeking her Music Theory and Music Technology Certificates while working as a recording technician at the College of Music. She has also earned an Associate Diploma in Piano Performance (ARSM) from the Royal Schools of Music.

Sharon’s appearance with the Musica Nova Orchestra in 2021, performing Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in G minor, marked her concerto debut as the first-prize winner of the 2019 Arizona Piano Institute Festival Concerto Competition. In recent summers, she has attended the Brevard Music Center Summer Festival, the Wild Plums Recording Retreat, and the Brancaleoni International Music Festival. Last spring, alongside her colleagues, she presented research at the 2024 MTNA National Conference in Atlanta.

As part of the Hidden Voices project in the American Research Center at CU Boulder, Sharon has recorded and featured works by underrepresented composers. She also continues to enjoy performing collaboratively, and looks forward to her senior recital in Fall of 2024.

Leo Kubota started studying the cello with Professor Thomas Landschoot when he was 10 years old. He is currently studying with Professor Paul Watkins in the five-year Bachelor of Arts/Master of Music program at Yale University.

Most recently, Leo was a semi-finalist at the Leos Janacek International Cello competition where he was awarded for the best performance of the Kodaly Capriccio. As a soloist, Leo has performed with the Phoenix Symphony, the Montecito International Festival Orchestra, and the FOOSA Philharmonic after winning their respective concerto competitions. He recently was one of seven national finalists in the MTNA National Senior String Competition. He has also won top prizes at National YoungArts Competition, Phoenix Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, and Arizona Cello Society Competition, among others. Leo has twice earned First Prize at the Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competitions, both as a soloist and as a member of The Kubota Duo, a violin and cello duo with his sister Rina.

He has attended several music festivals, including Bowdoin International Music Festival, Vivace-e! Matera, Cincinnati Young Artists, Meadowmount School of Music, and Madeline Island Chamber Music. He has also been given the opportunity to play in masterclasses for Edward Arron, Natasha Brofsky, Lynn Harrell, Hans Jensen, Christine Lamprea, Trio Solisti, and David Ying.

Before starting the cello, Leo played piano for 5 years.  He won several awards, including First Prize and the Emily Butcher Outstanding Performance Award in the Young Artist Piano Competition and an Honorable Mention at the Russian Music International Piano Competition in San Jose, CA. His former teachers include Dr. Alex Zheng, Dr. Yali Luo, and Ms. Manuela Pagano.

Besides music, he finds joy in nature. He enjoys building and maintaining ecosystems full of aquatic plants and breeds dwarf shrimp in them— it has been one of his most rewarding hobbies over the past years.

Gracie recently graduated from The Colburn School with her Bachelors Degree in Trombone Performance and will be joining the Richmond Symphony in the Fall as their Acting Principal Trombone for the 2024/2025 Season. She has performed with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the LA Phil, The Phoenix Symphony, and the London Symphony Orchestra. She won the 2024 ITA Frank Smith Competition as well as the Whittier Regional Symphony Young Artists Competition and will be making her Solo Debut in October 2024. Gracie was a winner in the Ladies Musical Club of Seattle’s Frances Walton Competition where she performed live on KING-FM Radio and toured the State of Washington with her twin brother, Caden Potter accompanying her. She also won the ITA Robert Marsteller Competition and in 2022, she attended Music Academy in Santa Barbara, winning the Keston MAX Competition which sent her to London for a 10 day residency with the LSO. The same year she placed first in the International Women’s Brass Conference Trombone Category and won the Phoenix Brass Collective competition. For the past two summers, she has attended the Tanglewood Music Center where she has worked with the Boston Symphony Members.

Percussionist Eddie Virtgaym is a performer and advocate of all styles of music. He regularly performs classical music and jazz in small and large ensembles across the Valley. He is a collaborator at heart, always seeking avenues to create music with peers.

At Perry High School, he was a leader in his school’s Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band, Wind Bands, Marching Band, and Indoor Percussion Ensemble. There, he also volunteered often to perform percussion with the orchestras and choirs at his school. He also played vibraphone and drumset in the Young Sounds of Arizona, the Valley’s premier youth jazz big band and combo. He has participated in percussion ensembles and jazz combos at Scottsdale Community College and Chandler-Gilbert Community College, participated in Regional and All-State Wind Bands, Orchestras, and Jazz Bands, and received Superior ratings in several Solo performance festivals. Additionally, he often performs small-group jazz with peers at restaurants in Phoenix, and even has an 80’s cover band Polybius that regularly performs at StarFighters Arcade.

In 2019, Eddie received the Arizona Percussive Arts Society Summer Camp Scholarship to attend that summer’s Juilliard Summer Percussion Seminar. There, he spent two weeks with 15 other young people who care deeply about music and artistry, studying with some of the biggest names in contemporary percussion.

He was also the president of Perry High’s Tri-M Music Honors Society, where he spearheaded the organization of the 2020 CUSD Chamber Recital, which provided high school students from around Chandler solo and ensemble performance opportunities in a friendly and supportive environment.

Eddie is grateful to have studied with valley percussionist Josh Gottry throughout high school, and will be attending the San Francisco Conservatory of Music in the fall to study with Jake Nissly, where he will continue his journey and studies of performance, collaboration, and artistry.

Rina Kubota, a Neuroscience major at Yale University, is a 22-year-old violinist from Tempe studying with Professor Wendy Sharp. This year, she was one of 6 finalists at Yale’s William Waite Concerto Competition and was chosen to play for a masterclass by Hilary Hahn at Yale in February. Major solo performances include playing the Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1 with the MusicaNova Orchestra at the MIM and the Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3 (1st movement) with the Four Seasons Orchestra after receiving 1st prize at the Mozart & Friends Concerto Competition. Additionally, Rina has performed at the MIM both as a soloist and in the Kubota Duo with her brother, Leo. As a passionate chamber musician, Rina has been in a piano trio since her first year at Yale, and in high school, she was active in the Kubota Duo. The duo performed at the Young Musicians Concert at MIM after winning 1st prize at the Arizona Musicfest competition and was featured on FOX10 News.

Rina started playing the violin when she was 12 years old with Dr. Jonathan Swartz, with whom she studied until graduating high school. Before starting on the violin, Rina played piano for 7 years. She won several awards as a pianist, including First Prize and Gladys Chow Special Award for the Most Outstanding Performance of a Concerto by Mozart at the Young Artist Piano Competition. Rina’s former teachers include Dr. Yali Luo, Mrs. Joy Pan, and Ms. Manuela Pagano. Rina has attended Bowdoin Chamber Music Festival, Maine Chamber Music Seminar and Madeline Island Chamber Music. Rina has played for and studied under acclaimed musicians such as Arianna String Quartet, Brooklyn Rider String Quartet, Daniel Phillips, Dover Quartet, Juan-Miguel Hernandez, Jupiter String Quartet, Merz Trio, Omer Quartet, Pacifica String Quartet, Paul Kantor, and Shanghai String Quartet.

At Yale, Rina is passionate about making learning classical music more accessible—as a Teaching Artist at Music in the Schools Initiative, she teaches students from low-income backgrounds from New Haven public schools. She is also involved in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research–since May 2022, she has been a part of the Girgenti lab at Yale’s Connecticut Mental Health Center, conducting research on the role of GABA and the activation of microglia in PTSD using human postmortem brain tissue. She is the recipient of the Yale College Dean’s Research Fellowship in 2022. In her free time, Rina enjoys going on hikes and stopping to admire every flower, tree, or bird along the way.

Belle Wang, age 22, has won first place in numerous competitions including the ASTA State Solo Competition, the MTNA State Solo Competition, fhe Arizona Musicfest Musicians Competition, the American Protege International Concerto Competition, the Philadelphia International Music Festival Solo Competition and the International Grande Music Competition.

Shortly after her debut with the Chandler Symphony as winner of the 2016 Chandler Symphony Orchestra Competition, Belle performed in national venues like Carnegie Hall and Merkin Concert Hall in New York City. In 2017 and 2019, she performed with the Phoenix Symphony as the Grand Prize winner and Clotilde Otranto winner of the Youth Musicians Competition. As a former member of the Phoenix Youth Symphony, she has been the concertmaster of Symphonette and Youth Symphony and later, the World Youth Symphony Orchestra at Interlochen Summer Arts Camp. In addition to studying with Danwen Jiangm Professor of Violin at Arizona State University, Belle currently studies with Professor Margaret Batjer at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music. She has performed in the USC Thornton Symphony at venues like Walt Disney Concert Hall since 2019, she has held both the concertmaster and second violin principal chairs.

Oboist Alexander Mayer was born in 2001 and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. He began his musical journey at age 3 on violin and picked up the oboe in 2013; he went on to receive numerous honors and awards. Alexander started taking lessons from Nikolaus Flickinger in 7th grade, and later began studying with Martin Schuring. He was a member of the Phoenix Youth Symphony for 5 years and attended Arizona School for the Arts beginning in 2016.

Alex performed and competed with multiple chamber groups and won several solo competitions including the Arizona Musicfest Competitions in 2017 and 2018. After graduating from high school in the summer of 2018, Alexander was a member of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, chosen to perform in Carnegie Hall and tour Asia representing the country.

After graduating from Juilliard where he studied with Nathan Hughes, Alex began working on his Masters, also at Juilliard, and is expected to graduate in 2024. In the Fall of 2023, he gained the position as Acting Second Oboe with the Minnesota Orchestra and in January, will start as Principal Oboe of the Virginia Symphony. Among other opportunities that have come his way, he has been able to sub with the Richmond Symphony, Metropolitan Opera, Florida Orchestra and New World Symphony, gaining a lot of experience and has been fortunate to play in numerous festivals.

Alex’s latest festival opportunities have been the New York String Orchestra Seminar in the Winter of 2022 and Tanglewood Music Center, also in 2022. In 2023, Alex played both the Spoleto Festival USA and the Verbier Festival Orchestra. In 2024, Alex completed his Masters at Julliard, and is thrilled to be the Virginia Symphony Principal Oboe. He returns for his second summer at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland with the Festival Orchestra.

Claire Thai is an internationally recognized harpist, most recently having won a prestigious Anne Adams Award, Lyon and Healy Award, 1st place at the Suoni d’Arpa competition in Italy, and 1st Place at the American Harp Society National Competition. She is also an active composer and in 2021 was commissioned to write and perform her own harp concerto with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.  Some of her most notable solo performances have included the Ginastera Harp Concerto with the Phoenix Symphony, the Mozart Flute and Harp Concerto (programmed with her own concerto) with the Tucson Symphony, and the Ravel Introduction and Allegro and Debussy Danses Sacrée et Profane with the National Repertory Orchestra.  She is similarly passionate about orchestral performance and has recently performed with the Philadelphia Orchestra, was a fellow at the 2022 National Repertory Orchestra, and was a fellow at the 2021 Aspen Music Festival.  Born and raised in Tucson, Arizona, Claire began the study of the harp at age 5 and the piano at age 4. She has studied with numerous internationally recognized harpists such as Elizabeth Hainen, Nancy Allen, and Carrol McLaughlin.  She received her bachelor’s degree in Harp Performance from the Curtis Institute of Music and is currently continuing her education at Curtis with a master’s degree (anticipated 2024). Aside from music, she enjoys working with computers and playing with her three beloved Shih Tzus.
Most recently, in July , 2024, Claire won the harp position with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra.

Robbie Bui is a contemporary cellist whose playing has been regarded for its intense physicality and fervent energy. Complemented by his additional background in composition, he puts deep consideration into music’s theoretical construction blocks to yield corporeally gripping performances. Specializing in new music, Bui has dedicated himself to numerous works by living composers in solo and chamber settings.

He has appeared as a soloist in the Koussevitzky Shed, Seiji Ozawa Hall, Jordan Hall, McGill Schulich School of Music, Conrad Prebys Music Center, Mandeville Auditorium, and Coronado Public Library. He also performed in numerous ensembles since starting out with the Phoenix Youth Symphony.

Some merits from his musical career include winning Best Contemporary Performance Prize of the La Jolla Symphony Young Artists Competition, as well as New England Conservatory’s Honors Ensemble Competition 2018, Orchestral Composition Competition 2019, and Contemporary Ensemble Competitions 2020. Between 2018 and 2021, he was the leading director of the monthly series, Tuesday Night New Music. Additionally, he has been recognized and awarded through organizations such as Tribeca New Music, Collage New Music, Arizona Musicfest, and the American String Teacher Association’s National Orchestra Festival.

He graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree with Honors from the New England Conservatory, where he was the Commencement Address speaker and a Presser Scholar. His primary teachers included composer Stratis Minakakis and cellist Mickey Katz. He then graduated with a Master of Arts in Contemporary Cello performance at University of California San Diego studying with Charles Curtis. Currently, he is a doctoral candidate at the same institution. In summers, he has attended institutes and festivals fostering both composition and performance disciplines including Darmstädter Ferienkurse, Klangspuren, Etchings Festival, Delian Academy, New Music on the Point, Orford Music Academy Contemporary Workshop, Vienna Summer Music Festival+Ensemble PHACE, Boston Conservatory, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Idyllwild Arts.

Beyond cello and composition, Bui is the Community Engagement Manager of the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus, implementing programs to improve the accessibility and outreach of music. And beyond music, Bui is a portrait/event photographer, avid language learner, fashion enthusiast, and an occasional hair stylist, and latte artist.

Through the financial assistance of the Arizona Musicfest scholarship, Thomas Desrosiers studied clarinet performance and music education at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music under the tutelage of world-class instructors such as Bill Jackson and Dr. Thomas Verrier. While at Vanderbilt, Thomas always had a desire to perform and teach, and found many ways to do so. For instance, via music education practicum at local elementary, middle and high schools, as well as in his own collegiate community with groups like the University Concert Band and Spirit of Gold Marching Band, Thomas had roles leading, learning, teaching, and performing.

After achieving his undergraduate Musical Arts degree, Thomas went on to pursue a masters degree in marketing at the Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management, where he worked with like-minded entrepreneurial students, and studied under masters of their own crafts, including Design Thinking pioneer Dr. David Owens and market research and analytics legend Dr. Kelly Haws. The remarkable resources at Vanderbilt University helped propel Thomas to an esteemed position as a Cloud Technical Resident at Google immediately after graduation.

Currently, Thomas works as a cybersecurity engineer at Google, where he strives to make an impact in the technical community and provide safety and security to the web and everyone who uses it. Thomas continues to hone his musical skills by being a multi-instrumentalist, playing saxophone and electric bass with friends every now and then.

Ryanne (McLaren) Molinari graduated summa cum laude with a B.M. in piano performance and an organ minor from Biola University and the Torrey Honors College. While at Biola, she received elite scholarships for academic merit and was named the 2018 Presser Undergraduate Music Scholar.

In 2020, Ryanne completed her M.Litt. in “Theology and the Arts” from the University of St. Andrew’s, Scotland. When the pandemic cut short her time abroad, Ryanne found work as a church organist and high school assistant choir director near her hometown of Gilbert, Arizona. In 2021, Ryanne married Billy Molinari, and the two moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where Billy serves as a pastor and Ryanne works as a collaborative pianist and traditional worship director. In March 2023, she performed as a pianist and vocalist with Chorale Midwest at Carnegie Hall.

Ryanne is also a prolific writer. She is currently writing a book on musical worship (Spirit-Filled Singing, Crossway) and has been published by The Gospel Coalition, Transpositions, Ekstasis, and The Journal of the T.S. Eliot Society (UK). Ryanne is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry from Covenant Theological Seminary.
More information and samples of Ryanne’s work can be accessed at RyanneMolinari.com.

Anna Han is currently based in Germany, where she recently finished an Artist Diploma at the Barenboim-Said Akademie under the tutelage of Sir András Schiff and Schaghajegh Nostrati, and will begin studies at the Kronberg Academy in October. Highlights of the past season include engagements at the BOZAR Henry Le Boeuf Hall in Brussels, National Concert Hall of Taipei, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), the Classeek Showroom in Aubonne, Switzerland, St. Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh, and the Chicago Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concerts series, among others. She has appeared in recitals with Steven Isserlis, Kim Kashkashian, Mon-Puo Lee, Randall Goosby, Leland Ko, and the Verona Quartet. This past year, she also won the second prize at the Naumburg International Piano Competition, and first prize at the National Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist Award. She is the newly appointed education director at the Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance in Nova Scotia, and is a faculty member at Yellow Barn’s Young Artist Program in Vermont.

With help from the AZ Musicfest Scholarship, she previously completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Juilliard School under the tutelage of Robert McDonald, receiving the prestigious Kovner Fellowship, Juilliard Bachauer Scholarship, and William Schuman Prize; before studying with Christopher Elton at the Royal Academy of Music in London for a year. She lives to share laughter, experiences, and sometimes, good music with friends all over the world. More information is available at www.annahan.net.

Bassoonist Dana Brink enjoys a varied musical life in West Virginia, where she is an Adjunct Instructor of Woodwind Pedagogy and Music Theory at West Virginia University. Passionate about chamber music, she is a co-founder of the Bridge Bassoon Duo, specializing in contemporary classical music for two bassoons, and the bassoonist and Director of Marketing and Communications for the Wild Prairie Winds, a wind quintet dedicated to promoting accessible chamber music in small communities. She also regularly performs with orchestras throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Dana is dedicated to expanding the repertoire for bassoon chamber ensembles, especially by composers historically underrepresented in the Western canon. She is the creator behind the Bassoon For All YouTube channel, an archive of recordings of the many excellent works for solo and small ensemble bassoon which previously lacked high-quality, easily accessible recordings. Dana earned a master’s degree in bassoon performance from the Yale School of Music as a student of Frank Morelli and dual bachelor’s degrees in bassoon performance and political science from the Eastman School of Music/University of Rochester, where she studied with George Sakakeeny and John Hunt. Read more about her latest projects at www.brinkbassoon.com.

Violinist Jeanelle Thompson, Principal Second Violin of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, has dedicated herself to symphonic music for nearly two decades. Her commitment to orchestral performance has taken her to many of the world’s most prestigious stages including Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall, Elbphilharmonie, Musikverein, Beijing’s National Centre for the Performing Arts, Philharmonie de Paris, Severance Hall and Suntory Hall.

Jeanelle’s love for orchestral music began at the age of 9 when she joined the community orchestra in her hometown of Safford, Arizona. Seven years later, she made her solo debut with the Phoenix Symphony. Inspired by her early experiences onstage, Jeanelle went on to earn her undergraduate degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she studied with William Preucil and was awarded the Dr. Jerome Gross Prize in Violin. While in school she was a member of the Canton Symphony Orchestra and attended the Aspen Music Festival, Brevard Music Center, Perlman Music Program and the Verbier Festival.

Jeanelle has since performed as a substitute with the Cleveland Orchestra, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Minnesota Orchestra. She has appeared as guest concertmaster with the Bangor Symphony, the Brevard Music Center orchestras, the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, the Lexington Bach Festival and the Youngstown Symphony. As a music educator, Jeanelle served on the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Preparatory Chamber Music faculty from 2018-2022 and maintains a private studio.

Eva is an artist and 3rd year PhD student in the Performance Studies and Music program at the University of Chicago. As a scholar, Eva’s work is concerned with issues of power in arts spaces, especially for performers, students, and mentees who experience forms of systemic violence. Her dissertation project explores performances of the erotic in genres considered disreputable where trans and gender nonconforming people of color contest the material conditions of sexual and racial oppression. As an artist, Eva performs as a drag priestess under the name APoliticalGirl in Chicago, Illinois. Her work has been published in Ethnomusicology Review and the Journal for Popular Music Studies.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Vietnamese-American pianist Karen Nguyen is recognized for her commitment to the arts as a performing artist and pedagogue. She holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree from Arizona State University, where she studied with Brazilian pianist Caio Pagano. Karen has also studied with Portuguese pianist and pedagogue Manuela Pagano, who she credits most of her love for teaching.

Karen’s performances have delighted audiences in Portugal, England, Italy, and across the United States. Together with her husband, violinist Christiano Rodrigues, Karen maintains an active performance schedule. Recently, the Rodrigues-Nguyen Duo has appeared in performances at Washington State University, Nicholls State University, the Pelican’s Chamber Music Series, the Round Top Festival Institute Chamber Music Series, and with the MusicaNova Orchestra Chamber Players. Karen has collaborated in chamber music performances with Caio Pagano, Dennis Parker, Charles Castleman, Richard Sherman, Jonathan Gunn, and Alexander Shuhan. She has also worked with Washington State University’s Concert Choir and University Singers as their pianist. An avid advocate of new music, Karen has performed, premiered, and recorded the music of composers Rodney Rogers and James DeMars. She was also a member of the Arizona Contemporary Music Ensemble, directed by Simone Mancuso.

A passionate pedagogue, Karen taught for several years at the East Valley Yamaha Music School in Chandler, Arizona. She also serves as the Director of Online Engagement, Assistant Director of Community Engagement, and Archivist for the International Chamber Orchestra of Puerto Rico. Karen currently resides in Pullman, Washington with her husband and their two cats.

Kaelan James started playing clarinet at age 9, and since moving to Arizona in 2018, he studied with Dr. Stefanie Gardner. As a soloist, Kaelan has been acknowledged as Best in Class twice in the Arizona Music Educators Association Solo & Ensemble Competition. He also placed in the 2022 Arizona Musicfest Competition, the 2021 Bellagrande International Competition, and the 2021 International Clarinet Association Clareidoscope Contest.

Kaelan held principal positions at the Youth Symphony of the Southwest and the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra, as well as playing in Arizona All State Honor Bands and Orchestras all four years of high school.

Kaelan was also active as a chamber musician, performing with a variety of groups including the Scottsdale Community College Wind Septet and Sextet, Glendale Community College Bass Clarinet Choir, and Music Enrichment Foundation Wind Quintet, all while co-founding a reed trio at Arizona School for the Arts.

Kaelan presently attends Stanford University where he is pursuing a double major in mechanical engineering and clarinet performance under Mark Bradenburg. Alongside performing regularly with the Stanford Philharmonia, he serves as artistic director and composing member for Stanford Taiko.

A native of Flagstaff, Tanner Dodt is studying at the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, under the instruction of Kevin Fitz-Gerald. He is also pursuing a minor in computer programming at USC. In high school, Tanner studied with Fei Xu and performed as part of the MusicaNova Orchestra Young Artists Series, Orchestra of Northern Arizona, and in numerous solo recitals. In the fall of 2022, Tanner won 2nd place in Division IV of the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition. In the summer of 2023, he participated in the Academie Internationale de Musique music festival and academy in Paris and the Euro Music Festival and Academy in Szczecin, Poland, where he gave numerous solo performances and worked with renowned faculty from around the world. In the fall of 2023, Tanner was awarded as the alternate in the MTNA Arizona Competition and tied for 2nd place in Category H of the Arizona International Music Competition. In the summer of 2024, Tanner returned to the Euro Music Festival and Academy and participated in the Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival in Maiori, Italy. In his time away from playing the piano himself, Tanner enjoys teaching piano lessons to his sixteen students.

Since the age of four, violinist Jonathan Okseniuk has been performing as a soloist. At the age of five he made his orchestral debut with the Suprima Chamber Orchestra. Other solo appearances include performances with Arizona Musicfest Festival Orchestra, The Phoenix Symphony, West Valley Symphony, Chandler Symphony Orchestra, Memphis Symphony Orchestra, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg String Quartet, and an engagement at the Mesa Arts Center.

As a competitor, Jonathan has placed first in many national and local competitions. Most recently, he placed first 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. In 2021, Jonathan placed first in the Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians String, Harp, and Guitar Division II Competition, the Chandler Symphony Orchestra Youth Competition, and the Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition.

In 2023, Jonathan was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music and is studying under 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 such as Jan Sloman, Miriam Fried, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Peter Oundjian and William van der Sloot and with esteemed chamber groups like the Dover Quartet and members of the Manhattan Chamber Players.

Jonathan has participated in summer programs such as Morningside Music Bridge, Heifetz International Music Institute, and Chamber Music Northwest Young Artist Institute.

Steven Zhang began studying violin at the age of 13 and viola at the age of 17. He currently studies violin with Jing Zeng, violinist of the Phoenix Symphony, and viola with Susanne Rothaar. Previously, he studied violin for two years with Joy Pan. This fall, Steven will attend The Juilliard School, where he will study viola with Molly Carr. 

As a violist, Steven placed first in the State Viola Competition of Arizona and won top prizes in the Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Strings, Harp, & Guitar Division III Competition and the Phoenix Youth Symphony Young Musicians Concerto Competition Senior Division. He has worked with distinguished professors such as Jeffrey Irvine, Steven Tenenbom, James Dunham, Wenting Kang, Tatjana Masurenko, Masao Kawasaki, Likuo Chang, Toby Appel, Peter Slowik, Victoria Chiang, Helen Callus, Lisa Boyko, and Caroline Coade. He has also played in masterclasses for the esteemed Orion Quartet and Harlem Quartet.

As a violinist, Steven has served as principal second violin and assistant concertmaster of the Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra, and concertmaster of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. He has played violin in the AMEA Regionals and All-State Orchestras for three years and held the position of assistant concertmaster in the All-State Orchestra. 

Steven has participated in the Philadelphia International Music Festival and Tetra Chamber Music Institute as a violinist; this summer, he will attend Interlochen Arts Camp on a full scholarship as a violist.

In 2020, Steven founded Light of Music, a nonprofit volunteer program that organizes free concerts at retirement centers, children’s hospitals, and orphanages throughout the valley. The volunteer organization has held over 40 concerts and provided performance opportunities to over 150 student musicians. For his senior project this year, Steven volunteered 15 hours a week for 10 weeks to play music at Banner Gateway Medical Center, Banner Baywood Medical Center, and Inspira Gateway Senior Living. As a musician and member of the community, Steven wishes to continually develop his artistry and share it with as many people as possible.

Tony Kim began studying the piano with Dr. Yali Luo since the age of 10 and the cello with Jan Simiz, assistant principal of the Phoenix Symphony, at age 11. He has won first prizes in the Steinway Avanti Junior Piano Competition, Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competition, OPUS Competition, Tone X Galaxie Y Music International Competition, Charleston International Music Competition, and Vivo International Music Competition. He also received first place for both the 2021 and 2022 Arizona MTNA State Competition Senior Piano Division. 

An avid cellist, Tony has also won top prizes at numerous string competitions, including the Arizona Strings Teachers Association Competition, Arizona Musicfest Young Musicians Competition, Phoenix Youth Symphony Young Musicians Competition, Bellegrande International Music Competition, and OPUS Competition. He has played in the AMEA Regionals and All-State Orchestras for all four years of high school and held principal position multiple times.

An active performer, Tony has performed in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Parker Concert Hall, and the Musical Instrument Museum. Some of the summer programs he has attended include the Heifetz International Music Institute, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Brevard Music Center, and Vivace International Music Festival. Over the years, he has had the opportunity to study with Hans Jensen, David Ying, Yeesun Kim, Norman Krieger, and Robert Hamilton and play in masterclasses for Zlatomir Fung, Natasha Brofsky, Colin Carr, and Jeffrey Solow. 

Tony currently studies with Professor Felix Wang in the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in cello performance. He enjoys performing in chamber ensembles and has served as principal cellist in the Vanderbilt University Orchestra.

Campbell Stewart (18) graduated from Pusch Ridge Christian Academy. Campbell has played percussion for nine years, studying under Dr. Trevor Barroero, the Principal Percussionist of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Campbell is the Principal Percussionist of the Tucson Philharmonia Youth Orchestra and Arizona All State Orchestra. Campbell has 9 first place concerto competition awards from almost every Arizona competition and has been a soloist with all of those orchestras. He performed last summer with the National Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York and at the Gran Teatro Del Cibao in the Dominican Republic. This summer, he is returning to Carnegie Hall with the National Youth Orchestra and embarking on a month-long South America tour with the group.  This fall Campbell will be attending The Manhattan School of Music to major in Percussion Performance to prepare him for an orchestral career.