Performances + Events
NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program
August 8–16, 2026
The NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program is a nine-day immersive festival where talented young musicians rehearse and perform alongside Mentor Artists while receiving daily coachings from world-renowned Faculty Artists.
Each Young Artist is selected through a rigorous audition process and receives a full scholarship, including housing and meals. Pianists, violinists, violists, and cellists are eligible to apply.
Age Eligibility: 13–19*
*For high-school students, recent graduates, and gap-year students who have not yet matriculated to college
Applications for the Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program are now closed. We invite you to explore our other Expanded Education programs for musicians of all ages and skill levels.
About the Program
The NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program brings talented Young Artists to campus for nine days of intensive, collaborative music-making. Participants work alongside NEC’s renowned faculty, students, alumni, and guest artists to explore, study, and perform chamber music together. Every participant attends on a full scholarship, including on-campus housing and meals.
Comprehensive Mentorship
Each Young Artist participates in a chamber music ensemble — such as a string quartet, piano trio, or similar group. In addition to fellow Young Artists, each ensemble includes one Mentor Artist: a current NEC student or alumnus in the early stages of a professional career. For example, a string quartet will include three Young Artists and one Mentor Artist. The Mentor Artist plays side-by-side with these Young Artists throughout the nine-day immersive program — in every rehearsal, coaching session, master class, and performance.
In addition to this side-by-side mentorship, each chamber music ensemble receives daily coachings from our world-renowned Faculty Artists and works with them in a variety of additional ways throughout the program. This multi-layered mentorship creates an immersive experience that deepens each Young Artist’s skills, confidence, and musical insight.
Explore, Collaborate, Perform
Each Young Artist also performs in a solo master class, participates in career-focused workshops and discussions, collaborates side-by-side with Mentor Artists in a conductor-less string orchestra or piano-focused initiatives, and attends Faculty and Mentor Artist concerts. The festival culminates in three final concerts, featuring each Young Artist ensemble in NEC’s iconic Jordan Hall, celebrating the artistry and growth of every participant.
Faculty Artists
Young Artists receive daily chamber music coachings and interact with NEC’s outstanding faculty in myriad ways. Faculty Artists include:
Artistic Director, Violin/Viola
Violin
Violin
Viola
Violin
Cello
Violin
Mentor Artists
Young Artists rehearse and perform in groups with Mentor Artists. Our Mentor Artists are specially-selected NEC alumni and current students that are in the beginning stages of vibrant and meaningful careers.
2026 Mentor Artists
Mentor Artist, Violin
Boston-based Violinist Kate Arndt recently completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Yale University under Ani Kavafian, holds both Master of Music and Master of Musical Arts degrees from Yale University, and completed her undergraduate studies in Violin Performance at New England Conservatory under Miriam Fried.
Kate is currently the Principal Second Violin of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the Assistant Concertmaster of the Colorado Music Festival, and frequently performs chamber music with artists in Colorado and across the Northeast.
Kate has toured with several ensembles, including the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and as a member of the New York Classical Players, and she has recently performed as part of chamber music series such as the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and the Bridgehampton Music Festival. This year she also made her debut as a guest soloist with the Colorado Symphony, and has performed extensively throughout the US and Europe.
Kate plans to continue expanding her career by featuring the contributions of women in classical music, a special interest and subject of her dissertation.
Mentor Artist, Violin
David Carreon is a Filipino-Australian violinist based in Boston, Massachusetts. He will join the New World Symphony as a Violin Fellow in the 2026–27 season and has performed with ensembles including the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Atlantic Symphony Orchestra, Boston Chamber Symphony, and A Far Cry. As a soloist, he has appeared with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music Symphony Orchestra, Eastern Sydney Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Youth Orchestra Philharmonic.
David holds a Graduate Diploma and Master of Music from New England Conservatory, where he studied with Kristopher Tong, following a Bachelor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Goetz Richter. His honors include winning the New England Conservatory Chamber Honors Competition and the Sydney Eisteddfod Doctors Orchestra Scholarship, as well as being named a finalist for the 2026 Chicago Symphony Orchestra Fellowship and a semi-finalist for the New Jersey Symphony Colton Fellowship.
He has also participated in renowned festivals including Spoleto Festival USA, LyricaFest, and Orvieto Musica, and has performed in master classes with Hilary Hahn, Michael Kannen, Maria Lambros, Benjamin Beilman, and Midori.
David currently plays on an 1806 Emanuel Adam Homolka violin.
Mentor Artist, Violin
Violinist Nicholas Hammel, known for his poetic phrasing and expressive depth, is currently pursuing his Doctorate in Violin Performance at the University of Texas at Austin under Sandy Yamamoto. He has also earned degrees from the Yale School of Music and New England Conservatory, studying with Ani Kavafian and Don Weilerstein.
He has soloed with orchestras such as the Richardson Symphony, Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. He also competed in the 2024 Joachim Violin Competition, and he was a semi-finalist in the 2022 Young Texas Artists Music Competition, the 2022 Jefferson Symphony Young Artists Competition, and first prize winner in the 2022 Ann & Charles Eismann Young Artists Competition. Most recently, Nicholas won first prize in the 2025 Eastern Connecticut Symphony Instrumental Competition.
Nicholas is also an active chamber music performer and has had the pleasure of collaborating with artists such as Steven Tenenbom, Bion Tsang, Ara Gregorian, Anton Nel, and Robert McDonald, as well as members of the Miró and Juilliard String Quartets. He also is the violinist of Trio Sponte, a piano trio founded at the New England Conservatory in 2023. Together, they won the grand prize at the 2024 Coltman Chamber Music Competition.
Nicholas currently plays on a 2019 Felix Krafft violin.
Mentor Artist, Violin
Violinist Evan Johanson made his debut with the Seattle Symphony after winning their Young Artist Award in 2015, in 2020 performed Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante with the Colburn Orchestra, and in 2024 participated in the ISANGYUN competition. From Carnegie Hall to the Teatro Nacional Sucre in Ecuador, Evan led the NYO-USA as concertmaster across two international tours in 2016 and 2017 and has since been appointed leadership positions across different ensembles, such as the Colburn Orchestra, American Youth Symphony, Yale Philharmonia, New England Conservatory’s Chamber Orchestra and Philharmonia, and NYO All-Stars. He’s also subbed with the Seattle Symphony and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra.
A passionate chamber musician, Evan has participated in an array of festivals, such as Kronberg Academy’s Chamber Music Connects the World, Ravinia, Yellow Barn, Olympic Music Festival, Académie Ravel, Taos School of Music, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, & Four Seasons Spring Workshop. Evan has also performed with renowned artists such as Miriam Fried, Kim Kashkashian, Lawrence Power, Miklós Perényi, Enrico Pace, Amy Yang, and Janine Jansen.
Evan completed his bachelor’s at the Colburn Conservatory as a student of Robert Lipsett, master’s at the Yale School of Music under Ani Kavafian, and recently finished his Graduate Diploma at NEC with Miriam Fried.
Mentor Artist, Violin
Taiwanese violist Yeh-Chun Lin has performed throughout the United States, Europe, Canada, and Taiwan as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician. Recent appearances include performances at Jordan Hall, Boston Symphony Hall, and Harvard University’s Signet Society, as well as collaborations with ensembles including Delirium Musicum and A Far Cry. She is a first prize winner of the Les Violons du Roy Concerto Competition, a recipient of the Borromeo Quartet Guest Artist Award, and a winner of the A Far Cry x NEC Collaborative Competition.
An active and passionate chamber musician, Yeh-Chun has participated in festivals and programs including the Four Seasons Chamber Music Workshop, Yellow Barn, Domaine Forget de Charlevoix, and the Perlman Music Program. She has collaborated and performed with artists including Donald Weilerstein, Ani Kavafian, Robert McDonald, Collin Carr, Catherine Cho, and members of the Doric Quartet and Borromeo Quartets, and has participated in masterclasses and coachings with musicians such as Itzhak Perlman, Nobuko Imai, and Mark Steinberg.
Deeply committed to music education and community engagement, Yeh-Chun has served as a Teaching Fellow and chamber music coach at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School, working with students ranging from elementary school through pre-college levels. Her teaching and artistic work emphasize collaboration, communication, and storytelling through music.
Yeh-Chun earned both her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in Viola Performance from the New England Conservatory, where she also completed the Teaching Artistry Concentration. Her principal teachers and mentors include Mai Motobuchi, Beth Guterman Chu, and Wen-Ting Kang.
Mentor Artist, Violin
Winner of the 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Korean American violinist Julian Rhee came to international prominence following his prize winning performances at the 2024 Queen Elisabeth International Violin Competition and Silver Medal at the 11th Quadrennial International Violin Competition of Indianapolis.
Rhee has appeared with orchestras including the Milwaukee Symphony, Belgian National Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony, Stuttgart KammerOrchester, Pittsburgh Symphony, Pacific Symphony, and San Diego Symphony alongside Alexander Shelley, Andrew Litton, Valentina Peleggi, Antony Hermus and Leonard Slatkin, among others. Upcoming engagements include debuts with Gürzenich-Orchester and Andrés Orozco-Estrada, and La Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia and Daniel Raiskin.
Rhee is a member of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Bowers Program, and has performed at festivals including Music@Menlo, Bridgehampton, Marlboro Music, and the North Shore Chamber Music Festival, performing alongside esteemed musicians such as Vadim Gluzman, Christian Tetzlaff, and Mitsuko Uchida.
Rhee received his bachelor’s and Mmster’s degrees as teaching assistant of Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory and currently studies with Christian Tetzlaff at the Kronberg Academy.
Rhee is the recipient of the 1699 “Lady Tennant” Antonio Stradivari violin and Jean Pierre Marie Persoit bow on extended loan through the Mary B. Galvin Foundation and the Stradivari Society.
Mentor Artist, Viola
William Sotiriou is a Boston-based violist currently pursuing his Master of Music degree as a student of Wenting Kang at the New England Conservatory. He began his musical studies with Gillian Rogell at New England Conservatory Preparatory School before attending The Juilliard School, where he received his bachelor’s degree under the guidance of Carol Rodland.
An active chamber musician, William has recently performed alongside the Borromeo String Quartet and A Far Cry, and he has worked closely with chamber music pedagogues including Merry Peckham, Donald Weilerstein, Itzhak Perlman, and the Takács String Quartet.
William is also passionate about serving his communities through teaching, working with young musicians in New York City public schools and sharing his enthusiasm for music at the Immigrant Family Services Institute in Boston.
During recent summers, William has appeared at Monadnock Music, Perlman Music Program’s Chamber Music Workshop, Music Academy of the West, Aspen Music Festival, and the Bowdoin International Music Festival. William is a proud recipient of the Francis W. Hatch, Sr. Presidential Scholarship at NEC.
Mentor Artist, Viola
Zhanbo Zheng, Associate Principal Viola of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, is the first Chinese to win the Primrose International Viola Competition. He is also the laureate of the Irving M. Klein International String Competition and the Washington International Competition for Strings.
As a soloist, Zheng has performed with the Santa Barbara Chamber
Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, and China Broadcasting Performing Arts Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Zheng has made appearances in music festivals, including the Marlboro Music Festival, Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Caramoor Evening Rising Stars, Music@Menlo, and Verbier Festival Academy. He has been invited to perform at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society as a guest artist, and has toured the US several times with musicians from Marlboro and Ravinia Steans Music Institute, giving performances in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Kaufman Music Center, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Zheng earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees with top Academic Honors from the New England Conservatory, where he studied with Kim Kashkashian, Miriam Fried, and Dominique Eade. He also holds an Artist Diploma from the Juilliard School, where he was mentored by Paul Neubauer.
Mentor Artist, Cello
Born in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, cellist Zac Fung grew up going to Temple Prep and the Settlement Music School. At the age of 16, he relocated to Boston to further his musical education, participating in New England Conservatory Preparatory School, the Boston Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
Zac first performed as a soloist with his hometown orchestra, the Bucks County Symphony. He has gone on to feature with the Riverside Symphonia, the Old York Road Symphony, the Colorado College Summer Music Festival Orchestra, and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra.
He has collaborated with renowned musicians such as Inmo Yang, Anna Fedarova, Bion Tsang, Andrew Wan, Ayano Ninomiya and Laufey. As a chamber musician, he has performed with ensembles that have participated in the Boston Philharmonic Quartet Seminar, the Eastman School of Music Honors and Intensive Programs, the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes’ Quartet-in-Residence, and New England Conservatory’s Honors Chamber Program as a part of the Calandra Quartet.
His past teachers have included Sarah Yoon, Thomas Kraines, Eugene Kim, Mark Churchill, David Ying, and Yeesun Kim. He has also received guidance from Benjamin Zander, Bruce Coppock, Stefan Hersh, and Scott Yoo. In the fall, he will be attending Conservatorium van Amsterdam with Gideon der Herder.
Mentor Artist, Cello
Cellist Leland Ko is the kind of person who is always asking “why” — American-born but of Chinese-Canadian descent, schooled at both university and conservatory, and extremely thorough in any number of activities ranging from tennis and distance-running to home-baking and origami, he wants to find the similarities between seemingly disparate things, and in doing so hopefully find something human in everything.
Described as someone with “disarming charisma” (South Florida Classical Review) yet simultaneously as someone “Byronic” and “excelling in both poetic longing and dramatic outbursts” (Boston Classical Review), Leland has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in venues across America and abroad. He is a first prize winner of the Walter W. Naumburg International Cello Competition, a third prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, and an Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient.
Leland was a long-time student of Kirsten Peltz, Ronald Lowry, and Paul Katz before attending Princeton University, where he graduated with an AB in German Literature. He went on to complete an MM at The Juilliard School with Minhye Clara Kim, Timothy Eddy, and Natasha Brofsky, and then earned an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory with Laurence Lesser, Yeesun Kim, and Donald Weilerstein. He resides in Boston, with his 14-year-old cat, Ham.
Young Artists
Meet the outstanding musicians selected to participate in the 2026 NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program.
2026 Young Artists
Young Artist, Violin
Alison Chung, an 18-year old violinist from Northbrook, Illinois, began her musical studies at age 6 and currently studies with Desirée Ruhstrat. She has won prizes at competitions such as the ADM Concerto Competition, performing the first movement of the Walton Violin Concerto with the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, performing the third movement of the Sibelius Violin Concerto.
Alison is also an avid chamber musician. As a member of Quartetto Speranza, she earned the Bronze Medal at the 2025 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. With the Phoenix Quartet, she won first prize in the Open Division of the Chicago National Chamber Music Competition. Alongside high school classmates, she founded the Glenbrook Chamber Music Society in order to increase the reach of classical music within her community.
This summer, she will make music at the Yellowbarn Young Artists Program, and she will attend Princeton University as a member of the Class of 2030.
Young Artist, Violin
Violinist Neal Eisfeldt studies with Almita Vamos and Injoo Choi and is both, a Negaunee Foundation Merit Scholarship Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy as well as a Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative Fellow.
Neal made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall at age ten, followed by his orchestral debut at eleven with the Midwest Philharmonic. His rapidly expanding ensemble experience includes appearances with the Lancaster Symphony (July ’26), Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, Elmhurst Symphony, SEAN, Fox Valley, West Suburban, Peoria Guild, and the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra. At fourteen, he became the youngest violinist to perform the full Tchaikovsky Concerto with the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
A two-time National YoungArts Winner and gold medalist at the Illinois Music Association’s Bach Solo Contest (Advanced), Neal has earned top prizes at major competitions including DePaul, Stanger, Montzka, PSO Guild, SAM, and Sejong. Internationally, he received the Grand Prize at the Enkor Festival (up to age 25) and top honors in Bonn, Salzburg, France, and at Crescendo.
Frequently invited for pre-concert performances and fundraisers, he has performed at several venues such as Symphony Center, Bennett Gordon Hall, and UChicago’s Tea-Time Series, and appeared on NPR’s From the Top and WFMT’s Introductions. A dedicated chamber musician, his trio was a semifinalist at the Fischoff Chamber Music competition.
Concertmaster and principal violinist of the Academy Orchestra, Neal has collaborated with members of the Civic and Chicago Symphony Orchestras through CYMF and the National Equity Arts Festival and has had the honor to play for renowned artists such as James Ehnes, Midori, Hilary Hahn, Augustine Hadelich, Ilya Kaler, Gerardo Ribeiro, and Vadim Gluzman.
n avid composer, Neal enjoys cooking, chess, and spending time in nature.
Young Artist, Violin
Catelijne Hunt studies violin with Mimi Zweig at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Precollege String Academy, where she previously was a student of Dr. Brenda Brenner. Additionally, she has taken lessons with Sarah Kapustin and Sirena Huang, and participated in masterclasses with Martin Beaver, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Jinjoo Cho, Vadim Gluzman, Luke Hsu, Grigory Kalinovsky, Mark Kaplan, Kyung Sun Lee, Richard Lin, Ayano Ninomiya, Robin Scott, and Almita Vamos.
Catelijne won first prize in the 2023 Northern Kentucky University School of the Arts Tri-State Rising Artists Violin Competition, the 2024 Bloomington Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition, the 2024–2025 Indianapolis Youth Orchestra Young Artist Competition (Senior Division), and most recently performed as a soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the 2025–2026 Maurer Young Musicians Competition.
She has attended the Jacobs School of Music Summer String Academy since 2023, where she received chamber music coachings from Roeland Jagers, Sarah Kapustin, and members of the Erinys and Hangzhou Quartets, and participated in chamber music master classes with Amir Eldan and members of the Pacifica Quartet. Catelijne also performs as part of the Jacobs School of Music String Academy Virtuosi.
Young Artist, Violin
Born in South Korea, 15-year-old violinist Gloria So One Kwon began studying the violin at age eight on Jeju Island, where her talent was recognized by Mr. Jaehyun Kim of the Jeju Philharmonic. She currently studies on scholarship at the Juilliard School Preparatory Division with Dr. Ann Setzer and Mr. Khullip Jeung.
Gloria has earned top prizes in competitions, including the 2025 Mary G. Roebling Concerto Competition, and the 2026 PIMF Concerto Competition. Gloria was also selected as the first SoriDari young artist fellow in 2026, performing at the Korean Cultural Center New York. She has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey and the Massapequa Philharmonic and has participated in masterclasses with Randall Goosby, Stefan Jackiw, Jinjoo Cho, Paul Kantor, and other distinguished artists.
In the summer of 2026, Gloria participated in the Yellow Barn Young Artists Program and Morningside Music Bridge. She also contributes to nonprofit organizations such as the Back to BACH Project and Music of the Heart Inc.
Gloria pursues her violin studies with passion and discipline, motivated by a heartfelt desire to glorify God through her music while continually striving to grow as both an artist and an individual.
Young Artist, Violin
Kayla Lee is a recent graduate of Valley Christian High School, heading to study Economics and Violin performance with Masao Kawasaki at the Columbia Juilliard program. She has received national recognition as a three-time National YoungArts winner (2024–2026). She has also toured internationally with the National Youth Orchestra of the USA (NYO-USA) since 2023. She served as principal violinist for the 2023 NYO2 tour to the Dominican Republic and toured South America in 2024 with NYO-USA. In 2025, she returned as concertmaster of NYO-USA under Gianandrea Noseda, performing at Carnegie Hall and touring Asia with soloists Ray Chen and Clara-Jumi Kang.
Additionally, Kayla has earned top prizes at the USOMC, KAMSA, Silicon Valley, and Pacific International music competitions. She has appeared as a soloist with the California Youth Symphony on tour in Japan, Palo Alto Philharmonic, KAMSA Youth Orchestra, and Temple Hill Symphony.
As a chamber musician, Kayla has been a member of Young Chamber Musicians for three years and competed nationally as part of the Orenda Quartet.
Young Artist, Violin
Raymond Lim is a 17-year-old violinist from Gaithersburg, Maryland. He began studying the violin at age seven and currently studies with Ryan Meehan of the Calidore String Quartet and Ying Fu of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO). Since 2023, he has been a full-scholarship recipient of the NSO Youth Fellowship Program, working closely under the mentorship of NSO musicians.
A 2026 National YoungArts Winner, Raymond received First Place in the 2026 U.S. Army Young Artist Competition, performing Shostakovich’s Violin Concerto No. 1 with the U.S. Army Orchestra as soloist. He also won Grand Prize at the 2025 International Dvořák Classical Music Competition, along with top prizes at the Camerata Artists International Concerto Competition, Asian American Music Society International Music Competition, and the MTNA Competition for the Virginia State Senior String Division.
Raymond has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, and the National Gallery of Art, and has appeared as a concerto soloist with multiple orchestras, including the U.S. Army Orchestra and Montgomery Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of the Maryland Classical Youth Orchestra for the past nine years and performs regularly as a chamber musician through the NSO Youth Fellowship Program at the Kennedy Center.
He has participated in master classes with leading artists, including Michael Klotz, Almita Vamos, Derek Powell, Philip Setzer, Stella Chen, Danielle Belen, and Benjamin Beilman, and has attended the Heifetz International Music Institute, the Rushmore Music Festival, and the Center Stage Strings at the University of Michigan.
Young Artist, Violin
Isabel Jing Metz (17) of Alfred Station NY, started playing the violin at age five. She attended the Walnut Hill School for the Arts and NEC Prep and will continue her music studies at New England Conservatory Preparatory School with Soovin Kim.
Also at NEC Prep, Jing was a member of the Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar (CHIPS). Last spring, she competed in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition with her CHIPS string quartet.
In 2021, she was one of seven young musicians to be chosen from across the United States to perform with soloist Randall Goosby as part of the nationally televised Kennedy Center Honors for Midori. The same year, she was the winner of the Heddy Killian Empire State Competition, Junior division.
In 2023, she made her debut performance with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes as the winner of the 2022 Hertzog Concerto Competition.
In past summers, Jing has attended the Heifetz International Music Institute, Greenwood Music Camp, Bowdoin International Music Festival, and the Young Artist Institute at Chamber Music Northwest.
Jing has performed in master classes for Midori, Grigory Kalinovsky, Ilya Kahler, Ayano Ninomiya, Mikhail Kopelman, Clive Greensmith, and the Parker Quartet, among others.
Young Artist, Violin
Aika Oki is currently studying at New England Conservatory Preparatory School, where she has studied under Professor Jason Horowitz.
She is a 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts semifinalist and a 2025 National YoungArts Winner with Distinction, and was invited to perform at the YoungArts Week Gala in Miami. That same year, she received the Jury’s Special Prize at the Victoria BCN International Violin Competition, where she was featured in The Violin Channel and The Strad.
Earlier, she won the Grand Prize at the 2023 Boston Pops Fidelity Investments Young Artists Competition, leading to a solo performance with the Boston Pops at Symphony Hall. She has also performed Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra in 2026, and has been a featured performer on NPR’s From the Top.
Beyond the concert stage, Aika is dedicated to community engagement, performing in a chamber music concert for patients at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston and a charity concert benefiting The Boston House.
Young Artist, Violin
Sunjoo Lucas Park, born in NYC, began violin studies at age four and transitioned to viola at nine under Sunboon Jeong. He was admitted to Juilliard Pre-College at age of eleven with Molly Carr, and he currently studies with Yi-Fang Huang.
Lucas has performed at renowned venues including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Bruno Walter Auditorium, and the DiMenna Center. He has earned top honors in numerous competitions, including the National Artist Competition (Grand Prize), East Coast International Competition, Lyra Music Competition, and Vancouver International Music Competition. As a soloist, he appeared with the New York Classical Youth Orchestra under Timothy Cho.
In 2026, he was named a YoungArts Winner with Distinction, a finalist in the President’s Own U.S. Marine Band Competition, a prize winner of the American Viola Society Festival Competition, and a winner of the SoriDari Young Artists Program. He has also been accepted to summer programs in 2026, including Yellow Barn and Morningside Music Bridge.
Lucas, a recipient of the Presidential Volunteer Service Award Gold Level and of the New York State Senate Award, is an active member of Emergency Medical Services in his hometown, currently completing his EMT, committed to also service.
Young Artist, Viola
Neena Agrawal is a scholarship fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, studying viola with Teng Li and Sang Mee Lee, and intermittently with Peter Slowik. She is also a fellow of the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative for musicians from underrepresented backgrounds.
The heart of Neena’s musical study is chamber music. She has performed at Yellow Barn, Music@Menlo, Center Stage Strings, and on WFMT’s Introductions. With the Tikaani Quartet, she won the Grand Prize in the Barnett Chamber Music Competition, and the Silver Medal and Composer Spotlight at the St. Paul String Quartet Competition. She also won the Bronze Medal in the St. Paul String Quartet Competition with the Porphyrion Quartet.
Neena has performed as a soloist with the Symphony of Oak Park & River Forest and the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra. She won the Arthur D. Montzka Competition, honorable mention in the O’Malley Concerto Competition, and the Nerenberg Award from the Musician’s Club of Women. She has participated in masterclasses with Antoine Tamestit, Atar Arad, Tatjana Masurenko, Matthew Lipman, and Masumi Per Rostad.
Neena has served as principal viola of the Equity Arc National Pathways Orchestra, the MIC Academy Chamber Orchestra, and Northside College Prep’s Chamber Strings.
Young Artist, Viola
Annie is a violist in the Juilliard Pre-College Division, where she studies with Toby Appel and Joohyun Kim. She served as Principal Viola of the Juilliard Pre-College Symphony and was named a National YoungArts Finalist with Distinction in 2025 and participated in YoungArts Week. She has also performed with National Youth Orchestra 2 at Carnegie Hall and is active in chamber music, where she is especially drawn to the expressive role of the viola’s inner voice within ensemble texture.
Alongside her work as a musician, Annie has a passion for creative writing. Her writing has received national recognition for its voice and craft and has been published in literary collections.
She brings music beyond the stage through community engagement, performing for older adults and children with special needs and working with underserved youth. This work reflects her belief in connection and understanding through artistic expression, and the role of music as a shared human experience.
Young Artist, Cello
Born in Beijing in 2010, Xuyan Cheng began piano lessons at age four and started studying cello shortly after under his father’s instruction. He has received training in international summer master classes from world-renowned cellists Liwei Qin, Martti Rousi, and Kirill Rodin. At the age of nine, he was admitted to the Primary School Affiliated to the Central Conservatory of Music, and progressed to the affiliated Middle School at twelve, where he continues his professional cello studies with Professor Zhu Mu.
Xuyan has earned numerous prestigious awards, including the Excellence Award at the Preliminary Round of the Tchaikovsky International Competition, Gold Prize at the 2025 Boston Chinese Musicians Association Music Competition, and multiple gold medals from national and Vienna international music festivals. He has served as principal cellist in elite youth orchestras and participated in cross-regional art exchange tours in Hong Kong and Macao in 2024.
Committed to chamber music performance, Xuyan has founded three chamber ensembles and attended advanced masterclasses with Sergei Bresler, Professor Moni (Colburn School), and Professor Peter Schumayer (University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna).
Young Artist, Cello
Noah Choi, a seventeen-year-old cellist and senior at North Hollywood High School, began his musical journey at the age of seven. He currently studies with Sarah Koo, having previously trained under Michael Kaufman and Bongshin Ko.
His path took a significant leap forward with his debut performance of Haydn’s C major concerto with orchestra, an opportunity he earned by winning 1st prize at the 2022 SYMF Young Cellist award. He has since won multiple first prizes at SYMF, the Satori Summer Music Festival String Contest, and the COLIBRI International Arts Competition, along with first place in CAL-ASTA’s Bowed String Competition and the JCM and CAMPT Young Musicians Concerto Competition. He is a scholarship recipient from CMEOC and the Hennings-Fischer Foundation, a finalist at the Osaka International Music Competition, and in 2025 was named a From the Top Fellow, YoungArts Winner, and Young Stars of the Future winner.
Noah has received mentorship from artists including Dmitry Yablonsky, Robert DeMaine, and Eugene Drucker, and has collaborated with legendary artists like Midori Goto and Oxana Yablonskaya. His trio won first prize at JCM and MTAC’s VOCE competitions, while his Doxa Quartet won Gold Medal and Grand Prize at Coltman and Silver Medal at Fischoff. Outside of music, he enjoys playing basketball and exploring new places and different foods.
Young Artist, Cello
Timothy Chua, 16, studies at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts and New England Conservatory Preparatory School, under Yeesun Kim. He is a participant in NEC’s Chamber Music Intensive Performance Seminar (CHIPS), working with Soovin Kim and Laura Blustein.
Timothy served as principal cellist of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra for the 2024–2026 seasons; previously, he was principal cellist of the Singapore National Youth Orchestra for three years. An active chamber musician, Timothy has performed at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall alongside the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet and attended Music@Menlo in 2024 and 2025.
He is also a co-founder of ARTrio, which has performed at the Esplanade Singapore. As a soloist he has appeared with the Young Virtuosi at Victoria Concert Hall, and with the MetroWest Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Max Hobart.
Timothy has had the opportunity to perform in master classes for Paul Watkins, David Finckel, Zlatomir Fung, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Qin Li-Wei, Tommy Mesa, and Peter Stumpf, among others.
Passionate about giving back to the community, Timothy has performed in events including the Boston Charity Concert, Singapore’s ChildAid Charity Concert, and at Orchard Road Presbyterian Church, helping raise funds for families in need.
Young Artist, Cello
Katarina Kenney, 17, is a Scholarship Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, a training center for advanced pre-college musicians, and currently studies cello with Hans Jørgen Jensen. Katarina has appeared as a soloist with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, Milwaukee Symphony, Madison Symphony, Middleton Community, Wisconsin Chamber, Wisconsin Youth Symphony, and will solo with the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra in 2027 as the Bronze Medal winner of the 2026 Stulberg International String Competition.
Some of her other music accolades include first prize winner of the 2026 DePaul National Concerto Competition for Young Performers, 2025 Milwaukee Symphony Stars of Tomorrow Competition, and the 2024 Madison Symphony Bolz Final Forte. Katarina recently won the Grand Prize at the 2026 A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Chamber Music Competition and the Silver Medal and Composer Spotlight Award at the 2026 Saint Paul String Quartet Competition. With previous quartets, she received the Gold, Silver, and BIPOC awards at the 2023 and 2024 SPSQC.
Katarina has been featured on PBS Wisconsin, Wisconsin Public Radio, WPR’s Midday Classics, and Chicago’s WFMT Introductions, and has been honored to play for Christine Lee, Peter Stumpf, Mark Kosower, Richard Aaron, Hannah Roberts, Astrid Schween, and Clive Greensmith, among others. Katarina has participated in the Yellow Barn YAP, Domaine Forget, Center Stage Strings, and Meadowmount.
Young Artist, Cello
Aiden Kim is a 17-year-old cellist from San Jose, California, currently studying under Jonathan Koh.
Aiden has won the Grand Prize at the 2026 Gustav Mahler International Cello Competition and the winner of the 2025 National YoungArts Competition, the California Youth Symphony Young Artist Competition, and the Diablo Valley College/Holy Names University Young Artist Competition. He has appeared as a soloist with the California Youth Symphony and the Diablo Valley College Philharmonic Orchestra. Aiden has also been featured on National Public Radio’s From the Top in the Daily Joy series. In addition, Aiden has been awarded top prizes in numerous other competitions, including the New York Laureate International Music Competition, the California American String Teachers Association Solo Competition, the Burlingame Music Club Young Musicians Competition, the United States Open Music Competition, and the Korean-American Music Supporters Association Competition.
Aiden is currently the principal cellist of the California Youth Symphony Senior Orchestra and is an avid chamber musician, participating in the Young Chamber Musicians program as a member of the Avasi trio in Burlingame, California. He has attended various summer programs, including Music@Menlo Chamber Music Institute Young Performers Program, Chamber Music Northwest Young Artist Institute, and the Heifetz International Music Institute. He has also performed in masterclasses and studied with David Finckel, Dmitri Atapine, Brinton Smith, David Geber, Peter Stumpf, Edward Arron, Stephen Harrison, Christopher Constanza, Jonathan Swensen, Andrew Mark, and Yi Qun Xu.
Young Artist, Cello
A 16-year-old cellist from Michigan, Bhargava Kulkarni has studied with Prof. Amir Eldan at the University of Michigan for the past eight years. He is a 2026 YoungArts Winner in Classical Music/Violoncello and a fellow of the NPR program From the Top, where his performance was nationally broadcast in January 2025.
Bhargava was also a semifinalist in the 2025 Johansen International String Competition and the 2024 International Young Artist Concerto Competition in Chicago. He served as principal cellist of the Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra from 2021 to 2026 and has also performed as principal cellist of the Morningside Music Bridge Festival Orchestra.
A full-scholarship participant at the Morningside Music Bridge in 2024 and 2025, Bhargava received the Stuart Holland Memorial Award in both years and was featured in the 2025 Highlights Concert. He has worked with distinguished musicians including Hans Jørgen Jensen, Matt Haimovitz, Li-Wei Qin, Wei Yu, Laurence Lesser, Paul Katz, Clara Kim, Ronald Copes, Zvi Plesser, Earl Lee, and others.
Young Artist, Cello
Cellist Cameron Renshaw, 14, described by NPR as “so exuberant… a born entertainer,” has received top honors at numerous international competitions, including the First Great Award at the Vienna International Music Competition and the Manhattan International Music Competition. He has soloed with ten orchestras across the United States and internationally, making his orchestral debut at age eight with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Cameron has had the honor of performing in some of the world’s greatest concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall, Mozarteum Salzburg, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and the Romanian Athenaeum.
Cameron has been featured on local and national media, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, NPR’s From the Top, and NPR’s Tiny Desk. He performed in a solo capacity for Young Artist Performances in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and the Sobrio Festival in Switzerland. He held the Principal Chair position at Grand Rapids Youth Symphony and Michigan Youth Philharmonia Orchestra. In the past summers, he has attended top solo and chamber programs on full tuition scholarships, including Morningside Music Bridge and Music@Menlo Smith Family Young Performers Program. He studies with Amir Eldan at the University of Michigan.
Young Artist, Piano
Eunha is a rising eleventh-grade student at The Winsor School and studies piano with HaeSun Paik at New England Conservatory Preparatory School.
Since beginning piano at an early age, she has performed extensively and earned recognition at national and international competitions. Most recently, she was awarded the Silver Medal at the Gina Bachauer Young Artists International Piano Competition. She also appeared as a featured soloist with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra at Van Cliburn Concert Hall as a winner of the PianoTexas International Concerto Competition and received First Prize at the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition. Additional honors include First Prize at the Kaufman International Youth Piano Competition, the Steinway Society Competition, and the Brockton Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, as well as a Special Prize at the Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany. Eunha is also a two-time National YoungArts winner (2025, 2026).
An enthusiastic chamber musician since the age of nine, Eunha was a member of the New England Conservatory’s Chamber Intensive Performance Seminar (CHIPS), a merit-based full-scholarship program for two consecutive years (2024-2026). Her piano trio, Trio Verus, was a quarterfinalist at the 2025 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and advanced to the semifinals in 2026.
Young Artist, Piano
Claire Chang is currently a student of Stanford Professor Elizabeth Schumann. She was a pre-college student at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music for five years. Claire is also a member of Young Chamber Musicians.
She has won first prize in the Burlingame Music Club Young Musicians Competition, the Pacific Musical Society & Foundation Competition, and the ENKOR International Music Competition. She was also named a laureate in the Ross McKee Foundation Piano Competition, and was a finalist in the Ettlingen International Piano Competition in Germany. In addition, she has been a top prizewinner in the San Francisco International Piano Competition and the LA International Liszt Competition, where she received the Best Performance Award. In the spring of 2027, she will perform with the Cambrian Symphony. Claire has also performed in master classes with renowned pianists such as Marc-André Hamelin, Garrick Ohlsson, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Ursula Oppens, and Jon Nakamatsu.
In the summer of 2024, she attended the Music@Menlo festival as a full scholarship young performer. In 2025, she participated in the Southeastern Piano Festival and the Vivace International Music Festival. She was also invited as an artist to the San Francisco International Piano Festival in both 2024 and 2025.
Young Artist, Piano
Xinran began playing the piano at age 4 and currently studies with Wha Kyung Byun at New England Conservatory Preparatory School.
She made her debut with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra at age 13 playing Chopin’s Concerto No. 1. She has since appeared with orchestras including the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA and Peninsula Symphony, among others. In 2024, Xinran was invited to the Verbier Festival as a Junior Soloist. She has also attended Morningside Music Bridge, Cliburn Junior Piano Festival, Frost Chopin Festival, and Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy (PYPA) Piano Festival.
She is a prizewinner of many competitions, including the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, Kaufman Music Center International Youth Competition, Bösendorfer and Yamaha USASU International Piano Competition, Ettlingen International Piano Competition, and Minnesota International Piano-e-Competition, to name a few.
Xinran is a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation in the class of 2020-2022. In 2023, she appeared on NPR’s From The Top.
In her spare time, Xinran enjoys going to concerts, reading, and traveling.
Daily Schedule
Learn what to expect from each day at the NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program. Please note that this schedule is subject to change.
| 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Chamber Music Rehearsing with Mentor Artists (with breaks) |
| 12 – 1 p.m. | Lunch |
| 1 – 3 p.m. | Coaching with Faculty Artists |
| 3 – 5 p.m. | Master Classes, Special Events, Fun Activities, and Practice Time |
| 5 – 6:30 p.m. | Conductorless String Orchestra and Piano Project Rehearsals |
| 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. | Dinner |
| 7:30 p.m. | Concerts and Evening Events |
How to Apply
Applications for the Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program are now closed. We invite you to explore our other Expanded Education programs for musicians of all ages and skill levels.
Eligibility
Pianists, violinists, violists, and cellists ages 13–19 who have not yet enrolled in college are invited to apply to the NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program. Up to 25 Young Artists will be selected. You may submit multiple applications for different instruments in the same year, though each submission will require a separate application fee.
Application Requirements
To apply to the NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program, please complete the online application with the following materials. The priority application deadline is January 16, 2026.
- CV or résumé
- One letter of recommendation
- Video recordings — see below for specific information for each instrument
- Submissions must be a single-angle video recording or from an unedited live performance.
- Live performance videos must include the date of the performance.
- Applicants are welcome to submit additional videos if they choose.
Please note that a $80 fee is required for each application.
Audition Recording Requirements
Perform two contrasting selections of your choice from the violin repertoire:
- Acceptable examples include movements from standard concerti or sonatas, movements from the Bach Sonatas and Partitas, or movements from equivalent major works for the violin.
- If you choose a duo sonata, it must be performed with piano.
Perform two contrasting selections of your choice from the viola repertoire:
- Acceptable examples include movements from standard concerti or sonatas, selections from the Bach Cello Suites or Bach Violin Sonatas and Partitas, or movements from equivalent major works for the viola.
- If you choose a duo sonata, it must be performed with piano.
Perform two contrasting selections of your choice from the cello repertoire:
- Acceptable examples include movements from standard concerti or sonatas, movements from the Bach Cello Suites, or movements from equivalent major works for the cello.
- If you choose a duo sonata, it must be performed with piano.
Perform two selections from the piano repertoire:
- A movement of a solo sonata from the Classical era (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, or a similar composer)
- A contrasting selection of your choice
- If you choose a concerto, it must be accompanied by an orchestra (no piano accompaniment).
- Individual movements suffice for multi-movement works.
Tuition and Fees
NEC Summer Chamber Music Young Artist Program participants receive full-tuition scholarships covering the cost of all programmatic activities, housing on NEC’s campus in the NEC Student Life and Performance Center residence hall, and meals throughout the day.
