Annual Youth Festival

Cellist Bradley Forrest Berman is a 14-year-old student in the University Scholars Program of the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School.  He began playing the cello at the age of 5 and currently studies with Glenn Fischbach.  Bradley is an Advanced Study Scholarship recipient at the Settlement Music School, where he is a member of a piano trio and plays in the Trowbridge Chamber Orchestra.  He is also a member of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra.
Bradley won first place in the 2007 Tri-County Youth Festival competition, junior strings division.  In 2008, he won first place in the senior division of the Kennett Symphony Orchestra Competition and will solo with the Kennett Symphony Orchestra in August 2009.  Bradley was awarded first place in the 2009 senior division of the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra Competition, and received a Menges Scholarship in the 2009 Ambler Symphony Competition.  He will make solo appearances with both the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra and Ambler Symphony in the 2009/2010 seasons.  Bradley has participated in Musicopia’s “Great Music, Great Houses” concerts, playing duets with his brother, Austin (a violinist), and as a member of a string trio.  He began taking piano lessons at the age of 10 and studies with Elizabeth Keller.  He is a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, under the direction of Margarita De Saa and John White.
Besides music, Bradley enjoys tennis, skiing, and computer programming.  He is honored and excited to have been chosen as this year’s first place winner in the senior division of the Tri-County Youth Festival.
(Audition repertoire: Camille Saint-Saëns' Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, Opus 33:  Mvt. I, Allegro non troppo.)

Molly Germer, a junior in high school, has been studying the violin for ten years.  She is a member of the Philadelphia Sinfonia and an active participant at Settlement Music School, where she has performed with numerous chamber ensembles. She studies with Sylvia Ahramjian and is this year's recipient of Darlington Arts Center's Athena Scholarship. She has participated in workshops and master classes with Jennifer Koh, David Kim, and Mauricio Fuks, as well as with members of the Vermeer Quartet, Emerson Quartet, and Eroica trio. She has participated in a variety of summer programs including Music in the Mountains and Indiana University’s Summer String Academy.  This summer she will attend a program at the Eastman School of Music that focuses on solo performance.
(Audition repertoire: Sergei Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Violins, Op. 56:  Mvt. II, Allegro.)

Violinist Daniel Koo is a senior at Radnor High School. He has been playing the violin for 11 years and trumpet for 8. He studies with Mrs. Helen Kwalwasser, with whom he has been studying for the past 8 years. In May 2008 Dan played with his quartet at Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition and had loads of fun. In May 2009, he participated in the All-Eastern Orchestra Music Festival and was happy to be assistant concertmaster. He was selected to go to Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts and is proud to say that he is a govie. Dan will be attending Masterworks Music Festival in the summer and hopes to keep it real when he attends New England Conservatory in the fall.
(Audition repertoire: Sergei Prokofiev's Sonata for Two Violins, Op. 56:  Mvt. II, Allegro.)

 

Adam Gingery, euphonium, is a junior at West Chester Christian School, where he is active in the band and choir.  Adam began playing the euphonium in third grade under the guidance of his father and quickly showed a unique aptitude.  He has been coached in his playing by Jim Buchanan, Dr. Paul Overly, and Dr. Lee Southall.   Adam has won awards with the Kennett Square Symphony auditions, the Keystone Christian Education Association, and the Bob Jones University Senior High Fine Arts Festival.  Along with his horn playing, Adam studies piano with Julie Blackstone and is a member of the vocal ensemble Sixpence (patterned after the King’s Singers) that also maintains an active performance and festival schedule.  This past summer Adam spent two weeks in the Philippines on a church sponsored mission’s trip helping a seminary establish a brass program and providing music for daily services and running basketball clinics.  Adam enjoys participation in all sports at school and manages his own lawn care business with his brothers.
(Audition repertoire: Allen Feinstein's Concerto for Euphonium:  Swimming the Mountain:  Mvt. I, Zeus.)

 

 

 

 

Cellist Jeffrey Han is in 8th grade at Valley Forge Middle School.  He began his cello studies with Winifred Martindale and currently studies with Ohad Bar-David.  He was principal cellist of the Delaware Valley Young Musicians’ Orchestra and played with the Philadelphia Sinfonia; Jeffrey also served as principal cellist in the PMEA District 12 String Fest in 2007 and in the Schuylkill Valley Area Orchestra in both 2008 and 2009.  He is currently in the Temple Youth Chamber Orchestra. Besides music, Jeffrey participated in his school’s 2009 Mathcounts team, which won first place in the state.
(Audition repertoire: Camille Saint-Saëns' Concerto No. 1 in A Minor:  Mvt. I, Allegro non troppo.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ivory Quartet (2007-2009), features Charlotte Nicholas (violin), Sabrina Tabby (violin), Gabe Walker (viola), and Genevieve Tabby (cello). The quartet is coached privately by William and Gloria DePasquale. The Tabby twins attend Lower Merion High School, and have known and played with Charlotte, who goes to the Shipley School, for ten years. The three girls know Gabe, also a student at Lower Merion, through various summer festivals and orchestras as well. All seniors in high school, they also play in the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. Last year, the quartet made it to the semi-final round of the national Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. Earlier that year, they performed in PADESTA, a competition  and workshop held at Penn State. Charlotte studies with both Paul Arnold and Yumi Scott, and will attend Princeton next year. Sabrina studies with Estelle Kerner and Xiao- Fu Zhou and will attend Bard College . Genevieve studies with quartet-coach Gloria DePasquale, and will take with Stephen Geber at the Cleveland Institute of Music next year. Gabe is also Paul Arnold's student, and will attend Harvard.
(Audition repertoire:  Béla Bartók's String Quartet in A Minor, Op. 7, No. 1:  Mvt. III, Allegro Vivace.)

 

 

Soprano Charlotte Keating, in 11th grade at Merion Mercy Academy, studies voice with Lisa Willson DeNolfo of Bryn Mawr. At school, Charlotte majors in music and participates in Merion Mercy Music Theater, Liturgical Ensemble, Performing Arts Festival, and Glee Club. In 2007, she won Honorable Mention in the Tri-County Youth Festival. She is a member of both the teen and adult choirs at St. John Neumann Parish in Bryn Mawr. She currently studies piano with Nora Frank. Apart from music, Charlotte is a member of the field hockey and lacrosse teams at her school.

(Audition repertoire: Alessandro Scarlatti's "Le Violette"; Douglas Moore, "Willow Song.")

 

 

 

 

Clarinetist Je Ho (Brian) Lee, age 17, is a junior at Upper Dublin High School, where he plays in the school band and orchestra.  Brian is currently in the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra.  He participated in the Philadelphia Music Educators Association District 11 Band and Orchestra, Region 6 Band and Orchestra, and All-State Concert Band.  Brian started clarinet at the age of 12 and has been studying with Rie Suzuki for the past two years.  He participates in cross-country and winter/spring track at his school.
(Audition repertoire:  Ernesto Cavallini's Adagio - Tarantella.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pianist Kevin Li, a high-school freshman, is a student of Marcantonio Barone; his prior teacher was Susan Lou.  Kevin attributes his love for music and progress in the study of piano to his two wonderful teachers.  He won two grand prizes in the 49th World Piano Competition, and first prize in the West Chester University Piano Competition in 2004 and 2008, the International Young Artist Piano Competition, the Laguna Musica International Piano Competition in Italy, and many others. He received The Highest Achievement award from the Young Pianist Competition of New Jersey for winning first prize in the concerto, solo, ensemble, and young artist divisions.  He has been featured on the NPR program "From the Top."  He has also performed with four local orchestras and the Orchestra Sinfonica di Chioggia in Italy.  Kevin will perform with the Lansdowne Symphony and Pottstown Symphony in their 2009-2010 seasons.
(Audition repertoire: Frederic Chopin's  Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47.)

 

 

 

 

Pianist Robin Luo is 13 and attends 8th grade at Tredyffrin/Easttown Middle School. He is a student of Mrs. Joy Kiszely at the Main Line Conservatory of Music and started studying piano with Ms. Thelma Milde at age 6. He has won high honors at the Philadelphia Music Teachers Association Spring Performance Festival at Temple University for last two years. He has also won the English and math awards from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. He participates enthusiastically in his school's jazz ensemble and is on the honor roll at his school. He enjoys tennis, swimming, and track and field.
(Audition repertoire: Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 14, No. 1:  Mvt. I, Allegro.)

 

 

 

 

 

Pianist Martha Mingle, a student of Joy Miller Kiszely at the Main Line Conservatory of Music, has been studying piano for eleven years. In 2008 she was selected to attend Pennsylvania’s Governor’s School for the Arts. She also performed with the Philadelphia Biblical University Symphony Orchestra as winner of the Outstanding Young Christian Artist Competition. Other accomplishments include performing at Steinway Hall and Carnegie Hall. She is the winner of the 2009 Bart Pitman Scholarship Competition. In addition to solo piano, she has performed in piano trios, quartets, and quintets. Martha is in twelfth grade at Delaware County Christian School and in the fall will study piano at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
(Audition repertoire: Franz Liszt's Transcendental Etude No. 11 in D-flat, "Harmonies du soir.")

 

 

 

 

 

Pianist Sukmin (Chris) On is in 10th grade at Abington Senior High School, where he is the member of the school orchestra. He began to play piano at the age of 5 and decided to study it as his major at 14. In 2008, he was awarded second place in the junior division of the Korean Young Musicians Competition. He was the accompanist for his junior high school chorus, and when the chorus participated the Hershey Park Music Competition he was awarded the Outstanding Accompanist Medal. In junior high, he received the Excellent Achievement Award in Performance Music at his graduation. Currently he is studying with Professor Charles Abramovic at Temple University.
(Audition repertoire: Frederic Chopin's Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Op. 47.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Flutist Nicole Ozdowski is in 6th grade at Paxon Hollow Middle School, where she is a member of the orchestra and band. She began studying the flute in 4th grade and is now a student of Dr. Adeline Tomasone. Fluent in Japanese as well as English, Nicole also enjoys reading and writing, and she is a distinguished honor student. She enjoys the flute and music of all kinds, and hopes to make a career in music.
(Audition repertoire: George Frideric Handel's Siciliana and Giga from Sonata V in F Major.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pianist Dakyung (Daniel) Song is an eighth-grader at Radnor Middle School. At age 5, he started studying piano at the Nelly Berman Music School and is currently studying with Igor Resnianski. At age 8, he played at Carnegie Hall as a winner of the Young Musician Competition. He received a Grand Prize in the Young Musician Competition sponsored by the Korean Musicians Association of Philadelphia. In 2007, he won competitions with the Ambler Orchestra and with the Old York Road Symphony Orchestra.  He has appeared with the Kennett Symphony on many occasions and is scheduled to perform with the orchestra in October of 2009 at West Chester University. He performed on From the Top as a winner of the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, and was invited again to perform at Carnegie Hall for a television recording of From the Top Live from Carnegie Hall. In 2008, he participated in the PianoTexas International Academy & Festival, and played in master classes with Peter Donohoe, Eleanor Wong, Tamas Ungar, and Leon Bates. He was also invited to participate in the Gina Bachauer Competition in Salt Lake City.  At school, Dakyung enjoys jazz band, concert band, and orchestra. He also enjoys team sports such as tennis, soccer, baseball, and swim team relays. He is an avid reader of "wainscot" fantasy novels and enjoys watching epic series.

(Repertoire: Franz Liszt's Transcendental Etude No. 8 in C Minor.)

 

Soprano Leah Stall is a 17-year-old junior at Radnor High School.  Leah has been performing since she was in 8th grade. She was cast as Marty in the 8th-grade musical production of Grease. While in high school, Leah has sung with the Meistersingers and Pro-Musica. She was in the chorus for both Fiddler on the Roof and Les Miserables. She was selected as a soprano for PMEA’s District 12 Choir for the fall of 2008. Leah auditioned for and won a spot in the Westminster Choral College at Ryder University for four weeks of classical training this summer.  Recently she has been taking lessons in the Alexander Technique and acting classes with Temple University professor Diane Gaary. She credits her four years of voice lessons with Lisa Willson DeNolfo of Bryn Mawr as the overriding influence on her decision to pursue opera as a career.

(Repertoire: Antonio Cald

ara's "Sebben, crudele" and Gabriel Fauré's "Chanson d'amour.")

 

 

 

 

Harpist Mia Venezia is a 6th-grade student at St. Teresa of Avila School in Norristown, PA. She has been playing the harp for 5 years and is currently studying with Kimberly Rowe. Mia is a member of the Temple Prep Harp Ensemble and the Delaware Valley Young Musicians' Orchestra. Mia is also a member of the children’s string ensemble at her church. Christmas 2009, this string ensemble created a CD and raised $1600 for music lessons for inner city students as well as for a teenage parishioner in need. When Mia is not playing her harp she enjoys reading and ballet.
(Repertoire: Carlos Salzedo's Chanson dans la nuit.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Violinist Micah John Walter is a 10th-grade homeschooled student. He began violin when almost 9 years old; he has studied with Lenuta Ciulei for the past 6 years. He plays with the Main Line Symphony Orchestra and the Musical Coterie of Wayne, and often with Rowan University's orchestra and string ensemble. Micah plays at events such as weddings and receptions along with his brother Samuel, a cellist. He also enjoys composing music on the piano. Apart from music, Micah enjoys languages and studies Ancient Greek, Latin, Chinese, Esperanto, and Dutch.
(Audition repertoire: Vittorio Monti's Csárdás.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Violinist Alexandra Zhang is 13 years old and attends Trediffrin/Easttown Middle School. She has studied violin since she was 5 years old. Her current teacher is Ms. Ellen DePasquale. Alexandra plays in the  Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra and has played in ensembles at Temple Music Prep.  She was the winner of the 2007 and 2008 Golden Key Music Festival and has performed in Carnegie Hall and Kimmel Center as a soloist and with an ensemble group.   Alexandra leads a group of young artists called Young Artists for People (YAP), which gives free concerts and raises funds for good causes. Alexandra is an active member of  all the music groups provided in her school and a strong player on her lacrosse team. She will be attending the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth in this summer.
(Audition repertoire: Fritz Kreisler's Praeludium and Allegro.)