Annual Youth Festival

Soprano Emilyn Badgley is a junior at Conestoga High School. She has been performing since the age of eight with several select choirs, as well as school, community, and professional theater productions. She was a cast member of American Girl Theater’s musical Circle of Friends in New York City. In 2008, she performed with the Curtis Opera Theatre as the Voice of the Fountain in Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar. She was selected for and has attended the Interlochen Center for the Arts Vocal Soloist Studies Program, as well as the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artist Vocal Program, and has been admitted to the Tanglewood program again this summer. She recently won first place at the Regional Classical Singer High School Vocal Competition and will compete in the subsequent rounds in New York City later in May.

Emilyn won first place in the Junior Division of the Tri-County Youth Festival Competition in 2007. She studies voice with Misoon Ghim and previously studied with Marian Murphy Powell.

(Audition repertoire:  (1) Rossini, "La Promessa"; (2) Johann Strauss, "Mein Herr Marquis.")

 

 

 

The Bello Suono Quartet features Dawning Welliver (violin), Emily Ermer (violin), Erica Cianciulli (viola), and Chan Wook Hwang (cello). The quartet is coached by the members’ private teachers, Jie Jin (cello) and Leah Kim (violin, viola). Dawning is in 8th grade at Strath Haven Middle School. Emily is a 7th grade honor student at Arcola Intermediate School. Erica is in 8th grade at Norwood Fontbonne Academy. Chan Wook is in 7th grade at Radnor Middle School. The quartet began playing together several months before the Tri-County competition. They plan to continue studying together in the Chamber Strings Summer Music Workshop at the Rosemont School. (Audition repertoire: Dvorak, String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96 ["American"]: Mvt. I, Allegro ma non troppo.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pianist Jennifer Campbell is a high school senior and merit scholarship student at both the Music School of Delaware and Darlington Fine Arts Center, studying piano and composition with David A. Brown. She has been first place winner of competitions including the Music Teacher’s National Association (MTNA) Senior Piano Performance competition in Delaware, the West Chester University Piano Competition, and the Marian Garcia Piano Competition. She has performed with the Delaware County Symphony, the Lansdowne Symphony, and Wilmington Community Orchestra. This coming May she will be performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with the Delaware County Youth Orchestra. Jennifer is also an avid composer. She has composed a variety of solo, chamber and orchestral works. Her Piano Trio No. 1 received its premiere performance by members of the Philadelphia Orchestra at the West Chester University New Music Workshop in 2007. Jennifer was selected to compose a piece for the Winterthur Garden Fair Benefit CD. She has won the MTNA senior composition competition in both Delaware and Pennsylvania. Jennifer also studies violin with Sylvia Ahramjian, and is currently principal concertmaster of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra.  (Audition repertoire:  Chopin, Polonaise - Fantasy in A-flat Major, Op. 61.)

 

Helenmarie Vassiliou, violin, and Dorsin, Chang, piano, are good friends in 8th grade at Valley Forge Middle School.  Their duo was coached by their respective teachers, Hirono Oka, violin, and Joy Kiszely, piano.

Dorsin Chang, age 14, is a piano student of Joy Miller Kiszely.  She also studied with Dr. Andor Kiszely for two years. She consecutively won High Honors in the Philadelphia Music Teachers Association Spring Performance Festival at Temple University from 2004 through the present.  In 2006, she won first place in World Piano Competition and played at Carnegie Hall. At Valley Forge Middle School, she participates in Handbells and Valley Forge Singers, and is frequently an accompanist for the chorus.   As a member of her school’s Latin team, Dorsin won first place for dramatic interpretation at the State-wide Junior Classical League Convention in 2009.

Helenmarie Vassiliou, age 14, is a violin student of Hirono Oka and Ghislaine Fleischmann.  She is a Starling Violin Scholarship recipient at Temple Music Prep, where she plays in the Youth Chamber Orchestra and in a quartet.  She has soloed with Ocean City Pops (2008) and Ambler Symphony (2007 as a Menges Scholarship winner). She received first place in the Kennett Symphony Junior Instrumental Competition (2010), second place in the Junior Strings Division of the Tri-County Concerts Association Youth Festival (2008) , and Honorable Mentions in the Lansdowne Symphony Competition (2007 and 2009). Helenmarie was concertmaster of the 2010 Schuylkill Valley Area Orchestra and the PA District 12 StringFest Orchestra (2007 and 2008).  At Valley Forge Middle School she also participates in Handbells and Orchestra, and as a member of the Latin team won third place for oratory at the State-wide Junior Classical League Convention in 2009.
(Audition repertoire:  Beethoven, Sonata No. 5, Op. 24 ["Spring"]:  Mvt. I, Allegro.)

 

 

Vocalist Elizabeth Catherine Duska is a 15-year-old student at Merion Mercy Academy. She has been singing all her life and is currently studying with Lisa Willson DeNolfo. Elizabeth, along with her partner Carly Keating, won second place in the Tri-County Youth Festival competition. She has participated in many theater productions including Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat (as Narrator), Beauty and the Beast (as Belle), and Les Miserables (as a member of the ensemble).  She would like to thank her parents and Mrs. Willson-DeNolfo for all of their support and help.  (Audition repertoire:  Delibes, "Sous le dome epais" [the Flower Duet] from Lakme.)

 

 

 

 

The Easttown Duo features Austin Haley Berman (violin) and Bradley Forrest Berman (cello).  The duo is coached privately by Ellen dePasquale.

Austin Haley Berman is a 14-year-old student in the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, University Scholars Program. He began playing the violin at age 5 and currently studies with Ellen dePasquale.  Austin is an Advanced Study Scholarship recipient in the Gray Piano Trio under the direction of Diane Monroe at Settlement Music School. Austin is also a Starling Scholarship recipient at Temple Music Preparatory's Center for Gifted Young Musicians, where he is co-concert master of the Chamber Players Orchestra.  Austin is also a member of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra, conducted by Brad Smith.

In 2008, Austin won first place in the Junior Strings Division of the Tri-County Youth Festival and the first place in the junior division of the 2008 Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra competition.  In 2009, he competed in the Ambler Symphony competition and was awarded a Menges Scholarship, and in 2010, Austin received second place in the Kennett Symphony's Young Artists competition.

Austin performed in the 2009 Atlantic Coast Opera Festival’s summer production of La Boheme, conducted by Luis Biava, Jr,. and has made solo appearances with the Lansdowne and Ambler Symphony Orchestras.  He has participated in Musicopia's "Great Music, Great Houses" concerts playing duets with his brother, Bradley, a cellist, and as a member of a string trio. Austin studies ballet at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet under the direction of Margarita De Saa and John White.

Bradley Forrest Berman is a 15-year-old student in the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School, University Scholars Program. He began playing the cello at the age of 5 and currently studies with Gloria dePasquale.  Bradley is an Advanced Study Scholarship recipient at Settlement Music School, where he is a member of the Newman String Quartet, directed by Sidney Curtiss. He is also principal cellist of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra, conducted by Brad Smith.  Bradley is a student at Temple Music Preparatory’s Center for Gifted Young Musicians, where he is a member of the Youth Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Luis Biava.  Last summer, Bradley performed in the 2009 Atlantic Coast Opera Festival’s production of La Boheme, conducted by Luis Biava, Jr.

In 2007 Bradley won first place in the Junior Strings Division of the Tri-County Youth Festival. In 2008 he won first place in the senior division of the Kennett Symphony Orchestra Competition. Bradley was awarded first place in the 2009 senior division of the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra Competition and first place in the senior division of the 2009 Tri-County Youth Festival. He also received a Menges Scholarship in the 2009 Ambler Symphony Competition.  He has had solo appearances with the Kennett Symphony Orchestra, the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra, and the Ambler Symphony during the 2009/2010 season.  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 is a student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet, under the direction of Margarita De Saa and John White.
(Audition repertoire:  Halvorsen, Passacaglia [Duo for Violin and Cello, after Handel].)

 

 

 

William Fossett, clarinet, is a junior at Springfield High School, where he is active in the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Pit Orchestra, and Marching Band, and plays tenor saxophone in the Jazz Band.  Will started clarinet at the age of 9 and currently studies with Mr. Theodore Pasternak.  He participated in the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 12 Band and Region 6 Band for 2009 and 2010.  Will is a member of the National Honor Society and the Tri-M Music Honor Society. Last summer Will toured with American Music Abroad, performing for audiences in Germany and Austria. This summer he plans to attend the Music Horizons program at Eastman School of Music.
(Audition repertoire: Paul JeanJean’s Arabesques)

 

 

 

 

 

Flutist June Han is in 8th grade at the Baldwin School and started playing flute at the beginning of 5th grade. In 2009 she won first place in the Junior Division of the 2009 Young Artist Competition of the Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia. She participates in her school's orchestra and is also in the Delaware Valley Young Musicians' Orchestra. She studies flute with Ellen Fisher-Deerberg at the Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music. June also plays a little bit of piano, and she likes to read and write in her spare time.
(Audition repertoire:  Handel, Sonate II, HWV362, in A Minor:  Mvt. Iii, Adagio, and Mvt. iv, Allegro.)

 

 

 

 

 

Soprano Charlotte Keating, a member of the Keating-Duska vocal duo, is in 12th grade at Merion Mercy Academy, where she studies voice with Lisa Willson DeNolfo of Bryn Mawr. At school, Charlotte majors in music and participates in Merion Mercy Music Theater, Liturgical Ensemble, and Performing Arts Festival, and is a member of the National Music Honor Society. She is also a member of both the teen and adult choirs of St. John Neumann Parish in Bryn Mawr. In 2009, she won second place in the Senior Voice Division for the Annual Tri-County Youth Festival. Next fall, Charlotte will continue her study at Boston University’s School of Music, where she will major in vocal performance.
(Audition repertoire:  Delibes, "Sous le dome epais" [the Flower Duet] from Lakme.)

 

 

 

 

 

Violinist Daniel Kim is a sixth grader at Strath Haven Middle School, where he is a member of the school orchestra and the string ensemble.  He has been studying the violin since he was four years old.  He currently studies with Yayoi Numazawa and Yumi Ninomiya Scott.  His previous teachers include Julian Meyer, Helen Kwalwasser, and Choon-Jin Chang.  Daniel is a recipient of the Dorothy Richard Starling Scholarship at Temple Music Prep, where he is a member of the Baroque Players Orchestra and two string ensemble groups.  He performed as a soloist with the Ambler Symphony Orchestra in January of 2009 as a winner of the Menges Scholarship competition.  He was also the second place winner of the Kennett Symphony’s instrumental competition in the Junior division in February of 2009.  In 2006, Daniel was the second place winner of the primary division in a music competition sponsored by the Korean Musicians Association of Philadelphia.  Daniel attended the Meadowmount School of Music in the summer of 2009 and will be attending this summer as well.  Daniel is a gifted student at Strath Haven Middle School and enjoys playing soccer on a travel team and competing in Science Olympiads, as well as playing the violin in a trio with his brother and sister.  (Audition repertoire: Sarasate, Introduction and Tarantella, Op. 43.)

 

 

Pianist Ethan Lee is a sixth grade student at Radnor Middle School.  At age 6, he started playing piano and currently studies with Elena Berman-Gantard at the Nelly Berman School.  He has won numerous awards at the West Chester University Piano Competition and Golden Key Festivals.  Other accomplishments include performances at the Kimmel Center and Steinway Hall.  In addition to solo performances, he has performed in piano duets, trios, and ensembles.  At school, he enjoys playing saxophone and piano in the concert and jazz bands.  He is an avid speller and represented his school at the county spelling bee.  He also enjoys team sports and plays on the basketball and travel soccer teams.
(Audition repertoire:  Rachmaninov, "Presto" from Six Moments Musicaux, Op. 16.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pianist Stephen Li, age 12, is a seventh-grader at Haverford Middle school. He started to play piano at the age of 4. He has been studying with Marcantonio Barone at Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music. His former teacher was Susan Lou. Stephen has been a prize winner at many piano competitions, including the Young Pianist Competition in New Jersey (2004, 2005), the World Piano Competition at Cincinnati (2005, 2009), the Twentieth International Young Artist Piano Competition (2005), and the West Chester University Pre-Collegiate Piano Competition (2009, 2010). He has played in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York four times. Besides piano, Stephen also plays first violin in the seventh-grade orchestra at his school.
(Audition repertoire:  Chopin, Fantasie Impromptu, Op. 66.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caitlin Mehrtens, a 16-year-old junior and Distinguished Honor Roll Student at Garnet Valley High School, has been studying the harp for over 6 years. She performs with the Delaware County Youth Orchestra and the Philadelphia Sinfonia.  Caitlin also performs with The University of Delaware Orchestra and Wind Ensemble.  She is the first prize winner in the 2010 harp competition sponsored by the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Harp Society.  In addition, Caitlin has studied piano for over 12 years and accompanies the choir at St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church in Wilmington, Delaware. She plans on majoring in music after graduating from high school.
(Audition repertoire:  Tournier, Vers la source dans le bois.)

 

 

 

 

 

Mezzo-soprano Aishwarya (Aish) Narayan is a sophomore at Radnor High School. She began voice lessons six months ago under the able tutelage of Lisa Willson DeNolfo. She sings with two school choirs as well as PMEA’s District, Regional, and All-State Choruses. Previously, she has studied Indian Classical Carnatic music for four years in Mumbai’s Shanmukhananda Hall under Mrs. Radha Santhanam. A member of the distinguished honor roll, she also enjoys playing the saxophone in the school band. Her extracurriculars include participating in Model UN conferences, leading the school’s math club, writing stories and poetry and doing yoga.
(Audition repertoire: Giuseppe Giordani’s "Caro Mio Ben" and Franz Schubert’s "Frühlingsglaube.")

 

 

 

 

Thirteen-year-old cellist Bihn Park began studying cello at age seven and currently studies with Metta Watts at Temple Music Prep. At age 11, he won the Albert M. Greenfield Competition and made his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in April of 2009. He has won first place in many young artist competitions, such as those sponsored by the Pottstown Symphony, Wagner College, the Ambler Symphony, and Bucks County Symphony.  He has also performed for the Trustees at the National Guild Conference and in 2008 was the state winner of the American String Teachers Association competition in Pennsylvania and Delaware. He is a recipient of From the Top’s Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award and has appeared with Christopher O'Riley. He will be attending the Meadowmount School this summer as a merit based full-tuition scholarship recipient.
(Audition repertoire:  Haydn, Cello Concerto in D Major, Op. 101:  Mvt. iii, Rondo.)

 

 

 

 

The piano trio winning second place in Senior Ensemble features Mariana Cottier-Bucco, violin, Jeffrey Han, cello, and Teresa McCann, piano.

Violinist Mariana Cottier-Bucco is a senior at the Pennsylvania leadership Charter School and a violin student of Mr. Lee Snyder at Settlement Music School. She is also concertmaster of the Trowbridge Chamber Orchestra and a member of the first violin section of the Elite Strings Chamber Orchestra. She has won several concerto competitions, including those sponsored by the Philadelphia Sinfonia, the Old York Road Orchestra, and the Newtown Chamber Orchestra. She is also a 2010 semifinalist of the Sphinx National Competition.

This summer, Mariana will be studying with Mr. Paul Kantor at the Aspen Music Festival and School, and is planning to attend Indiana University next fall.

Cellist Jeffrey Han is a freshman at Conestoga High School.  He has played the cello for six years and studies with Udi Bar-David.  Jeffrey is a member of the Philadelphia Sinfonia and is assistant principal of their chamber orchestra; he has also received an Advanced Study Scholarship at Settlement Music School, where he is a member of the Braverman String Quartet.  Previously, Jeffrey won first place in the Junior Strings Division of the 2009 Tri-County Youth Festival.

Pianist Teresa McCann is a senior at Merion Mercy Academy.  She studies piano privately with Dolly Krasnopolsky.

(Audition repertoire:  Dvorak, Piano Trio in E Minor, Op. 90 ["Dumky"]:  Mvt. vi, Lento maestoso.)

 

 

Pianist Dakyung (Daniel) Song is a freshman at The Haverford 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, most recently 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.
(Audition repertoire:  Liszt, Transcendental Etude No. 10 in F Minor.)

 

 

 

Samuel Walter is a ninth-grade homeschool student. He has studied cello for five years under the tutelage of George Atanasiu, and is the principal cellist of the Pennsylvania Young Performers Orchestra and the Musical Coterie of Wayne. He also plays with the Main Line Symphony Orchestra and performs several times a year with the Rowan University Symphony Orchestra and String Ensemble. Samuel has had master classes with Constantin Negoita (principal cellist of the Bern Symphony Orchestra) and Nikolae Sarpe (professor at Santa Cecilia Conservatory in Rome). He plays with his brother, violinist Micah John Walter,  at weddings, receptions, fundraisers and other social functions. Samuel is also a fine artist: he especially enjoys oil painting and folk-art paper cutting.
(Audition repertoire:  Boccherini, Cello Concerto in B-flat Major:  Mvt. i, Allegro.)