As a semifinalist of the XI International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians, Ivette Chen was one of six cellists to represent the US. Ivette has been a prizewinner for many international competitions and has performed at various venues, including Carnegie’s Stern Auditorium, Irvine‘s Barclay Theatre, and UCLA’s Royce Hall for her teacher Lynn Harrell in his “In Remembrance” Concert. She enjoys giving back to the community through music and hosted her own solo concert, “The Constellation” to raise money for the neurosurgery department in Sierra Leone. Ivette is a current junior at Harvard University and is concentrating in neuroscience. Outside of academics, Ivette is also involved in CrimsonEMS as a licensed emergency medical technician, Harvard Medical School’s Mission:BRAIN chapter as the Content Creation Chair, and runs international conferences focused on liberal arts seminars and university-level research methods for Chinese high school students. She also conducts neural progenitor cell research at Mass General Hospital and aspires to be a neurosurgeon in the future.

There are people in the world who do not have the privileges that are present in our life. Let’s help those people gain those benefits. Each note played out extends a helping hand.

As a senior at the Webb Schools, Tina Hou has been playing the piano since a young age and hopes to support her community with music. She has won multiple awards in musical events such as the MTAC Piano Ensemble Festival, Orange County North Solo Competition, and more. She was also chosen as the second place winner for the American Protégé International Music Talent Competition Fall 2022, giving her the opportunity to perform at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in the summer of 2023. In addition to playing the piano, Tina holds the position of captain on one of her school’s FTC robotics teams, where she serves as a designer and builder. In her free time, Tina engages with her passions for languages and computer science.

Music is a timeless voyage across seas of passions, carrying stories of the heart.

Nadia Wang is a Senior in Diamond Bar High School. She started playing piano at the age of 4 and attending Colburn School since the age of 5 and has won top prizes in many competitions including LA Young Pianists, Elite International Music, Colibri International, International Keyboard Odyssiad & Festival, DBHS Concerto, SCP Concerto, SYMF Concerto and others. She performed in Camegie Hall in 2018 and performed with the SCP Orchestra as a soloist in 2020. In May 2023, Nadia also aced her ABRSM final (Grade 8) piano exam with distinction. To serve the community, Nadia has volunteered to perform in many senior living homes and adult daycare centers throughout the southland. In addition to playing piano, Nadia enjoys singing, dancing, and arranging music for the award-winning DBHS Marquis Show Choir.

Through music, I would like to make change and help those who are less fortunate in this world.

Darell Lien is a junior at Troy High School and loves listening and playing music. Darell’s musical journey began at the age of six when he first picked up the violin. Over the past decade, he has diligently honed his skills, achieving the remarkable feat of reaching Level 10 in the Certificate of Merit (CM) program with honors. Due to his interest in music, over the last couple of years, Darell has taught himself how to play guitar and sing. Aside from his musical ventures, he enjoys playing basketball, bonding with his friends and family, and watching movies. Darell has also achieved the Eagle Scout rank. He hopes that with his music, he will be able to benefit the community.

Music can name the unnameable and communicate the unknowable. - Leonard Bernstein

Samantha Huang is currently a senior at Diamond Bar High School. She loves performing with the award-winning Marquis show choir and helping out with the school’s class committee. Besides singing, she enjoys taking dance classes, watching musicals, exploring new places, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog. In her free time, she takes part in volunteering at various events through her school’s clubs, as well as competing with the FBLA organization. With this program, she hopes to showcase her positive energy when performing to bring happiness to others.

Music is a universal language. To me, music is a way to express and communicate emotions to people you may not know.

Ella is a current Senior at Troy High School. She has always had a love for music and has explored her passion through various instruments including piano, violin, guitar, and also singing. She has achieved Advanced Level 10 for Piano in MTAC’s Certificate of Merit Program and also played violin in the Orange County Youth Symphony. She also won various singing competitions including Concert Artists International Competition and The Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition giving her the opportunity to sing at distinguished concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and Walt Disney Hall. Outside of music, Ella is a dedicated competitive archer who is a 3x state champion and ranked 10th in the nation in her division. Ella’s love for community service drives her to use her talents to make a positive impact, blending her artistic pursuits with a commitment to helping others.

Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything. - Plato

Pianist, cellist, violinist, and striving composer, Chloe Wei is a passionate musician who hopes to inspire people with her music. Recently, Chloe was awarded 1st place at the MTAC 2024 Winterfest and was chosen as a 1st prize winner of the 2024 Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition, where she was invited to play at Carnegie Hall in the summer of 2024. Chloe was a part of JCM during 2021-2022 and played as a cellist in Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings. In addition, Chloe also attended an MTAC CT State Contest for her composed song and MTAC Improvisation Recital where she was selected to present her improvised song for the MTAC Convention in 2021. In the past, she has participated in MTAC Music Festivals for 4 years on the piano along with the Youth SCSBOA Honor Orchestra for 2 years with the cello and violin. Chloe is currently a junior at Orange Lutheran and through hard work in music and academics, she hopes to one day pursue a career in the medical field.

David Wong, age fifteen, is a junior at the Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA). David is currently the principal oboist for the Colburn School of Music’s Youth Orchestra (CYO) and has served as a principal first-chair oboist for the prestigious Pacific Symphony Youth Ensembles (PSYE). He was selected for the California All-State Honor Band and California All-Southern Honor Band in 2022 and 2024. David has won numerous awards, including the American Fine Arts Festival International Concerto Competition — for which he performed at Carnegie Hall in June 2022 and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2023. In addition to playing the oboe, David is also an accomplished pianist. He has been awarded Advanced Level 10 with State Honors in MTAC’s Certificate of Merit Program and had his debut piano performance at Carnegie Hall at age 11. David is passionate about harnessing music to serve his communities.

There are two things that bring me joy in life: playing music and applesauce 🍎

Grace is currently a Junior attending Yorba Linda High School. She began to play the piano at the young age of six and has developed a love for music since then. Grace has won in various competitions including state Bach competitions, Theme Festival, Musical Arts, Southwestern Youth Music Festival, and many more Music Teachers Association of California Competitions. In 2024, she was selected as a MTAC Certificate of Merit Panel Honors musician and won first prize in the Golden classical Music International Competition, receiving the opportunity to perform at Disney hall. Beside piano, Grace enjoys listening to her favorite artists on repeat and watching la la land for the nth time. At school, Grace loves being a part of the speech and debate team as well as the school’s business program, where she competed and placed at the state level.

Where words fail, music speaks. - Hans Christian Anderson

Bella L. Huang is a sophomore at Valencia High School. She has played violin and piano for many years, and has participated in many orchestras and chamber groups including Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings (PSSS), Junior Chamber Music (JCM), Cal-ASTA Los Angeles Chamber Music Festival, and Irvine Classical Players Orchestra (ICPO), where she was able to perform in various venues in Spain. Alongside playing piano and violin, Bella also enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her dog. She hopes use music as a way to bring change to the world.

I hope music can be the bridge that connects us together.

Jena Min is a 9th grader at El Dorado High School. She started singing when she was 4 years old and has been self taught until she was 12 where she decided to further her musical journey with professional lessons. She has been in the school choir since middle school. Jena is also interested in musicals and acting. Outside of singing, she takes piano lessons and plays tennis for El Dorado High School. She has a passion for the medical field, wanting to become a health care provider in the future.

Music can heal the wounds which medicine cannot touch. - Debasish Mridha

Cindy Wang, 16, is currently a junior at Troy High School. She started playing the flute at the age of 9. Since then she has participated and won prizes in several competitions. In 2022, she won 1st place in Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, 2nd place in American Protégé Woodwinds & Brass Competition, and 2nd place in Golden Classical Music Awards. She performed at Carnegie Hall in the spring of 2023 and has been invited to perform at the Paris Philharmonie and the Beethoven House in Germany. In 2024, she won 1st place in Golden Classical Music Awards and was the California state finalist of the VOCE competition. Although competing brings her joy, she believes the greatest thing you can do with music is to help others. She has maintained her Music4Change club since 2023, which has supported her school’s underfunded music program and was able to purchase several instruments and cases through busking. Cindy hopes to impact more through participating in Giving Harmony.

I couldn’t really picture a world without music. It would be quite boring. - Sabrina Carpenter

Chloe Qian is currently a freshman at the Orange County School of Arts (OCSA), in the Pianist Program. Since the age of 5, Chloe has debuted her music journey through learning piano. Her continuous passion and diligent efforts made her winners of multiple competitions, such as MACOC Piano Solo Competition, MTAC SoCal Solo Competition, IPPA Conero International Piano Competition, AEGIO International Piano Competition Global Round, Orbetello International Piano Competition, CAPMT Romantic Competition, and CAPMT Sonata Competition. Chloe has been exposed to many music festivals and masterclasses, including Oberlin International Music Festival 2023, Concordia Music Festival 2022, and BAMA International Piano Festival 2024. She had the chance to learn with world-famous pianists, such as Dang Thai Son, Ning An, and Stanislav Loudenitch. In addition to piano, Chloe loves playing tennis. She was an U14 tennis team member of Yorba Linda Country Club, and competed in many USTA tournaments. During her free time, Chloe enjoys making jewelry, and playing video games.

A life without music is a life not worth living. When there’s a problem, music is your solution.

At age 6, Bella W. Huang began her musical journey playing the piano. She attends Orange County School of Arts for Visual Arts. Some of her passions in the creative fields include drawing, sculpting, fiber art, and music. Since 2017, she has competed in several MTAC piano competitions and attended the Junior Chamber Music competition in 2023. She enjoys crocheting, Scioly, DTI, and playing with her cat.

Where words fail, music speaks.

Jacquelyn Cheng, age thirteen, is an eighth grader at Heritage Oak Private Education. She studied piano privately from the age of seven. Then, she started playing the violin in second grade. After five years of playing the violin, Jacquelyn switched to viola. Currently, she receives dedicated instructions from Dr. Amanda Yang. Participating in the Satori Summer Music Festival, Jacquelyn earned first place in the Satori Strings Contest for Viola in 2023 and second place in 2024. Since 2021, Jacquelyn has played in the award winning Ivy Chamber Strings Orchestra, conducted by Mr. Brandon Miller. The group participated in the National-wide Heritage Festival Orchestra Competition organized by WorldStrides and received the Gold Award, Adjudicator Award, and Outstanding Orchestra Award. They even got invited to perform on the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall, New York, and received unanimous praise from four national-level judges. In her free time, Jacquelyn loves helping at her school’s library and drawing.

Cathy Chen, nineteen years old, is a pianist and guitarist who is currently attending the University of California - San Diego. She is actively involved in cancer genomics computational research in the university’s Ongkeko Lab. Her passion extends beyond music and academics, as she volunteers monthly at a free clinic in Ensenada, Mexico to help the local underserved communities. Cathy aspires to work in the medical field in the future to help people at their most vulnerable times.

I can make a change in the world while enjoying music. Now that’s what you call two birds with one stone.

A passionate flutist, Evelyn Wu has been playing and performing for over 10 years. She has been a part of many well established ensembles including the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble from 2021 to 2023 and Orange County Youth Wind Ensemble from 2020 to 2021. This year, she is exploring new musical genres with the jazz band at Brown University, where she studies organismal biology. Besides music, Evelyn is involved in several other organizations at Brown including Model UN, Science Olympiad, and Quizbowl. In her free time, she enjoys drawing, reading, and playing video games with friends.

Using music, I want to do for some what I wish I could do for all.

Vella Feng is a pianist and artist who is currently studying at the University of Southern California. She is also the director and screenwriter for multiple short films she did and was awarded several international prizes. With a wide range of hobbies and artistic accomplishments, her ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between the visual arts and the digital world, using the passion for both to connect people on a deeper, more immersive level.

Giving harmony isn't just a place where we play music, but a place we bring love and joys.

As a dedicated violinist and pianist, Kerry finds solace and inspiration in music, cherishing the memories she has made through her performing arts journey. With nearly a decade of experience in orchestras and smaller ensembles such as the Chamber Music Institute, she now continues her musical pursuits as a violinist in the Johns Hopkins Orchestra. Currently a sophomore at Johns Hopkins University, Kerry is pursuing a double major in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics and Statistics. In her free time, she enjoys playing badminton and ping pong with friends, reading, exploring campus life, and discovering new hobbies. Looking ahead, Kerry aims to advance her research in computer science while sharing her passion for music with others.

Music accentuates purpose, enhances connections, and evokes emotions. May music connect us all to give each other a helping hand.

Anna Huang is a devoted musician and writer. She is a freshman at the University of California, San Diego. As a musician, she is passionate about storytelling through musical performance. Anna has performed in various piano competitions, marching band competitions, school talent shows, nursing homes, and more. In recent years, she performed at Carnegie Hall (2021) after being chosen first-place winner in the Golden Classical Music Award International Competition. The following year, she won second place in the American Protégé International Competition for Romantic Music and performed at Carnegie Hall in 2023. Aside from music, Anna enjoys leading part of her church’s Sunday school, building legos, reading with her cat, and advocating for the next generation.

Music is a language with no barriers, meant to be shared as a gift from soul to soul.

Thomas Wu is a pianist currently studying structural engineering at the University of California, San Diego. He is also an avid photographer who has received multiple state-level awards for his unique composition of photos. Besides art, he enjoys playing golf, tinkering with mechanical keyboards, and running a small business that sells parts and services. Some day, Thomas hopes to work as a civil engineer, designing road and airport infrastructure to increase accessibility and safety for everyone.

Music brings a warm glow to my vision, thawing mind, and muscle from their endless wintering. - Haruki Murakami

Samantha Luo is a student at Troy High School. She has played piano for about 6 years and passed MTAC Certificate of Merit Piano Level 10 with state honors. Outside of academics and music, she enjoys reading, scrapbooking, and watching sitcoms. She hopes to share with others the sense of beauty and enjoyment that she finds in music.