Wei Lu is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate and Graduation Assistant at the College-Conservatory of Music, University of Cincinnati, where she studies with Kurt Sassmannshaus. Previously, she studied with Martin Beaver, Laurie Smukler, and Nicholas Mann. She received an Artist Diploma Certification in Violin Performance from the Colburn School, a Master of Music Degree in Violin Performance from Juilliard, and a Bachelor of Music Degree in Violin Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where she received a commencement award for the outstanding violinist. Ms. Lu was a top prize winner in major solo music competitions, including the Serge & Olga Koussevitzky Young Artist Awards, the Schadt String Competition, Charleston International Music Competition, Music & Stars Awards International Music Competition, International Music Competition ‘Salzburg’ Grand Prize Virtuoso, and the Canetti International Violin Competition.

Her performance experiences include solo with the Starling Chamber Orchestra in Cincinnati, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, and Qingdao Symphony Orchestra in China. She played the masterclasses with Kavakos Leonidas, Midori Goto, Pamela Frank, and Henning Kraggerud. She has participated in music festivals such as Tanglewood Music Center, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival, Beijing International Music Festival, and the Annual National Arts Centre Summer Music Institute for Young Artists Program in Ottawa.

Ms. Lu has performed in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Wall Disney Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Scandinavia House. Besides solo violin performances, she also built some chamber music experiences. She was coached by famous chamber musicians such as Arnold Steinhardt, Robert McDonald, Sylvia Rosenberg, Joel Smirnoff, and Fabio Bidini.

Celine Chen, 18, was instinctively drawn to the piano and began playing at the age of 4. As a student of Nobuyo Nishizaka, Celine has won countless accolades in numerous piano competitions, including the International Grande Music Competition, the LANSUM International Music Competition, the Seattle International Piano Competition, the Glory International Music Competition, the International Enkor Piano Competition, the James Ramos International Piano Competition, the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, the Grand Virtuoso International Competition, the International Piano Competition Paderewski in Memoriam, the Russian Rhapsody International Youth Competition, the Chopin Avenue Piano Competition, the Spotlight International Competition, the Celia Mendez Young Pianist’s Beethoven Competition, and the Claudette Sorel International Piano Competition. Most notably, Celine was a finalist at the MTNA National Competitions, a scholarship recipient from the Friends of William Grant Still Arts Center, a merit awardee from the Music Center’s Spotlight, an alternate from the Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition, and more recently, the Grand Prize winner of the YMIC (Young Musicians Inspiring Change) International Competition, a Herbert Zipper Scholar, a 2022 winner of the YoungArts National Competition, and a From The Top finalist.

Celine was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in the winter of 2017 after receiving the top prize in the International Music Talent American Protege Competition. The WPTA Finland International Music Competition, similarly, invited her to an intensive piano lesson with Steinway Artist Elena Nesterenko. She has continuously worked with other world-renowned pianists, as well, including Mark Richman, Robert Thies, Christopher O’Riley, Kary Kramer, Lucinda Carver, Craig Richey, Thomas Lymenstull, Elvin S. Rodriguez, Daniel Shapiro, Karen Taylor, Christopher Harding, Melinda Baird, Ruth Morrow, Tony Weinstein, and Paul Roberts.

An avid chamber musician, Celine was chosen to tour various cities in Europe as a JCM debut artist, participating in masterclasses with Petr Tchaikovsky and Avedis Kouyoumdjian. Her piano trio placed silver in the PCM Chamber Music Competition and were semi-finalists at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. She also had the chance to participate in Composers Direct!, performing compositions by Esther Ollivier. She was also part of MTAC Friends of Today’s Music, recording commissioned work Beads of Sunlight by Augusta Read Thomas for a world premiere.

Julie Kim, 15, began playing the violin at the age of 5 and was accepted into the Juilliard PreCollege Division at the age of 11, where she studies with Elizabeth Chang. She is the first prize winner of several music competitions such as the YWCA of Queens New York Music Competition, International Grande Music Competition, MTNA Competitions, and many more. Julie has also won second prize at the Coltman Chamber Music Competition as a member of the FaMa Quartet in 2022. Her performance venue includes Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. In the past four summers, Julie attended the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont, and Luzerne Music Center in Lake George, New York where she was awarded scholarships. In her free time, Julie enjoys playing with her cat and skiing in the winter. 

William Yeh (12), born in London, currently studies with Professor Naoko Tanaka at Juilliard Pre-College. William was awarded a scholarship as the youngest violinist at the 2019 HeifetzPEG (Program for Exceptionally Gifted, USA). William has performed and won top prizes in various international festivals and competitions, including first prizes (Junior Division) at the 2020 Philadelphia International Music Festival Concerto Competition (USA), 2021 EUROASIA International Violin Competition (Japan), and 2022 NOMEA International Violin Competition (Italy). William was also awarded Young Artist Awards at the 2020 Singapore Violin Festival (Singapore) and the 2021 Busan Maru International Music Festival Concerto Competition (South Korea). Additionally, William performed at the National Concert Hall and the National Recital Hall in Taipei, Taiwan in the 14th Academy of Taiwan Strings National Biennial Violin Competition Laureate Concerts. Most recently, William performed with internationally renowned pianist Akiko Chiba in New York, live broadcasted globally, and with Grammy Award-nominated pianist Mark Livshits at The Philadelphia International Music Festival Winner’s Recital in Mellon Hall, Pennsylvania, USA. William has also been awarded a full scholarship to the Aspen Music Festival for the summer of 2022.

Prior to Juilliard Pre-College, William studied with Professor Chengtu Su (Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan), Professor Qian Zhou (Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music, Singapore), and violinist Sirena Huang (USA). William performed at the masterclasses with Professor Itzhak Rashkovsky (Russia/ Israel), Professor Kyung-Sun Lee (South Korea), and the Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet (USA). Also, William has been mentored by violinist Pieter Schoeman (Concertmaster of the London Philharmonic Orchestra, UK).

Besides playing the violin, William enjoys playing chess, badminton, and ice-skating, as well as singing and dancing in musicals. He played “Rolf” in “The Sound of Music” at the Auditorium of CKS (Chiang Kai-Shek) Memorial Hall and starred as “Peter Pan” in “Peter Pan” at USC (Shih-Chien University) Concert Hall. William has also been awarded the Ouspensky Fund “Conducting” Award and is receiving conducting apprenticeship from Maestro Giacomo Franci, the Artistic Director and the Conductor of The New York Chamber Players Orchestra. William will be performing with The New York Chamber Players Orchestra in the 2022-2023 season.

Avery Armstrong is a 9-year-old pianist from the Bay Area in California, she has been studying piano since the age of four, and at the age of six, she started studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Pre-college Division under Annamarie McCarthy.

She has participated in numerous competitions and recitals and she is a top prize winner of many national and international competitions including Elite International Music Competition, United States International Music Competition, Crescendo International Music Competition, Opus National Music Competition, New York International Young Musician Competition, American Protege International Piano and Strings Competition, US New Star Competition, New York Laureate International Music Competition, and 2022 International Music Competition 'Amsterdam' Grand Prize Virtuoso and in April 2022 she gave two solo recitals in Carnegie Hall and will perform at Kleine Zaal, Concertgebouw Amsterdam in July 2022 as FIRST PRIZE + EXCEPTIONAL YOUNG TALENT Special Prize Winner.

Besides playing piano, Avery likes to play table tennis, swimming, creative writing,  reading, coding, and biology and chemistry!