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2009 Sejong Music Competition

Winners


  Piano
Senior Division
Piano
Junior Division
First Place Andrew Ly
(Brenda Huang)
Arlington Heights, IL
Seoyun Baek
(Elaine Felder)
Buffalo Grove, IL
Second Place Yesse Kim
(Panayis Lyras)
Ann Arbor, MI
Yoan Ganev
(Marta Aznavoorian)
Wheeling, IL
Third Place Hannah Kay
(Brenda Huang)
Lincolnshire, IL
Kyle Jannak-Huang
(Brenda Huang)
Palatine, IL
Honorable Mention none none
Best Interpretation of Korean Piece Yesse Kim
(Panayis Lyras)
Ann Arbor, MI
Seoyun Baek
(Elaine Felder)
Buffalo Grove, IL

 

  Violin
Senior Division
Violin
Junior Division
First Place Ethan Hoppe
(Almita Vamos and Marko Dreher)
Chicago, IL
Adé Williams
(Almita Vamos and Marko Dreher)
Chicago, IL
Second Place Lydia Umlauf
(Desirée Ruhstrat)
Rensselaer, IN
Serena Harnack
(Julie Maura)
Glen Ellyn, IL
Third Place Laura Park
(Almita Vamos and Marko Dreher)
Palatine, IL
Tabby Rhee
(Hye-Sun Lee)
Brookfield, WI

Honorable Mention

Jennifer Cha
(Desirée Ruhstrat)
Naperville, IL
Chloe Lee
(Desirée Ruhstrat)
Chicago, IL
Best Interpretation of Korean Piece Sofia Kim
(Almita Vamos)
Wilmette, IL
Ade Williams
(Almita Vamos and Marko Dreher)
Chicago, IL

 

Piano

 

Andrew Ly
first place, piano senior
Andrew Ly

Andrew Ly, 17 years old, is a senior at Buffalo Grove High School.  He started learning piano at five years old and currently studying with Brenda Huang.  Andrew is also a member of piano trio group in the Midwest Young Artists Institute. Andrew has participated in many piano competitions and received many awards.  In March 2009, Andrew was one of the 7 finalists for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Piano Concerto Competition, which was held once every three years.  This provided him with the chance to perform at the Symphony Hall in Chicago, which was an experience he treasures greatly.  Other than that, in 2009, besides winning the Sejong Music Competition senior division, he won the ISMAT district audition senior division.   He won the Harper College Young Artist Concerto Competition for two consecutive years (2006 and 2007) in both junior and senior division, which gave him two opportunities to perform publicly with the Harper Symphony Orchestra.  In 2007, he received the honor of “2007 Outstanding Chinese Young Pianist” award from the Chinese Mid-American Music Organization.  In Walgreen Midwest Young Artist Concerto Competition in 2006, Andrew received Honorable Mention in piano senior division open session.  Furthermore, Andrew performed a concert for the Young Steinway Concert Series in June 2007. Andrew received certification of piano performance and music theory by passing the highest (12th) level exam in March 2008.  His other awards include 2nd place in the State Level Piano Competition of  Illinois State Music Teacher Association senior division, 1st place in the Piano Competition of the Society of American Musicians senior division, 1st place in the Awards Competition of the Northwest Teacher Music Association senior division, 1st place in the ISMTA northwest senior division audition, 1st place in the Piano Competition of North Shore Music Teacher Association, 2nd place in the Music Festival in Honor of Confucius, and 2nd place at Roberta Savaler Piano Competition. At Buffalo Grove High School, he was the pianist in the Jazz Band and Pit Orchestra for two years.  His favorite sports are golfing and running.  He is on his school’s Varsity Golf Team, Math Team, and Scholastic Bowl Team. He is a member of National Honor Student Society and likes biology, chemistry, math, and architecture design. He is thinking of pursuing medical field in college and taking music as a minor to continue his piano study.

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Yesse Kim
second place and best interpretation of Korean piece, piano senior
Yesse Kim

Yesse Kim started piano lessons at the age of six with Jin Young Gwak. She won numerous competitions in Korea, including 1st prize at Kukmin Ilbo National Competition, 2nd prize at Teenager National Piano Competition, 2nd prize at Music Education News Competition, and 1st prize at Asia Chopin International Piano Competition held in Nagoya, Japan. In 2001, she was selected to perform for the Kumho Prodigy Series as the youngest. She made her first orchestra debut with Daejeon Sangrok Orchestra at the age of nine, and later performed with Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2004, she was invited to perform in Shenzhen, China for The China-Korea Exchange Concert of Piano Prodigies and Young Musicians Festival in Youngsan Art Hall. Her former teachers include Moon Jung Kim, Jung won Seo, Jin hee Yang, and Choong-mo Kang. After moving to Michigan in 2006, she won 1st place at Yamaha Music Teachers National Association Competition in Michigan, Michigan Music Teachers Association Concerto Competition, Schoolcraft College Piano Competition, and Rosalie Edwards Music Competition. In 2009, she performed Prokofiev Piano Concerto No.1 with Birmingham-Bloomfield Symphony Orchestra under Charles Greenwell’s baton. She currently studies with Panayis Lyras in Michigan.

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Hannah Kay
third place, piano senior
Hannah Kay

Hannah Kay is 15 years old and a sophomore at Adlai E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL.   As a student of Brenda Huang, she has won numerous awards from the Society of American Musicians and the Chinese Fine Arts Society (CFAS).  She recently was honored as a 2009 Finalist at the CSO Youth Auditions and performed at The Symphony Center.  In October 2009, she was a guest soloist in the Skokie Library Young Artists Series. Hannah, as pianist for The Midwest Young Artists’ (MYA) Trio Bravo, has performed at The Symphony Center, the Chicago Art Institute, and the Skokie Library Young Artists Series. Trio Bravo recently received an Honorable Mention at the MYA Chamber Competition and was awarded the  2008 Virginia G. Behrendt Scholarship through CFAS.  Her other interests include following the Yankees, playing volleyball, badminton, and dancing. 

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Seoyun Baek
first place and best interpretation of Korean piece, piano junior
Seoyun Baek

Seoyun Baek,  9, began her piano studies with Kijung Han at the National School of Music for talented young musicians in Korea. Seoyun has been a student of artist faculty member Elaine Felder at MIC since coming to Chicago in September 2008.  In December of 2008, Seoyun received a gold medal at the CAMTA Sonata-Sonatina Festival.  She received first prize in the NSMTA Competition and an MIC Merit Scholarship award in May of 2009. Seoyun is currently a fourth grader at Ivy Hall Elementary School. When she is not practicing the piano, Seoyun enjoys playing the violin, reading, and swimming.

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Yoan Ganev
second place, piano junior
Yoan Ganev

Thirteen-year-old Yoan Ganev is a scholarship recipient and member of the Senior Academy at Music Institute of Chicago where he studies with Marta Aznavoorian. He has won numerous competition awards, most recently First Place at the Chinese Fine Arts Society music competition. Among his most cherished competition awards is his performance on WFMT, Chicago’s classical radio. He has also performed with the Chicago Chamber Musicians at Navy Pier’s Shakespeare Theater.

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Kyle Jannak-Huang
third place, piano junior
Kyle Jannak-Huang

Twelve-year-old Kyle Jannak-Huang has been studying piano with his aunt, Brenda Huang, for 6 years.  Kyle was named 2009 State winner in ISMTA competition. He also won the first prize at the Awards Competition for Intermediate division in 2008 and honorable mention at 2007-2008 Walgreens Concerto Competition for Open Junior Division. He was a first place winner of the Confucius Music Festival for junior I division in 2007 and the youth division in 2006.  The other awards include:  the first place in the Society of American Musicians Competition in 2007 and a winner at the Roberta Savlor Competition in 2006.   Kyle is currently a sixth grader at Pleasant Hill Elementary School in Palatine.

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Violin

 

Ethan Hoppe
first place, violin senior
Ethan Hoppe

Ethan Hoppe is a merit scholarship student in the pre-conservatory Academy program of the Music Institute of Chicago, where he studies violin with Almita Vamos and Marko Dreher. Ethan is seventeen years old and a senior in the International Baccalaureate program at Lincoln Park High School (Chicago). He is a National Merit Semi-Finalist, an Illinois State Scholar, an Advanced Placement Scholar with Distinction, Illinois All State All-Academic Soccer Team 2010, and captain of his school’s varsity soccer and tennis teams. The youngest of five children, Ethan enjoys playing chamber music and jamming with his siblings and parents. He has studied violin for thirteen years, and also plays piano, trumpet, viola, and drum set.  In addition to winning 1st place in the Sejong Cultural Society Competition, he was recently recognized with a Young Arts Honorable Mention Merit Award and was a 2009 Illinois State Finalist in the ASTA (American String Teachers Association) competition as well as a Junior Division semi-finalist in the 2009 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.  Summer festivals include Okemo Young Artists’ Program (Ludlow, VT) and Astona International Music Academy (Switzerland), where he was the chamber orchestra concertmaster. Ethan’s performances have been broadcast on Vermont Public Television and WFMT’s Introductions radio program featuring outstanding high school musicians in the Chicago area. 

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Lydia Umlauf
second place, violin senior
Lydia Umlauf

Lydia G. Umlauf, 17, is a merit scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program for gifted pre-college musicians where she studies privately with Desiree Ruhstrat.  Lydia, a Senior in the Umlauf Homeschool, took violin lessons for 11 years from Tamara Ringas, Chesterton, IN prior to joining MIC.  She has also had 8 years of piano lessons. Lydia has attended Masterworks Music Festival where she was chosen to perform in their honors recital in 2007 and was a finalist in the concerto competition in 2008 where she gave a recital performance of Barber's violin concerto.  She has played in Master classes with Roger Frisch, Stephen Clapp, David & Linda Cerone, Ilya Kaler,  Ida & Ani Kavafian, Dr. William Grubb, Vivian Hagner and Mark Kaplan. Lydia is currently a member of  Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, IN where she has been a section violinist since 2007. Lydia is a 2010 Merit Award winner for YoungArts, National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.  She has won prize from the Chinese Fine Arts Society competition and Sejong Music Competition, Bob Jones University Fine Arts Festival, Nisource Children’s Competition, Northwest Indiana Youth Orchestra concerto competition, Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra,  Muncie Symphony Young Artist Competition, Lafayette Symphony Orchestra’s Keller competition, Indianapolis Symphony “Maurer Young Musician Competition”, and state level Indiana Music Teachers’ Association violin competition. Lydia was invited to give a recital performance in the Young Steinway Concert Series at the Skokie Library.

Her hobbies include photography and reading.  She is passionate about art and loves visiting museums and galleries.

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Laura Park
third place, violin senior
Laura Park

Laura Park, 15, is a scholarship recipient of the Music Institute of Chicago's Senior Academy program for gifted pre-college musicians where she studies privately with MIC artist faculty members Almita Vamos, Roland Vamos, and Marko Dreher. She has participated in masterclasses with Ilya Kaler, Viviane Hagner, Joel Smirnoff, Mark Kaplan, Alice Schoenfeld, David Bowlin, Elisabeth Adkins, and the Pacifica and Ying Quartets. Laura has twice been the overall winner of the Walgreens National Concerto Competition Junior Division. She has won numerous competitions, including the Music Teachers National Association Illinois Junior String Division, the Harper Young Artist Competition, the Society of American Musicians Competition, the Sejong Music Competition and the Confucius Competition. Also, she has received honors from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Youth Auditions, the American String Teachers Association National Solo Competition, the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Competition, and the North Suburban Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Competition. She has soloed with the North Suburban Symphony Orchestra, the Harper Symphony Orchestra and Midwest Young Artist Concert Orchestra. She performed in the 2007 Young Steinway Concert Series. Laura has been featured on the 98.7 WFMT Introductions, ABC7Chicago, and Vermont Public Television. She is a member of the Aurelia String Quartet at the Music Institute of Chicago. Aurelia is the gold medal winner of the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the St. Paul String Quartet Competition, the Jules M. Laser Chamber Music Competition, and the Rembrandt Chamber Players Competition, and have been named the Rembrandt Young Artists for 2009. She has studied at the Astona International Summer Academy in Switzerland and the Okemo Young Artist Program in Vermont. In 2009 she participated in the fellowship program of the Kennedy Center/National Symphony Orchestra  National Trustees' Summer Music Institute (SMI) in Washington, D.C.

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Sofia Kim
best interpretation of Korean piece, violin senior
Sofia Kim

Sofia Kim is a junior at New Trier High School and previously studied violin at the Colburn School. Currently she is a student of Mrs. Amita Vamos and Mr. Roland Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicago. Sofia has performed with orchestras since age 10, including Los Angeles City College Orchestra, the Brentwood Symphony, the Youth Symphony West Orchestra, the Korean-American Youth Symphony, the Hollywood Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Palisades Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Monica College Symphony Orchestra and the Pasadena Crown Symphony. She will also be performing again with the Hollywood Youth Symphony Orchestra later this season. Sofia has won first places in numerous competitions such as, the Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Concerto Competition, the Palisades Symphony Concerto Competition, the Music Fest Competition of the California International Young Artists Competition, and the Antelope Valley Bach Competition. She was also awarded grand prize in the Rotary Club Music Competition and the Valley Cultural Center Music Competition. Sofia performed at New York's Carnegie Hall and Bing Theater, where her performances were broadcasted on live radio for the KMZT 105.1 Sundays Night Live series numerous times. She received numerous scholarships including, the Leni Fe'Blande Music Scholarship, the Harmony Project Scholarship, the Westside Committee Award of the Los Angeles Philharmonic,  and the Dorothy Richard Starling Foundation Scholarship. She attended ENCORE School for Strings under Robert Lipsett and the Aspen Music Festival under Masao Kawasaki. Her current Gregg Alf violin and Lucci Cremona bow is on generous loan from the MAESTRO Foundation in Santa Monica, CA.

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Adé Williams
first place and best interpretation of Korean piece, violin junior
Adé Williams

Eleven-year-old violinist Adé Williams is the 2008 second place winner of the Sejong Music Competition, the first place winner of the 2006 Sigma Alpha Iota String Scholarship Competition, Junior Division and the 2005 Early Music Category, Walgreen’s National Concerto Competition, Junior Open Divisions.  Adé’s 2004 orchestral debut at the age of six was with the Chicago Sinfonietta as that orchestra’s youngest ever performer. In 2006, she performed as soloist with the South Side Family Chamber Orchestra, and in 2007 with the Highland Park Strings at Ravinia. Her 2006 radio debut was on WFMT’s Young Artist Showcase. In 2004, Adé founded the chamber group SugarStrings with her cousins Mira and Ayanna. SugarStrings has appeared at numerous venues and civic and charitable events including the City of Chicago’s September 11th Annual Commemoration, Chicago Foundation for Women’s Annual Luncheon, WNBA Chicago Sky Games, Chicago Chamber Musicians’ Family Concerts, Chicago Half Marathon, Martin Luther King, Jr. Peace=2 0Weekend, 100th Anniversary Convention of the Rotary Club International, Gray’s Child Development Benefit Concert, and Multiple Sclerosis Annual Christmas Party.  Adé enjoys being home schooled, playing with little brother, Jonathan, and playing various sports. Adé is the Music Institute of Chicago’s first William Warfield Scholar and a member of the Academy where she studies privately with Almita Vamos and Marko Dreher. She has performed in master classes for concert violinists Tai Murray and Rachel Barton Pine. Adé performs on a 3/4-size violin by John Jusek, on generous loan from the Rachel Elizabeth Barton Foundation.

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Serena Harnack
second place, violin junior
Serena Harnack

Serena Harnack, 11 years old, has been playing violin for 7 years, and studies with Julie Maura at Wheaton College. She has won 1st Place in the Chinese Fine Arts Society Confucius Competition, and Outstanding at the Granquist Music Competition in Geneva.  She won 1st Place in the DePaul Concerto Festival, and was a soloist with the Oistrach Symphony.  Serena received awards from Midwest Young Artists/Walgreens Competition, Musichorale, and Sejong Music Competition. She has been a member of Youth Symphony of DuPage for four years, was Concertmistress for the Preparatory Orchestra last year, and won 1st Place in the Solo Competition twice. She is currently the youngest member of the YSDP Symphony Orchestra.   Serena was a featured soloist at ASI/Stevens Point last summer, was awarded a principal position in the SYOA orchestra in Minneapolis, and has attended Mark O’Connor’s Fiddle Camp in TN, Blue Lake Music Camp, ASI/Stevens Point, SILK Music Camp, and workshops at MIC, NIU, ISU, and Wheaton College. Serena had Master Classes with Rachel Barton, Catherine Cho, Chris Wu, Scott Conklin, Michael McClean, Mark O’Connor, Alice Joy Lewis, Rhonda Cole, Linda Fiore, Gabe Bolkovsky, Everett Goodwin, and many others. She is a member of Vivaldi Strings and St. Petronille Orchestra. Serena also studies viola, piano, and flute, receiving Perfect score for Solo Competition both years, has attended Rising Stars Show Choir camp for three years, where she was awarded a vocal solo the past two years, and has been in all five of her school musicals.

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Tabby Rhee
third place, violin junior
Tabby Rhee

Tabby Rhee is a 6th grader from Brookfield, Wisconsin. Born in New York City, she started her violin studies at age 5. Tabby made her first orchestral debut at age 7 winning the Bach Double Competition and performing side by side with The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO).  She was the youngest ever to win this competition and subsequently won for 2 more consecutive years. In 2007, Tabby was the runner-up of The Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) Concerto Competition where she had the opportunity to perform solo with the Orchestra.  In 2008, she was a finalist of the same competition.  As a member of the MYSO Senior Symphony at age 11, she once again made history being the youngest member of the Orchestra. Currently, Tabby is a Merit Scholarship recipient and member of Music Institute of Chicago’s Junior Academy program where she studies with Hye-Sun Lee. 

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