Student Achievements

Students: tell us about your wonderful musical accomplishments in and outside of the Academy by clicking here.

5.13.12 Emilio del Rosario Piano Concerto Competition - First established in 2010, the Emilio del Rosario Piano Concerto Competition was created in honor of master piano teacher Emilio del Rosario. Del Rosario dedicated his life to the art of teaching and nurturing pianists to the highest standards. This year,  Ryan Jannak-Huang (student of Brenda Huang) who performed Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3 - 3rd movement and Kyle Jannak-Huang (student of Brenda Huang) who performed Tchaikovsky Concerto No.1 - 1st movement, tied for Junior Division second place honors.

5.13.12 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition -Academy students win Gold and Bronze medals!

Over the course of three days, 48 ensembles competed in South Bend, IN at the 37th Annual National Competition.  In the Junior Division (for musicians eighteen and under), the First Place Medal and Scholarship of $2,000 was won by Quartet Stracciatella coached by faculty member Marko Dreher.  Members include Erika Gray (violin), HyunJae Lim (violin), Stephanie Block (viola) and Johannes Gray (cello).   The Third Place Medal and Scholarship ($1,000) went to Quartet Ardella coached by faculty member Hans Jorgen Jensen.  Members include Laura Park (violin), Jennifer Cha (violin), Devon Naftzger (viola) and Ben Solomonow (cello). Private instruction teachers of these students include Hans Jorgen Jensen (Johannes Gray and Ben Solomonow), Almita Vamos (Laura Park), Desiree Ruhstrat (Devon Naftzger, Erika Gray, Stephanie Block and Jennifer Cha) and Shmuel Ashkenasi (HyunJae Lim).

Students in the Music Institute’s Academy have taken first place in the Junior Division in four of the past five years, as well as earning five additional top medals:

• 2012 – 1st, Quartet Stracciatella; 3rd, Quartet Ardella
• 2010 – 1st, Quartet Danae; 2nd, Emerald String Quartet
• 2009 – 1st, Aurelia String Quartet; 3rd, Quartet Danae
• 2008 – 1st, Quartet Polaris; 2nd, Ridere Quartet; 3rd, Aurelia String Quartet

Click for full Fischoff feature >>

5.5.12 Zachary Brandon, 13, violin student of Hye-Sun Lee, won first place in the Lansing Symphony Youth Competition at the Dart Auditorium in Lansing, MI. The Lansing Symphony Youth Competition has been an annual tradition in that community for over 60 years. Area instrumentalists in grades 6 through 12 are eligible to participate. In addition to a cash prize, the first place winner receives a traveling trophy and an invitation to perform with the Lansing Symphony at the annual Young People's Concerts.

5.5.12 Kate Liu, 17, piano student of Alan Chow, was named a Presidential Scholar YoungArts Finalist, which resulted from a Presidential Scholar nomination at the Young Arts program.The 597 YoungArts 2012 Winners were chosen through a blind adjudication process, from more than 5,000 applicants, representing all 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as all U.S. territories. YoungArts Winners were selected in nine disciplines in the visual, literary and performing arts: 152 Finalists; 174 Honorable Mentions; and 271 Merit Award Winners. In addition to receiving monetary awards, all YoungArts Winners join the ranks of our 16,000 YoungArts alumni.

4.28.12 Skokie Valley Symphony Orchestra 2012 Young Artist Competition

Gallia Kastner, 15, violin student of Almita Vamos, won 1^st place, and Claire Bourg, 16, violin student of Cyrus Forough, won 2^nd place. Cellist Mariel Werner also advanced to the finals.

4.28.12 St. Paul String Quartet Competition

Academy ensembles Vertical Velocity (Jisun Lee, Rebecca Benjamin, and Joshua Burca, violins/viola and Jessica Bieniarz, cello) and Quartet Ventoso (Jennifer Cha and Erika Gray, violins, Caitlin Adamson, viola, and Johannes Gray, cello) advanced to the finals of the national competition.

The prestigious Haydn Prize for best interpretation of the master’s work was awarded to Quartet Ventoso.  Quartet Ventoso (14 & 15 year olds) also won the Audience Prize.

4.27. 12 Laura Park, 18, violin student of Almita and Roland Vamos, was a semifinalist in the 8th Seoul International Music Competition held in Seoul, South Korea from April 16-30th. There were 33 contestants from 17 countries. Laura was the youngest participant, and she advanced to the semifinal (third) round.

4.21.12 Al Dente String Quartet 

Broadcast on over 200 stations nationwide to an audience of more than 700,000 listeners each week, From the Top is one of the most popular classical music programs on radio. Hosted by acclaimed pianist Christopher O’Riley, each one-hour broadcast presents five high-caliber performances along with interviews, sketches and games, revealing the heart and soul behind extraordinary young musicians. 

The Society of American Musicians was founded in 1914 with the intent of promoting the best interests of music in America, and maintaining the highest standards of musicianship. Through the competition, its awards, and performance opportunities, the Society offers assistance and encouragement to young musicians and promising artists. The Society of American Musicians hosts an annual competition for a wide range of instruments: cello, guitar, flute, piano, viola, and violin each spring in Chicago.

2012 Competition Results

Cello

Intermediate Division

1st Place - Richard Li, Student of Gilda Barston

2nd Place - Josiah Yoo, Student of GIlda Barston and Hans Jensen

Honorary Mention - Krystian Chiu, Student of Hans Jensen

Senior Division

1st Place - Nathan Walhout, Student of Gilda Barston

Viola

Senior Division

1st Place (Tie) - Caitlin Adamson, Student of Desiree Ruhstrat

1st Place (Tie) - Stephanie Block, Student of Desiree Ruhstrat

Violin

Junior Division

2nd Place - Hannah White, Student of Hye-Sun Lee

Senior Division 

1st Place - Gallia Kastner, Student of Almita Vamos

2nd Place - Erika Gray, Student of Desiree Ruhsrat

Jules M. Laser Chamber Music Competition

1st Place - Quartet Ventoso, Coached by Desiree Ruhstrat

Jennifer E. Cha, Violin

Erika Gray, Violin

Caitlin Adamson, Viola

Johannes Gray, Cello

4.1.12 Jonas Tarm, 18, composition student of Matt Hagle, won the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Award.  "Two Pieces for Violin and Piano" was premiered by our own Academy violin student, Laura P and faculty pianist Matthew Hagle on WFMT. Jonas was selected from over 800 national applicants ages, 12-30. The ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Awards are granted annually to encourage talented young Composers of Concert Music (classical).  Morton Gould was President of ASCAP and The ASCAP Foundation from 1986-1994. He was a distinguished and versatile composer, and the recipient of the Pulitzer Prize. ASCAP honors Morton Gould’s lifelong commitment to nurturing young creators by naming the annual Young Composer Awards in his memory. The winning composers share over $40,000 in ASCAP Foundation Awards.

4.1.12 2012 EDR Piano Concerto Competition -The Emilio del Rosario Piano Concerto Competition, presented by the Music Institute of Chicago and Harper College, was established in 2010 to honor master piano teacher Emilio del Rosario, who dedicated his life to the art of teaching and nurturing pianists to the highest standards. The competition takes place at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, and includes three divisions: Elementary (10 and younger), Junior (14 and younger), and Senior (18 and younger). This competition hopes to continue his legacy of excellence by providing the next generation of young pianists an opportunity to perform with an orchestra and help them to realize their musical potential.

Junior Division

Finalists

Ryan Jannak-Huang , 14
student of Brenda Huang | Rachmaninoff Concerto No.3, 3rd movement

Kyle Jannak-Huang , 14
student of Brenda Huang | Tchaikovsky Concerto No.1, 1st movement

The Finals will take place on Sunday, May 13 at 3:00pm.  The finalists will perform with the Harper Symphony Orchestra.