Today we’re joined by Serge Kalinovsky, a resident of Indiana and a recent graduate of the Music Institute of Chicago Academy. He’s joined by pianist Lyudmila Lakisova in music of Piatti, Debussy, Clara Schumann, Piazzolla, and Martinů.

Serge Kalinovsky, 17, studies cello with Richard Aaron and Brandon Vamos, and continues to work with his long-time teacher Susan Moses. He lives in his home town of Bloomington, Indiana and recently graduated from IU High School. He is also a Merit Scholarship Student at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, where he has participated in multiple prize-winning chamber groups.

Serge has participated in numerous music festivals, including Pinchas Zukerman’s Young Artists Program, the Indiana University Summer String Academy, the Heifetz International Music Institute, the Chamber Music Northwest Young Artists Institute, and the Music@Menlo Young Performers Program. In 2022, he performed the first movement of Victor Herbert’s Cello Concerto No. 2 with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and participated in the inaugural “Food for Music” Benefit Concert in Bloomington. As part of the Heifetz Ensemble in Residence program, he performed in several concerts in Virginia, including playing the Dvořák Piano Quintet No. 2 with famed violinist and pedagogue Ani Kavafian. In 2023, he performed Bruch’s Kol Nidrei with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago.

Notable competition successes include First Prize at the 2020 Indianapolis Symphony Maurer Young Musicians Contest, joint Second Prize at the 2023 International Young Artists Concerto Competition, and joint Third Prize at the 2023 Ronald Sachs International Competition. Serge previously appeared on Introductions as a chamber musician in October 2023 and August 2022. He has also performed as part of WFMT’s Bach to School Program.

In the fall, he will start college studies at the Colburn School in Los Angeles.

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We welcome a return guest, Esme Arias-Kim, who grew up in the Chicago area but has spent the last two years studying at the Colburn School in Los Angeles. She’s joined by Milana Pavchinskaya in music of Bach, Brahms, Debussy, Price, Wieniawski, and Tchaikovsky.

Esme Arias-Kim, 18, recently graduated from the Colburn Music Academy as a Kohl Scholar, holding a full room, board and tuition merit scholarship. She is a student of the Jascha Heifetz Distinguished Violin Chair, Mr. Robert Lipsett, and will continue studying with him at the Colburn Conservatory in the Fall of 2024. She previously studied with Almita Vamos and Betty Haag-Kuhnke.

Most recently Esme received the Silver Medal at the 2023 Stulberg International String Competition and Gold Medal at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s 29th Annual Young Artist Competition. She also won the 2023 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition and soloed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in May 2024.

Esme made her solo orchestral debut at the age of ten with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago and has continued to make solo appearances with the likes of the Minnesota Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Northwest Indiana Symphony, and New Philharmonic. She has also had solo recitals at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Peninsula Music Festival, the Chicago Cultural Center, 92Y New York, and Musikferien at Starnberger See in Germany.

She has received masterclasses from Hilary Hahn, Midori Goto, Julia Fischer, Vadim Gluzman, Kirill Troussov, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Mihaela Martin, Ilya Kaler, and Philip Setzer, as well as the Borromeo Quartet and the Cavani Quartet. Esme plays on an 1866 J.B. Vuillaume, generously loaned to her by the Geeting Family.

Esme previously gave a solo recital on Introductions in November 2020. She has also been featured as a concerto soloist in April 2023, April 2022, and October 2016; and as a chamber musician in August 2022, August 2021 and August 2020. She also performed on WFMT’s 70th Anniversary Day of Celebration in December 2021, and was featured on WTTW’s Chicago Tonight in April 2020.

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We hear one group each from Midwest Young Artists Conservatory and the Music Institute of Chicago Academy in music of Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, Haydn, Brahms, and Babadjanian.

Some musicians in today’s show have been on Introductions before:

• Kay Ito and Jocelyn Gao previously appeared as members of the Aurum Quartet in November 2023.
• Lily Sullivan previously appeared with the Goya Piano Trio in October 2023 and is set to give a live violin recital of her own on November 2, 2024.
• Amelia Zitoun most recently gave a live cello recital in October 2023, and previously appeared with chamber groups.
• Noah Kim gave piano recitals on Introductions in December 2023 and in March 2021, and has also appeared with chamber groups.

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Today we hear from two instruments not so often heard on Introductions. Horn player Hayden Joyce and bassoonist Fabrizio Milcent are both principal players in Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. They perform pieces by Bach, Gallay, Mozart, Elgar, and Strausses Richard & Franz.

Hayden Joyce is a home-schooled high school senior from Middlebury, Indiana, and is a student of David Griffin, Fourth Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Hayden has won both the 2021 Naperville Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition and the 2024 Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras Concerto Competition (2024). Hayden also performed at the YoungArts National Competition where he was awarded Winner with Distinction and nominated as a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. He has participated in many summer festivals including the Eastern Music Festival, NYO2, and the Interlochen Arts Camp where he was principal of the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. He is currently a principal horn of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and hopes to one day perform with a professional orchestra. He was the featured horn soloist in CYSO’s performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, broadcast on Introductions in January 2024.

Fabrizio Milcent is an aspiring young bassoonist studying at The Chicago High School for the Arts. Fabrizio grew up in Little Village, Chicago. He began studying the bassoon at the Maria Saucedo Scholastic Academy in 2016, and is currently a student of Bill Buchman. Fabrizio is a fellow of Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative, which has provided Fabrizio with many opportunities, one of which was to attend the Kinhaven Music School during the Summers of 2021 and 2022. He was also fortunate enough to attend the Interlochen Arts Camp in the summer of 2023. Fabrizio also attended the Merit School of Music from 2020 to 2023. Fabrizio is also a member of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, where he has performed with the flagship Symphony Orchestra, the Classical Orchestral Repertory Ensemble, and the Ambassadors Woodwind Quintet.

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Today we hear from cellist Jeffery Tong of Lisle. He’s joined by pianist Liang-yu Wang in music of Saint-Saëns, Beethoven, Bach, Perkinson, and Nadia Boulanger.

Jeffery Tong is a cello student of Tanya Carey, on the artistic faculty at the Chicago College of Performing Arts of Roosevelt University. He was named a 2024 Classical Music Award Winner by the National YoungArts Foundation and was selected to perform for the Young Steinway concert series. He was invited to perform in Carnegie Hall as the first-place winner of the 2023 American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition. He has also won awards at the Music Festival in Honor of Confucius, London Grand Prize Virtuoso International Competition, Society of American Musicians, DuPage Symphony Orchestra Young Artists, Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra Dr. Robert Stanger Young Artists Competition, and the Rockford Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition.

He has been a part of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras for three years, serving as Principal Cello of the Philharmonic Orchestra and a selected member of the Symphony Orchestra and Classical Orchestral Repertory Ensemble (CORE). He has won awards in CYSO’s concerto competitions for both the Philharmonic and Symphony Orchestras.

Jeffery is a sophomore at Naperville North High School. Outside of music he enjoys cooking, skiing, collecting souvenirs, and playing card games. He plays a 1980 Gunther Reuter cello generously loaned from Bein & Fushi.

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This morning we hear from all three finalists in the 2024 Crain-Maling Foundation CSO Young Artists Competition, including a historic first appearance by a steelpan soloist. Chloe Nam, Elyse Schlesinger and winner Jaden Teague-Núñez are joined by the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and conductor Kyle Dickson.

Finalist: Chloe Nam, 15, flute

Chloe Nam is a sophomore at Northside College Preparatory High School in Chicago. Under the expert guidance of Hideko Amano, Chloe developed a deep passion for flute performance. Since eighth grade, she has been a member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras, where she currently plays flute and piccolo in the flagship top orchestra. Before then, she studied at Merit School of Music for three years.

She has been recognized in various music competitions such as the Chicago Flute Club Student Competition, DePaul National Concerto Festival, Society of American Musicians Competition, CYSO Concert Orchestra Concerto Competition and Walgreens Concerto Competition. Chloe also participated in the Illinois Music Education Conference All-State Band in 2023. Chloe has had the privilege of performing in masterclasses or had lessons with Jennifer Gunn, Nancy Stagnitta and Johanthan Keeble.

Onstage at Symphony Center (L-R): Robbie Ellis, Fernando Meza, Kyle Dickson, Chloe Nam, Jaden Teague-Núñez, Elyse Schlesinger, William Ward, Margaret Tung, Daniel Gilbert. (Photo: Todd Rosenberg)

First Alternate: Elyse Schlesinger, 16, horn

Elyse Schlesinger started horn in fifth grade and developed a lasting passion for music and the collaborative creativity of ensembles. She is a member of the top band, chorus and orchestra at William Fremd High School in Palatine, and she served as Principal Horn of the Barrington Youth Symphony.

She has attended many music camps and festivals, including the ILMEA All-State Honors Band and All-State Honors Orchestra. She has been Co-Principal Horn of Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras’ flagship orchestra since 2022, as well as a member of CYSO’s top woodwind quintet, Windy City Winds, and is in the Ambassadors Program performing around the Chicagoland community.

Elyse began her horn lessons with Melody Velleuer, and has worked with Katelyn Halbert, Brent Shires, and Momo Hasselbring Seko. She currently studies with CSO horn David Griffin and Kate Warren.

Winner: Jaden Teague-Núñez, 16, steelpan

Jaden Teague-Núñez was born in Panama City, Panama. He moved to the USA in 2011 and began studying steelpan and piano (classical and jazz) at age 8 and 10, respectively. He attends DeKalb High School where he serves as the drummer for the Jazz Ensemble and Steelband and is a member of the Marching Band.

Among his growing list of accomplishments, Jaden has been a guest steelpan soloist with the Humboldt State University Steelband in Arcata, California, and performed with the Northern Illinois University Steelband. He has performed at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Indianapolis, and on several occasions has appeared at the ILMEA Conference.

Jaden studies steelpan with his father, Liam Teague; piano with Austyn Menk; and drum set with Joshua Bedeau. As the winner of the 2024 Crain-Maling Foundation Young Artists Competition, he has been offered a live solo recital on Introductions at a later date.

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We welcome a return guest, pianist and composer Zarin Mehta. In addition to music of Bach, Beethoven, and Lyapunov, Zarin presents a composition and a transcription of his own, plus the North American premiere of Augusta Read Thomas’s Amalgam.

Zarin Mehta, 16, has burst onto the classical music scene as a concert pianist and composer, winning first prize in Senior Piano and twice winning second prize in Composition with the Music Teachers National Association Competitions. He has also claimed prizes in the Hilton Head International Piano Competition, the International Young Artist Concerto Competition (3 times), the Chicago National Chamber Music Competition, the Rembrandt Young Artist Chamber Competition, YoungArts (twice), and more.

In 2023, he made his Ravinia Festival debut with a recital that included his original composition Glimpses. Zarin has also performed at the Weill Recital Hall in Carnegie Hall, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Millennium Park for the Grant Park Music Festival, the Roy O. Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and with the Todi Music Masters Festival Ensemble in Italy. To date he has gained nearly 25,000 subscribers and almost 650,000 views on his YouTube channel @ZarinMehta-Pianist-007.

Zarin made his concerto debut at the age of 11 with the Chicago Arts Orchestra and conductor Vladimir Kulenovic. This has been followed by a half dozen further concerto performances, including with the SEEN Worldwide Orchestra (three times) and the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago. He has also collaborated with the Latika Roy Foundation, creating virtual musical content for students with disabilities and fundraised for the Oscar-nominated documentary To Kill a Tiger.

He has been studying piano for 12 years at New Music School in Chicago where his teachers include Winston Choi, Jeffrey Panko, and Sean Bennett. Zarin also studies composition with Matthew Hagle of the Music Institute of Chicago. He has also studied piano with Antonio Pompa-Baldi, Steven Osborne, Emanuel Ax, Jorge Federico Osorio, Mary Sauer, Boris Slutsky, and Stephen Hough; as well as chamber music with Desirée Ruhstrat and David Cunliffe. In a few months, he is set to attend the 2024 Juilliard Summer Piano Program.

Zarin is in 11th grade at the Francis W. Parker School in Chicago, where he is a Senate Head in the Francis Parker Upper School. Outside music, he plays varsity ice hockey and chess. He previously gave an Introductions piano recital in November 2020 as a 13-year-old. He has also been featured as a concerto competition finalist in April 2020, in March 2021, and in April 2022. His composition Glimpses was broadcast in full in May 2023.

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Chicago-raised pianist Kené Obiaya is an alum of the Hyde Park Suzuki Institute and is now a high school senior at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan. He presents music of Chopin, Bach, Still and Brahms.

Kené Obiaya is 17 years old and began taking piano lessons at age 3. Kené currently attends Interlochen Arts Academy where he studies piano with Dr. Kara Huber. He previously attended the Chicago Academy for the Arts, and previously studied piano with Laura Fenster and Bethany Stefanut. In the summer of 2023, Kené attended Indiana University Piano Academy where he was selected for the honors recital and won second place in the duet competition. In the past he has attended Interlochen Arts Camp and the Curtis Institute’s Young Artists Summer Program (YASP). He has participated in masterclasses with Sara Davis Buechner, Claire Huangci, Robert Shannon, Michael Coonrod, Amy Yang, Lara Driscoll and the Euclid Quartet. Kené is also passionate about the viola which he studies with Renee Skerik.

He is a six time Gold Medalist at the CAMTA Sonata Festival and a top prize winner at the Roberta Savler contest where he last placed 2nd. In June 2023 he won 3rd prize in the inaugural Nina Simone Piano Competition. He has received accolades in other piano competitions that include the Illinois Federation of Music Clubs (IFMC) state concerto and piano solo; Society of American Musicians; and Music Festival in Honor of Confucius. Kené has been invited to perform at the Chicago and American Suzuki Institute’s Honors recitals each of the last seven years, as well as to the Illinois Federation of Music Club Piano Honors recital each of the five years he contested. He has also performed on WBEZ’s The Morning Shift with Tony Sarabia and been featured on the ABC7 news.

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Live on Introductions today is pianist Clara Zhang, a student of Matthew Hagle. She plays a recital of Bach, Chopin, Ravel, Haydn, Walker, Rachmaninoff, and Bowen.

Clara Zhang, 16, is a Merit Scholar at the Music Institute of Chicago. She has won prizes and honors at the Illinois State Music Teachers Association Competition, the Walgreens National Concerto Competition, the Carmel Klavier International Piano Competition, the Piano Star International Piano Competition, the London Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, and the Clara Schumann International Piano Competition. As a winner of the Chicago Chamber Music Festival Concerto Competition, Clara has performed as a soloist with the Northeastern Illinois University Symphony Orchestra.

In her spare time, Clara runs her Music Ambassadors program with her musician friends, bringing classical music concerts to the doorsteps of senior communities. She regularly performs at the Arbor Terrace in Highland Park, the Avidor in Glenview, the Dickinson Hall in Lake Forest, the Mather Place in Wilmette, and the Sedgebrook in Lincolnshire.

Clara is a junior at Highland Park High School and she is the president of the school’s World Music Club. Outside music, Clara also enjoys ice skating, baking, zip lining and snorkeling. Her favorite performer is pianist Martha Argerich.

Her elder brother Harry Zhang gave a live piano recital on Introductions in September 2021.

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This week, the latest performance from the CYSO Symphony Orchestra in Orchestra Hall in downtown Chicago. Allen Tinkham conducts the Chicago premiere of a new Augusta Read Thomas piece, followed by works of Claude Debussy and Gustav Mahler.

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