2020 NYYVC winners

Apollo Lee, 17, is a junior at High Technology High School in Lincroft, NJ and a student of Chiu-Tze Lin. He started playing piano at the age of 5 under the tutelage of Lyndall Soden. Apollo has won numerous awards and honors including Winner of the National League of Performing Arts (NLPA) National Virtuosi Recital Competition, Grand Prize in the NLPA National Young Musicians Showcase Competition, and 1st Prize in the Chinese American Cultural Association (CACA) Young Players Philharmonic Musical Scholarship Competition. Outside of piano, Apollo is a member of the varsity swim team and enjoys biking.

Nathan Lin is a Junior attending Townsend Harris High School and studies violin with Elizabeth Faidley.  Nathan was a featured artist in the 2020 International Shining Stars Concert and soloed with the NY Concerti Sinfonietta.  He has also soloed with the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra and the International Music Organization Chamber Orchestra, as well as played in masterclasses with acclaimed violinists Rachel Barton-Pine, Carolyn Widmore, Lisa Batiashvili, and Ray Chen.  Nathan was a finalist in the New York Chamber Players Concerto Competition in 2018 and 2020, and the 2018-2019 State Winner for the Junior String Competition in the Music Teachers National Association Performance Competition.  More recently, Nathan was a Grand Prize winner in the 2020 International Young Artists Competition, Gold Medal Winner in the National Young Maestro Competition, First Prize Winner in the 2020 Elite International Music Competition, and Finalist in the 2020 37th Annual Lincoln Center Chamber Society- Young Musicians Concert NYC Regionals.

Andrew Chun is 16 years old and attends Spackenkill High School as a junior. He is currently in his second year studying under the class of Minhye Clara Kim at the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School. Andrew is both the 1st Prize and Gold Prize Winner of the 2019 Vivo International Competition, and finalist of the Adelphi Competition. He was admitted to the Morningside Music Bridge Program with full scholarship during the summer of 2020.  When he is not practicing the cello, Andrew loves playing soccer with his school’s varsity team, hanging out with his friends, and spending time with his sister.

Spencer Rubin is a student at The Juilliard School Pre-College Division studying with Elaine Douvas and Yousun Chung. In 2019, Spencer was the youngest oboist ever to attend the Aspen Music Festival and was to return again this past summer. He was also invited to join the 2020 National Youth Orchestra of the USA.  Spencer was a 2020 YoungArts Finalist and a winner of the NY Chamber Players Orchestra Young Artists Concerto Competition with whom he will perform the Pasculli Oboe Concerto.  He has won numerous other international first and grand prize awards. Spencer attended Boston University Tanglewood Institute (Young Artists Orchestra) and has participated in numerous masterclasses.

Matthew Danforth, age 17,  is a senior at the Dwight Englewood School. Matthew also attends the Pre College Juilliard Vocal Program studying under Lorraine Nubar. He has been studying voice for the past 7 years. Matthew  is a member of the Young Professional Vocal Academy participating in their bergenPAC Show and Special Events Choir under Amelia DeMayo. He has appeared in various musical theatre performances both at Dwight Englewood and other youth theater companies. Matthew has attended several notable summer programs including the BUTI Tanglewood Institute, University of Michigan’s MPulse Summer Theatre program, and Penn State’s Summer Musical Theatre program.

Tres Gracias is studying at the Juilliard Pre-College division. Leah is 11 years old. She is studying with Dr. Yoheved Kaplinsky. From a young age, Leah has won several competitions. Sooah Jeon is 12 years old, she has already distinguished herself as one of the most promising young flutists of her generation. She currently studies with world-renowned flutist Carol Wincenc Evelyn Joung is 12 years old. She is studying  with Clara Minhye Kim. She was selected as the alternate winner of the Juilliard Pre-College Concerto Competition (2019). Tres Gracias has won 1st prize at  IMM CONCORSO in Italy in 2020.

 Jiyool lives in New York City and is currently a 5thgrader student at Columbia Prep School.  He has been playing piano since he was six. He started his piano study casually in the beginning and began to be more serious about it when he first received the 1stplace at East Coast International Competition in 2018. He performed at Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center as a first place winner. He also won 2ndplace at International Grande Music Competition the following year in 2019 and performed at Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center, In the same year he won the 3rdplace in New York Music Competition of YWCA. Jiyool wants to continue his love and passion for piano.  Besides playing piano he travels as a member of ice hockey team and enjoys skiing during winter.