Freya Chen is a 9-year-old violinist who began playing the violin at a young age and quickly developed a deep love for music and performance. She is drawn to the expressive and storytelling qualities of classical repertoire, and finds joy in shaping musical phrases and bringing character to each work she performs.

Freya studies violin with Elizabeth Chang and Ellen DePasquale, with whom she continues to develop her musical foundation and artistic voice. She has won top prizes, including Grand Prizes, at several prestigious international competitions. In 2025, she was accepted into the Juilliard Pre-College, where she continues her studies with dedication and curiosity.

Freya has been invited to perform live and be interviewed on major national and local television networks, including CBS News, NBC News, and NY1. She also had the extraordinary honor of performing on Mozart’s childhood violin, becoming the first violinist in the United States to play this historic instrument.

Beyond her musical activities, Freya enjoys reading, skiing, and playing tennis, as well as traveling and exploring new places and cultures with her family. She is an active young musician who enjoys sharing music with others.

Kalea is a young violinist who has earned distinction in national and international competitions. She is the 2025 Texas state winner of the OPUS Music Competition and has received first prize in multiple concerto competitions, including those of the Energy Corridor of Houston Orchestra, the Houston Youth Symphony (tie), Virtuosi of Houston, and the Philadelphia International Music Festival. She has appeared as soloist with Virtuosi of Houston and the Energy Corridor of Houston Orchestra.

Additional honors include second prize in the Marielle Ogletree Young Artist Concerto Competition and third prize in the Philadelphia International Music Festival’s online division. Kalea began competing at a young age in Taipei, Taiwan, where she won numerous top prizes and earned second place in the 15th Academy of Taiwan Strings Violin Competition, which led to a performance at the National Concert Hall in Taipei.

She has participated in the Music@Menlo Smith Family Young Performers Program and the Philadelphia International Music Festival Solo Preparation Program. Kalea is currently a first violinist in the Houston Youth Symphony’s Symphony Orchestra, its top ensemble. She studies violin with Richard Lin, Gold Medalist of the 2018 Indianapolis International Violin Competition.

Ryan Chung is a 15-year old American violinist born in South Korea. He has been an active student at the Juilliard Precollege division on scholarship since the age of 10 and is studying under his instructor, Catherine Cho. Ryan is also currently a student at the Perlman Music Program since the age of 12. His playing stands out by his soulful and rich expression characterized by his deep and rounded tone quality. He began learning the violin at the age of six under Sunyoung Lee and has studied under Francesca dePasquale. In 2026, Ryan won the 1st prize at the Caprio Young Artists Competition, from which he will be playing as a guest performer in early December of 2026 with the Riverside Sinfonia. He obtained the grand prize at the Vitas International Music Competition, the New York Laureate International Music Competition, and fi rst place at the Sempre Musick Concerto Competition where he will be performing on May 23rd with the Sempre Musick Orchestra. He also gained numerous prizes from earlier ages including the Gold prize at the Vivo International Music Competition, and the 1st prizes of the strings category at the International Grande Music Competition and the Bellagrande International Music Competition.

In August of 2025, Ryan recorded the 1st movement of Prokofi ev’s 2nd Violin Concerto with the Prague Metropolitan Orchestra for a project run by the NV factory recording studio. In addition, he has recorded a caprice from the renowned violinist and composer Curtis Stewart in his newest album, 24 American Caprices in November of 2025.

Ryan has also had the position of concert master at the Juilliard Pre College Symphony Orchestra, and is passionate about playing chamber music. On top of playing the violin, Ryan displays exceptional talent in composing as he currently possesses 6 completed opuses. He demonstrates mastery in composing for orchestra alongside his colorful and vibrant sense of harmony. Moreover, he loves to play for his church with a love for glorifying God through music. Outside of music, Ryan enjoys animating and video editing.

Benjamin Mandigo is a 10th grade cellist at Juilliard Pre-College, where he studies with Clara Kim. He previously studied with Alex Croxton at School for Strings and was a member of the NY Youth Symphony. 

In 2024, Ben won First Prize at the Charleston International Music Competition and in  2025, he was named a Grand Prize Nominee at the Laureate Concerto Competition and won First Place at both the International Grande Music Competition and the Protege International Piano and Strings Competition. In 2026, he was awarded the Grand Prix Prize at the New York Concert Festival International Competition, Grand Prize at the Young Artist International Premier Competition, and First Place in the Mary Roebling Concerto Competition. He has performed as a soloist at the Dimenna Center and at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Ben has participated in several distinguished summer music programs, including Greenwood Senior Music Camp, Kaufman Strings Festival, Bowdoin Summer Music Festival, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and this summer he will attend the Heifetz Institute Summer Program Senior Division. At Green Mountain, he was selected as an Emerging Artist to perform Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme in its entirety. In May 2026, he will perform the Dvorak Cello Concerto, 1st movement, as a soloist with the Capitol Philharmonic. He has performed in master classes for renowned cellists Zvi Plesser, David Ying, Christine Lamprea, and Elizabeth Simkin.