Millennium Stage Recitals

Join Us for a free concert at the Kennedy Center or stream online!

• Thu. Mar. 27, 2025, 6 pm

• Wed. Apr. 30, 2025, 6 pm

• Wed. May 7, 2025, 6 pm

• Thu. May 22, 2025, 6 pm
• Thu. May 29, 2025, 6pm

 Follow us on Instagram!

• Private lessons taught by a member of the National Symphony Orchestra or Washington National Opera Orchestra (WNOO) musician*
• Chamber ensembles coached by NSO musicians
• Master classes and seminars
• Side-by-side performance opportunity with the NSO (subject to instrument and additional recommendation)
• Attendance at selected rehearsals and performances of the NSO
• Performance opportunities on the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage and within the community (solo and ensemble)  
• Exposure to internationally renowned conductors, soloists, and musicians

*A limited number of places may be available on an as needed basis for students who opt to continue private study with their non-NSO or non-WNOO teacher. Lesson fees with non-NSO or non-WNOO musicians will not be covered by the program.

Photo by H. Bruce Finkelstein

Eligibility

• entering grades 9-12 as of next September [younger musicians (gr. 6-8) may be considered on a special case-by-case basis] in the area of the metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG):  DC; MD—Charles, Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George's counties;  VA—Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties.  All students entering 6th, 7th, and 8th grades are required to submit an audition recording prior to being invited for the live audition.  
• seriously considering orchestral music as a career and willing to devote themselves to a musical education by making a commitment to practice their instrument a minimum of 60-90 minutes per day.

Instruments

Application Deadline

• Online Application including Financial Statement
• One (1) letter of recommendation
• Personal Statement (Written or Video)

Standards of Acceptance

Auditions

Audition Repertoire

Video or Written Personal Statement: in a video recording or written statement, please answer at least three of the following questions:

• Why you are interested in this program?
• What are your goals for yourself in the next year?
• How do you envision music being a part of your life?
• What do you think a challenge will be in reaching your immediate and long-term goals?
• Tell us about a meaningful musical experience you have had. Why was it meaningful?
• What are your hobbies/interests outside of music?

This video should be less than 5 minutes and a written statement should be less than 600 words

Citizen Artistry

With a focus on supporting the needs of 21st century students and cultivating the skills of 21st century artists, The Kennedy Center pre-professional artist training programs are committed to nurturing the emerging visionaries who are the future change-makers and culture-shapers.

As an integral part of Kennedy Center Education’s mission to foster understanding and uplift communities, each program provides a space where young artists will explore the intersection of artistic practice and civic responsibility, engaging the world as Citizen Artists.

Obligation of Youth Fellows

Sanjeev Belle Trichur is a 15-year-old tenth grader at Georgetown Day School (GDS) in Washington, D.C. He studies piano with Dr. Hyun-Sook Park at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he participated in their prestigious Piano Academy. He has been a National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Youth Fellow since 2024 and receives coaching from Ms. Lisa Emenheiser and Dr. Lambert Orkis of the NSO. He has been invited to masterclasses with Hie-Yon Choi and Steven Spooner, among others. Sanjeev began his piano studies at age five and studied with Dr. Deborah Lloyd at Levine Music in Washington, D.C., where he was selected into their Honors Program. He graduated from Levine’s piano curriculum in seven years, achieving a Distinction on his Level 10 Certificate Jury. Sanjeev has written his own music since age six and studied composition, violin, and music theory at Levine. He is now exploring jazz piano at GDS. Sanjeev has participated in multiple music festivals, including the inaugural Ruth Monte Memorial Bach Competition organized by the American Bach Society, the Chicago International Music Festival and Competition, the Rosalyn Tureck International Bach Competition, and multiple solo piano competitions at Levine and Peabody. He won the Piano Division of the Peabody Preparatory’s Concerto Competition in Fall 2024 and had his orchestral debut performing the Mozart Piano Sonata No. 20 in D minor with the Peabody Youth Orchestra. Sanjeev loves Baroque music and J.S. Bach is his favorite composer. Beyond music, Sanjeev is an avid amateur astronomer and loves hiking.

Jessica Chen is a 17-year-old senior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She started playing piano at age six and currently studies with NSO Youth Fellowship mentor and pianist Lisa Emenheiser Sarratt. She has performed at prominent venues including the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and Millennium Stage, Linehan Concert Hall, and Leighton Concert Hall. Prestigious competitions in which she has been awarded top prizes include the Thomas F. Hulbert International Piano Competition, VMTA State Auditions, VMTA State Concerto Competition, and the James Bland Music Scholarship Competition. She has also performed with various chamber ensembles, which have been highly recognized in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, Misbin Family Memorial Chamber Music Competition, American Virtuoso International Music Competition, and Enkor International Music Competition. Jessica is a Chief Intern and Tech Team member for the Tacy Foundation, through which she regularly gives her time and talent to senior retirement homes, hospitals, and communities in need all over the country, bringing the gift of music to many. In her free time, she enjoys game and web development, graphic design, and hiking!

Andrew Chi (cello) is a junior at Georgetown Preparatory School and a student of Dr. Vasily Popov through the Washington Musical Pathways Initiative. He has received scholarships to international festivals including Music Fest Perugia, the Summit Music Festival, the Montecito International Music Festival, and the Triumph International Music Festival, serving as a Leadership Intern at Summit in 2024 and 2025. As a soloist, Andrew has performed with the DC Strings Orchestra, the Levine Showcase Orchestra as Grand Prize Winner of the Ruth P. Cogen Concerto Competition, and the Music Fest Perugia Orchestra. He is also a prizewinner of the Concert Artists International Competition and the Summit Music Festival Concerto Competition. Andrew has studied in master classes with Alban Gerhardt, Jeffrey Solow, David Krieger, Kyungok Park, Arkady Orlovsky, and Giacomo Cardelli. His solo and chamber music performances include Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the Kimmel Center, the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and the Embassies of Bulgaria and Spain. He is a member of DCYOP, has performed with MCYO, and is a founding member of B.E.A.T. (Bringing Empowerment Through Artistic Talent), which supports underserved communities through benefit concerts and instrument drives. Outside of music, Andrew plays on Georgetown Prep’s JV soccer team.

Jiles Defosse has been playing the violin since he was four years old. He is a 10th grader at Broadneck High School. He currently takes private violin lessons with Professor June Huang. Among his recent awards, Jiles won the state round of the 2024-2025 Music Teachers National Association Junior String Performance Competition in Virginia. He also won 3rd place in the Upper Intermediate Level of the 2024-2025 Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association Concerto Competition. Presently, Jiles plays in the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra, the Broadneck High School Orchestra, and the Broadneck High School Chamber Orchestra. For the last 3 years, Jiles has participated in the Maryland All State Junior Orchestra. When not practicing at home or in orchestra, Jiles takes the violin to church, retirement homes, and wherever there’s a young kid for him to tutor. Photo credit: interlochen.canto.com.

Addison Ellis-Otovo is a 13-year-old violist who attends District of Columbia International School (Mandarin Chinese track). She is the co-principal violist of the Peabody Youth Orchestra, playing under the baton of Andrés González. She has attended several prestigious music programs, most recently the Sphinx Performance Academy, Meadowmount School of Music, both the Ascent International Chamber Music Festival and the Ascent International Viola Festival, and Greenwood Music Camp. Additionally, Addison is a Vargas Foundation Student Scholar, a Black Violin Youth, and a student member of the Friday Morning Music Club and the American Viola Society. She is a member of Dr. Renate Falkner’s studio at the Peabody Preparatory and is the co-principal violist of the Peabody Youth Orchestra. Active in the DC community, Addison has performed at a variety of venues, such as the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, Joseph Myerhoff Hall, Strathmore Mansion, Music Center at Strathmore, Steinway Gallery, and Nationals Stadium. An avid fan of chamber music, Addison has played in several chamber ensembles, and her duo won the 2025 Misbin Family Memorial Chamber Music Competition (Junior Division). She has also played in private lessons, masterclasses, and chamber sessions with a number of notable professional musicians and instructors, including: Randall Goosby, Curtis Stewart, Adriana Linares, Paul Laraia, Ayane Kozasa, Sheila Browne, Peter Slowik, Ed Gazouleas, and Carol Rodland. In addition to the viola, Addison enjoys baking, dancing, singing, and is teaching herself the guitar and ukulele.

Emily Hsieh, from Gaithersburg, Maryland, is 15 years old and attends Quince Orchard High School. She has been selected to participate in the NSO Youth Fellowship as a violist. Emily started her musical studies on the violin at age five with Joseph Scheer. At age 11, she added viola to her violin lessons. In 2023, she continued her viola studies with Daniel Foster, principal violist of the NSO. Emily is currently in her seventh season as a member of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra. She also plays in a string quartet as part of the MCYO Chamber Music Program. Her string quartet has won first prize in the Concert Artists International Competition and in the Charleston International Music Competition. They were finalists in the Misbin Family Memorial Chamber Music Competiton. She has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Children’s Inn at the National Institutes of Health, and Strathmore Hall for board members. In her free time, Emily loves to draw, crochet, and bake.

Alexander Naren Joe (“A.J.”) is a double bassist who has been rapidly gaining recognition throughout the greater Mid-Atlantic region. A.J. began his musical studies on the piano, and played cello briefly before picking up the bass at age eleven under the mentorship of NSO double bassist Paul DeNola. In 2022, A.J. was admitted to the NSO Youth Fellowship Program at the Kennedy Center where he continues his principal studies with Paul DeNola and chamber music with Assistant Principal Double Bassist Richard Barber. A.J. has performed in many ensembles throughout the Mid-Atlantic area, including the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, the Northern Virginia Regional Orchestra, and the All-Virginia Orchestra. A.J. has performed in workshops and masterclasses with notable artists such as NSO double bassists Robert Oppelt and Ira Gold, Caroline Emery (Royal College of Music, Yehudi Menuhin School), Andrés Martín, and Dr. Sam Suggs, amongst others. A.J. spends his summers participating in the NSO Summer Music Institute (SMI), and has performed at many notable venues throughout the nation, including The John F. Kennedy Center, The Kimmel Center, The Anthem, and the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. A.J.’s instrument was crafted in 2025 by Virginian luthier Thomas Wolf.

Emma-Grace Kim is a 16-year-old violinist from Herndon, Virginia. She began her violin studies at age seven and currently studies with Jing Qiao of the NSO. In 2023, she had the honor to perform as a featured soloist at WETA Classical’s Annual Salon Series held at the House of Sweden and at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the US-ROK Alliance. Emma-Grace participated in NPR From the Top’s Learning and Media Lab Fellowship, where she recorded a performance with pianist Peter Dugan and violinist Charles Yang. She has been a member of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras (AYPO) and has served as concertmaster for multiple seasons. She attended Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute in 2024, where she was concertmaster of the Young Artists Orchestra and performed in a masterclass with BSO concertmaster Nathan Cole. This past summer, Emma-Grace participated in the National Youth Orchestra of the United States (NYO-USA), where she had the opportunity to tour Asia with Maestro Gianandrea Noseda and violinist Ray Chen. She is the co-founder of ITZArt4you, a non-profit organization that provides weekly music lessons to children in underserved communities.

Chloe Lee, age 17, is a senior at the National Cathedral School in Washington, D.C.  She began her violin studies at the age of five and more recently started learning the viola.  She is a student of June Huang on the violin and Jennifer Mondie on the viola. Chloe has performed as a soloist with the Peabody Preparatory Orchestra and this year, will be performing as a soloist with the Symphony Orchestra of Northern Virginia on the viola and with the DC Youth Orchestra on the violin. Chloe is a First Prize winner in several competitions, among them the DC Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, Peabody Preparatory’s Concerto Competition, James Bland Music Scholarship Competition, Washington Performing Arts Feder Memorial String Competition, Concert Artists Virtuoso, MSMTA, and VIVO International Competition. She is also a First Prize winner of the Misbin Family Memorial Chamber Music Competition alongside her ensemble, Quintessence Quintet. She attended the Heifetz Institute’s Summer Festival in 2019 and 2021.  Chloe is the Concertmaster of the DC Youth Orchestra and Principal Violist of the Young Virtuosi Orchestra and has performed in master classes for Shirley Givens, Jonathan Carney, Nicholas Kitchen, Judith Ingolfsson, Curtis Stewart, and Daniel Foster. Besides music, she enjoys writing poetry, doing New York Times puzzles, and winning at Bananagrams.

Samuel Lee is a 17-year-old bassoonist from Howard County, Maryland. He is a senior in high school and a full-time dual enrollment student at Howard Community College. He is currently the principal bassoonist of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras’ Philharmonic and studies under David Young of the National Symphony Orchestra. Sam spent summer 2023 playing with the National Youth Orchestra 2, performing at Carnegie Hall and touring the Dominican Republic, and summers 2024 and 2025 at the Brevard Music Center as part of the High School Orchestral Institute. Sam has performed at masterclasses for William Short, Frank Morelli, Harrison Hollingsworth, and Keith Bunke. Outside of school and music Sam loves to travel and spend time with his friends.

Kalman Levitin is an oboist who currently studies with Dr. Jessica Warren. He previously studied with Harrison Linsey. Kalman plays principal oboe with the DC Youth Orchestra and with the Young Virtuosi chamber orchestra. In the spring, he will perform with the Young Virtuosi as the featured soloist in the Vaughan Williams Oboe Concerto. Kalman is also a saxophonist who plays first tenor in Paul Carr’s Jazz Academy Orchestra and has received the Montgomery County Public Schools Outstanding Jazz Soloist Award and honorable mentions from the Gerry Mulligan Jazz Challenge. Kalman co-founded and co-directs the 270 Jazz Orchestra, a jazz big band composed of high school and college students from across the DMV. In addition to playing lead alto sax, clarinet, and flute in 270, Kalman also composes and arranges many of the songs they play. His classical and jazz compositions have been played internationally and have been recognized by the National Young Composers Challenge, National Federation of Music Clubs, and Music Teachers National Association.

Raymond Lim is an 11th grader at Poolesville High School in Maryland and a full-scholarship recipient of the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Youth Fellowship Program since 2023. He has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, the National Gallery of Art, the Millennium Stage, and the U.S. Department of Justice. In 2024, he made his orchestral debut with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, performing Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso after winning its Concerto Competition. His recent honors include the Grand Prize at the 2025 International Dvořák Classical Music Competition and 3rd Place at the 2025 Camerata Artists International Concerto Competition. Earlier awards include first prizes at the Washington Performing Arts Feder String Competition, NVMTA Concerto Competition, Asian American Music Society International Competitions, Crescendo International Music Competition, and YMIC Metropolitan Music Festival. An avid chamber musician, Raymond is a two-time first prize winner at the Rushmore Music Festival Chamber Music Competition, which he attended on full scholarship. Committed to service, he serves as Regional Director of the Back to Bach Project, Chief Intern at the Tacy Foundation, co-founding and leading its Tiny Twilight Concert Series at the NIH Cancer Clinical Center, and Vice President of the Young Musicians Inspiring Change (YMIC) volunteer team. Beyond music, Raymond enjoys math problem-solving, exploring biology, reading novels, and traveling with his family. He looks forward to growing as a musician while also pursuing academic interests that may connect music with science, engineering, and medicine.

Alexander Moon (age 13) is an 8th grader at Thoreau Middle School in Vienna, VA. He began violin studies at age five and currently trains with Ko Sugiyama, Assistant Concertmaster of the Kennedy Center Opera House/Washington National Opera Orchestra. He is a multi-time winner of competitions including the Spring Music Competition by George Mason Music Academy, American Protégé, Golden Key International Music Festival, Golden Classical Music Competition, the Young Soloist International Music Competition, YMIC (AMMA), String Avenue International Competition, Lion’s Club Bland Concerto Competition, MSMTA Chamber Competition, and NVMTA String Concerto Competition. Alexander has participated in the Heifetz International Music Institute Summer Festival (2024, 2025) and the Philadelphia International Music Festival (2022). In 2023, he made his orchestral solo debut with the Filharmonia Zabrzańska in Poland under Sławomir Chrzanowski. In August 2025, he performed with the Warsaw National Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra led by Adam Klocek at the Warsaw National Concert Hall. Since 2021, he has held leadership positions—including concertmaster, ASM, principal, and AP—in AYDO, AYSE, and AYCO of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras. For 2025–2026, he will serve as co-concertmaster of AYPO’s Concert Orchestra. Outside of music, Alexander enjoys fencing, golf, and video games.

Jane Morrison is a homeschooled 11th grader from Burke, Virginia. This is Jane’s third year in the NSO Youth Fellowship. She is currently a musician with the Washington Musical Pathways Initiative as well as a member of the Levine Honors Program. Jane has won awards in several music competitions, including the Charleston International Music Festival (U.S.), North International Music Competition (Sweden), Washington Performing Arts Feder Competition (U.S.), and Best Beethoven Competition (U.K.). Jane has performed solo viola concertos with orchestra at the National Music Educators Association and Virginia Music Educators Association conferences, as well as in New York City aboard the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid. Over the summers, Jane has attended the Encore Chamber Music Institute, Heifetz Institute (senior division), the Boston University Tanglewood Institute String Quartet Workshop and Young Artists Orchestra, the Interlochen Advanced String Quartet Workshop and World Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia International Music Festival, and the Lyra International Music Festival. Jane has a passion for sharing her love of music with others. She has performed at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, The Anthem, National Gallery of Art, The American Art Museum, The Lyceum, Howland Cultural Center, BlackRock Center, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, as well as numerous outreach concerts at retirement centers and places of worship across the metropolitan area. Jane studies with NSO violist Tsuna Sakamoto.

Leah Sze Yuen Pang, age 15, is a sophomore at Langley High School. She studies violin with Ko Sugiyama and has been an NSO Youth Fellow since 2025. Leah attended the Heifetz Junior Division Summer Program in 2024 and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival in 2025, where she served as Concertmaster of the Cumberland Orchestra and won the Jacqueline Avent Concerto Competition, earning the opportunity to solo with the Sewanee Symphony. She is an active member of the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras, serving as Co-Concertmaster of AYSO and Co-Assistant Concertmaster of AYP. Leah also won the AYSO Concerto Competition and performed as a soloist with the orchestra in 2024. Beyond performance, Leah is passionate about community engagement. As a mentor in the AYPO Music Buddies program, she helps teach middle schoolers who are not able to afford private lessons. She also brings joy to her community through performing at senior centers such as The Fairfax at Belvoir Woods and local events such as the Old Town Farmers Market. Outside of music, she enjoys playing volleyball, trying new foods, and hanging out with her friends.

Chloe Robertson is a 14-year-old freshman at Richard Montgomery HS. This is Chloe's second year in the NSO Youth Fellowship. Chloe is an accomplished young musician specializing in violin and bassoon. She has been studying violin for nine years and currently studies with Angelia Cho. She was the lead concertmaster for the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra Symphony, and this year she will be the concertmaster for the MCYO Chamber Ensemble. Some of her violin achievements include winning first place for the Misbin Chamber Music competition Junior Division, Principal 2nd Violin for the Maryland All-State Junior Orchestra 2024, Levine's Cogen Concerto Competition, and she won first place twice in the solo and chamber divisions of the YMIC Competition. As a bassoonist, she has been studying bassoon for 2.5 years and currently studies with Dr. Jimmy Ren. She attended the NYO2 program this summer and earned numerous accolades, including first place in the Levine Marlin-Engel Solo Competition, Alternate in the MTNA Woodwind Junior Division, and first place in the YMIC woodwind category. In addition, Chloe was Principal Bassoon for the Maryland All-State Junior Band 2025 and plays with the DCYOP. This year, she was awarded the Leonard Bernstein Musicianship Award.

Elías Swift is a cellist in 11th grade living in Falls Church, Virginia. He currently studies with David Teie of the NSO. His musical studies began on the piano at the age of five with Kristin Gilbert. He started his studies on the cello seriously at age 13. Since then, he has attended summer festivals such as the Csehy Summer School of Music, MasterWorks Festival, and Sphinx Performance Academy at the Cleveland Institute of Music. In the 2021-2022 season, he played in the Crescendo Chamber Music Program. In 2022, he was accepted by audition into the NSO Youth Fellowship with the Avery Cello Scholarship. He plays on a modern Italian cello and Cohen bow owned by the Kennedy Center which the late Dr. Gordon Avery generously donated.

May Torii is a sophomore at Bethesda-Chevy Chase high school. May first started learning the harp with Ms. Monika Vasey Rhodes at age 8. Since age 12, she has been studying with Dr. Adriana Horne. She had played as a member of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra since age 9, then for Baltimore Youth Orchestra the last three years. She also played in Maryland All State Ensembles and at the Brevard Summer Institute. She has also performed as a guest harpist for the Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra and Montgomery County Honors Ensembles. In her free time, May enjoys drawing and reading Ancient Greek philosophy and epic poetry. May is also a serious Aikido practitioner working toward her black belt.

Elaine Zhang, age 15, is a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. She began her cello studies at the age of 10. Elaine has been an NSO Youth Fellow since 2024 and is a student of Danielle Cho, Assistant Principal Cellist of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Elaine made her orchestral solo debut at age 13 with the Old Dominion University Symphony Orchestra as the winner of the 2023 VMTA Concerto Competition. She later performed with the AYPO after winning the concerto competition for her orchestra in 2024. In June 2025, Elaine appeared with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra as their concerto competition winner. She also won 1st place in the 2025 Richmond Symphony League Student Concerto Competition and is slated to perform with the Richmond Symphony in their upcoming season. In December 2024, Elaine performed with her chamber ensemble as the opening act for the NSO’s Ugly Sweater Holiday Concert at The Anthem. Elaine’s performances have taken her to venues including the Ward Recital Hall at Catholic University, the National Portrait Gallery, the National Building Museum, the Embassy of Hungary, The Anthem, and the REACH, Millennium Stage, and Concert Hall at the Kennedy Center.

The Vice President of Education is generously endowed by the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation.

Generous support for educational programs at the Kennedy Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Education.

Gifts and grants to educational programs at the Kennedy Center are provided by The Paul M. Angell Family Foundation; Bank of America; Capital One; The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation; Carnegie Corporation of New York; The Ednah Root Foundation; Genesis Inspiration Foundation; Harman Family Foundation; William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust; the Kimsey Endowment; The Kiplinger Foundation; Laird Norton Family Foundation; Lois and Richard England Family Foundation; Dr. Gary Mather and Ms. Christina Co Mather; The Markow Totevy Foundation; Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Morningstar Foundation; Myra and Leura Younker Endowment Fund; The Irene Pollin Audience Development and Community Engagement Initiatives;

Prince Charitable Trusts; Dr. Deborah Rose and Dr. Jan A. J. Stolwijk; Rosemary Kennedy Education Fund; The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates; The Victory Foundation; The Volgenau Foundation; Jackie Washington; GRoW @ Annenberg and Gregory Annenberg Weingarten and Family; and generous contributors to the Abe Fortas Memorial Fund and by a major gift to the fund from the late Carolyn E. Agger, widow of Abe Fortas. Additional support is provided by the National Committee for the Performing Arts..

The content of these programs may have been developed under a grant from the U.S. Department of Education but does not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education. You should not assume endorsement by the federal government.