Download hi-res photo of the Olive Trio
(Wednesday, May 25, Los Angeles, CA) – Colburn School’s The Olive Trio—Music Academy students Anaïs Feller, violin, Mira Kardan, cello, and Daniel Wang, piano—won the Gold Medal and $2,300 prize in the Fischoff Competition’s Junior String Division; Sonarsix Sextet—Conservatory of Music students Martha Chan, flute, Eder Rivera Acosta, oboe, Victor Diaz Guerra, clarinet, Christopher Chung, bassoon Elizabeth Linares Montero, horn, and Bogang Hwang, piano—won the Bronze Medal and $2000 prize in the Senior Wind Division.
Colburn School Music Academy student and cellist Angeline Kiang won the Pinehurst Bronze Medal with a cash prize of $4,000 in the Stulberg International String Competition, and will give a performance with the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra, date to be announced.
The Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition was held May 20-22, 2022, at the University of Notre Dame, and the Stulberg International String Competition was held May 20-21, 2022, in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
The Olive Trio and Sonarsix Sextet were two of four Colburn School ensembles selected from a total of 55 ensembles from around the world to compete in the Fischoff Competition. The NTH Trio and Giovane Quartet, both part of the Ed and Mari Edelman Chamber Music Institute of Colburn’s Community School of Performing Arts, also competed. The NTH Trio musicians are Holly Lacey, Violin, Nathaniel Yue, Cello, and Qiao (Tiger) Zhang, Piano; the Giovane Quartet musicians are Andres Engleman, Violin, Scarlett Chen, Violin, Irene Choung, Cello, and Yiting Han, Piano.
The Olive Trio is coached by Colburn School faculty Martin Beaver, Fabio Bidini, and Clive Greensmith. Feller, Kardan, and Wang study individually with Beaver, Greensmith, and Micah Yui. The Olive Trio will appear next season on the nationally syndicated radio program From the Top and will continue to perform throughout the Los Angeles area and beyond.
The Sonarsix Sextet formed just mere months before the Fischoff Competition. They have appeared at the Verbier, Pacific, Lucerne, and Marlboro Music Festivals, as well at Music from Angel Fire, Seoul National University International Chamber Music Festival, and have collaborated with such artists as Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Noah Bendix-Balgley, Denis Bouriakov, Andy Akiho, members of the Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quintet, and members of the Orion String Quartet. As orchestral players, they have appeared with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Minnesota Orchestra, San Diego, and Detroit, the Orquesta Sinfónica Simón Bolívar de Venezuela, the Müncher Rundfunkorchester, and the Karlsruhe Operhaus. The Sonarsix Sextet is proudly mentored by Colburn Faculty Fabio Bidini and Andrew Bain.
Founded in 1973 in South Bend, Indiana, USA, the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition has grown to become the largest chamber music competition in the world, and one of the most prestigious classical music prizes attainable today. 55 ensembles from around the world competed in the 2022 competition in two categories, string and wind. Since its founding, more than 7,400 musicians have competed, many of whom have gone on to distinguished careers in music performance and education, including Indiana native and three-time Grammy Award-winner, violinist Joshua Bell, the genre-defying contemporary ensemble Eighth Blackbird, and the Pacifica Quartet, 2020 Grammy Award Winner for Best Chamber Music Performance. The Fischoff distinguishes itself from all other music competitions by remaining true to its core mission: to encourage and educate young musicians in the discipline and expression of chamber music.
The Stulberg International String Competition is an internationally recognized competition that promotes excellence in string instrument performances by gifted artists under the age of twenty. Stulberg brings together communities to witness wonderful performances from talented musicians with a bright future ahead of them at the beginning of their careers. The Stulberg International String Competition has a long legacy built on an appreciation for music. One evening in 1975, a small group of friends and colleagues of the late Julius Stulberg met in the home of his widow, Esther Leiberman Stulberg. Their purpose: to establish a memorial in honor of Julius and his life’s work—that of sharing music and his love of working with young musicians. At the time of his death in 1974, Julius was Professor of Violin at Western Michigan University, where he had been the conductor of the University Symphony for 28 years. In addition, he had conducted the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra for 31 years. Julius was a highly-respected teacher of violin whose former students were and are still playing in major orchestras in the United States and Europe. His impact on the lives of young musicians was immeasurable. It was in recognition of his impact that the Stulberg International String Competition was born.
About the Colburn School
A performing arts institution located in the heart of Los Angeles, the Colburn School trains students from beginners to those about to embark on professional careers. The academic units of the School provide a complete spectrum of music and dance education united by a single philosophy: that all who desire to study music or dance should have access to top-level instruction.
Each year, more than 2,000 students from around the world come to Colburn to benefit from the renowned faculty, exceptional facilities, and focus on excellence that unites the community. Learn more at www.colburnschool.edu.
Lisa Bellamore, Crescent Communications lbellamore@gmail.com | 323-500-3071
Jennifer Kallend, Colburn School jkallend@colburnschool.edu | 215-622-6195
###