As a member of the Colburn Conservatory of Music and Music Academy violin faculty, Martin Beaver has inspired generations of students, helping them reach their dreams and goals. Of course, he also has spent decades curating a prominent presence as a performing artist. Such a distinguished career deserves a distinguished title: This fall, he was named the Samuel Thomas Violin Chair for the Colburn School.
“It’s always nice to be recognized for one’s work in this meaningful way. It was really a tremendous boost to me; I had a real sense of affirmation for the work I’m doing at the Colburn School,” says Beaver.
The endowed chair was established by Margot S. Thomas in recognition of her late husband’s friendship with Richard D. Colburn and the couple’s support of the School’s access to excellence. They have been a frequent fixture at performances, but Samuel’s connection to the institution started through his friendship with Colburn.
“Samuel loved playing violin alongside Richard Colburn on the viola during living room concerts. He greatly valued fostering the next generation of fine musicians, a value Mr. Beaver carries on through his work at Colburn,” says Thomas.
As a preeminent violinist, Beaver’s talent has brought him to stages all over the world: from New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Wigmore Hall, the Berlin Philharmonic to Tokyo’s Suntory Hall and the Sydney Opera House. From 2002–13, he was first violin of the world-renowned Tokyo String Quartet. Plus, he has appeared with celebrated orchestras such as the San Francisco Symphony, Toronto Symphony, l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Liège, and Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, and his chamber music performances include collaborations with acclaimed artists such as Leon Fleisher, Pinchas Zukerman, Lynn Harrell, Sabine Meyer, and Yefim Bronfman.
“I’ve had wonderful opportunities for many, many years,” he recalls.
Equally impressive is his dedication to enlightening students. In addition to conducting master classes on multiple continents, Beaver taught at several institutions prior to arriving at Colburn in 2013. Not only does he enjoy guiding aspiring young musicians, he treasures taking the stage alongside them.
“Performing with the students at Colburn is really fun, but it’s also a great responsibility,” he says. “I always feel I need to be extra well prepared, mainly because our students are so advanced and good at what they do that you really don’t want to disappoint them.”
Beaver’s impact can be best measured through his students’ accomplishments. Over the years, many of these young artists have graduated on to impressive careers. Recently, some of his former proteges have joined the New York Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, and Charlotte Symphony in North Carolina, for example. Another student is a member of Trio Azura, the current Ensemble in Residence at the Colburn Conservatory.
“They just won the Young Concert Artists’ Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, which is very, very exciting,” says Beaver. “Also, two students are members of the Viano Quartet, which won first prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition in 2019 and they’ve gone on to great success, including involvement at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and concertizing worldwide.
“I feel fortunate that, at Colburn, I have such wonderful colleagues, and together, we are able to provide such a positive learning environment for all of our students and to foster their growth so wonderful things like this can happen,” he adds.
The Samuel Thomas Violin Chair endowment adds to the Building Our Future campaign, bringing the compelling Frank Gehry-designed building to life in Downtown Los Angeles. Expected to open doors next year, the new facilities will house state-of-the-art dance studios and the Terri and Jerry Kohl Hall, an entirely unique performance space.
“It’s going to be a magnificent hall and I can’t wait for our students to perform there,” says Beaver. “I also would love to perform there.”
Learn more about Colburn’s Building Our Future campaign and the many ways you can support the School at colburnschool.edu/future.
Not many 9-year-olds are asked, “What are you gonna do with your life?” When Josué Mancía’s mother confronted him with that proposition, he admits lacking an answer. That all changed one month later when he discovered the trumpet. While in the fifth grade, Mancia’s school hosted an instrument petting zoo and he recalls falling in love with the instrument almost instantaneously.
“Something just called out to me, ‘I want to do this,’” he remembers. “I love playing it, the way it feels, and the vibrations.”
His school music director also recognized Mancía’s strong connection with the trumpet and advised the youngster to audition for Jumpstart, then a brand-new initiative. In 2013, Colburn launched Jumpstart to offer students from partner Title I schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District the opportunity to receive the highest caliber of musical education. More than a decade later, it still serves as a pathway for grade-schoolers to acquire skills linked to personal and academic success through music. Jumpstart offers 100% scholarships covering instruments, private and group instruction, and performance opportunities. Once Mancía was introduced to the program and Colburn, he instinctively strengthened his commitment to advancing his musicianship. Not only did he spend the rest of his school years as a Jumpstart scholar, but Mancía graduated as a member of the program’s first cohort.
“I started to see a group of students who loved music as much as I did. The level of enthusiasm we had for our instruments was different,” he says.
Those formative experiences laid a foundation for the path Mancía has traveled. As a middle schooler, he proposed, organized, and led the formation of a sixth grade marching band. In high school, he landed two teaching jobs, one at the Irvine School of Music and one at his own school teaching music to at-risk peers. Not only did his students/classmates begin harmonizing, they relayed how the experience impacted their lives outside of class.
“[Some of them] told me that, because of the work we’ve done, [they] stopped smoking, stopped drinking, or started talking to their parents more,” he says. “I was able to confidently do those things because of my experience at Colburn.”
Mancía now pays that positivity forward as Director of Grants and Development and Chair of the music faculty for Strive. The non-profit organization in the Watts community of Los Angeles offers a variety of academic, extracurricular, and arts programs. Over the past three years, he’s developed its music department that entails private lessons, choirs, and rock bands.
“When I first started at Colburn, Jumpstart was a brand-new program and now I see these kids being year-ones of the Strive music program and I relate to them. There’s still so much I can’t wait to expose them to in the sense of higher music education. We’re not there yet at Strive, but we’ll be getting there soon,” he says.
Additionally, Mancía continues to follow his personal musical path. He’s on track to graduate from the California State University-Los Angeles’s conducting program in 2027.
Colburn’s Center for Innovation and Community Impact
Jumpstart is one of three anchor programs in Colburn’s Center for Innovation and Community Impact. Each year, Musical Encounter performances introduce the arts to nearly 7,000 grade schoolers and the Summer Encounter rolls out an immersive camp of music, voice, drama, and dance for fifth graders who have been selected by their teachers.
“We never know what will really spark a student’s passion and their love for the arts, but what really stands out is how welcoming Colburn is to students of all levels and backgrounds. The institution really does live out its mission of access to excellence,” says Justin Sun, Associate Dean, Center for Innovation and Community Impact, who joined the School earlier this year.
For 2026, Sun also seeks to emphasize the Center’s efforts to further prepare Colburn students for their performing arts futures.
“One of the things that’s really exciting about being in this role, aside from the community work we do, is that we’re focused on the career development of our students. I’m working to provide more resources for our Conservatory Teaching Fellows. These are students who teach our Jumpstart students in one-on-one lessons on a weekly basis, and providing them with better training and support to navigate the challenges of being a private teacher is a priority,” he explains.
Looking even further ahead, Sun envisions additional efforts to engage Colburn alumni like Mancía.
“I think they would be a really valuable resource for us to tap into so we can maintain that broader community and our students can learn from our alumni’s experience,” he says.
About Jumpstart
Central to the Colburn School’s commitment to providing equitable access to excellence, Jumpstart equips students with the knowledge and resources they need to become thriving artists by offering 100% scholarship-supported access to the highest quality music education. Jumpstart students receive instruments and materials at no cost and participate in weekly private lessons, group classes, and ensemble rehearsals led by distinguished Colburn faculty and Conservatory Teaching Fellows. The Jumpstart program directly addresses the lack of arts education within public schools and serves as a pathway for students to acquire skills linked to both personal and academic success through music. Special appreciation this year goes to the extraordinary scholarship support of the Max H. Gluck Foundation; Colburn Foundation; East West Bank; Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation; and Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation.
This fall, we had the joy of celebrating our faculty and staff anniversaries, including some who have been part of Colburn for as long as 50 years. We are so grateful for the passion, dedication, and care our faculty and staff bring to this community every day.
Congratulations to all who reached milestones this year. We are proud to have you as part of the Colburn family!
Heewon Kwon
Karen Lundgren
Deborah Devine
Margaret Shimizu
Kenton Youngstrom
Robert Lipsett
Carmina Glicklich
Jerry Kalaf
Kathy Sawada
Grace Huang
Mari Izumi
Jeff Lavner
Leslie Carothers
Denise Scheerer
Jessica Cameron
Mike De Leon
Sel Kardan
Liz Kinnon
Régulo Martínez-Antón
Tom McDonald
Miguel Meza
Danielle Ondarza
Elmer Pacheco
Francesco Perlangeli
Maria Perez
Victor Pineda
Margaret Batjer
Seth Belliston
Fabio Bidini
Vanessa Fadial
Lea Floden
John Hallberg
Charlie Hodges
Inga Kapouler Gartner
Ryan Maas
Liviu Marinescu
Mitsuko Morikawa
Peter Phol
Pedro Ruiz
Kelly Ann Sloan
Ted Sugata
Derek Williams
Zippora Karz
James Ady
Joshua Brown
Minhye Choi
Steven Doner
Anneke Hiatt
Ben Hong
Tiffany Kuo
Joan Kwuon
Benjamin Lash
Shih Lan Liu
Maeesha Merchant
Daniel Monge
David Rejano Cantero
Katherine Vincent
Parisa Zaeri
The Colburn School is thrilled to announce clarinetist Elad Navon recently received first prize, the Audience Prize, and the Special Prize for Interpretation of a Commissioned Composition at the 74th ARD Music Competition. The Artist Diploma candidate with the Conservatory of Music is the first soloist in the School’s history to win first prize at the prestigious international event held annually in Munich, Germany. He also earned the Streaming Prize determined by online voting, the Genuin Classics award (CD recording), Atalier Marillon prize, the GEWA prize, and Henle Urtext Prize.
“It’s unbelievable. It’s the best scenario possible,” says Navon. “It’s great to hear that the audience enjoyed [my playing].”
“This is a huge win because the ARD has the reputation of being the most coveted competition in the world,” adds Yehuda Gilad, one of the founding members of the Colburn Conservatory of Music, where he currently serves as Professor of Clarinet and Music Director of the Colburn Orchestra. In addition to instructing Navon at the Conservatory, Gilad worked with him for two years at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music.
Established in 1952, the ARD Music Competition has become an elite event open to singers, pianists, and instrumentalists as soloists and chamber musicians. Organizers report more than 600 applications from 51 countries were received this year in Clarinet, Piano, and Trumpet categories. Nearly 170 musicians were selected to play in Munich last month and were assessed by an elite jury of international musicians, including previous prizewinners. Navon excelled through each round, playing pieces by Mantovani, Brahms, Debussy, Mozart, Copland, and contemporary German composer Iris ter Schiphorst.
Preparing for the intense competition took months even while working other jobs this summer, as has been his practice in previous years. However, thanks to the Conservatory’s scholarship program, which covers 100% of students’ tuition, room, and board, Navon is able to devote his time and attention to music and studies while at Colburn.
“I don’t know if I would be here now if not for the scholarship,” he says. “It just gives me the opportunity to really focus. But it’s not just the time that I might spend working in a different job, it’s also the mental capacity to concentrate. Especially as an international student, it’s just hard to concentrate on practicing when your mind is so occupied with trying to save enough money to pay rent on time, or even to be able to visit home, so it just clears a lot of mental space to focus on other important things.” (See below for more information on the Conservatory Scholarship program.)
Of course, preparation and rehearsing continued throughout the nearly two weeks of competition and Navon frequently checked in with his instructor throughout the competition.
“We spoke on the phone maybe five or six times a day to debrief what happened in the past round and help prepare for the next round,” he says.
Gilad also relayed sage advice on how to stand out among such high-caliber talent.
“You have to show a lot of personality and tell a story for each different piece. When you perform, always tell your story with conviction and good things happen. I thought he played wonderfully, like a singer, and he really fulfilled his musical mission so convincingly,” says Gilad, who tuned in for the ARD livestream.
He also was impressed with each of the Colburn clarinet students who performed in the competition, with several passing through multiple rounds. Minkyung Chu and Victor Diaz Guerra (’22) advanced to the second round and Andrea Caputo performed in the semifinals.
“Overall, I’m a very proud papa. Can you imagine so many people in the competition?” says Gilad. “This is absolutely huge, not only for Elad, but for our School. All around, it’s a celebration of our School and what we do at Colburn on a regular basis.”
In addition to being awarded more than €18,500 in cash and special prizes, Navon performed with the Munich Chamber Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, two of the leading orchestras in Germany, before returning to Colburn this fall.
“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone, working again with all the teachers, and being part of the Colburn community. I really miss that,” he says.
This isn’t the first time Colburn students have been recognized and rewarded for their exceptional performances at the ARD Music Competition. In 2022, then-Colburn Ensemble-in-Residence, Quartet Integra—Kyoka Misawa, violin, Rintaro Kikuno, violin, Itsuki Yamamoto, viola, and Anri Tsukiji, cello—won second prize and the Audience Prize at the ARD Music Competition in the String Quartet Division.
Watch Elad’s prize-winning performance in the final round of the ARD Competition
Conservatory of Music Scholarships
One of the most extraordinary aspects of attending the Colburn Conservatory of Music is that it provides an opportunity for our students to explore the arts without financial barriers. Thanks to the vision of Richard D. Colburn, along with generous support from our donor community, 100% of our students attend on full scholarships, covering tuition, room, and board.
Our donor community recognizes the excellence of Conservatory students through the Louise Garland Scholarship, and the Richard D. Colburn Endowment. Special appreciation goes to our donors who support the School through other avenues, including the Negaunee Conducting Fellows, Conservatory instruction, endowed faculty positions, instrument donations, and additional student and alumni support such as the Frances Rosen Violin Prize and the Amron-Sutherland Piano Scholarship.
If you would like to learn more about supporting the Colburn Conservatory of Music, contact philanthropy@colburnschool.edu.
Nothing shines brighter than the success of our students after they venture on to new opportunities away from the Colburn School campus. So it’s always exciting to share what our alumni are up to, where they’ve gone, and how they take their Colburn experiences with them. This month, recent graduates of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute’s Dance Academy update us on their new educational and professional paths.
The Dance Academy’s esteemed faculty guides ballet students ages 14-17, who already have demonstrated advanced abilities and passion for dance, through comprehensive and inspiring pre-professional training that elevates their skills in conjunction with encouraging young dancers to further define and express their authentic artistry.
Currently attending: The University of Oklahoma, majoring in Ballet Performance
Favorite Dance Academy memory: “Mine was the rehearsal process for our video project, ‘A Tango.’ While it was very structured and choreographed, it still allowed us to have a lot of fun and show our personalities.”
The Dance Academy prepared me by: “Helping me find growth and seek challenges in a way that will benefit my mindset through my years dancing in college and beyond. The many opportunities provided to learn and grow have prepared me to take advantage of the challenges that might come my way and use them to improve and become stronger as a dancer and a person.”
Current dance company: Professional Division at Pacific Northwest Ballet
Favorite Dance Academy memory: “Dance Academy as a whole was such a great experience. I think my favorite memories, aside from performing, were all the little moments spent hanging out with staff in the dance office or daily breaks with my friends.”
The Dance Academy prepared me by: “Championing rigorous training. I think having built that sense of inner drive while at Colburn has been super helpful as I’ve left. Finally, the range of repertoire we performed each year has let me learn about what different choreography demands and what I like.”
Photo by Kanya Iwana, 24/25 Amplify Artist
Current dance company: School of American Ballet
Favorite Dance Academy memory: “My favorite memories at Colburn were spent training in Grand Rehearsal Hall. Every day, I felt inspired by each and every one of my teachers, as they helped me refine my technique, expand my artistry, and grow as a dancer and person.”
The Dance Academy prepared me by: “Guiding me towards achieving my biggest dream. Training there solidified a path towards building and developing my passion for the Balanchine style and aesthetic.”
Favorite Dance Academy performance: “My favorite was performing Anthem, choreographed by Janie Taylor (Trudl Zipper Dance Institute Artistic Director) with L.A. Dance Project. It was an amazing experience to rehearse and perform with a professional company.”
The Dance Academy prepared me by: “Preparing me for the rest of my career through its exceptional training and professional setting, as well as the many performance opportunities we had throughout the year.”
Favorite Dance Academy memory: “I have countless memories that I know I will bring with me for the rest of my life. My years at Colburn were everything and more than I could have asked for.”
The Dance Academy prepared me by: “Helping me grow technically and artistically to get to where I am today, but most importantly, it shaped me into the person I am. I truly believe Colburn has one of the most supportive communities and is a one-of-a-kind school.”
Favorite Dance Academy performance: “I had the privilege of performing Contour and Flight, an original piece choreographed by Janie Taylor. The beautiful choreography combined with the wonderful music by David K. Israel made this piece so magical.”
The Dance Academy prepared me by: “Providing us with opportunities to learn various styles of dance, whether it was from other faculty members or guest artists. Having learned so many different styles is a great tool to have when entering the professional world.”
Photo by Angela Sterling
Current dance company: School of American Ballet, Level C1
Favorite Dance Academy memory: “My favorite memory of Colburn Dance Academy is having the opportunity of working with Janie Taylor.”
The Dance Academy prepared me by: “[Teaching] me how to utilize my artistry.”
Currently attending: Butler University’s Dance Department
Favorite Dance Academy performance: “One of my favorite performances was the Winter Dance Celebration. I loved the choreography and music displayed in the show and it remains one of my top-three favorite performances.”
The Dance Academy prepared me by: “Showing me how to listen to outside perspectives, and to take in thoughts and opinions that I would not have thought of myself.”
Also, check out this comprehensive list of recent honors, awards, and happenings with current Colburn students.
Student Accomplishments 2025–26
Classes for the new year at Colburn have just gotten underway, but we think beginnings are an opportune time to highlight accomplishments from last year, of which there were plenty. Here, we spotlight two Music Academy students who earned high honors at prestigious competitions this spring.
Eiline Tai: Johansen International Competition for Young String Players
Every three years, the Friday Morning Music Club Foundation in Washington, D.C. invites young artists to apply for the Johansen International Competition for Young String Players. Cellist Eiline Tai had been waiting for her chance to participate in the challenging program. What sets this competition apart is that participants do not know in advance what pieces they’ll perform each round. Rather, they’re informed with little notice.
Tai explains, “This way, you prepare everything for the first round, and on the spot, they tell you what pieces to play, how much to play, which movements to play. I had to be very organized about everything, making sure I work on every piece, and that they’re all at the same level.”
Leading up to the competition in April, Tai relied on her Music Academy classes and performances as a training camp.
“This was my very first time preparing for something so demanding and my teacher, Mr. Greensmith, helped a lot with extra lessons, studio classes, and feedback,” she says.
Her strategy was sound. Not only did Tai successfully advance through each round, but she was awarded second place as well as receiving the prestigious Best Performance of a Commissioned Work for playing Shredding by Mark Simon.
“Having music no one has played before has helped me learn to explore and imagine what you can do with these pieces, especially contemporary music,” she says. “Also, I’ve found that I really like to learn these pieces because I get to put a lot of my own interpretation into them.”
Scholarships help attract the very best students to the Music Academy from all around the world. As a Kohl Scholar, Tai receives scholarship support along with pre-professional guidance and performance opportunities to support her total Colburn experience. Terri and Jerry Kohl created this scholarship to make Colburn accessible to and competitive for students across the Music Academy.
Evangeline Lien: New York Artists Guild Competition and The Music Center’s Spotlight
During the pandemic, Evangeline Lien discovered two key elements to her personality: a passion for the viola and a competitive nature. Fast forward to 2025, Lien was ready to test her skills in both areas by applying to the highly regarded New York Artists Guild Competition, which was held in June.
As with her Music Academy peer, Lien leaned on her instructor, Tatjana Masurenko, for coaching and guidance. The renowned violist also inspired the student’s music selection.
“I played the ‘Dance of the Buffoons’ from The Snow Maiden by Rimsky-Korsakov. It’s a really fun piece because it’s not originally written for viola, but for orchestra,” she says. “It’s a special transcription with a lot of diverse techniques that are really fun to play.”
Her dedication and skills were rewarded with a first-place finish and an invitation to perform at the preeminent Lincoln Center in New York City at the culmination of the program.
“It was fun, because I was surrounded by other musicians around my age who were really talented,” she recalls.
Masurenko also encouraged Lien to participate in The Music Center’s Spotlight competition, which she also excelled at and was selected as a grand prize winner in the classical instrument category at the grand finale in June.
“It’s a special experience, because along the way, they give you a lot of resources and after each stage, they give you judges’ comments. Also, I attended a master class with Karen Dreyfus, which was really inspiring,” says Lien.
Goals for a New Year
After attending various festivals this summer, both students have returned to the Music Academy with renewed goals.
“I hope to perform more solo and chamber music this year,” says Lien. “Ms. Masurenko has a concert called Viola Plus, and I’ll play in a viola-cello duo, so I’m looking forward to that.”
“Chamber music classes, coachings, and Academy Virtuosi have helped me a lot,” notes Tai. “Having this kind of collaborative music helps me a lot with learning, and I think most importantly, with listening.”
Of course, these are just two examples of the many accomplishments Colburn students have achieved. Keep reading to see a comprehensive list of our students’ most recent honors.
As we look back on the past year, we are thrilled to celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments of our graduating Conservatory students and alumni who have secured professional positions with leading orchestras around the world. These achievements are a testament not only to their talent and dedication, but also to the rich, immersive experience they received during their time at Colburn. With access to exceptional faculty, abundant performance opportunities, and world-class facilities, our students are well-prepared to meet the demands of a professional music career. We are proud to see so many Colburn musicians contributing to the global orchestral community.
What a difference a moment can make.
By late April, Jasmine Ji had wrapped up an appearance at the Palm Springs International Piano Competition—at 13, she was the youngest pianist to take the stage. She also was completing her first year of studying at the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts in the studio of Vanessa Fadial, DMA, and looked forward to attending festivals this summer, including a return to the acclaimed Montecito International Music Festival. All that suddenly took a backseat when Ji was offered an opportunity to make her orchestral debut at the 112-year-old Smetana Hall in Prague, Czech Republic. She quickly accepted.
The North Czech Philharmonic had to fill a featured role for its May 3 concert when another young musician pulled out. That’s when a friend reached out to Dr. Fadial to inquire about Ji’s availability. Apparently, she had made an indelible impression on him during coaching sessions at the Montecito Festival last summer.
“He thought I could listen and communicate with string instruments, and I believe that’s one of the reasons he recommended me,” says Ji.
Exceptional Experience
Preparing for a debut is never a simple task, much less a surprise invitation only a few weeks before the event. Fortunately, Ji had performed Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No.1 in G Minor, Op. 25 in Palm Springs, and the piece remained fresh in her repertoire.
“The concerto was still in my fingers and I could play it with ease. I like that there’s a lot of diversity and technique within the concerto, but there’s also a lot of musical aspects in it,” she says.
With guidance from Dr. Fadial, she further polished the performance as well as studied how to accompany a full orchestra.
“With an orchestra, sometimes you need to know where you should lead and other times you need to know where you’re supposed to balance,” she recalls. “For Prague, Dr. Fadial told me to play through the orchestra part in order to know it really well.”
While admittedly nervous for her debut, Ji appreciated the welcoming reception she received by the musicians and truly embraced the moment.
“My nervous level was kind of like a decrescendo throughout the performance; I was a little nervous at the beginning, but then I calmed down throughout the first movement, and it got a lot better for the rest of the concerto,” she says. “I just reminded myself that the whole point is to share the music.”
Although the details of the event came about unexpectedly, Ji’s confidence as an artist wasn’t a surprise. The Community School has instilled her with growing assurance while advancing her skills.
“Colburn has helped so much with my stage confidence. Performance opportunities, like the Friday Night Recitals, contribute to that along with feedback from teachers,” she says. “I think Colburn has shaped this path to Prague and I honestly couldn’t have done it without the support of my teachers here.”
And it was definitely a moment that made a difference to this young artist.
“It’s something I’ll always remember and treasure, and I’ve learned a lot from it,” she concludes.
For Trudl Zipper Dance Institute student Mackenzie Carroll, move-in day last fall was full of excitement and anticipation for the year ahead. She knew it would be filled with opportunities to advance her dance skills and learn from the esteemed faculty and peers. But she wasn’t prepared to kick off the year by running into an old friend on day one. Then again, an elevator encounter with Yejoon Kwon wasn’t out of the ordinary. She first met the Music Academy violin student at the Interlochen Arts Camp when they were both 10 years old.
“We actually met again in the ninth grade while attending Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, Mass.,” recalls Kwon. “There, we met on move-in day at the elevator!”
Fast Friends
While attending the summer camp nearly 10 years ago, Kwon and Carroll quickly discovered mutual interests and a natural friendship formed.
“I thought Joon was a really nice person, really funny, and good to hang out with,” says Carroll. “She’s also extremely talented, which was really cool to be around.”
“And Mackenize was really funny,” adds Kwon.
After camp wrapped, they separated ways until running into each other again at Walnut Hill and immediately renewed their friendship. However, after a year, Kwon transferred to the Colburn Music Academy.
“I wanted to focus more on music and felt like the Music Academy would be a more fitting school for me,” she says.
Then this fall, Carroll chose to finish her high school experience at the TZDI Dance Academy.
“Joon and I had another friend who was at the Dance Academy, so I asked her about the school and it seemed like a really cool place,” she says.
Support Network
Although the friends didn’t share classes together this year, they enjoy each opportunity to see each other on campus.
“I occasionally bump into Mackenzie on the fourth or fifth floor while she does schoolwork,” says Kwon. “She inspires me to do my schoolwork.”
“It’s been really nice having Joon here, knowing she’s here and she’s a good friend,” adds Carroll.
Of course, throughout their time at Colburn, both have found friendships with fellow students and faculty mentors, and agree these connections have prepared them for the next stage of their performing arts careers. Kwon will attend the San Francisco Conservatory of Music on full scholarship and Carroll heads to the University of Oklahoma School of Dance.
And who knows, where and when these friends will encounter each other again.
“Well, the San Francisco Ballet is very close to the conservatory, so maybe I’ll see Mackenize walking by some day,” says Kwon.
Dancer Tess McCharen studied at Colburn for four years before making her way to New York City where she was recently appointed as one of the founding members of Limón2, a new dance company under the umbrella of the José Limón Dance Foundation. The original Limón Dance Company was the country’s first modern dance repertory company, and Limón2 is dedicated to the development of young professionals and to the creation of innovative programming and accessible community engagement.
“It is a big honor to be one of the founding members of the Limón2, especially with its creation being during such unprecedented and uncertain times, especially for dancers and artists,” Tess reflects. She is one of seven young women that were selected to join the inaugural group, which will share the movement and intention of José Limón while also working to discover their own artistry, embodying a variety of contemporary dance styles. This past fall, they were able to work with Gregory Dolbashian on a piece called “The Bird in Your Hand.” Tess described the freedom of creativity she experienced working on it, recalling “The process was extremely collaborative. We were given phrase work and choreography, but we were also given the space and opportunity to make everything our own.”
Tess discovered her passion for modern dance during her time here at the Colburn School. “I had seen various modern dance companies like Graham, Ailey, and Paul Taylor but had never done modern dance myself.” With the help of her mother—who was also a modern dancer—and Colburn, she discovered a new world. “Once I started working with Tamsin (Carlson), I really fell in love with Cunningham and modern dance.” She discovered Limón during this period of growth as well, and the training continues to serve her to this day.
“Colburn was the best preparation I could’ve asked for,” she asserts. “I wouldn’t be the dancer I am today if I had not gone to Colburn.” Aside from the variety of classes and access to world-class teachers and choreographers, Tess also highlighted another ongoing benefit: community. “I’m still good friends and in touch with the many people I met there…I met my best friend at Colburn when Tamsin gave us a little duet in her piece.”
Looking to the future, Tess feels a sense of optimism in her upcoming work with Limón2 but also for dance in general. “As draining mentally and physically as Zoom dance is, I have to say it has opened up accessibility in ways we hadn’t imagined before,” she says, referring to the restrictions that were put in place during the pandemic. “It opened up the world of dance a lot…Now, almost every show has a virtual viewing option. My family in LA was able to watch me perform two weekends ago.”
As she continues to develop her career in New York, Tess is certain of one constant: change. “Even when I moved to NYC, I had never really done contemporary dance before, so that was already a big learning curve…the best thing I could do and can continue to do is just be open and willing to learn.”
Follow Tess on Instagram Learn more about Limón2 Photo by Anthony Collins (@anthonycollins_art on IG)