From the intensity of competitions to the spotlight of Lincoln Center, Colburn students are embracing challenges and discovering their artistic voices. Meet two young musicians from the Music Academy whose journeys exemplify passion, resilience, and creativity.
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.