Meet the 2026 Festival Participants!

Violinist Clara Gunnerson is from Rexburg, Idaho and graduated from BYU (Provo) this past April in violin performance. She will continue at BYU this fall to earn her Master’s degree in violin performance, studying with Alex Woods. When she’s not practicing and performing, she enjoys running and walking outside, pressing and drying flowers, organization and cleaning, and spending time with her husband Luke! Their 2-year anniversary is this August. Clara loves attending Utah Symphony concerts and has a small studio of her own, which she hopes to grow to full-time teaching.

Madison Hansen is a violinist and violin teacher from Utah currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance at Brigham Young University, where she studies with Monte Belknap. She has performed in masterclasses with renowned artists including Philippe Quint, Gerald Elias, William Hagen, Eugene Watanabe, and Aubree Oliverson, and has participated in workshops led by internationally recognized musicians.

Madison has served as Concertmistress of the Young Artist Chamber Players and has performed with ensembles including BYU Chamber Orchestra, Youth Chamber Orchestra, Sotto Voce Strings, and Rocky Mountain Strings. Her musical experiences have taken her throughout the United States and abroad, with performances and service projects in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

In addition to performing, Madison maintains a private violin studio and is certified in the Suzuki teaching method. She is passionate about chamber music and was selected for the BYU Honors Quartet in 2025. Outside of music, Madison enjoys skiing, learning Spanish, and spending time with her husband.

Violist Emily Lambert graduated in May from Brigham Young University with a BM in Viola Performance. A founding member of the Alta quartet, Emily formed her first quartet in 2014 with a group of friends, and has been an avid chamber musician ever since. Beginning on violin at age 5, she has trained in Classical, baroque, and folk styles. Offstage, she enjoys teaching, reading, hiking, and knitting. At BYU, Emily worked as a research assistant for the Primrose International Viola Archive, and intends to continue her scholarship and archival work. In the fall, she will begin a MM in Violin/Viola Pedagogy at the University of South Carolina, Columbia.

Ellie Wirthlin began studying cello at the age of five and has since developed a distinguished performance background. After ten years of study with Brittany Gardner, she continued her training with Pegsoon Whang of the Utah Symphony. Ellie has performed with ensembles including Amichevoli Cello Choir, Wasatch Camerata, Youth Artists Chamber Players, and the BYU Honors Quartet. She was a finalist in the Utah ASTA Competition (2019), the Charleston International Music Competition (2020), the Brimhall Cello Competition (2025), and the BYU Concerto Competition (2025). Ellie was a full-scholarship member of the Gifted Music School Conservatory Orchestra from 2017–2021 and was selected twice to perform in the GMS Showcase Concert. She has participated in masterclasses with distinguished guest artists and attended the Westminster Cello Camp, Fry Street Chamber Music Festival, and the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, where she studied with Rhonda Rider. She previously studied with Alan Rafferty at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Cello Performance at Brigham Young University under the instruction of Dr. Michelle Kesler.

Sophie Thiessen is an emerging young soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral violinist based in Denton, Texas. Originally from Kansas, she has won first prize in solo competitions sponsored by ASTA, the Wichita Symphony Orchestra, and the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra. As an orchestral musician, she has served as concertmaster of both the Kansas All-State Orchestra and the UNT Concert Orchestra in addition to performing as a substitute in the Abilene Philharmonic and other regional orchestras in the North Texas area. Sophie currently studies with Professor Julia Bushkova at the University of North Texas as an Undergraduate String Quartet Fellowship recipient. She performs as first violin of the Aquila String Quartet, recently named a finalist in the 2026 George Papich Chamber Music Competition.

American violinist Avery Scott earned his Master of Music degree at the Mannes School of Music in the studio of Stefan Jackiw, and beginning in fall 2026, he will pursue doctoral studies at Rutgers University under the guidance of Christina Bouey. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree at Boston University, where he was named the university’s 2023 Presser Scholar and studied with Yuri Mazurkevich and Klaudia Szlachta.

An avid chamber musician, Avery has performed at venues including Ottawa’s National Arts Centre, New York’s Frick Collection, and the Mannes Sounds series. He has also participated in festivals such as the Orford Music Academy, the Lake George Music Festival, the Techne Music Festival, the Berkshire High Peaks Festival, and the Pierrot Chamber Music Festival, which awarded him the Rex Chao Memorial Prize for dedication to the study and performance of chamber music.

In addition to his work as a performer, Avery is a committed educator who has taught with organizations such as the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras. He is also a writer and host at Classical Arizona PBS, where his weekly radio programs showcase a variety of classical music and its surprising, fascinating history. Photo by Joowan Han.

A current student at the New England Conservatory of Music, Max Wang is currently pursuing a masters degree in viola performance under the tutelage of Wenting Kang. He has also performed at various summer programs, including the Bowdoin International Chamber Music Festival, Alpenkammermusik, Chautauqua’s Instrumental Institute, Virtuoso & Belcanto, and Domaine Forget. He has also had the privilege of working and studying with artists such as Lawrence Powers, David Alberman, Marie Bitlloch, Carol Rodland, Dimitri Murrath, and ensembles such as Les Violons du Roy, the Aizuri Quartet, the Ying Quartet, and the Horszowski Trio. Previously, Max studied under Phillip Ying of the Ying Quartet at the Eastman School of Music. He has previously served as principal violist of the Eastman Philharmonia, Eastman Opera and NEC Philharmonia. At Eastman, he has also played in masterclasses for Ivo-Jan van der Werff and Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt. Outside music, Max enjoys cooking, puzzles and walking.

Based in Indianapolis, IN, Joel Lee is a cellist and chamber musician. He is currently pursuing an MM in Cello Performance at Butler University, studying under Dr. Max Geissler. Joel has held principal positions in the Central Washington University’s Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, Butler University Symphony Orchestra, and performed with the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra and Mid-Columbia Symphony. Joel has won prizes at the Tennessee Cello Workshop Collegiate Competition, Music&More Summerfest Concerto Competition, and has been finalist at the 2024 and 2025 MTNA Young Artist Competitions. He has made appearances at the Seattle Bach Marathon, Second City Chamber Series, ARIA International Music Academy, ENCORE Chamber Music Institute, and Addicott Chamber Music Festival. Joel has worked closely with Walter Gray, Jean-Michel Fonteneau, Brannon Cho, Dmitry Kouzov, Jonathan Dormand, Nathan Chan, Zuill Bailey, Norman Fischer, and Hans Jorgen Jensen among others. He has also worked with members of the Verona, Dover, Calidore, and Euclid Quartets.

He has an interest in teaching, regularly appearing as a mentor for the Second Series Chamber Series Youth Chamber Program, as well as coaching sectionals and giving masterclasses to local middle and high schools. Joel currently performs on a Marc Laberte cello, circa 1933, on loan from the Carlsen Cello Foundation.

Anna Hilderbrand is a violinist hailing from western Maryland, currently studying at the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music in Nashville, Tennessee. Her playing has been recognized internationally, with concert appearances throughout North America, South America, and Europe. As a solo musician, Anna was most notably invited to perform as a guest artist with the West Virginia Youth Symphony in summer of 2025, featuring concerts in Hungary, Slovakia, and Czechia. She is an alumna of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America, touring with the program in 2024 to Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil, and she sat as concertmaster of the Brevard Concert Orchestra during their 2023 summer festival. As a chamber musician, Anna was an Emerging Artist Fellow at the Garth Newel Music Center in 2025 and attended the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in 2022 and 2024. She additionally has experience playing baroque violin and is trained in violin making. Photo by Jessi Elaine Photography.

At age three Flower Jebo fell in love with the violin after playing the video game Mozart's Magic Flute on her older brother's computer. Two years later she started taking lessons at Plum Grove Music in Lowell, Indiana, and still loves the sound of the violin today. Currently she studies online with Tosca Opdam and had the opportunity to take in person lessons with her while she attended International String Days of Amerogen in the Netherlands. This past year, Flower has performed with the flexible chamber group 42-87 and occasionally has had the opportunity to play as a substitute with the South Bend Symphony. This fall she will be studying for a Bachelor of Music in Performance at IU South Bend. She loves to play music by 20th century composers, living composers and forgotten composers. In her spare time, Flower enjoys listening to emo music.

Tessa Urie is a 21-year-old violist studying with Brad Ottesen, member of the Fry Street Quartet, at Utah State University. She found her passion for chamber music playing at the Gifted Music School in Salt Lake City, where she contributed to string quartet groups coached by members of the Utah Symphony. This led to her switch from violin to her true voice, the viola, in 2022. Continuing her musical studies at USU for her Bachelor's degree, she plays in the university's symphony orchestra as viola section leader, and has also played in USU's flagship student string quartet, the Caine Quartet.

Cade Wyles is a cellist from Buffalo, New York, currently pursuing degrees in Music Education and Cello Performance at the State University of New York at Fredonia, where he studies with Dr. Natasha Farny. Beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year, he will join Mercyhurst University as an Adjunct Instructor of Music, teaching both cello and double bass. He has taught at the Philadelphia International Music Festival, the Bravo International Chamber Music Institute, and summer music programs at Baldwin Wallace University and SUNY Fredonia. As a performer, Cade appeared as a soloist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra after winning its Young Artist Competition and has received awards from the Amherst Symphony Orchestra and the Buffalo Chamber Music Society. Recent summer studies include the Encore Chamber Music Institute, the ARIA Academy, and the Addicott Chamber Music Festival, where he had the opportunity to study with cellists including Steven Doane, Brannon Cho, Valentin Radutiu, and Tommy Mesa. In addition to his teaching and performance activities, Cade serves as President-Elect of the Collegiate Board of the New York State School Music Educators Association and has completed three summers as an intern with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, focusing on youth engagement and community outreach.

Ruochen Xu is a junior at Interlake High School in Bellevue, WA. She has played violin for 9 years and currently studies under Dr. Brendan Shea. She has participated in the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra for 4 years, where she has served as concertmaster and received the Inspiration Award. She has received recognition in competitions such as PAFE, SYAMF, and Washington Solo and Ensemble, and recently received the Grand Prize in the Do Re Mi International Music Competition. This past summer, she attended the String Quartet Workshop at BUTI, where she was inspired further explore chamber music and join the Seattle Chamber Music Society Youth Academy. She is also a recruitment director and tutor at the Do Re Mi Project, a nonprofit that provides free music tutoring to young musicians. Aside from music, Ruochen enjoys reading, baking, and playing with her cat. She is also an avid figure skater and ice dancer.

Braden Wang is a junior at Dublin High School and has been studying violin under his teacher, Mr. James Choi, for eleven years now. Braden is a former member of the Berkeley Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra and is currently a part of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. He has attended the 2022 and 2023 CODA All-State orchestras, the 2024 Music at Tateuchi program, and the 2025 Addicott Summer Chamber Music Festival. Braden has won numerous competitions including the Fremont Young Recitalist Competition, the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra concerto competition, and the United States Open Music Competition. Braden made his orchestral debut with the Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra, playing the 3rd movement of the Bruch Violin Concerto. In his free time, Braden enjoys reading and playing chess.

Olivia Park is a junior at Leland High School where she participates in her school’s chamber orchestra. She originally played piano and began playing viola at the age of 10 under Yunsun Kim. She currently studies under Dimitri Murrath at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music’s Pre-College division. This is her second year of being a member at the San Francisco Youth Symphony Orchestra. Prior to that, she has also played in the California Youth Symphony for 2 years and the California All State Orchestras for 4 years. Olivia has received awards from the United States International Music Competition, Silicon Valley Music Competition, KAMSA (Korean-American Music Supporters’ Association) Competition, and the Prima Volta Music Competition. She has also played in the KAMSA Youth Symphony Orchestra for 3 summers and HopeBox Charity Youth Orchestra for 2. Every holiday season, Olivia likes to play in the Cambrian Symphony for The Nutcracker Ballet. Besides playing the viola, Olivia enjoys playing piano, listening to Laufey, and hanging out with friends.

AJ Morey is a 16 year old rising junior at Mounds View High School. He has studied viola with acclaimed teachers including Charles Gray and Elizabeth Cregan, and has been studying with Elizabeth Cregan for several years. He is a former member of the Cannon Valley Youth Orchestras (CVYO) and the MNSOTA Mid-Level All-State Orchestra, and is currently a member of the MMEA All-State Orchestra, Minnesota Youth Symphonies (MYS), and the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies (GTCYS). He participates in numerous solo, chamber, and orchestra competitions, and recently won a Best of Site award at his regional solo and ensemble competition. An avid chamber musician, AJ is a member of several chamber groups, including 2 string quartets and a viola ensemble. He has performed in these chamber groups through numerous recitals and busking, most recently performing Glazunov Five Novelettes for String Quartet. In his free time, AJ enjoys playing tennis and disc golf, singing in his church choir, and sight-reading.

Mondy Gottesman is a passionate 15-year-old cellist with a penchant for collaborating with living composers and conducting. He performs in 40-50 solo, chamber, and orchestral concerts per year spanning the United States, Europe, and Asia. Mondy is section leader for multiple orchestras and director of various chamber groups. Most recently Mondy won 1st Prize at the International Association of Professional Music Teachers Concerto Competition and the Walker Solo Competition, and 1st Prize and Grand Prize at the International Ukrainian Music Competition, performing at Carnegie Hall and other major venues as part of his prizes. He recently recorded Ukrainian composer Zoltan Almashi’s "Elegy" at Skywalker Sound and this world premiere recording will be released worldwide soon. Mondy's current teachers are Maggie Parkins and Marek Szpakiewicz. His Summer 2026 performances include soloing in the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Seocho Philharmonia Orchestra (Bae Jonghoon, conductor) in Seoul, South Korea and in the Dvořák Cello Concerto with the Vienna International Orchestra (Robert Lehrbaumer, conductor) in Altenburg, Austria, as well as performing string quartets and studying with the Euclid, Verona, and Viano quartets at the Addicott Chamber Music Festival at Indiana University, and performing multiple solo recitals and studying with Jakob Kullberg and Amit Peled at the International Holland Music Sessions in the Netherlands.

Enoch Kim is a 17-year-old cellist from the Bay Area. He is a member of the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra (PACO) and its chamber academy. With his quartet, he has performed in masterclasses for the Apple Hill Quartet, Christopher Costanza, Debra Fong, Eugene Sor, Zakarias Grafilo. Through PACO, he has also collaborated with artists Ariana Kim, Alexander Hersh, Stefan Hersh, and Grammy winning Mads Tolling. In addition to PACO, Enoch has been selected for California’s 2024 Coda Honors Symphony Orchestra. Enoch began his studies with Scott Krijnen and James Lin, and currently studies under Christopher Costanza. Outside of music, he enjoys being active outdoors and cooking.

Regine Lee (16) is a violinist from Mt. Dora, Florida. She is a homeschooled junior dual enrolling at Seminole State College and the University of Florida. She began studying the violin at the age of 6 and currently studies with Chih-Tsung Hsu. She has previously studied with Olga Kolpakova at the Saint Andrew’s Conservatory of Music and Rimma Bergeron-Langlois. She has received multiple awards from the Florida Federation of Music Clubs Junior Convention (FFMC) for violin and piano events and the Florida State Music Teachers’ Association Concerto Competition. Regine currently serves as concertmaster of the FSYO Symphonic Orchestra. Outside of music, she is also a member of Legacy Christian Speech and Debate Club.

Roy Amaral is a violinist and composer based in Los Angeles. Raised in a home where music was ever-present, an early curiosity with sound led him to the violin at age 10, which he has been pursuing ever since. Roy currently attends the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, where he acts as Assistant Concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, he serves as the concertmaster of the Pasadena Youth Philharmonic and is an active player for the San Gabriel Valley Symphony Orchestra.

A versatile musician, he blends classical, jazz, and folk influences into his own work, having created an award-winning orchestral score which he composed, then conducted and recorded, with the Lachsa Symphony Orchestra as well as 2 award winning jazz-classical fusion instrumental albums.

Amaral has been playing the violin for 7 years and currently studies under Maestro Fung Ho. He has performed in masterclasses for artists such as Kerson Leong and Stefan Jackiw, among others, and has attended the Vivace International Festival. 

Julian Rife, 17, is a rising freshman studying viola performance at Northwestern University under Helen Callus. A graduate of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and the Pasadena Conservatory of Music, he has maintained performance careers on both viola and violin, being concertmaster for the Pasadena Youth Symphony Tour Orchestra, two-year principal of the LACHSA symphony orchestra, and violist for the 走吧! Quintet. He has played solo in both Italy and America, and his pedagogy includes masterclasses with Kerson Leong and Steven Jackiw.

Oliver Runnoe is a junior at Whitefish Bay High School and plays the cello in the Whitefish Bay High School Chamber Orchestra. He was selected as an alternate of the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America (NYO-USA) in 2026 and this summer, the orchestra, under the direction of Karina Canellakis, will play in Carnegie Hall, and in a six-city European tour. Oliver sat side-by-side with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra winning honorable mention in the 2024 and 2025 “Stars of Tomorrow” audition and semi-finalist 2026. He plays in a piano trio in the Advanced Chamber Music Institute at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and he has participated in the National Federation of Music Clubs Festival for eleven consecutive years. Oliver has also participated in the Wisconsin School Music Association’s Solo and Ensemble for five years and was twice nominated for the “Exemplary Performance Award.” Scott Cook has served as his private teacher, during which time he has performed with the cello ensemble ICellisti.

Charlie Wyatt, a 16-year-old cellist from Blacksburg Virginia, studies with his father, Benjamin Wyatt through the Renaissance Music Academy, where he also plays in the orchestra. He has attended various summer programs such as the Meadowmount School of Music, the Heifetz Institute, and ENCORE Chamber Music Institute. He is interested in Historically Informed Performance practice, and he recently won the first prize at the Roanoque Baroque Concerto Competition and will be featured in their 2026/2027 season. In 2025, he was a finalist and prizewinner at the Hilton Head Concerto Competition.

Charlie is fluent in Chinese. In his free time, he enjoys reading, baking, and suffering through Southern Cal football games.