Preben Antonsen, composer (Berkeley, Calif.), is a student at Lick-Wilmerding, where he studies with Sharon Mann and John Adams, his mentor. Preben is a four-time winner of the ASCAP Morton Gould Student Composer Award. In 2005 he performed Sonata for Lou by Matthew Cmiel on NPR's "From the Top.” He is a past participant at Aspen and the Perlman Music Program.

Eva Belmont, piano (Acton, Mass.), is a student at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School and a member of the New England Conservatory Preparatory Division. In 2007 she won the Concord Orchestra Concerto Competition and was a finalist in the NEC Preparatory Concerto Competition (Division C). She is a past participant of the Bowdoin and Eastern Music Festivals. (Past YAP participant, 2006)

Kelsey Blumenthal, violin (Cape Elizabeth, Me.), is a student at Cape Elizabeth High School and is enrolled in the Pre-College Division at Juilliard, where she plays in a viola quintet. She is a winner of the NEC Preparatory Concerto Competition and has performed with the Portland Symphony Orchestra on NPR's "From the Top." Kelsey is a past participant of Kinhaven and the Quartet Program.

Colin Brookes, viola (Pittsburg, Pa.), attends Mount Lebanon Senior High School. In addition to being a member of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra, Colin has recently appeared as a soloist with both the Pittsburgh Civic and Symphony Orchestras, and recently won the Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artists' Competition. He is a past participant of Encore and Mary Adams Balmat Debut Orchestra Camps.

Benjamin Carson, violin (Holliston, Mass.), is currently a student at Walnut Hill School. He has toured Portugal, Spain, Latvia, Estonia, and Russia with the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchesrta, where he served as both concertmaster and principal second violin. He is a past participant at Domaine Forget, Heifetz International Music Institute, and Point CounterPoint, among others.

Alex Ciccone, cello (Brooklyn, N.Y.), attends Regis High School. He is a member of the New York Youth Symphony Orchestra and the AAA Trio, which has performed in Carnegie Hall's Weill Recital Hall and at the National Arts Club, New York. He is a past participant of the Bard College Quartet Institute, Kinhaven, Sewanee, and Soundfest.

Matthew Cmiel, composer (San Francisco, Calif.), is a student at the San Francisco School of the Arts. His works have been performed by the Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, the Golden Gate Philharmonic, and the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra. He has won numerous awards for his performances on guitar, including the ASTA soloist award. Matt is a past participant of the Summer Music West Composition Program. (Past YAP participant, 2005, 2006)

Lee Dionne, piano (Ridgefield, Conn.), is a student at Yale University. He has soloed with the Philharmonia Viruosi and Greenwood Music Camp Orchestras, among others. With the Alisier Trio, he was a Gold Medal winner of the Junior Division of the Fischoff International Chamber Competition and has performed on NPR's "From the Top." Lee is a past participant of Greenwood and Kinhaven.

Kate Dreyfuss, viola (Short Hills, N.J.),is a student at the Pingry School and enrolled in the Pre-College Division at Juilliard. She has served as co-concertmaster and co-principal second in the Juilliard Pre-College Chamber Orchestra. Kate is a past participant of the Junior and Senior Greenwood Music Camps, Point CounterPoint, and Suzuki Institutes in Ithaca, N.Y. and Colorado. (Past YAP participant, 2006)

Tamzin Elliott, composer (Cardiff by the Sea, Calif.), began composing at age nine. Her interest in composing was stimulated by the works of Howard Shore, Rachel Portman, Philip Glass, and Patrick Doyle. In 2006 she won First Place in the State of California Composer Today Competition for his work, Victorious Dead, a pedal harp duet. She is a past participant of the Idyllwild Summer Performing Arts Program.

Stephen Feigenbaum, composer (Winchester, Mass.), is a student at Winchester High School and New England Conservatory Preparatory School. In 2006 he was the First Place Winner of the Pikes Peak Young Composer Competition, and is a previous winner of the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Competition. He is a past participant of Tanglewood and the Putney School Summer Program.

Joseph Gotoff, cello (Lewisburg, Penn.), is a student at both Lewisburg Area High School and Temple Music Prep. He is the sole high school member of the Bucknell Symphony Orchestra and is co-founder of the Turbino Piano Trio. In 2006 he won First Place in the Williamsport Symphony Young Artist’s Concerto Competition and performed with the Williamsport Symphony. Joseph is a past participant of Interlochen, Point CounterPoint, the Quartet Program, and the Tanglewood Institute Quartet Workshop.

Laura Ha, violin (Covina, Calif.), is currently a member of the Young Musician's Foundation Orchestra. She soloed with the Pasadena POPS Orchestra in MacArthur Park and Descanso Gardens. Laura is a four-time winner of the Southwestern Youth Music Festival and two-time Gold Medallist of the Bach Complete Works Competition. She is a past participant of Niagara International and Summit Music Festivals.

Annie Hart, cello (El Cerrito, Calif.), attends Berkeley High School and San Francisco Conservatory Chamber Music Program. She is associate principal of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and a member of the Portland Youth Symphony Orchestra. Annie has won numerous awards including First Prize in the Oakland East Bay Symphony Concerto Competition. She is a past participant of Interlochen and Zephyr. (Past YAP participant, 2005, 2006)

Adrienne Hochman, viola (Houston, Tex.), is a student at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. She is a member of the Houston Youth Symphony and the Virtuosi of Houston Orchestra. In 2006 Adrienne was named Texas Scholar in the Arts and won both the Houston Young Artists and Music Heals Chamber Competitions. She is a past participant of Encore/Coda, Kinhaven, and Musicorda.

Kathryn Kilian, violin (West Hartford, Conn.), is a student at Peabody Conservatory. She has performed in Ozawa Hall as part of the Honors Chamber Music Concert at the Tanglewood Institute and won first place in the New England String Ensemble Concerto Competition. Kathryn is a past participant of Encore, Meadowmount, and Tanglewood.

Diana Kim, piano (East Amherst, N.Y.), has studied piano since the age of four and is currently a student at Peabody Conservatory. She is a past winner of the Amherst (N.Y.) Symphony Orchestra Piano Concerto Competition, and she received honorable mention at the Ithaca College Piano competition in 2004. Diana is a past participant of the Chatauqua Institute.

Lisa Kudo, clarinet (Northbrook, Ill.), began studying her instrument five years ago at the Stanley Davis Music Institute of Chicago and has played with numerous orchestras including the Midwest Young Artists Symphony, and the Chicago Youth Concert Orchestra. Lisa is the 2007 winner of the Glenbrook Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition.. She is a past participant of the Midwest Young Artists Summer Music Festival.

Bethany Landby, violin (Upland, In.), is currently a student of Music Performance at Taylor University, where she is associate concertmaster with the University Symphony Orchestra. In 2006 she toured Spain as a soloist with the Mounds View Chamber Orchestra, performing at such venues as the Rock of Gibraltar. Bethany is a past participant of Masterworks and Northern Lights.

Christel Lee, violin (Coquitiam, Canada), has performed throughout the U.S.,Canada, England, and Korea, including a solo recital in Steinway Hall. Christel is a past winner of the Aspen Music Festival Violin Competition and Canadian Music Competition. She is a past participant of Aspen, Gdansk, the Indiana University Summer String Academy, and the New York String Orchestra Seminar.

Vieen Leung, violin (Wan Chai, Hong Kong), is a student at Peabody Conservatory, where she serves as assistant concertmaster of the Concert Orchestra. She was a member of the Hong Kong Children's Symphony Orchestra for seven years, during three of which she was concertmaster. Vieen won First Place in the 6th National Violin Competition in China. She is a past participant of the European Youth Summer Music Program.

Isaac Pastor-Chermak, cello (Moscow, Id.), is a student at Moscow Senior High School. He is a member of the University of Idaho Cello Choir and Chamber Orchestra and the Rendezvous Chamber Players. Isaac is a past participant of Chamber Music in the Mountains at Echo Glen, the Japan-Seattle Suzuki Institute, the National Cello Institute, Palouse Chamber Music Workshop, the 7th American Cello Congress, and the University of Idaho Invitational String Festival.

Rachel Ruggles, violin (Berkeley, Calif.), is enrolled in the San Francisco Conservatory Preparatory Program and plays with the Berkeley High School Orchestra and San Domenico Virtuoso Orchestra da Camera. Rachel has been featured on NPR's "From the Top" and was a Junior Bach Festival soloist. She is a past participant of Margess International, Marrowstone, Sequoia Chamber Workshop, and Summer Music West.

Tessa Seymour, cello (Modesto, Calif.), attends Martin Luther King Middle School and San Francisco Conservatory Preparatory Program. She has appeared on NPR's "From the Top" and recently soloed at Carnegie Hall. Tessa was a recipient of "From the Top's" Jack Kent Cooke Young Artists Award. She is a past participant of the Crowden Chamber Music Program. (Past YAP participant, 2006)

Elicia Silverstein, violin (Short Hills, N.J.), is a student at Professional Children's School and the Pre-College Program at Juilliard. She has appeared at Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall, and the Juilliard Theater and on NPR's "From the Top." She is a past participant of California Summer Music, Greenwood Music Camp, and Killington Music Festivals. (Past YAP participant, 2005, 2006)

Justina Sullivan, cello (Orange, Conn.), attends Juilliard where she performs with the Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra. She has performed in Alice Tully Hall, Morse Recital Hall, and the Juilliard Theater and appeared on NPR's "From the Top" with Yo-Yo Ma. She is the 2006 winner of the Connecticut Alliance for Music Chamber Competition and the Musical Club of Hartford Competition.

Matthew A. Woodard, composer (South Hadley, Mass.), is a student at Academy Hill School. His works have been read and performed by the Mt. Holyoke College Orchestra, among others. He is a past participant of the ASTA/NSOA UMASS Strings Camp, Baystate Strings Camp, Greenwood Music Camp, Northampton Community Music Center Chamber Music Camp, and Point CounterPoint.

William Zuckerman, composer (Franklin, Mass.), attends Franklin High School. His compositions have been performed at Boston University, New England Conservatory, and Walnut Hill. He has received awards from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and was a finalist in the Indiana University's Scholarship Competition. He is a past participant of the National Guitar Workshop and Tanglewood.