Featuring the Winners of our 2025 Concerto Movement Competition!!
| Ernest Bloch | Schelomo | |
| Sara Flexer, cello | ||
| Sergei Prokofiev | Violin Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 19 (1st mvmt) | |
| Jina Han, violin | ||
| Sergei Rachmaninoff | Piano Concerto No. 1 in F# minor, Op. 1 (1st mvmt) | |
| Bridget Hoang, piano | ||
| Erich Korngold | Violin Concerto in D, Op. 35 (1st mvmt) | |
| Kayla Lee, violin | ||
| Heitor Villa-Lobos | Fantasia for Saxophone in Bb (1st mvmt) | |
| Elijah Reyes, soprano sax | ||
| Sergei Prokofiev | Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16 (1st mvmt) | |
| Celicia Thendean, piano |
Conducted by Assistant Conductor Lee Actor
Admission: $25
Admission: $10
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Cellist Sara Flexer, 17, began playing cello at age six and currently studies with Jonathan Koh. Sara was featured on NPR’s From the Top in 2023 through the FTT Learning and Media Lab Fellowship. Later that year, she was invited to perform as a Debut Artist with the San Francisco Chamber Orchestra. A 2025 National YoungArts Winner with Distinction, Sara attended National YoungArts Week in Miami as well as the YoungArts Lab in Los Angeles. She also won first prize at the ENKOR International Music Competition and third prize at the MTNA National String Competition Finals. Sara has performed in masterclasses for David Finckel, Zlatomir Fung, and Matt Haimovitz, among others. In past summers, she attended the Music@Menlo Chamber Music Institute (Young Performers program) and the Heifetz International Music Institute (Senior Division). Sara currently performs in a piano trio at the Young Chamber Musicians program, and she is a junior at Castilleja School in Palo Alto.
Jina Han,15, is a sophomore at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California. She started playing violin at the age of 7 and currently studies with David Chernyavsky of the San Francisco Symphony. Jina won numerous music competitions such as the KAMSA Music Competition, U.S. Open Music Competition, Silicon Valley Music Competition, US International Music Competition, Great Composer International Concerto Competition, and the American Music Talent Competition. She was also invited from the Junior Bach Festival to perform in 2025.
Jina participated in the 2023 California All State Junior High String Orchestra as an Assistant Concertmaster and the 2025 California All State High School Symphony Orchestra. Jina joined Heifetz International Music Institute in the summer of 2023 and Music@Menlo Chamber Music Festival & Institute in 2024. Furthermore, she has received masterclasses from The Viano Quartet, Sihao He, Chad Hoopes, Nune Melik, and Sergey Malov.
Jina is a part of the California Youth Symphony (CYS), and serves as the Co-Concertmaster of the Senior Orchestra. Additionally, she participated in CYS’s tour to Spain during the summer of 2024. Besides her music performance, she contributes to the community as well by teaching violin to neurodiverse people at the Academy of Music and Arts for Special Education (AMASE).
Bridget Hoang is in the 10th grade at Ann Sobrato high school in Morgan Hill, California. She began playing piano at age 5 and currently studies with Olya Katsman. Among her awards are 1st place winner of the 2025 Henry and Carol Zeiter Piano competition, 1st place winner of the 2025 CAPMT Concerto and CAPMT Honors District Competitions, 2nd place winner of the 2025 Marilyn Mindell competition senior division, winner of the 2024 Golden State Youth Orchestra Concerto competition and a performance with the GSYO’s Camilla Kolchinsky Orchestra, State Winner of the 2024 MTAC State Solo competition, first place winner of the 2024 Marian Filice Piano Competition in the senior division, Junior division winner of the 2023 Marilyn Mindell Piano Competition, first alternate in the 2023 MTAC Northern Region Concerto competition, first place at the 2022 Contra Costa PAS Sturm-Page Piano competition in the junior division, first place at the 2019 Texas State Young Artist Piano Competition, and first place at the 2019 Steinway Competition in central Texas. She has had master classes with Alexander Kobrin, Michelle Cann, Joseph Rackers, Marina Lomazov and many more. Besides piano, Bridget also loves reading, writing and poetry. She enjoys making connections between the music she plays and the literature she reads.
Kayla Lee, 17, is a junior and third-year Honors Fellow at Valley Christian High School, currently studying under Ms. Zhao Wei at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Some of her musical accomplishments include placing first in the USOMC, KAMSA, Silicon Valley Music Competition, and receiving distinctions from the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Competition, Burlingame Music Club Young Musician’s Competition, and the 2024 and 2025 YoungArts National Arts Competition. In addition, she has soloed with the KAMSA Youth Orchestra, Temple Hill Symphony, and the CYS Associate Orchestra. Kayla has previously participated in tours with NYO-USA to South America, NYO2 to the Dominican Republic, and attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival in past summers, and plans to join NYO-USA again this upcoming summer for their Asia tour. She has also played in masterclasses for musicians such as Danielle Belen, Kurt Sassmannshaus, Emanuel Ax, Herbert Greenberg, Qian Zhou, Florin Parvulescu, Christopher Costanza, Fred Lifsitz, and the Gryphon Trio. As a passionate chamber musician, she plays as part of the Passeri Trio at Young Chamber Musicians and is currently the co-concertmaster for the CYS Senior Orchestra.
Described artistically as “effortless”, “thoughtful”, and able to “come forward as the soloist in every way”, San Francisco Bay Area saxophonist Elijah Reyes strives to enlighten audiences with his unique musicality and artistry. Winner of the 2023 CAPMT Concerto Competition, the 2023 and 2024 San Jose State University Concerto Competition, as well as the 2025 Palo Alto Philharmonic Concerto Competition, Elijah proves to be both an active soloist and chamber musician. As the founding soprano saxophonist of the Echo Quartet, Elijah has won numerous international chamber music competitions including first prize in both the Charleston International Chamber Music Competition and the King’s Peak International Music Competition. As a result of his success, Elijah was recently invited to join Chamber Music Silicon Valley’s Emerging Artist Fellowship.Elijah received his bachelor’s degree in saxophone performance from San Jose State University where he has been offered a graduate assistantship to continue his studies with Dr. Michael Hernandez.
Celicia Thendean, 16, a Junior at Amador Valley High School, began her piano studies at age 3 under the guidance of her mother and Prof. Anna Poklewski, later advancing with the renowned Ilana Vered. She has performed as a soloist with prestigious orchestras, including the Palo Alto Philharmonic, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Brunensis Virtuosi Orchestra, Livermore-Amador Symphony, and SEEN Orchestra.
Celicia has earned her top prizes in numerous competitions, such as the Piano Texas International Festival Concerto Competition, Arthur Fraser International Piano Competition, Claudette Sorel Piano Competition, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition, and Philadelphia International Music Festival. In 2024, she was awarded a scholarship from the Chopin Foundation.
Celicia has further honed her artistry at esteemed summer programs such as the Juilliard Summer Program, Piano Texas International Festival, Music Fest Perugia, Southeastern Piano Festival, Vivace Music Festival, and the Edward Auer Summer Workshop. In 2020, she won the Vivace Award, leading to a special performance alongside Prof. Marina Lomazov and Prof. Joseph Rackers, distinguished professors from Eastman School of Music.
Beyond piano, Celicia is a dedicated multi-instrumentalist, excelling in cello, oboe, English horn, and clarinet. Passionate about giving back, she performs benefit concerts supporting the Alan Hu Foundation and Amador High School music programs, using her talents to uplift and inspire others.