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Semin Yim was born in 2002 in South Korea. Since 2024, he has studied at the Fundación BBVA Viola Chair at the Reina Sofía School of Music, first with Professor Nobuko Imai and currently with Professor Lawrence Power. He has received a scholarship from Fundación Albéniz.
He made his debut with the Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra and was recognized by Korea’s Ministry of Culture and Sports for his talent and commitment by winning the Seong-Jeong Music Competition. In 2025, he won 4th prize at the 1st Tenerife International Viola Competition in Tenerife, Spain.
In chamber music, he is a member of the Seoul–New York–based group Sejong Solists. He has also participated in numerous music festivals, performing alongside renowned musicians such as the Schumann Quartet, Nobuko Imai, Sadao Harada, Mathieu Herzog, and Mihaela Martin.
Alessandra Yang is a violist who has collaborated with members of the Belcea, Vermeer, and Chiara quartets and participated in international masterclasses with Tabea Zimmermann, Kim Kashkashian, Lawrence Power, Lars Anders Tomter, and Thomas Riebl. In November 2025, she was awarded the Chamber Music Prize at the Concours de Genève International Viola Competition, and in June 2025, she won her conservatory’s concerto competition for Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante.
Alessandra currently studies at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien (MUK) under Jennifer Stumm, having previously studied at Juilliard Pre-College with Hsin-Yun Huang and Carol Rodland. She performs on a 2017 viola built by luthier Hiroshi Iizuka near her native Philadelphia, as well as on an 1801 Michael Stadlmann viola d’amore made in Vienna.
Yanan Wang is a Chinese violist who began her studies at the Middle School of the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing. In 2018, she moved to Europe and earned her Bachelor’s degree at the Mozarteum University Salzburg under William Coleman. She is currently pursuing a Master’s at the University of Music and Theatre Munich with Hariolf Schlichtig.
Yanan has performed as a soloist with the University Orchestra Salzburg, including Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto KV.622 arranged for viola, and won Second Prize at the 2025 International Paul Hindemith Viola Competition in Munich. She has attended masterclasses with Nobuko Imai, Lars Anders Tomter, Antoine Tamestit, and Lawrence Power. A Yehudi Menuhin – Live Music Now Munich scholarship holder, she has received special prizes from Philharmonie Baden-Baden and Arosa Masterclass, was a member of the Mendelssohn Orchestra Academy Leipzig, and began her trial as Assistant Principal Viola with the Munich Radio Orchestra in 2025.
Violist Stephen “Adam” Savage, aged 21, began studying the viola at the age of eight. He performs regularly in recitals and chamber music concerts and has appeared with orchestras and ensembles internationally.
In 2025 he participated in the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, where he received the Karl Doktor Prize. He has also been invited to major competitions including the Concours de Genève International Viola Competition and the ARD International Music Competition.
An active chamber musician, Adam performed in the 72nd Ljubljana Festival and was invited as an International Performer at Music@Menlo in 2025.
He is currently pursuing graduate studies at The Juilliard School in the studios of Paul Neubauer and Toby Appel, supported by a Kovner Fellowship. A 2021 YoungArts Winner, he was also named a 2021 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts.
Mexican-American violist Nicolas Perkins is a graduate of The Juilliard School and is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at the Yale School of Music with Ettore Causa.
He has participated in leading international festivals and academies including the Kronberg Academy Masterclasses, Gstaad Menuhin Academy, Perlman Music Program, Taos School of Music and Kneisel Hall.
As a chamber musician, he has performed in the “Juilliard Now” concert series at Lincoln Center and collaborated with artists such as Tabea Zimmermann, Antoine Tamestit, Nobuko Imai and Rainer Schmidt.
A Virtu Foundation Scholar, he plays a viola by Joseph Grubaugh & Sigrun Seifert, generously on loan, and a bow from the Maestro Foundation. He studied previously with Hsin-Yun Huang and Mai Motobuchi.
Xinran Lai is a violist and violinist from Shenzhen, China. She is currently pursuing a high school diploma in Viola Performance at the Shenzhen Arts School, where she studies with Jiali Li, Co-Principal Viola of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. She previously studied viola with Nisha Ren and Songyang Li at Shenzhen Arts School, following early violin studies with Xiaofei Chou of the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra. Xinran has received prizes in regional and international competitions, including Second Prize in the final round of the 15th Hong Kong International Violin Competition. Her awards also include Gold Prizes in viola and violin solo categories at the IACDA International Music Arts Association (2023), Gold Prizes in ensemble categories at the Guangdong Strings Competition (2023), and additional prizes at the Hong Kong International Violin Competition in China (2021), the NMCC International Music Invitational (2020–2021), and the Vienna International Music Competition in China (2019).
Born in Madrid in 1995, Sara Ferrández is one of the most exciting violists of her generation. A graduate of the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía, the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler under Tabea Zimmermann, and the Kronberg Academy with Nobuko Imai, she has performed with major orchestras including the Spanish National Symphony, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, and Marseille Philharmonic, under conductors such as Kazuki Yamada, Cristian Macelaru, and Alondra de la Parra. A passionate chamber musician, she has shared the stage with Janine Jansen, Renaud Capuçon, Beatrice Rana, and Pinchas Zukerman. Formerly a member of the Berlin Philharmonic’s Karajan Academy, she performs with Anne-Sophie Mutter’s “Mutter’s Virtuosi” and joins the Orpheum Foundation in 2025. Sara plays a 1730 David Tecchler viola and a Nicolas Léonard Tourte bow, generously loaned by Stephan Jansen and the Stretton Society.
Rang Tae began studying viola at the age of 12 and entered the Yewon School of Music (Seoul, South Korea) shortly thereafter. At 14, she gave her first performance alongside Richard Yongjae O’Neill at the Seoul Arts Centre. Since then, she has given solo recitals at the Union City Museum, the House Concert, and the Kukje Art Hall. Rang continued her musical education at the Seoul Arts High School, where she focused on solo and chamber music. Since 2021, she has been studying with Professor Ensik Choi at Seoul National University. She is the first prize winner of the Dong-A 2022 Music Competition, one of Korea’s most prestigious music competitions, following earlier successes at the World Ilbo, Music Journal, and Hudson international competitions.
Seoyeon Ryu studies viola at Seoul National University. She received first prize and the audience award at the 6th Oskar International Viola Competition Nedbal and won first prize at the 2022 Johansen International Competition in Washington, D.C. As part of the Johansen Laureate Program, she was invited to participate in the Morningside Music Bridge in the United States. Seoyeon made her recital debut at the age of 16 during the Kumho Prodigy recital series in 2019 in Korea and continues to develop her solo and chamber music performances through international competitions and festivals.
Gatien Leray is currently pursuing his studies for the Diplôme d’Artiste Interprète at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. At 17, he entered the Haute École de Musique de Genève, where he studied with Miguel da Silva, and in 2022, he joined the International Menuhin Music Academy, where he works with Gérard Caussé and Ivan Vukčević. He obtained a master’s degree in 2024, winning the Albert Lullin Special Prize. Passionate about solo and chamber repertoire, Gatien has participated in academies and masterclasses with Tabea Zimmermann, Lawrence Power, Nobuko Imai and Jean Sulem, and has worked in chamber music with Gábor Takács-Nagy, Valentin Erben and Bruno Giuranna. He has performed at the Sommets Musicaux de Gstaad, the Rencontres Internationales d’Évian, and the Pablo Casals Festival, alongside artists such as Renaud Capuçon, Clemens Hagen and Daishin Kashimoto. He was a semi-finalist at the Oskar International Viola Competition Nedbal.