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2026 FWC Finalist Spotlight: Yoonseo Lee

Violinist Yoonseo Lee has been recognized as a promising young musician of her generation. She is a laureate of major Korean competitions, including First Prize at the Ihwa Kyunghyang Competition, KCO National Music Competition, and Hankook-Ilbo Competition. She entered Yewon School at the top of her class and continued her studies at Seoul Arts High School and Seoul National University, studying with Nam-Yun Kim and Ju-Young Baek. Yoonseo was selected for the Kumho Gifted & Talented Concert Series and appeared as a rising artist at the PyeongChang Music Festival. As a soloist, she has performed with the RBC & Seoul Arts High School Chamber Orchestra, Tokyo Prime Symphony Orchestra, Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and Suwon Philharmonic Orchestra. Internationally, she won Second Prize at the 2021 HKGNA International Music Competition. She was also named a prizewinner at the 2026 Bales Violin Competition. She is currently studying at the New England Conservatory with Donald Weilerstein.

2026 FWC Finalist Spotlight: Kimberly Alexandra Adam

Kimberly is a 21-year-old soprano from the Philippines and a junior Vocal Performance student at The Juilliard School, where she studies under William Burden. Her performance credits include Mozart roles such as Zerlina, Pamina, and Susanna in the LAHSOW Opera Workshop at AVA in Philadelphia. Recently, she served as an understudy for Susanna in Juilliard’s undergraduate production of Saverio Mercadante’s I Due Figaro and performed in the ensemble of Juilliard Opera’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff. She’s a frequent and popular performer at Juilliard’s Liederabends and Wednesday at One at the Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Classically trained since age 12, Kimberly is a member of the Philippine Opera Company’s Young Artists Series and OperaJuan. She has been recognized in various competitions and received multiple grants during her pre- college years. Her goal is to perform on world-renowned opera stages, sharing her voice to bring joy and inspiration to audiences everywhere.

Join us today at 1pm for a free concert at Crossroads Community Center in Bellevue featuring Diane Althaus (soprano), Joan Lundquist (piano), and Jonathan Shih (piano). It's going to be great!

2026 FWC Finalist Spotlight: Sunmin Kim 🎹

Praised as “elegant” and “thoughtful” by The Boston Musical Intelligencer, Korean pianist and composer Sunmin Kim captivates audiences worldwide with his “accomplished touch and phrasing.” As a prize winner at the Maria Canals, Fou Ts’ong, San Francisco International Piano Competition, and more, he has performed and given recitals at Lincoln Center in New York, Jordan Hall in Boston, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Kumho Art Hall, and Bucheon Arts Center in Korea. Sunmin is also an active choral composer whose works have been published with the major choral publishers in the United States and Korea, commissioned and premiered by professional ensembles, and featured in seminars and exhibitions worldwide. Sunmin began his musical journey at the age of 10. In 2019, he moved to Boston to study with HaeSun Paik at the New England Conservatory of Music. Since 2023, he has studied with Sergei Babayan at the Juilliard School in New York, where he earned his Master’s degree, and is now attending the SMU Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas as an Artist Diploma student.

2026 FWC Finalist Spotlight:The Nightshade Quartet was founded in 2024 at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa. Under the guidance of saxophonist Kenneth Tse, the quartet performs with a global musical perspective while remaining rooted in its Midwest origins. Saxophonists Charles Lane, Nick Scuderi, Cole Moorhead, and Lucas Wiese Ibarra make up the Nightshade Quartet, bringing their individual tastes to a shared enthusiasm for a diverse range of music. Like their namesake, whose plant species range from the dangerous to the sublime, the Nightshade Quartet is comfortable performing everything from standard repertoire to newly commissioned works. The Nightshade Quartet was most recently featured as the Winners of the North American Saxophone Alliance Region 3 Conference Quartet Competition and featured as performers at the 2026 Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium and finalists in the 2026 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference.

2926 FWC Finalist Spotlight:Andrew Zhao

Pianist Andrew Zhao made his concerto debut at the age of 11 with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ken-David Masur. A prizewinner of the Virginia Waring and Yamaha USASU international competitions, Andrew’s solo appearances across the United States and Europe include performances at the Aspen Music Festival, the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles, the Duke’s Hall of the Royal Academy of Music in London, and the Borromeo Music Festival in Switzerland. Andrew is currently a doctoral student at the Yale School of Music, where he studies with Boris Berman. He received his masters degree from the Royal Academy of Music, studying with Rustem Hayroudinoff and gaining the DipRAM distinction for outstanding performance. His undergraduate studies were in music and public policy analysis at Pomona College, where he studied with Genevieve Feiwen Lee. Andrew has also worked extensively with Inessa Litvin and Robert Merfeld.

The #2026FWC will feature four Chamber Ensemble Finalist,and today we’re spotlighting the @candidequartet 🎻

Formed in 2023, the Candide Quartet consists of violinists Chili Ekman and Henry Rogers, cellist Vanny Hu and violist Amelia Krinke. The Quartet is deeply committed to learning the chamber music repertoire and gaining performing experience. Having a shared love for Voltaire’s philosophies in Candide, the group embodies the camaraderie and dedication that we feel are inherent in the story and string quartet playing. The goal is to cultivate their music and share the fruits of our commitment with all of their audiences. In 2024, the Quartet served as Fellowship String Quartet in Residence at Music in the Vineyards (Napa) and Madeline Island Chamber Music Festival, and later attended the Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival and PRISMA Fellowships. The Quartet recently made their Alice Tully debut through Juilliard’s Honors Chamber program and has been mentored by distinguished artists including David Finckel, Eugene Drucker, the Miró, American, Calidore, and Pacifica Quartets.

Learn more about FWC at lmcseattle.org

2026 FWC Finalist Spotlight: David Chungin Lee!

David is a Korean American percussionist, composer, educator, and interdisciplinary artist based in Los Angeles. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance at the University of Southern California, where he serves as a teaching assistant and assistant lecturer of percussion. He earned his Master of Music from The Juilliard School and his Bachelor of Music from the University of Oregon. Lee has performed in major venues including Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and David Geffen Hall, and his artistry spans contemporary percussion, orchestral performance, electroacoustic music, photography, and video art. He was invited to teach and perform as an artist with the World Percussion Group on its European tour in 2026. As a composer, Lee creates intermedia works that combine percussion, electronics, and visual storytelling. Lee’s principal teachers include Pius Cheung, Sean Wagoner, Daniel Druckman, Markus Rhoten, Joseph Pereira, and Jim Babor.

All FWC events on May 30 are free and open to the public. We can’t wait to see you there!

For more details visit lmcseattle.org/competition

Excitement is in the air as we kick off our journey to the #2026FWC Finals on Saturday May 30! Starting today, we’ll be shining a spotlight on the incredibly talented artists competing at Seattle Opera’s Tagney Jones Hall! Come watch the competition and concert with us! Today we’re featuring violinist Kelsey Payne!

Kelsey Payne is pursuing her MM in Violin Performance at the Eastman School of Music, where she studies with Robin Scott. Recently, she has served as concertmaster of both the Eastman Philharmonia and Eastman Opera Orchestra. Kelsey’s piano trio was selected to perform at the Eastman Chamber Honors Concerts in Winter 2025 and Spring 2026. She’s performed in masterclasses with Benjamin Beilman, Andrés Cárdenes, and Nadja Salerno-Sonnenburg. Kelsey attended Bowdoin International Music Festival for the past four years and will be attending Meadowmount School of Music this summer. Before graduate studies, she earned her BA from the University of Mary Washington with departmental and university honors alongside studying with Ricardo Cyncynates, Assistant Concertmaster of the National Symphony Orchestra. Understanding the social importance of music and the connection it brings to us all, Kelsey hopes to continue sharing music and join the efforts of making art accessible for everyone.

All FWC events on May 30 are free and open to the public. We can’t wait to see you there!

For more details visit lmcseattle.org/competition

We just learned that 2025 FWC Chamber Ensemble Winners, @quintetzariah won gold at the 53rd Annual Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition!!! 🎉🎉

We’re incredibly proud of these amazing artists and wish nothing but the best for them! 😍

We just learned that 2025 FWC Chamber Ensemble Winners, @quintetzariah won gold at the 53rd Annual Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition!!! 🎉🎉

We’re incredibly proud of these amazing artists and wish nothing but the best for them! 😍

We just learned that 2025 FWC Chamber Ensemble Winners, @quintetzariah won gold at the 53rd Annual Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition!!! 🎉🎉

We’re incredibly proud of these amazing artists and wish nothing but the best for them! 😍

Today’s concert at @seattleartmuseum was outstanding! A beautiful program by Katie Hochman, Regina Thomas (sopranos) and Joan Lundquist (piano), as well as the amazing Vesper Piano Trio: Caitlin Kelley (violin), Emily Hu (cello), and Thomas Lee (piano) performing Haydn and Higdon!

What a treat! Learn more about our upcoming concerts at lmcseattle.org

Today’s concert at @seattleartmuseum was outstanding! A beautiful program by Katie Hochman, Regina Thomas (sopranos) and Joan Lundquist (piano), as well as the amazing Vesper Piano Trio: Caitlin Kelley (violin), Emily Hu (cello), and Thomas Lee (piano) performing Haydn and Higdon!

What a treat! Learn more about our upcoming concerts at lmcseattle.org

Today’s concert at @seattleartmuseum was outstanding! A beautiful program by Katie Hochman, Regina Thomas (sopranos) and Joan Lundquist (piano), as well as the amazing Vesper Piano Trio: Caitlin Kelley (violin), Emily Hu (cello), and Thomas Lee (piano) performing Haydn and Higdon!

What a treat! Learn more about our upcoming concerts at lmcseattle.org

Today’s concert at @seattleartmuseum was outstanding! A beautiful program by Katie Hochman, Regina Thomas (sopranos) and Joan Lundquist (piano), as well as the amazing Vesper Piano Trio: Caitlin Kelley (violin), Emily Hu (cello), and Thomas Lee (piano) performing Haydn and Higdon!

What a treat! Learn more about our upcoming concerts at lmcseattle.org

LMC is excited to announce the finalists for the 2026 Frances Walton Competition!

Visit https://bit.ly/26FWC (link in bio) to see the full list of finalist and competition schedule!

#2026fwc #franceswaltoncompetition #lmc #seattle