The "Back to BACH" Project
Students for the Arts!
Sydney Yan
Member & Co- RD Since Fall 2019
NJ, Monmouth County Region
Sydney Yan took violin lessons with Mrs Lynne Beach, then Mr. Hua-Yi Wang and is now with Mr. Khullip Jeung. She will be entering the pre-college division of the Manhattan School of Music in Fall 2019 as a violin major. She is currently a sophomore at Biotechnology H.S. in Freehold NJ where she is the president of the academic team and vice president of the student council. She has been a high standing member of the NJ All State and Central Jersey orchestra for the past four years, and has been awarded by the Crescendo International Music competition, the Allegro American Fine Arts Association, Golden key Music Festival, the New Jersey Music Teacher Association, and the National League of Performing Arts. She has performed in venues like Beethoven Haus - Germany, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, and NJ PAC. This summer, she has been invited to perform at music festivals in Vienna as a soloist, and in Japan with the Bravura Youth Orchestra as concert master. Sydney loves sharing her music with her community, doing fundraisers and senior center performances. She is also a weekly teaching volunteer for Love Violin for Children USA, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping underprivileged children around the world through music. Sydney is a Columbia University Science Honors Program participant and her areas of interest include sustainability, space exploration and medical science.
Audrey Yan
Member & Co- RD Since June 2019
Audrey Yan, 14, will be a freshman at High Technology High School. She began flute in fifth grade with Joseph Lu and is now studying flute at Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division under Dr. Susan Deaver. Audrey has received awards and commendations in multiple competitions such as Crescendo International Music Competition, AAFAA, and the Young Artists Competition. She has had the chance to perform on stages such as Carnegie Hall and Beethoven Haus Concert Hall in Germany. She has also participated in many senior center performances and charity concerts. Audrey also studies piano under Dr. Alex Babayev. In addition to music, Audrey enjoys photography, painting, and spending time with her friends.
Apollo Lee
Member Since May 2020
Apollo Lee, 16, is a sophomore at High Technology High School in Lincroft, NJ who currently studies piano with Chiu-Tze Lin. He started playing piano at the age of 6 and has since won numerous awards and honors such as Winner of the NLPA National Virtuosi Recital Competition, 1st Prize in the CACA Young Players Philharmonic Musical Scholarship Competition, 1st Prize in the SMEA Youth in Music Competition, and Grand Winner in the NLPA National Young Musicians Showcase Competition. Additionally, he has won top prizes in the Steinway Junior Piano Competition, Cecilian Music Club Young Artists Competition, NJMTA Young Musicians Competition, and the IMPACT Young Artists Competition. His playing has been featured on the classical radio show “Kids on Keys”, hosted on WWFM 89.1. Apollo is a member of the Bravura Youth Orchestra, in which he plays a multitude of orchestral and chamber works for the musical community. He is also the founder of Cantabile, a youth initiative with the goal of spreading classical music across communities in the tri-state area. Recently, he was accepted into the Young Artists Piano Program at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and the Curtis Summerfest Young Artist Summer Program. Outside of piano, Apollo is a member of the varsity swim team and enjoys hiking and biking.
Seehanah Tang
Member Since May 2020
Seehanah Tang is a junior at Holmdel High School. She has played flute
for seven years and currently studies under Amy Tu. She has also been
playing the piano since age six. As a member of the Bravura Youth
Orchestra, she has toured with the group in Russia and Japan. She has
also been a part of the CJMEA High School Region Wind Ensemble and
Orchestra and the NJ All-State Symphonic Band, and she enjoys
performing at local senior centers.
Verna Chen
Member Since May 2020
Verna Chen, 16, is a sophomore attending High Technology High School in Lincroft, NJ. She began playing violin at the age of 7, and is currently studying with Dr. Gary Kosloski in Manhattan, NY. She is a member of the Bravura Youth Orchestra, and has participated in the New Jersey All State and Central Jersey Regional orchestras for several years. She has also performed with the New Jersey Capital Philharmonic Orchestra as co-concertmaster and is a returning member of the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra. Verna also plays the piano, which she started at the age of 4, and is currently studying with Dr. Alex Babayev. Verna has participated in student exchange trips to Germany and Japan, and has performed in concert venues such as the Beethoven Haus in Bonn, Germany, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, NJPAC, and Patona Concert Hall in Sendai, Japan. Aside from music, Verna has a passion for STEM, and is especially interested in theoretical and particle physics, as well as astronomy. In her free time, she likes to bike, take photos with her DSLR, edit photos and videos, and spend time with her friends. Verna loves bringing joy to her community through music, performing in senior centers and other music fundraisers. She volunteers regularly at events with the international charity organization Tzu Chi as well.
Phyllis Cheng
Member Since May 2020
Phyllis Cheng is currently a junior at Holmdel High School, and started her musical training at the age of 5, learning piano with Ms. Judy Ho, then started cello lessons a year later with Ms. Emily DuFour. She is now studying with Mr. Jonathan Spitz at the Mason Gross School of Arts, Rutgers University. For several years, Phyllis trained in the Rutgers Young Artist Program in theory music and chamber music, and has performed as a cellist and pianist in award recitals and concerts. She is a member of the Bravura Youth Orchestra and has participated in the New Jersey All State and Central Jersey Orchestras for a few years. In 2017, she was a winner of the Bravura Young Artists Concerto Competition and performed as a soloist with the Bravura Youth Orchestra. Additionally, she is a founder of a group called ‘Smile Engines’ that routinely visits senior homes to provide them with the joy of music. Aside from music, Phyllis is part of the Holmdel varsity golf team and junior varsity swim team. She competes annually in the Science Olympiad team, having medaled in the regional competition.
Denis Nazarchuk
Member Since May 2020