The "Back to BACH" Project
Students for the Arts!
Cece Olszewski
Member & Reg. Director since Fall 2019
Fifteen-year-old violinist Cecelia Olszewski is from Wallingford, Pennsylvania and began violin lessons at age four. She is currently a student at Strath Haven High School and studies violin with Charles Parker. She also studies piano with Christine Emata and composition with David Trum. Cecelia has performed as part of the Temple Music Prep Center for Gifted Young Musicians program since the age of 9. She has been a member of the Chamber Players Orchestra, led by Davyd Booth (The Philadelphia Orchestra), Baroque Players led by Aaron Picht, as well as multiple chamber groups. As a high school freshman, Cecelia was Principal Second Violin of the Strath Haven High School Symphony Orchestra. She also plays the tenor sax in the Strath Haven High School Panther Marching Band and bassoon in the Strath Haven High School Symphonic Band. In 2019, she performed a cappella choral concerts throughout northern Italy with the Strath Haven Silvertones. Cecelia was named the George S. Slick Arts Fellow in the areas of violin, piano and original composition, and will perform a solo concert at the Lang Center for the Performing Arts, Swarthmore College, in June, 2021.
Aida Ruan
Member & Reg. Director since Fall 2019
Aida is a junior at Strath Haven High School. She has played violin since the age of 5 and currently studies with Mei-Chen Liao Barnes. She previously studied with Gao Xiang of the University of Delaware and at the Bryn Mawr Conservatory of Music. She has been a part of many ensembles including the Una Voce Quartet. Aida has also been a member of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra for the past 3 years, along with being co-concertmaster of her school orchestra. Recently, she participated in the All-State PMEA orchestra as a sophomore. During her weekends when she is not at debate tournaments, Aida can be found playing at Songbook for Seniors, a local initiative created to play for the elderly in senior homes. Aida joined the Back to Bach Program in the Summer of 2019.
Julia Durian
Member since Fall 2019
Julia Durian, a junior at Strath Haven High School, began studying violin at the age of four years old with Adrian L'Armand. Around the spring of 2015 she began studying with Guillaume Combet; her current teacher is Adela Peña. Starting in fourth grade she joined the Delaware Valley Young Musician's Orchestra and stayed in it for four years. She is now a member of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra. Julia formed a string quartet in 2012 and then went on to join a new quartet in 2016. She participated in many music camps including the Kinhaven Music School in Weston, VT, the Philadelphia International Music Festival, and Point CounterPoint Chamber Music Camp in Leicester, VT. Julia has also been part of chamber music workshops with violist David Yang in the Philadelphia area and enjoys singing as well as playing the violin. She joined the "Back to Bach" project in the fall of 2017.
Lauren Park
Member since January 2020
Lauren Park is a senior at Strath Haven High School. She has studied piano for the past ten years with Donna Kay Jones of Swarthmore. As the Class of 2020 recipient of the George Slick Fellowship of the Arts, Lauren performed a solo piano recital at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College in June 2019. She has scored top honors at festivals at Temple University and West Chester University, and for four years, she has been recognized as an International Winner in the National Piano Auditions of the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She has been a selected performer at numerous recitals, including the Pennsylvania State Showcase Recital for the past nine years and the Dr. Andor Kiszely Honors Concert at Rock Hall, Temple University. Lauren is also a violist and has earned a position in PMEA District Orchestra in 2018 and 2019. Since 2017, she has played with the Delaware County Youth Orchestra under the baton of Andrew Hauze. In her free time, Lauren enjoys trying new foods and traveling. She was chosen to attend the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for Global and International Studies at the University of Pittsburgh this summer.
Grace Samaha
Member since January 2020
Grace Samaha, age 16, is an 11th grader at Strath Haven High School. She has studied flute for 10 years, the past six years with Dr. Adeline Tomasone, who was Principal Flutist for Opera Philadelphia for over 40 years. In 8th grade, Grace was the 2nd place winner of the Junior Winds Division of the Tri-County Annual Youth Festival. In her sophomore year of high school, Grace was selected for PMEA’s District 12 Band and Orchestra festivals, Region 6 Band and Orchestra festivals, and the PMEA All-State Concert Band. She has been the Principal Flutist for Strath Haven Symphonic Orchestra and Band since 9th grade and is a member of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra. She also studies piano with Dr. Karin Orenstein. In addition to her musical activities, Grace plays varsity soccer for Strath Haven and has been a team captain since sophomore year. Grace joined the Back to Bach Program in the Fall of 2019.