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Heather Hsun Chang: Director, Global Operations: Leave of Absence
  • Planted: Northern Taiwan Region, NYC Upper
  • Overseeing:  
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18 year old pianist Heather Hsun Chang has already performed quite extensively, both as a very young pianist in her native country, Taiwan, and in more recent years, in various cities on both coasts of the United States. Heather attends the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College Division where she is a Hurlbut-Johnson Preparatory scholarship student and studies piano with Corey McVicar. Heather has participated in numerous competitions and was a top prize winner in the Young Pianist’s Beethoven Competition, the ENKOR International Piano Competition, Ross McKee Piano Competition, Pacific Musical Society Competition, the San Francisco Chopin Competition, and the Kawaii Piano Competition, Taiwan Regional. Her music studies continue in the summer, when she attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival studying under Douglas Humpherys (2016); the Southeastern Piano Festival (2016); the Dominican University Chamber Camp (2015); the Morningside Music Bridge Music Festival in Calgary, Canada (2014); and the Walnut Hill Music Festival in Natick, Boston (2012), all with scholarships. In November of 2015, she was interviewed by Palo Alto Weekly in the article “A Passion for Piano”. (http://www.paloaltoonline.com /news/2015/11/13/a-passion-for -piano)


To add on, Heather was a finalist winner of the 2015 National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts YoungArts Week in Miami, Florida and had received a Level I Award. Her previous teachers include Chiao-Han Liao and Prof. Mack McCray. Besides music, she likes to oil paint. For more information, please visit heatherchangpiano.com.   Heather joined the “Back to BACH” project in the fall of 2015, as regional director of the San Francisco region. She has started in her new role as an associate in Global Development in June 2017.     

Chang, Tia: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: San Francisco Metropolitan
  • Overseeing: S.F. Metro; San Francisco, CA; Alameda County, CA
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18 year old pianist Heather Hsun Chang has already performed quite extensively, both as a very young pianist in her native country, Taiwan, and in more recent years, in various cities on both coasts of the United States. Heather attends the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College Division where she is a Hurlbut-Johnson Preparatory scholarship student and studies piano with Corey McVicar. Heather has participated in numerous competitions and was a top prize winner in the Young Pianist’s Beethoven Competition, the ENKOR International Piano Competition, Ross McKee Piano Competition, Pacific Musical Society Competition, the San Francisco Chopin Competition, and the Kawaii Piano Competition, Taiwan Regional. Her music studies continue in the summer, when she attended the Bowdoin International Music Festival studying under Douglas Humpherys (2016); the Southeastern Piano Festival (2016); the Dominican University Chamber Camp (2015); the Morningside Music Bridge Music Festival in Calgary, Canada (2014); and the Walnut Hill Music Festival in Natick, Boston (2012), all with scholarships. In November of 2015, she was interviewed by Palo Alto Weekly in the article “A Passion for Piano”. (http://www.paloaltoonline.com /news/2015/11/13/a-passion-for -piano)


To add on, Heather was a finalist winner of the 2015 National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts YoungArts Week in Miami, Florida and had received a Level I Award. Her previous teachers include Chiao-Han Liao and Prof. Mack McCray. Besides music, she likes to oil paint. For more information, please visit heatherchangpiano.com.   Heather joined the “Back to BACH” project in the fall of 2015, as regional director of the San Francisco region. She has started in her new role as an associate in Global Development in June 2017.     

Cho, Nicolette: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Pending College Park, MD
  • Overseeing: Montgomery County, MD; Seattle, WA; College Park, MD

 

Nicolette Cho is a graduate of the Juilliard Pre-College Program. At Juilliard, she studied cello under Clara Kim. She has also been instructed under Melissa Kraut, Evelyn Elsing, Glenn Garlick, and Miron Yampolsky. Nicolette has won various competitions, such as the 12th New York Music Competition, Washington Performing Arts Society’s 38th annual Feder String Competition, Judged Recital sponsored by Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association (NVMTA), and the Ensemble division sponsored by International Youth Hymn Concourse by NPSS. She was awarded the Young Artist Award for extraordinary music from the City of Gaithersburg & Kentlands Community Foundation. Also, she has been invited to perform at concert venues, such as Alden Theater, Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and Terrace Theater at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  Nicolette is a recent graduate from Princeton University. At Princeton, she continued her cello studies while pursuing the pre-med track. She was a member of Princeton University Orchestra and La Vie en Cello. Also, she was part of Princeton Music Outreach where she performed in local nursing homes to serve the community of Princeton.  Currently, Nicolette continues her passion for music outreach with New Life Youth Orchestra (NLYO). NLYO is an orchestra that travels to underserved communities overseas. She has traveled to underprivileged villages, hospitals, and orphanages in places such as Mexico, Thailand, Korea, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, and Cuba. Through travelling, she has been able to experience the power of music. She plans to continue using music to spread happiness to the community. 

Choi, Elizabeth: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Pending Allegheny County, PA
  • Overseeing: Central CT; Northern VA; Allegheny County, PA

 

Elizabeth Choi began studying the violin when she was 7 years old. From the ages 11 to 13, she studied with Dr. Ann Setzer. She is now under the tutelage of Mr. Bela Horvath at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division. During the summer, she has been attending music camps and festivals such as the Meadowmount School of Music and the Summit Music Festival. Elizabeth is a member of the Sonata da Chiesa Youth Chamber Ensemble, where she has played in many benefit concerts. She was a finalist for the Associated Music Teachers League and performed at the Christ and St. Stephen’s Church. Elizabeth also played in a Classical Concert of Community at the Jewish Community Center and is a guest musician for Salut de la Musique at the Mt. Sinai Roosevelt Hospital. As a student at John H. Glenn High School, Elizabeth is part of the select chamber group and is concertmistress of the school’s orchestra. Additionally, Elizabeth privately instructs young beginner violinists.

Cohen, Yael: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Pending
  • Overseeing: Upper NYC; San Diego, CA

 

Yael Cohen is a 20 year-old trumpet player studying at Columbia University, and has been playing for ten years under the tutelage of Richard Roper, Ray Mase, and Dave Krauss. Yael is an award winning musician who has toured internationally and has experience playing in diverse musical settings. She is currently the principal trumpet player for the New York Youth Symphony, the Columbia University Orchestra, and the Columbia Pops Orchestra. Additionally, she was a principal member of the San Francisco branch of the Back to Bach Project in its emancipation in 2015, and is currently the co-regional director of the Upper-Manhattan branch. She is working towards expanding Back to Bach’s offerings with supplementary programming, and is excited to be making vast strides to keep classical music beloved and relevant, while instigating palpable change in school districts with critically underfunded music programs.

Kwon, Tracie: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Pending San Jose, CA
  • Overseeing: Baltimore, MD; Bergen County, NJ; San Jose, CA

 

Tracie Kwon is a senior at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland. She has been studying flute with Dr. Michelle Cho for nine years. Tracie is currently the principal flutist in New Life Youth Orchestra, and through several musical mission trips to South Korea, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Cuba, has been able to experience the joy music can bring to herself and others. Tracie has won gold prize at the INPASS Music and Arts Festival and first place in the Honors Competition hosted by Flute Society of Washington at the Mid-Atlantic Flute Fair. She was selected to perform at Alden Theatre as a result of the Young Soloists Competition, and also won second place in the United States Navy Band Young Artist Solo Competition and grand prize in the Young Musicians Inspiring Change Competition in 2016. During the summers of 2016 and 2018, she participated in National Youth Orchestra 2 hosted by Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute. Other than music, Tracie enjoys volunteering and traveling. She especially loves to work with and teach children, and is so thankful for this opportunity to share music with young children through Back to BACH. Tracie joined the Back to Bach Project in the fall of 2016. She assumed responsibilities of co-regional director in the fall of 2018.

Lee, Andrew: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Pending Davis, CA & Providence, RI
  • Overseeing: Davis, CA; Providence, RI; Orange County, CA

 

Andrew Lee is currently a student at Harvard University, since the fall of 2017. He was a member and assistant regional director of the "Back to BACH" Project: San Francisco from January 2016 until May 2017. He will re-join the Boston team in the fall of 2018.

Lee, Noah: Regional Director: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted Natick, MA; Washtenaw County, MI; Suffolk County, MA
  • Overseeing Natick, MA; Boston, MA; Washtenaw County, MI

 

In 2012, at 12 years of age, Noah Lee caused an international sensation by winning 1st prize at the 7th International Tchaikovsky Competition for Young Musicians in Montreux, Switzerland, becoming the first and only US cellist ever to win the competition. In 2014, in a field of 82 cellists from 22 countries, he won the grand prize at the 10th International Cello Competition 'Antonio Janigro' in Porec, Croatia. Subsequently, Noah gave a solo European recital debut as well as a solo debut with The Zagreb Soloists at the Euphrasian Basilica, a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. Additionally, he has been featured as a soloist with the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra, Ensemble 212, Lausanne Sinfonietta, and the Russian State Orchestra, and has had a solo engagement with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra, in their “PSO Bravo” 5 concert series. Noah has been aired two times as a soloist on the renowned syndicated NPR radio program From the Top, a US National Radio Broadcast.  Additionally, he has performed on From the Top’s events on 9 other occasions. He aired on European stations such as Radio Television Suisse and Croatian TV Istra, and he was featured on Dutch Public TV NTR voor speciaal. He performed solo and also sat on the panel interview at the Founder’s Forum Conference at Hearst Tower, NYC. Noah is a 2016 Davidson Fellow, an award given by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development for demonstration of an extraordinary accomplishment. Noah was named the 2016 Junior Peace and Music Ambassador USA by the Harmony for Peace Foundation as well as 1st place winner in the 2016 ENKOR International Music Competition. In September of 2016, Noah was invited to solo with the Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra for the second time, in the season’s opening concert. More recently, Noah was selected as a  2017 YoungArts finalist by the National Foundation of the Advancement of the Arts Competition. He participated in the 36th Annual YoungArts Week in Miami where he was awarded their highest $10,000 gold award. He is a 2018 US Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Additionally he was named a 2017 nominee of the International Classical Music Awards in Europe. He was invited as a soloist to perform with the Ensemble Esperanza at the 2017 Next Generation Festival in Bad Ragaz, Switzerland. Noah received a full merit scholarship to 2015 “Rencontres Musicales Internationale en Wallonie” in Wavre, Belgium, and 2013, 2014, 2017 Morningside Music Bridge Summer Program. He was a 2015 New Horizon Fellow at Aspen Summer Music Festival and was a fellow in 2016 and 2017 International Music Academy in the Principality of Liechtenstein where he participated in the intensive music weeks. Noah is a founding member of the award-winning Heartstrings Cello Ensemble, a group dedicated to providing concerts and performances to positively impact local and global communities. Noah studied with Richard Aaron from 2012 to 2018 at the Juilliard Pre-College Division. Other influential teachers include Soo Lee, Hans Jensen and Julie Albers.  Noah is currently a freshman at Harvard College.

Lee, Sharon: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Howard County, MD
  • Overseeing: Baltimore, MD; Northern Virginia; Howard County, MD
 
Sharon is a student at the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) and concentrating in Financial Regulation on a pre-law track. Sharon began her study of oboe in fifth grade and plans to continue her musical career throughout her years at Penn as the first oboist of a Penn Ensemble. During high school, Sharon was the principal oboist of the Maryland Classical Youth Orchestras’ Philharmonic for three years and has performed with the group in concerts at the Music Center at Strathmore and at the Kennedy Center. She was also a member of the New Life Youth Orchestra for five years, and has performed as both the principal oboist and as a soloist in multiple concerts throughout Costa Rica, Mexico, Thailand, Cuba, and South Korea. During the summer of 2016, she began to help coordinate a music education program for Bethel Academy, a free Saturday school offered to the Hispanic children of Rockville, Maryland. Besides studying the oboe, Sharon also plays the English Horn, is a photographer for the Daily Pennsylvanian, translates, and volunteers as a tutor at West Philadelphia high schools. She feels so blessed to have been given so many opportunities to use her passion for music to give back to the community, and hopes to be able to do so throughout the rest of her life. 
Lee, Sydney: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Chester County, PA; King of Prussia, PA; Delaware County, PA; Cleveland, OH; Calgary, Canada
  • Overseeing: Philadelphia, PA; Chester County, PA; King of Prussia, PA; Delaware County, PA; Cleveland, OH; Calgary, Canada

 

At the age of 14, Sydney Lee made her solo debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Hong in Heinz Hall. She won 1st place in the senior division of the 10th International Antonio Janigro Cello Competition in Croatia and 2nd place in the 2014 Lennox International Young Artists Competition. She was selected as a 2015 National YoungArts Foundation finalist. In June of 2015, The White House Commission for Presidential Scholars and Department of Education named Ms. Lee a 2015 Presidential Scholar in the Arts. Subsequently she performed at the Millenium Stage, John F. Kennedy Center. Ms. Lee is the recipient of the 2015 Korean Honors Scholarship at the Embassy of South Korea, Washington DC. As the winner of numerous competitions, Ms. Lee was featured as a soloist with the following orchestras: Thurnauer Chamber Orchestra, NJ Philharmonic Orchestra, Duquesne Symphony, Ensemble 212, Bravura Philharmonic Orchestra, Juilliard Precollege Symphony the Zagreb Soloists and the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Lee has been featured on NPR's "From the Top", a national radio broadcast, as a soloist in 2012. Ms. Lee studied at the Juilliard School Pre-College Division with Richard Aaron. Ms. Lee is an undergraduate student at The Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Peter Wiley and Carter Brey. Sydney is a charter member joining the "Back to BACH" project in the fall of 2014.

Roberts, David Liam: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted Ottawa, Canada; Toronto, Canada
  • Overseeing Winnipeg, Canada; Toronto, Canada; Ottawa, Canada
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David Liam Roberts has been described as a “Prodigiously gifted young cellist who displays an artistic sensibility well beyond his tender years” (Winnipeg Free Press). A student of Yuri Hooker, David Liam has been awarded prizes at national competitions such as the Canadian Music Competition and the FCMF National Music Festival, in addition to numerous scholarships and honors from local competitions in Winnipeg. David Liam began his cello studies at the age of three, and at age 14 became the youngest grand prize winner at the Winnipeg Music Festival. More recently, he was awarded the $2000 Madeline Gauvin Scholarship as a winner of the Women’s Musical Club of Winnipeg Scholarship Competition in 2016. He has been mentored by many of the great pedagogues of our time, having attended several music festivals including the Morningside Music Bridge program and the Meadowmount School of Music. As the winner of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s 2016 Student Soloist Competition, he performed as soloist with the WSO in several concerts at local schools as a part of their “Up Close and Orchestral” tour. He has also appeared as soloist with the Winnipeg Youth Symphony Orchestra, in which he served as principal cellist for several years. A frequent recitalist, he performed a solo recital for the 2015 Agassiz Chamber Music Festival, in addition to having initiated, organized and performed six public solo recitals in the past. He also spends much of his time as a chamber musician, and has been performing often as a member of the Chroma Quartet since 2014. Mr. Roberts strives to strengthen communities and to use music as a powerful medium for meaningful communication with audiences. Besides studying music, David Liam is in his final year of high school and is very interested in other fields of study such as philosophy, theology and logic. David joined the "Back to BACH" project in the fall of 2016., as a regional director. He will begin his role as a GDA in the fall of 2018.

Won, Isabel: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: LA Metropolitan
  • Overseeing: Mercer County, NJ; Orange County, CA; Chicago, IL

 

Isabel Won was born in 1999 in New Jersey. She began her musical studies at the age of three when she began playing the piano, and the cello two years later, and in 2011, began attending the Juilliard Pre-College as a student of Minhye Clara Kim. Since then she has participated in various competitions and has been awarded various prizes including the Grand prize in the National Young Musicians Showcase Competition in 2011, the First prize in the 31st Annual Sophia and Normal Goldblatt Music Scholarship Competition in 2013, the First prize in the Crescendo International Music Competition in 2014, and a semifinalist in the 2015 Johansen International Music Competition. Throughout the summers, she has received a full scholarship to attend the Morningside Music Bridge International Summer School in Calgary, Canada in 2014, and has also participated in the Domaine Forget International Music Festival in Quebec, Canada in 2013, the 26th International Holland Music Sessions in Bergen, Netherlands in 2015, and has recently toured Latin America as part of the National Youth Orchestra of the U.S.A., where she has also been featured on NPR’s From the Top national radio broadcast with her piano quintet. Isabel has been a National Young Arts winner in classical music in 2016 and 2017, and has recently published her artwork in their annual journal. Aside from music, she is passionate about writing and art, and has been awarded by the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards annually from 2014 to 2017 for her poetry, prose, and animations. 

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Isabel has always been an active proponent for classical music in the community. Throughout high school, she founded a community service group called The Harmony to perform classical music for libraries and senior centers, and she has organized benefit concerts to support her local libraries. Isabel joined the "Back to BACH" project in the fall of 2015, as the regional director of the Central New Jersey region. She has started in her new role as an associate in Global Development in June 2017.  

Won, Michael: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Ithaca, NY
  • Overseeing: Boston, MA; Ithaca, NY; Lower NYC

 

Michael Won is excited to direct the Back to Bach Project in Boston! A cellist and a graduate of the Dalton School, he studied with Minhye Clara Kim at the Pre-College Division of The Juilliard School. He participated in the Pre-College Orchestra and the chamber music program. Michael was a 2016 National Youngarts Foundation Winner, and claimed first prize as a soloist in the Manhattan International Music Competition, National League of Performing Arts, American Protege, American Fine Arts Festival, and the East Coast International Competition. He is also a prize winner of New York Artists International Competition and the International Virtuoso Competition. He has performed in venues such as Steinway Hall; Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall; Merkin Concert Hall; DiMenna Center; and Paul Hall, Morse Hall, and Alice Tully Hall of Lincoln Center. Michael has previously studied with Ann Alton and Irene Sharp. He has attended the Meadowmount School of Music and Great Mountains Music Festival. His summer teachers include Hans Jorgen Jensen, Melissa Kraut, Lluís Claret and Ole Akahoshi.  In his free time, he enjoys reading and exploring New York City. Michael is a founding member of the Heartstrings Cello Ensemble, and a sophomore at Harvard College. Michael joined the "Back to BACH" project in the fall of 2017. He assumes the role of Director of Global Operations in the fall of 2019.

Wu, Henry: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Pending Hanover, NH
  • Overseeing: Albany, NY; Burlington, VT; Hanover, NH 

 

Henry Wu is a 10th grader at Essex High School in Essex Junction, Vermont. He studies the cello with John Dunlop. He joined the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association in 2013 and is currently the principal cellist of the Vermont Youth Orchestra. Henry has attended summer programs such as Kinhaven Music School in 2014 and 2015 and the Music Festival at Walnut Hill in 2016 and 2017. He was the principal cellist of the NEMFA Orchestra and the winner of the VMEA All State string scholarship competition in 2018. Henry has played in the pit orchestra for his school’s musical productions of Frozen and Les Misérables. Henry’s first instrument is the piano, which he studies with Paul Orgel. He was the winner of the 2016 MTNA State junior piano competition and a 2017 VMEA All State piano competition scholarship recipient. He has also won competitions playing piano duets with his twin brother, Nathan. Henry enjoys giving back to the community through music. He performs in a string quartet and a string ensemble through the Vermont Youth Orchestra and also plays in SoundCheck, a social justice band. He started a local chapter of the Tri-M Music Honor Society at his school and was an intern at the 2017 Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival. Henry will begin his duties as D. o G.O. in the fall of 2019.

Yoo, Teddi: Director, Global Operations
  • Planted: Houston, TX
  • Overseeing: Austin, TX; Mercer County, NJ; Houston, TX

 

Teddi Yoo is a senior at Winston Churchill High School. She has been studying piano with Ms. Bonnie Kellert for 10 years and the violin with Mrs. Lya Stern for 7 years. She is currently the co-concertmaster of Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra’s Philharmonic group and New Life Youth Orchestra. Through NLYO, she has traveled to Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Mexico, Thailand, South Korea, Cuba, and Peru. Teddi won the Londontowne Symphony Orchestra Young Artist Competition and performed as a soloist with the LSO orchestra. She was invited to perform with the National Symphony Orchestra for their Labor Day concert. Teddi placed first in the Tselentis Bach, Viola Hartman, and Miriam Shields Gottlieb Memorial Piano Competition and placed second for both the Lichtenberg and Swarthout-Hayes Piano Competition. For both instruments, she performed at Carnegie Hall as a winner of the American Protégé International Competition and Concert Artists International Virtuoso Competition III. Teddi was presented the Certificate of Merit for Excellence in the Arts for Music under the National Society of Arts and Letters Washington DC Chapter. As a passionate musician, Teddi is excited to join the Back to Bach Project for another year of performing and sharing her love for music with children. Teddi joined the Back to BACH project in the fall of 2017. She assumed responsibilities of co-regional director in the fall of 2018.

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