A NOTE FROM THE CFA DEAN
Welcome to Carnegie Hall!
154 years ago, Boston University established a school of music. The new school was unlike all others in the United States. It was the first to center the study of music as worthy of a degree. Over the next century and a half, scores of universities and colleges would follow BU’s lead and, by doing so, would help establish a rich, dynamic culture of music in this country and beyond.
Music was one of many BU “firsts.” Boston University was among the first colleges to be coeducational. Almost a century before the Ivy League, BU was a leader in smashing the barriers of gender discrimination. Unlike other universities that restricted entry on the basis of race or religion, Boston University embraced talented students of all backgrounds and complexions from its beginning. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received his doctorate from BU.
Boston University remains a leader. We are a proudly global university with nearly 400,000 living alumni around the world. Nearly every major symphony orchestra on this planet has counted BU School of Music alumni among its members. Our alumni are arts leaders, educators, music critics, and more. The impact of BU School of Music has been profound.
Today, we look ahead to the future. We spotlight emerging artists whose talent, skill, passion for music, and ingenuity will shape the next 150 years of music. Mentored by world-class faculty, they are exceptionally prepared and ready for this moment.
Harvey Young Dean, Boston University College of Fine Arts Vice President for the Arts ad interim
CELEBRATE MUSIC EXCELLENCE .
Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Music welcomes you to this evening showcasing Boston University’s outstanding student musicians on stage at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall!
Boston University’s 2026 concert at Carnegie Hall shines a spotlight on an exceptional cohort of students from BU’s dynamic community of artists. All student performers participated in a multi-stage competition run by CFA School of Music to secure a spot on the stage. Each applied department within CFA School of Music (Voice, Keyboards, Strings, and Woodwinds/Brass/Percussion) held auditions open to students in the fall of 2025.
Finalists selected from each department competed before a panel of outside adjudicators, all renowned performing musicians. Finally, a slate of performers and a program was crafted under the curatorship and leadership of artistic director, Michelle LaCourse, Associate Professor and Chair of Strings.
There will be a 15-minute intermission.
GREETINGS FROM THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC DIRECTOR
Welcome to the annual Boston University Spotlight at Carnegie Hall!
This spotlight concert celebrates some of our extremely talented students at Boston University, and offers a snapshot of the musical brilliance that takes place every day on our campus. The School of Music at Boston University was founded in 1872 and was the first institution in the United States to grant a music degree. Today, the School continues a tradition of excellence in performance, composition, theory, music education, musicology, and ethnomusicology. Our College of Fine Arts is also home to the renowned Opera Institute and Boston University Tanglewood Institute, which serve as some of the country’s preeminent training programs for emerging musicians. This concert would not be possible without the tremendous efforts of these performers and their teachers. I also thank the Spotlight Concert Artistic Director Michelle LaCourse, who has facilitated this event with great care and insight, from the audition sign-ups to the present moment. My gratitude also goes to our tremendous Productions and Communications team members, who have worked behind the scenes for months to make this concert a success.
As Director of the School of Music, I am thrilled each day as I walk through the School halls and hear various strands of musical performances in progress, along with the finest in music pedagogy and student and faculty collaborations. The joy focused commitment that exudes from within the walls of the School is palpable. I invite you to visit us and experience that energy for yourself. For now, I hope you enjoy the incredible musical gifts that these students will share with us.
Karin Hendricks Director, Boston University School of Music
PROGRAM
Honza Young Jo Lee (b. 1943)
Jisoo Kim (BUTI’16, CFA’30), violin
Blue Grace Claire Sievers (b. 1981)
Grayson Hinrichs (BUTI’22, CFA’27), tuba
ko’u inoa Anne Leilehua Lanzilotti (b. 1983)
Freya Downey (CFA’26), viola
Las nubes Carlos Guastavino (1912-2000)
ShuangXiang Shan (CFA’26), tenor Yifang Xu (CFA’29), piano ~ Intermission ~
Soliloquy, Op. 44
Lowell Liebermann (b. 1961)
Ying Jin (CFA’27), flute
Second String Force Joan Tower (b. 1938)
Andy OuYang (CFA’29), violin
Schwebe, schwebe, blaues Auge Franz Liszt (1811-1886)
Poetry by Franz Dingelstedt
O lieb, so lang du lieben kannst
Poetry by Ferdinand Freiligrath
Heming Cao (CFA’27), tenor Ethan McGrath (CFA’29), piano
~ Thank you for joining us! ~
PERFORMERS
HEMING CAO (CFA’27)
DMA Vocal Performance, Studio of David Guzmán
Praised by Sing Tao Boston for his “gorgeous voice and boundless prospects,” Heming Cao is a Boston-based tenor, conductor, and composer with a dynamic career in vocal performance and choral leadership. As a tenor, he has performed roles such as Don Ottavio (Don Giovanni ), Rinuccio (Gianni Schicchi ), and die Knusperhexe (Hänsel und Gretel ). He has appeared as a soloist in major oratorio works with Cantata Singers, including Handel’s Messiah (2025), Monteverdi’s Vespers (2024), Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (2023) and Mass in B Minor (2022). Selected as a Bach Institute Fellow in 2025, he frequently performs with Emmanuel Music and the Bach Institute. As a conductor, Heming has led ensembles including the Nankai University Student Choir, Tianjin Symphony Orchestra Affiliated Youth Choir, and Tianjin Philharmonic Chamber Choir. He has prepared choirs for works such as Alexander Nevsky Cantata, The Yellow River Cantata, and multimedia projects including the concert The Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese Literature and the film 108. A dedicated educator, he founded the Jungle Children’s Voice and Alma Female Choir in Tianjin and began his tenure as Music Director of The New Moon Choirs in Boston from 2023. Heming is currently a DMA candidate in voice at Boston University. He holds an M.M. in Voice Performance from the Longy School of Music of Bard College and a B.S. in Applied Physics from Nankai University.
FREYA DOWNEY (CFA’26)
DMA Viola Performance, Studio of Michelle LaCourse
Violist Freya Downey seeks to advocate for mindfulness, accessibility, and creativity in classical music through classical performance, improvisation, and composition. Her most recent performances include a solo recital entitled “All is Well,” a faculty recital at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and solo improvisations at the Transporter Series in Boston, MA. Freya was awarded the Graduate Arts Research Grant from the Boston University Office for the Arts for her composition, Presence in Sound, a Deep Listening and improvisation based viola concerto, intended to invite musicians and audience members alike to engage in listening as a form of creativity. Her work as a soloist was featured in Project Pause: 4 recitals in 8 months, founded in Oklahoma, to explore connective performances and expand awareness of her instrument as a soloist voice in a format that is welcoming and accessible for all. As a chamber musician, she has appeared at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall alongside the Fest Quartet as the winner of Baylor University’s Semper Pro Musica Chamber Music Competition. Additionally, she was also the founding violist of the Claeys Undergraduate String Quartet at the University of Oklahoma. Freya is currently a Doctorate of Musical Arts candidate in Viola Performance from Boston University and holds degrees from Baylor University and the University of Oklahoma. Her primary instructors include Michelle LaCourse, Kathryn Steely, and Mark Neumann.
GRAYSON HINRICHS (BUTI’22, CFA’27)
MM Tuba Performance, Studio of Mike Roylance
Grayson Hinrichs is a master’s student studying tuba performance under Mike Roylance and Dr. Eric Goode at Boston University. He frequently performs with BU’s ensembles and also serves as the graduate assistant for the BU Jazz Department. Grayson received his undergraduate degrees in music education and performance from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. While studying at USF, Grayson studied under Joseph Alvarez and performed in numerous ensembles including the wind ensemble, symphony orchestra, and big band. He won the biannual USF Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition and performed as a soloist as a result. He also served as principal tuba for the South Shore Symphony Orchestra for the 2023-2024 season. While living in Florida, Grayson assumed the roles of Private Brass Instructor for Skycrest Christian School and Winds and Visual Instructor for Calvary Christian High School. Additionally, he was an active freelance musician and teacher in the Tampa Bay Area.
YING JIN (CFA’27)
MM Flute Performance, Studio of Linda Toote
Ying Jin is currently pursuing her Master of Music in Flute Performance at Boston University College of Fine Arts, studying under Linda Toote. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA) and won the Emerging Young Artists Chamber Competition with her Woodwind Quintet group at TNUA. An active soloist and ensemble performer, Ying has performed with orchestras and was twice selected to represent Taipei at the Asia Flutists Federation Congress (Shanghai 2019, Kobe 2024). Beyond her solo engagements, Ying served as principal flute with the Youth Orchestra of the Kaohsiung Symphony Orchestra from 2019 to 2020. Ying was honored with the Special Award at the 2nd Tokyo International Flute Audition and won the prestigious Boston University Carnegie Hall Competition, which will make her Carnegie Hall debut in March 2026. She is also a finalist in the 46th James Pappoutsakis Memorial Flute Competition.
JISOO KIM (BUTI’16, CFA’30)
DMA Violin Performance, Studio of Bayla Keyes
Jisoo Kim is a dedicated violinist and educator currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts at Boston University under esteemed professor Bayla Keyes. She previously earned her Master of Music from the New England Conservatory and her Bachelor of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with professors Nicholas Kitchen and Ilya Kaler. Born in South Korea, she has been recognized with numerous awards, including first prize at the Musical Club of Hartford Competition and top prizes in several national competitions
PERFORMERS
in Korea, such as the Haneum Philharmonic Competition. As a performer, Jisoo is actively engaged in both orchestral and chamber music. She has recently performed in the Boston Chamber Symphony and has served in concertmaster and principal roles in various orchestras. From 2021 to 2023, she was a contract member of the Canton Symphony Orchestra, gaining extensive experience in the professional orchestral field. She has also performed in NEC Chamber Music Gala at Jordan Hall under the guidance of the renowned Borromeo Quartet. She also engaged in community performance and musical storytelling fellowships at NEC, bringing music to audiences across a wide range of venues and sharing her passion with the community. Equally devoted to teaching, Jisoo served as Student Manager of the New England Conservatory Preparatory School’s Junior Repertory Orchestra. She has been a certified Suzuki instructor through the Suzuki Association of the Americas since 2021, reflecting her commitment to developing thoughtful, well-supported young musicians.
ETHAN MCGRATH (CFA’29)
DMA Collaborative Piano, Studio of Shiela Kibbe
Ethan McGrath is a composer, pianist, and organist based in Boston. He holds a BM in Composition from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, an MM in Choral Studies from the University of Cambridge, and is presently working on his DMA in Collaborative Piano at Boston University. As a pianist, Ethan has served on the staff of the summer festival AIMS in Graz, Austria, and he maintains an active schedule of performances. For his compositions, Ethan has received awards from the Instytut Musica Sacra (Poland), Alfred Music, and the Southeastern Composers League, as well as commissions from the American Choral Directors Association, the New Consort, and the Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. A selection of his works is in print with such publishers as Oxford University Press, Schott Music, and Beckenhorst Press.
ANDY OUYANG (CFA’29)
DMA Violin Performance, Studio of Peter Zazofsky
Andy OuYang is a versatile violinist whose performances have carried him across concert stages throughout the United States and Taiwan. His musical journey has led him to celebrated festivals including Festival Napa Valley, the Miami Music Festival, the International Music Festival of the Adriatic, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and the Eastern Music Festival. Embracing both classical tradition and contemporary creativity, Andy appeared in the premiere tour of David Winkler’s Trio Concertante for the Long Island Concert Orchestra’s chamber music series and gave the world premiere of Peyton Miller’s Sonata for Violin and Piano at Yale University, a work dedicated to him by the composer. He recently appeared as soloist with the Siung-Song Orchestra and has also been featured in multiple recitals with acclaimed pianist Chiao-Han Liao
at Taiwan’s National Recital Hall. In 2024, Andy served on the jury of the Excellence Music Open Competition of Taiwan. He was invited to perform at the 2019 Tibor Varga International Violin Competition and has appeared in masterclasses for Augustin Hadelich, James Ehnes, and Anne-Sophie Mutter. Guided by mentors Wu Hung, Simin Ganatra, I-Hao Lee, and Tai Murray, Andy earned his Master of Music degree from Yale University and is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts at Boston University under the tutelage of Peter Zazofsky.
SHUANGXIANG SHAN (CFA’26)
MM Vocal Performance, Studio of David Guzmán
ShuangXiang Shan, a tenor based in Boston, is currently pursuing a Master of Musical Arts in Voice Performance at Boston University under the guidance of Dr. David Guzmán. He previously earned his Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from the Nanjing University of the Arts. Shan has performed several leading tenor roles—including Romeo, Shakur, Rinuccio, and Traveler in productions such as Roméo et Juliette, Thumbprint, and Gianni Schicchi, presented by the Boston University Opera Institute. Since 2019, he has received numerous awards in vocal competitions, demonstrating consistent artistic excellence. In addition to his stage work, Shan has presented six solo recitals and has been featured in a variety of vocal music concerts.
YIFANG XU (CFA’29)
DMA Collaborative Piano, Studio of Shiela Kibbe
Yifang Xu is a collaborative pianist based in Boston, currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Collaborative Piano at Boston University with Shiela Kibbe. She received her Master of Music in Collaborative Piano from the Cleveland Institute of Music, studying with Anita Pontremoli, where she was awarded the 2024 Cleveland Heights Alumni Chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon Rosa Lobe Award, recognizing the highest level of artistic achievement in the collaborative piano department. She earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the Shanghai Conservatory of Music. She has participated in masterclasses with Warren Jones, Jonathan Feldman, and Klaus Mäkelä, and has appeared as a collaborative artist at the 2022 Art Song Festival in Cleveland and the Music Academy of the West in 2024 and 2025. Yifang has extensive experience in instrumental and vocal collaboration, performing regularly in recitals, studio classes, and juries. She has worked with orchestras and opera ensembles as both pianist and celesta player, supporting rehearsals, coaching, and staged productions. In addition to her collaborative work, she has received multiple first prizes in piano solo competitions.
BUTI: Boston University Tanglewood Institute
CFA: Boston University College of Fine Arts
BU SCHOOL OF MUSIC FACULTY & STAFF
Director, School of Music
Karin Hendricks
Athletic Bands/University Ensembles
Aaron Goldberg
Bassoon
Joshua Baker*
Nancy Goeres
Margaret Phillips*
Cello
Jean-Michel Fonteneau
Agnes Kim⁺
Christine Lamprea
Michael Reynolds
Rhonda Rider
William Rounds
Owen Young*
Clarinet
Barret Hamm
Kai-Yun Lu*
Robert Patterson, Chair of Woodwinds
Composition and Music Theory
Vartan Aghababian
Martin Amlin, Chair
Matthew Aucoin
Mark Berger
Deborah Burton
Justin Casinghino
Joshua Fineberg
Yotam Haber
Davide Ianni
Igor Iwanek
David Kopp
Rodney Lister
Ketty Nez
Andrew F. Smith
Len Tetta
Steven Weigt
Jason Yust
Conducting
Jennifer Bill
Aaron Goldberg
Sarah Ioannides
Mark Miller
Daniel Parsley
Joshua Roach
Double Bass
Carl Anderson*
Edwin Barker*
Benjamin Levy*
Todd Seeber*
Thomas Van Dyck*
Randall Zigler
Flute
Geralyn Coticone*
Elizabeth Klein*
Renee Krimsier
Linda Toote
Guitar
Warren Levenson
Harp
Franziska Huhn*
Jessica Zhou*
Historical Performance
Aldo Abreu, Recorder
Sarah Freiberg, Baroque Cello
Bruce Hall, Baroque Trumpet
Gregory Ingles, Sackbut
Laura Jeppesen, Viola da Gamba
Catherine Liddell, Lute
Robinson Pyle, Natural Trumpet
Gonzalo X. Ruiz, Baroque Oboe
Aaron Sheehan, Voice
Jane Starkman, Baroque Violin & Viola
Peter Sykes, Organ, Harpsichord
Horn
Hazel Dean Davis
Keyboard
Victor Cayres
Shiela Kibbe, Chair
Pavel Nersessian
Boaz Sharon
Jihye Chang Sung
Andrius Žlabys
Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Michael Birenbaum Quintero
Samuel Bradley
Leland Clarke
Victor Coelho
Juliet Glazer
Dan DiPiero
Pamela Feo
Brita Heimarck
Gregory Melchor-Barz, Chair
David Schulenberg
Andrew Shenton
Jeremy Yudkin
Music Education
Kelly Bylica
Diana Dansereau, Chair
Ruth Debrot
André de Quadros
Andrew Goodrich
Karin Hendricks
Jeffrey Leonard
Kerry Renzoni
Lorenzo Sánchez-Gatt
Gareth Dylan Smith
Jacqueline Smith
Tawnya Smith
Kính T. Vu
Oboe and English Horn
John Ferrillo*
Amanda Hardy*
Mark McEwen*
Andrew Price*
Robert Sheena*
Opera Institute
Melodie Jeffrey-Cassell
Rita Cote
Angela Gooch
Matthew Larson
William Lumpkin, Artistic Director; Chair of Ensembles and Conducting
Deborah Selig
Noah Putterman
Nathan Troup
Allison Voth
Organ
Heinrich Christensen
Peter Sykes
Percussion
Kyle Brightwell*
Tim Genis*, Coordinator of Percussion
Weichen Lin
Matthew Smallcomb
Samuel Solomon
Saxophone
Jennifer Bill
Kenneth Radnofsky
Trombone
Gabriel Rice
Don Lucas
Toby Oft*
Trumpet
Tuba/Euphonium
Kenneth Amis
Eric Goode
Mike Roylance*
Viola
Steven Ansell*
Daniel Doña⁺
Samuel Kelder
Danny Kim*
Michelle LaCourse, Chair of Strings
Violin
Heather Braun⁺
Rose Drucker⁺
Bayla Keyes
Minju Kim
Lucia Lin*
Klaudia Szlachta
Alexander Velinzon*
Peter Zazofsky
Voice
Jean Anderson-Collier
Thomas Cannon
James Demler
Lynn Eustis, Chair
David Guzmán
Douglas Sumi
Alison Trainer
Staff
Christopher Dempsey, Director of Production and Performance
Oshin Gregorian, Associate Director of Production/Performance & Opera Programs
Barbara Raney, Assistant Director for Student Services
Keith Orr, Business Manager
Zachary M. Schwartz, Director of Admissions
Luis Javier Santiago Sierra, Director of University Ensembles
Sharif Mamoun, Assistant Director, Athletic Bands
Katharine Hurd, Ensembles Manager
Connor Barry, Stage Manager
Lindy Billhardt, Librarian
Jewel Kim, Admissions Coordinator
Brenn Parker Fjeldsted, Administrative Coordinator
Kira Ousey, Administrative Coordinator
Stone Washburn, Administrative Coordinator
Jenna Wang, Administrative Assistant
Staff Pianists
Anna Carr | Scott Koljonen | Siu Yan Luk | Jacob
Lytehaven | Dahee Park | April Sun | Lorena Tecu
Terry Everson, Chair of Brass * Member, Boston Symphony Orchestra
Member, Arneis Quartet
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
WIND ENSEMBLE
SYMPHONIC CHORUS
Boston University Wind Ensemble
Coincident Dances • Jessie Montgomery
Joshua Roach, conductor
Boston University Symphonic Chorus with members of the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra
Symphony of Psalms • Igor Stravinsky
Daniel Parsley, conductor
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Symphony Hall
301 Massachusetts Ave, Boston
Boston University Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Chorus
Symphony No. 9 in D minor, op. 125 • Ludwig van Beethoven
Sarah Ioannides, conductor
Monday, April 13, 2026 7:30pm
bu.edu/cfa/symphonyhall TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
BOSTON UNIVERSITY
Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 34,000 students, it is the fourth-largest independent university in the United States. BU consists of 17 schools and colleges, along with a number of multi-disciplinary centers and institutes integral to the University’s research and teaching mission. In 2012, BU joined the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of 62 leading research universities in the United States and Canada.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS
Established in 1954, Boston University College of Fine Arts (CFA) is a community of artist-scholars and scholar-artists who are passionate about the fine and performing arts, committed to diversity and inclusion, and determined to improve the lives of others through art. With programs in music, theatre, and visual arts, CFA prepares students for a meaningful creative life by developing their intellectual capacity to create art, shift perspective, and think broadly. CFA offers a wide array of precollege, undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs, as well as a range of online degrees and certificates.
BOSTON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Founded in 1872, Boston University College of Fine Arts School of Music combines the intimacy and intensity of traditional conservatory-style training with a broad liberal arts education at the undergraduate level, and elective coursework at the graduate level. The school offers degrees in performance, conducting, composition and theory, musicology, music education, and historical performance, as well as artist and performance diplomas and a certificate program in its Opera Institute.
