Audrey G. Baird Stars of Tomorrow Concert
SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2026 • BRADLEY SYMPHONY CENTER presents the
Photo by Jonathan Kirn
2026 STARS OF TOMORROW
Sunday, April 12th, 2026 at 2:30 pm • Allen-Bradley Hall
Ryan Tani, conductor
Johana Kim, flute
Colette Wiering, violin
Malina Zhang, violin
Stars of Tomorrow Semi-Finalists and Honorable Mentions
FRANÇOIS BORNE/arr. Giancarlo Chiaramello
Fantasy on Themes from Bizet’s Carmen
Johana Kim, flute
ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK
Violin Concerto in A minor, Opus 53
III. Finale: Allegro giocoso, ma non troppo
Colette Wiering, violin
PABLO DE SARASATE
Zigeunerweisen, Opus 20
Malina Zhang, violin
INTERMISSION
NIKOLAI RIMSKY-KORSAKOV
Capriccio espagnol, Opus 34
I. Alborada
II. Variazioni
III. Alborada
IV. Scena e canto gitano
V. Fandango asturiano
IGOR STRAVINSKY
Suite from The Firebird (1919 revision)
I. Introduction and Dance of the Firebird
II. Dance of the Princesses
III. Infernal Dance of King Kashchei
IV. Berceuse
V. Finale
Stars of Tomorrow Semi-Finalists and Honorable Mentions
CONDUCTOR
RYAN TANI
Now in his third season with the MSO and his first as its associate conductor, RYAN TANI has built a reputation for inventive programming, as well as an energetic connection with audiences in Milwaukee and beyond. At the MSO, he conducts a wide range of concerts — including education, family, pops, and classics — and has stepped in for Edo de Waart and led sold-out performances in his 2025 classics debut. He has served as cover conductor for the Minnesota Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Colorado Symphony, and Bozeman Symphony.
A committed advocate for new music, Tani was music director of Baltimore’s Occasional Symphony, commissioning over 20 works and supporting dozens of composers in just three years. At Yale, he served as conducting fellow of the Philharmonia and resident conductor of New Music New Haven, earning the Dean’s Prize for artistic excellence.
Tani’s community-focused work includes leading multiple ensembles across Montana, including the Bozeman, Missoula, Great Falls, and Montana State University symphonies. Committed to connecting with audiences off the podium, he also developed outreach programs, taught university courses, and fostered collaborations between artists and the public — efforts that continue to shape his approach today.
He holds degrees from Yale University, the Peabody Institute, and the University of Southern California, and has studied with Marin Alsop, Peter Oundjian, Markand Thakar, Larry Rachleff, and Donald Schleicher. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife Bronte and his corgi Darby and enjoys cooking, reading, and playing violin.
2026 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS JUDGES
BERNARD ZINCK
After winning first prizes in violin and chamber music at the Paris Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in his native France, BERNARD ZINCK moved to the U.S. to continue his musical studies at The Juilliard School (Bachelor and Master of Music) in New York, then at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he earned a doctorate in musical performance. He currently serves as Violin Faculty and Head of Chamber Music Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and is the artistic director and founder of the chamber music festival Musiques et Vignes à Fontevraud in the Loire Valley in France. Every summer, he also teaches violin and chamber music at the Acamédie des Arts in Flaine.
Zinck’s concerts have been broadcast on radio and television in the U.S and Europe, and he has recorded for the Ligia Digital, Musical Heritage Society, and Vienna Modern Masters record labels. His artistry has been praised in terms such as “impeccable accuracy of pitch” and “formidable technique.” The Strad noted his “round and opulent tone” and his “vibrato bringing moments of sheer ecstasy,” while Fanfare was impressed by the “singing, sensuous, sumptuous, shimmering” quality of his playing. He performs on the “Fiebelmann” Rogeri, built in 1690 by the Italian maker Giovani Battista Rogeri.
www.bernardzinck.com
Since her solo orchestral debut at age 15, ILANA SETAPEN has been flourishing as a violinist with a powerful and original voice. She is hailed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as a violinist with “a sparkling sound” and “the kind of control that puts an audience completely at ease.” She is currently the First Associate Concertmaster of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. Setapen has had recent solo performances with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Great Falls Symphony, and the Amarillo Symphony, among others. She also held the Assistant Concertmaster position of the Grant Park Music Festival Orchestra in Chicago for 6 years and is a favorite guest concertmaster with the Chicago Philharmonic. continued
2026 SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS JUDGES
As a committed chamber musician, Setapen is in demand as a collaborator throughout the Midwest. She performs frequently with Present Music and Milwaukee favorite Yaniv Dinur. Solo and chamber music performances have brought her abroad to China, France, Brazil, Holland, England, Monaco, and Italy.
Setapen grew up in Amarillo, Texas. Her father is a conductor and her first violin teacher was her mother. She was a student of Robert Lipsett both at the University of Southern California and at the Colburn Conservatory. She received her Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School as a student of Donald Weilerstein and Ronald Copes. She is also a dedicated educator and has a thriving private studio. In her spare time, Setapen enjoys spending time with her husband and their two sons and swing dancing.
Jennifer Bouton has performed around the world as a guest artist, clinician, and orchestral musician. A member of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra since 2011, she performed multiple seasons with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and has played guest roles with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Detroit Symphony Orchestra, among others.
In 2023, Bouton released an album of Vivaldi’s piccolo concerti on PARMA/Navona Records, the first complete recording of the concerti by an American piccoloist. Her own edition of the complete Vivaldi piccolo concerti, prepared in collaboration with Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra librarian Paul Beck, will be published by Theodore Presser this year.
Bouton is currently Artist Faculty at the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She has taught masterclasses around the country, including guest lecturer engagements at the Peabody Conservatory, Carnegie Mellon University, and Lawrence University.
Bouton received a Master of Music degree and Certificate in Advanced Flute Studies from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory. Her teachers include Jeanne Baxtresser, Alberto Almarza, and Marina Piccinini.
AUDREY G. BAIRD
Audrey Baird’s impact upon the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and other Milwaukee area performing arts groups was significant. She chaired her first committee for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra League as ticket drive chairwoman for her suburb of Wauwatosa in the late 1950s and served as MSO League President from 1965–1967. She became an honorary director of the League Board in 1990, having also served on the board as an active member (1973–1990). Additionally, she served as president of the Women’s Council of the American Symphony Orchestra League (now the Volunteer Council of the League of American Orchestras) from 1973–1975, which created the Audrey Baird Ticket Sales Award in her name, honoring her legendary ability to train and inspire volunteers. In 1981, she joined the MSO administrative staff as director of audience development. Her lasting contributions, dedication, and spirit are honored annually by the Audrey G. Baird Stars of Tomorrow competition and auditions.
When Baird received the Gold Baton at the League of American Orchestras conference in 1996, the presenter noted: “Audrey’s work as a volunteer leader, marketer, lecturer, and consultant has left a lasting mark on orchestra fundraising and ticket sales. She is the First Lady of volunteer ticket sales, whose unmatched skills and irresistible enthusiasm have multiplied audiences for orchestras everywhere.”
2026 AUDREY G. BAIRD STARS OF TOMORROW SOLOISTS
JOHANA KIM
JOHANA KIM, 15, is a sophomore at Homestead High School with a strong passion for music and the arts. She began studying the flute at age ten with Patricia Czarnecki and now continues her musical development under the guidance of Dr. Sanda Mašić. Over the past several years, Johana has distinguished herself through numerous achievements. She was awarded first place in the 2023 Wisconsin Flute Festival Junior Artist Competition and the 2024 Chicago Flute Club Annual Student Competition. In addition, she won the 2023–24 UW–Milwaukee Youth Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition and the 2025 Lakeshore Symphonic Band Young Artist Competition, performing as a featured soloist.
Johana has further enriched her musicianship by participating in master classes with renowned flutists such as Conor Nelson at the 2023 Wisconsin Flute Festival and Jonathan Keeble at the Chicago Flute Club’s Fluting with the Stars and Flute Forum series. These experiences have contributed significantly to her artistic growth and performance skills.
A dedicated member of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) since the third grade, Johana began her musical journey as a violinist in the Prelude Orchestra and now performs flute in her second year with the Senior Symphony Orchestra. Her violin skills also extend to her school’s Chamber Orchestra, where she serves as one of the coassistant concertmasters.
Beyond her primary instruments, Johana enjoys playing the piano in her free time. In addition to her musical pursuits, she is actively involved in extracurricular activities, including forensics, DECA, and service clubs, where she demonstrates leadership, creativity, and a commitment to her community. Through her musical accomplishments and broader interests, Johana continues to grow as a well-rounded and dedicated student and musician.
COLETTE WIERING , a freshman from Two Rivers, Wisconsin, serves as a concertmaster of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra’s (MYSO) Senior Symphony.
Her distinguished honors include four MYSO concerto competition wins, the 2024 Madison Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition, and the 2024 O’Malley Foundation National Concerto Competition, where she earned both Open Junior Division and Overall Open Division Grand Winner titles for her performance of the first movement of Beethoven’s violin concerto.
In 2025, Colette received the Carrie Rondeau Memorial Scholarship as winner of the MYSO Senior Symphony Concerto Competition. Memorable experiences include performing “Remembrances” from Schindler’s List on the historic Auschwitz violin for MYSO’s Violins of Hope program during WPR Classical Music Day and an appearance with MYSO’s Bach Ensemble at the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Bach Festival.
She has enriched her training through summer programs, including the Northwestern University Bienen School of Music Summer Violin Institute, the Musica Mundi Festival in Belgium, and the Cugnon Summer School.
Colette currently studies violin with Matous Michal of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Kees Hulsmann, former concertmaster of the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra.
2026 AUDREY G. BAIRD STARS OF TOMORROW SOLOISTS
MALINA ZHANG
MALINA ZHANG , 16, began her violin studies at the age of five and has studied with Dr. Yuliya Smead at the Lawrence Community Music School for eleven years. Throughout her musical journey, Malina has earned several honors. She received first place in the Fox Valley Music Teachers Association Young Artist Festival Junior String Competitions (2022, 2024), the Senior String Competition (2025), and the Small Ensemble Competition (2024). In 2025, she won first place in the Miroslav Pansky Concerto Competition (High School Division) and performed as a soloist with the Civic Symphony of Green Bay. Malina was selected to perform in the Lawrence Community Music School Honors Recital in 2024 and 2026 and was nominated for the 2025 Wisconsin State Music Association (WSMA) State Solo & Ensemble Exemplary Performance Award.
Malina has been selected as a member of the WSMA State Honors Orchestra for the past three years and has been a member of the Fox Valley Symphony Youth Orchestra since 2023. She is also a member of Touch of Class, an advanced string ensemble at Neenah High School, with which she regularly performs at community events and has toured internationally in Spain, performing in Barcelona and Alicante.
Malina is a sophomore at Neenah High School, where she is actively involved in Math Club, the Mental Health Awareness Program, and Model United Nations. She also serves as vice president of Blossom Brigade, a student-led volunteer team. This summer, she will attend the Philadelphia International Music Festival.
2026 YOUNG ARTISTS
SOLOISTS
Each of tonight’s soloists received a $1,000 scholarship to further their musical education. One soloist selected by the judges as having performed exceptionally well receives an additional $1,000 award. The remaining two soloists each receive a $250 scholarship award.
Johana Kim, flute, Mequon
Colette Wiering, violin, Two Rivers
Malina Zhang, violin, Neenah
SEMI-FINALISTS
Kayli Abbott, trombone, Eagle
Oliver Runnoe, cello, Milwaukee
Nikola Sindjelic, clarinet, Pleasant Prairie
Salvador Stein, violin, Milwaukee
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Caroline Canney, violin, Oregon
Anna-Lena Derocher, violin, Shorewood
Virginia Ericson, cello, Mequon
Jehee Lee, violin, Milwaukee
Mufan Li, violin, Fitchburg
Abigail Lydon, flute, Marshall
Gaia Marshal, flute, Cedarburg
Stephanie Neely, violin, Bayside
Ben Nowacek, cello, Wauwatosa
Felix Pipal, cello, Mequon
Riley Sandri, clarinet, Hartland
Henry Snavely, violin, New Berlin
Chinmayi Swaminathan, trumpet, Menomonee Falls
Caleb Van Gelderen, cello, Menomonee Falls
Jenny Wang, violin, Neenah
The following students are unable to perform with us this evening, but we wish to acknowledge their achievements in the 2026 Stars of Tomorrow Competition:
Lorenz Fradkin-Annen, violin, Oregon (honorable mention)
Cordelia Fredrickson, violin, Madison (semi-finalist)
AUDITIONS
A project of Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Stars of Tomorrow Competition is an annual statewide competition for high school string, woodwind, brass, and percussion musicians. Three winners receive scholarship awards and the opportunity to perform as soloists with the MSO. Semi-finalist and honorable mention winners receive the honor of appearing as orchestral musicians with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra. In preparation for the concert, these students participate in workshops presented by MSO musicians. The 2026 competition was held on February 14 at the First Congregational Church in Wauwatosa.
2026 Stars of Tomorrow Competition
Jessica Pihart, chair
First Round Judges
Alex Ayers, Brittany Conrad, Clay Hancock, Dawson Hartman, Rudi Heinrich, Madeleine Kabat
Semi-Final Round Judges
Georgi Dimitrov, Matthew Ernst, Jinwoo Lee
Workshop Clinicians
Alex Ayers, Heather Zinninger
THANK YOU
Tonight’s concert is named in honor of Audrey G. Baird (1922-2017), founder of the Stars of Tomorrow Competition (formerly called the Young Artist Auditions). The MSO thanks Audrey for her legacy of passionate and constant support of music education and creating opportunities for young musicians. We also extend our thanks to the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra League and Forte for their implementation and development of this competition. This competition would not be possible without their past stewardship and service.
Thank you to the First Congregational Church of Wauwatosa for providing a welcoming and effective space for the initial round of the Stars of Tomorrow Competition and a resounding thank you to all the volunteers for their continued effort and support of this program. Thank you to all of the student musicians who participated in the 2026 Stars of Tomorrow Competition, their teachers, pianists, and families.
The MSO thanks the following funders for their generous annual support that makes Stars of Tomorrow programming possible: United Performing Arts Fund (UPAF), Herzfeld Foundation, Hearst Foundations, Townsend Foundation, Educators Credit Union, and the de Hartog Family, Eleanor N. Wilson, and Irene Edelstein Memorial Funds as administered by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.
Stars of Tomorrow is supported in part by grants from the Milwaukee Arts Board and the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin. Additional support provided by the National Endowment for the Arts and Milwaukee County Arts Fund (CAMPAC).
2025.26 SEASON
KEN-DAVID MASUR
Music Director
Polly and Bill Van Dyke Music Director Chair
EDO DE WAART
Music Director Laureate
BYRON STRIPLING
Principal Pops Conductor
Stein Family Foundation Principal Pops Conductor Chair
RYAN TANI
Associate Conductor
CHERYL FRAZES HILL
Chorus Director
Margaret Hawkins Chorus Director Chair
TIMOTHY J. BENSON
Assistant Chorus Director
FIRST VIOLINS
Jinwoo Lee, Concertmaster, Charles and Marie Caestecker Concertmaster Chair
Ilana Setapen, First Associate Concertmaster, Thora M. Vervoren First Associate Concertmaster Chair
Jeanyi Kim, Associate Concertmaster
Alexander Ayers
Autumn Chodorowski
Yuka Kadota
Elliot Lee
Dylana Leung
Kyung Ah Oh
Lijia Phang
Vinicius Sant’Ana**
Yuanhui Fiona Zheng
SECOND VIOLINS
Jennifer Startt, Principal, Andrea and Woodrow Leung Principal Second Violin Chair
Ji-Yeon Lee, Assistant Principal (2nd chair)
Hyewon Kim, Acting Assistant Principal (3rd chair)
Heejeon Ahn
Lisa Johnson Fuller
Clay Hancock
Paul Hauer
Sheena Lan**
Janis Sakai**
Yiran Yao
VIOLAS
Victor de Almeida, Principal, Richard O. and Judith A. Wagner Family Principal Viola Chair
Samantha Rodriguez, Assistant Principal (2nd chair), Friends of Janet F. Ruggeri Principal Viola Chair
Alejandro Duque, Acting Assistant Principal (3rd chair)
Elizabeth Breslin
Georgi Dimitrov
Nathan Hackett
Michael Lieberman**
Erin H. Pipal
CELLOS
Susan Babini, Principal, Dorothea C. Mayer Principal Cello Chair
Shinae Ra, Assistant Principal (2nd chair)
Scott Tisdel, Associate Principal Emeritus
Madeleine Kabat
Peter Szczepanek
Peter J. Thomas
Adrien Zitoun
BASSES
Principal, Donald B. Abert Bass Chair
Andrew Raciti, Acting Principal
Nash Tomey, Acting Assistant Principal (2nd chair)
Brittany Conrad Broner McCoy
Paris Myers
HARP
Julia Coronelli, Principal, Walter Schroeder Principal Harp Chair
FLUTES
Sonora Slocum, Principal, Margaret and Roy Butter Principal Flute Chair
Heather Zinninger, Assistant Principal
Jennifer Bouton Schaub
PICCOLO
Jennifer Bouton Schaub
OBOES
Katherine Young Steele, Principal, Milwaukee Symphony League Principal Oboe Chair
Kevin Pearl, Assistant Principal
Margaret Butler
ENGLISH HORN
Margaret Butler, Philip and Beatrice Blank English Horn Chair in memoriam to John Martin
CLARINETS
Todd Levy, Principal, Franklyn Esenberg Principal Clarinet Chair
Jay Shankar, Assistant Principal, Donald and Ruth P. Taylor Assistant Principal Clarinet Chair
Besnik Abrashi
E-FLAT CLARINET
Jay Shankar
BASS CLARINET
Besnik Abrashi
BASSOONS
Catherine Van Handel, Principal, Muriel C. and John D. Silbar Family Principal Bassoon Chair*
Rudi Heinrich, Assistant Principal
Matthew Melillo
CONTRABASSOON
Matthew Melillo
HORNS
Matthew Annin, Principal, Krause Family Principal French Horn Chair
Krystof Pipal, Associate Principal
Dietrich Hemann, Andy Nunemaker French Horn Chair
Darcy Hamlin
Dawson Hartman
TRUMPETS
Matthew Ernst, Principal, Walter L. Robb Family Principal Trumpet Chair
David Cohen, Associate Principal, Martin J. Krebs Associate Principal Trumpet Chair
Tim McCarthy, Fred Fuller Trumpet Chair
TROMBONES
Megumi Kanda, Principal, Marjorie Tiefenthaler Principal Trombone Chair
Kirk Ferguson, Assistant Principal
BASS TROMBONE
John Thevenet, Richard M. Kimball Bass Trombone Chair
TUBA
Robyn Black, Principal, John and Judith Simonitsch Principal Tuba Chair
TIMPANI
Dean Borghesani, Principal
Chris Riggs, Assistant Principal
PERCUSSION
Robert Klieger, Principal Assistant Principal
Chris Riggs
PIANO
Melitta S. Pick Endowed Piano Chair
PERSONNEL
Antonio Padilla Denis, Director of Orchestra Personnel
Paris Myers, Assistant Manager of Orchestra Personnel
LIBRARIANS
Paul Beck, Principal Librarian, James E. Van Ess Principal Librarian Chair
Matthew Geise, Assistant Librarian and Media Archivist
PRODUCTION
Tristan Wallace, Production Manager/Live Audio
Lisa Sottile, Production Stage Manager