Jeannette Jang, 22, is a senior violin performance major at the University of WI-Madison, studying with David Perry. She is from Mequon, WI, and won a four-year full-tuition Music Clinic scholarship to the UW School of Music. She studied previously with Mimi Zweig and Katie Brooks at the String Academy of WI in Milwaukee. Awards include winner of the 2006 and 2004 UW School of Music’s Concerto Competition; grand prize winner of the 2005 Civic Music Association of Milwaukee’s Harold Levin Scholarship Competition; grand prize winner of the 2003 and 2001 WiSTA String Competition; third and second place winner in the 2003 and 2002 MacDowell Club of Milwaukee’s Scholarship competition; winner of the 2003 Musicorda Summer Chamber Music Institute’s Concerto Competition; winner of the 2002 Madison Symphony Orchestra’s High School concerto Competition – Marian Bolz prize for Distinguished Musical Achievement; finalist in 2001 and 2000 Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artists Competition; and winner of 2000 Menomonee Falls Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition. Jeannette has participated in such festivals as the Musicorda Summer Chamber Music Institute, the International Festival-Institute at Round Top, and the Colorado College Summer Music Festival, where she was a winner of the 2004 Concerto Competition and acted as concertmaster under conductor Scott Yoo. Jeannette plays in both the Madison Symphony Orchestra and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, and she currently serves as concertmaster of the UW Chamber Orchestra, a position she has held for the last two years. She is the recipient of the 2004-2005 and 2003-2004 Dale Gilbert Award for outstanding string performers, as well as the 2004-2005 Cecil and Jessie Jennings Burleigh Award for outstanding string students playing in a university orchestra.
Sara Kind, of Oshkosh, WI, is a student of Professor Steven Jordheim. As winner of the 2003 Lawrence University Wind Ensemble Concerto Competition and the 2004 Lawrence University Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, she earned the opportunity to appear as a soloist with both groups. She is also a member of the Lawrence University Saxophone Quartet, which whom she performed Michael Colgrass’ Urban Requiem for saxophone quartet and wind ensemble with the Lawrence University Wind Ensemble in 2004. Her quartet recently appeared at the United States Navy Band’s International Saxophone Symposium in Washington, DC, an event to which they were also invited in 2003. As this year’s winner of the Concord Chamber Orchestra Concerto Competition, Sara looks forward to performing Heitor Villa-Lobos’ Fantasia with the orchestra in March.
Mike Truesdell, a Madison, WI native, began playing percussion at age 13. Currently a junior at Lawrence University, Mike is a candidate for a Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion Performance. He has been awarded Lawrence University’s distinguished Trustee’s Scholarship, as well as the Fred Schroeder Prize in Wind Performance. He has performed with a variety of groups, which include the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra, Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, Manitowoc Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence University Wind Ensemble and Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, various jazz ensembles, the salsa group Vale Todo, Lawrence’s Brazilian, African, and Cuban percussion groups, as well as the national Wind Ensemble under H. Robert Reynolds, which culminated in a performance in Carnegie Hall. He has also performed with Chicago-based contemporary ensemble CUBE on several occasions, including a live performance on the Chicago-area public radio station WFMT. Mike’s teachers have included Vicki Peterson Jenks, Jamie V. Ryan, Naoko Takada, Joe Locke, Peter Prommel, Ivana Bilic, and Dane Richeson. He has performed in master classes given by world-renown percussionist/composer Emmanuel Sejourne, and marimbist Nancy Zeltsman, as well as accompanied Ms. Zeltsman in recital. In July of 2006, Mike will be featured as a Showcase Artist, giving a recital at the internationally attended Zeltsman Marimba Festival in Boston, MA.
Kayme Henkel is a DMA candidate in piano performance and pedagogy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison under the guidance of Martha Fischer and Jessica Johnson. She has been a prize winner in competitions throughout the Midwest, her most recent being the Beethoven competition at the UW-Madison and the MTNA Young Artists Competition in Wisconsin. In addition to being a solo artist, she is completing a doctoral minor in opera coaching. Ms. Henkel teaches at a private studio in Waunakee, Wisconsin and has recently completed the requirements in order to be recognized as a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music.
Kathryn Colucci is a student of world-renowned pianist Christopher Taylor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music. Her previous music instructors include Catherine Sih and UW-Madison doctorate Hwakyu Lee. In the past, Kathryn has been a winner in numerous regional, national, and international competitions including the Stravinsky International Competition (second place), The Schubert Club Music Competition (first place), Midwest Young Artist (overall winner) and the Music Teachers National Association’s (MTNA) State Piano Competition in Wisconsin (first place). Kathryn is a former Presidential Scholar in the Arts and was nominated by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts as a top-level winner in the music category. Currently, Kathryn is pursuing a degree in music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her free time Kathryn enjoys playing sports, reading and dancing.
Derek Powell is currently a sophomore attending the University of Wisconsin of Madison on full scholarship from the UW-summer music clinic. He is double majoring in music performance and neurobiology. Raised in Madison, WI, he was a member of the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra for nine years. He began private study with the Suzuki Strings of Madison and later studied in the studio of Eugene Purdue, and currently studies under the direction of Professor Perry. While in high school, Derek was the recipient of numerous music and academic awards. Some of his awards include quarter finalist in the 2003 and 2004 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, winner of the 2002 Oshkosh Symphony Young artist concerto competition, winner of the 2001 Madison Symphony Steenbock concerto competition. Derek’s musical study has brought him around the globe where he has had the opportunity to perform in Japan, Canada and Norway.
Jessica Jordan is currently a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is pursing a degree in music performance, studying with Professor Tyrone Greive. Jessica is originally from Aurora, Illinois and started violin at age five with Stan Smith and the Aurora Suzuki Violins. She went on to study with Pat Smith, Thomas Wermuth, and Drew Lecher. While in high school, Jessica participated in Midwest Young Artists and Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra. She won honors in the Illinois Music Education Association Orchestra and was named her high school’s String Player of the Year in 2004. She has participated in master classes with William Preucil, Sherry Kloss, the Ying Quartet, and the Vermeer Quartet. In addition, Jessica has toured to places such as France, England, and Switzerland.
Elizabeth Sanger is a senior at UW-Madison majoring in violin performance and English literature. She will graduate with comprehensive honors this May. Originally from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, Elizabeth began her violin training as a Suzuki student at age five. Her primary teachers have been Sandra Rosove, Lewis Rosove, Samantha George, and Tyrone Greive. Elizabeth began playing viola in high school and has continued to play the instrument in various ensembles throughout college. Outside of school, Elizabeth is active politically in the Democratic Party of Dane County, on campus as cofounder of the group Students for Equality, and in the health community as an intern for SmokeFree Wisconsin. Her plans for the future include law school and a possible career in politics.
Jamie Davis is a freshman cellist at UW-Madison currently studying with Uri Vardi. A native of Stevens Point, Jamie began playing the cello in fourth grade through his school’s music program. After turning twelve, he began studying privately with Dr. Lawrence Leviton through the American Suzuki program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Jamie has performed with the Central Wisconsin Symphony, Central State Chamber Orchestra, Wausau Symphony, and has been the principal cellist of the WSMA State Honors Orchestra. He has also participated in master classes with Steven Doan, Marc Johnson, Samantha George, the Enso String Quartet, Augusta Read Thomas, and John Harbison. When not playing the cello, Jamie enjoys reading and digital photography.
