The Whole Note Podcast

Ying Li is the First Prize winner of the 2021 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions, as well as recipient of The Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival Prize and the Tri-I Noon Recitals Prize. She has received top awards in numerous national and international competitions including the inaugural Antonio Mormone International Prize, Sarasota Artist Series Piano Competition, Br...

Jack Gao was named the winner of the Naumburg International Piano Competition in 2023. Most recently he was personally selected by Martha Argerich to be the second recipient of the Martha Argerich Piano Award which was presented in collaboration with Steinway Hamburg. This prize is awarded to a pianist under the age of 30, whom Argerich would like to draw the attention of the public and the music...

https://www.timothychooi.com/ Instagram: @timmychooi Timmy was our first in-person guest on episode 15. Please consider watching that episode if you haven't already. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-WB2ZNJ3S8&t=1426s

Korean-American cellist Sydney Lee has established herself as an artist of refined elegance and profound sincerity. She garnered recognition when she claimed both 1st prize at the 2022 Washington International Competition and 2nd prize at the 2022 Classic Strings International Competition. Most recently, she was awarded the inaugural $50,000 Gurrena Fellowship from Meadowmount School of Music. Add...

Motivated and hungry for new experiences, Korean-born, Philadelphia-made cellist and activist, Christine J. Lee, crosses cultural boundaries through music and aims to connect people around the world. She is the most recent winner of the Isang Yun international competition in Korea as well as a laureate of the first Queen Elisabeth International Cello Competition. Some of her highlights for this se...

At age 20, virtuoso flutist Maron Anis Khoury became the youngest musician to join the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. Born in the village of Tarshiha, Galilee, to a musical family, Khoury started playing the flute at the age of 11. Three years later, he was admitted to the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia to study with renowned flutist Jeffrey Khaner. Prior to his enrollment at Curtis, Kho...

American violinist Isabelle Ai Durrenberger is praised for her imaginative, striking performances and her ability to communicate with sincere artistry. Currently based in New York City, Isabelle is a 2023-25 fellow of Carnegie Hall's renowned Ensemble Connect program. An avid chamber musician, Isabelle is recognized nationally for her unique collaborative instincts. Her 2024-25 season features sol...

Gaeun Kim, a 20-year-old cellist based in New York, has been spotlighted as an outstanding virtuosic performer and a winner of numerous competitions worldwide. Her journey began with winning both the first prize and the special award at the Antonio Janigro Competition in Zagreb, Croatia at her age of 10. She has also secured first prizes in the Liezen International Competition, David Popper Intern...

Sami Seif (b. 1998) is a Lebanese composer, music theorist and pianist. His music is inspired by the aesthetics, philosophies, paradigms and poetry of his Middle-Eastern heritage. His work has been described as “very tasteful and flavorful” with “beautiful, sensitive writing!” His latest musical concerns center around the phenomenology of time and of differing degrees of fo...

Internationally acclaimed violinist Timothy Chooi, (pronounced as “Chewy,”) has captivated audiences worldwide with his virtuosic and finely nuanced performances. He is highly sought after for his passionate renditions and extensive repertoire, as well as his exceptional ability to connect with a global audience, amassing a media following of millions of viewers who have tuned in to hi...

Oliver Herbert is a concert cellist with a rapidly growing international presence. The recipient of a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Oliver's natural musicianship and connective performances are carving a unique path in the world of music. As a soloist, Oliver has appeared with world renowned orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, working with conductors s...

Rising star of the cello Jonathan Swensen is the recipient of the 2022 Avery Fisher Career Grant and was recently featured as both Musical America's ‘New Artist of the Month' and ‘One to Watch' in Gramophone Magazine. Jonathan first fell in love with the cello upon hearing the Elgar Concerto at the age of six, and ultimately made his concerto debut performing that very piece with Portu...

Violinist Stephen Tavani is Assistant Concertmaster of The Cleveland Orchestra and has appeared as guest concertmaster with many other orchestras including the Indianapolis, Houston and Kansas City Symphonies. The New York Times commented about his playing that “…Tavani sometimes cooled his tone to the smoothness of frosted glass, adding a soft-focus filter to the chiseled melodies&he...

Having been born into a musical family, Karisa began her studies at age two with her father, Cornelius Chiu, a violinist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She also performs frequently with her mother, pianist Inah Chiu. The Chiu family has given annual concerts at the Festival of the Arts at Mohonk Mountain House where her immediate family is joined with her uncle, pianist Frederic Chiu. She has...

The celebrated Balourdet Quartet produces both emotionally intense and intimate moments on international stages. Its unique closeness and willingness to take creative risks earned it the 2024 Avery Fisher Career Grant , as well as Chamber Music America's 2024 Cleveland Quartet Award . With more than 70 concerts per season, recent highlights include the Balourdet's debuts at Carnegie and Wigmore Ha...

Genevieve Smelser joined the violin section of The Cleveland Orchestra in August 2023. She comes from a family of musicians in Chicago, Illinois, and her primary teachers included Mathias Tacke of the Vermeer Quartet and Gerardo Ribeiro. Smelser received her bachelor's degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2017 as a student of Stephen Rose. During her studies at CIM, she won the 2015 Con...

A native of Manchester, N.H., Roric Cunningham joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra cello section in August 2023 at Tanglewood. He began cello studies at age 12 and two years later started taking lessons at the Manchester Community Music with Harel Gietheim. In 2017, he won the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra and Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra competitions and subsequently performed with those orch...

Originally from the greater New York area, violinist Kevin Lin has received international recognition for his musicianship and “soulful” playing (The Arts Desk). Lin currently serves as Concertmaster of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Lin is a highly sought after Concertmaster, previously holding the position of Co-Leader in the London Philharmonic Orchestra. His Guest Concertmast...

Nathan Chan's multifaceted career exemplifies his dedication to exploring the diverse dimensions of the cello, sharing his musical vision across solo, chamber music, and orchestral realms. His unwavering belief in music's power to bridge gaps and create connections drives him to engage audiences and foster a sense of community through his artistry. Embracing technology and social media, Nathan has...

Austin Huntington was appointed principal cellist of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in June 2015 at the age of 20, currently making him one of the youngest principal musicians in a major American orchestra. He was recently the runner-up for the San Francisco Symphony's principal cello position in March 2022 as well as a finalist for the Boston Symphony Orchestra's principal cello position in...

Alexandria Hoffman is a third-year fellow with the New World Symphony. She was previously acting Associate Principal Flute with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra as well as a Flute Fellow with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. She has performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and has appeared as a soloist with Yo-Yo Ma. Alex's passion for mental health led her to co-found Sound Mind in the fal...

William Hagen has performed as soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician across the United States, Europe, Asia, and Latin America. In 2022/23, William performs with orchestras around the United States, makes his debut with the Orquesta Filharmónica de Bogotá, and performs as soloist and chamber musician in several countries in Europe. As soloist, William has appeared with the Chicag...

Pianist, host, and author Zsolt Bognár is known to many around the globe in musical and cultural circles. As pianist, he has performed in Europe, Asia, and United States, and recorded a highly-praised debut album of works of Schubert and Liszt. He has appeared at New York's Lincoln Center and 92nd Street Y, and at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. With notable performances in Berlin, V...

A musician who has been praised as “a moving young poet” (Le Devoir), Spanish/Dutch pianist Albert Cano Smit enjoys a growing international career on the orchestral, recital, and chamber music stages. Noted for his captivating performances, storytelling quality and nuanced musicality, the First Prize winner of the 2019 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions has a...