Curtis in Nantucket and East Coast

Recognized as one of the most celebrated violinists of her generation, Elissa Lee Koljonen has thrilled audiences and critics in over one hundred cities throughout the world. Ms. Koljonen initially received international acclaim when she became the first recipient of the prestigious Henryk Szeryng Foundation Award and silver medalist of the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition. Her playing has been hailed by the Helsingin Sanomat (Helsinki) as “sparkling, sensual and personal.” Dan Tucker of the Chicago Tribune has written that “she displayed boundless technique and musicianship.”

Ms. Koljonen’s engagements have included a return to the Philadelphia Orchestra to perform the Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1, her debut in Spain with James Judd and the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra, performances with José-Luis Novo and the orchestras in Annapolis and Binghamton, the Delaware Symphony, Reading Symphony, the Kimmel Center’s Summer Solstice and the Philadelphia premiere of Behzad Ranjbaran’s Violin Concerto with JoAnn Falletta. She has also made appearances with the Boston Pops, Minnesota Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic and the symphonies of Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Helsinki and Seoul. Ms. Koljonen has collaborated with such noted conductors as Mattias Bamert, James DePriest, Lawrence Foster, Richard Hickox, Neeme Järvi, Louis Lane, Andrew Litton, Eiji Oue and the late Bryden Thompson.

She has performed in some of the world’s most important venues, including the Musikverein in Vienna, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Barbican Centre in London, the Konzerthaus in Berlin, the Seoul Arts Center, the Symphony Hall in Boston, and the Academy of Music and Kimmel Center in Philadelphia. Also an avid chamber musician, Ms. Koljonen appears regularly at festivals throughout North America, Europe and Asia. She garnered critical acclaim for her debut at the Queen Elisabeth Hall in London and her appearances with the London Mozart Players and the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo in a special concert celebrating the 700th anniversary of the Grimaldi Dynasty.

Ms. Koljonen is a protégée of the great Aaron Rosand at the Curtis Institute of Music. Incorporating his influence, she carries on the legacy and tradition of Leopold Auer and his legendary school of violin playing.

Hao Yang is a concert classical guitarist and Astral Artist from China. She actively engages in solo and chamber music performances. Yang has appeared as a soloist with the Chusachsische Philharmonie in Germany. She was guest soloist at the Cleveland, Panama, and Beijing International Guitar Festivals and has performed concerts in major venues such as the Carnegie Hall, Kimmel Center, New York Subculture, Kimmel Center, Miller Theatre at Columbia University, and Princeton Sound Kitchen.

As a chamber music enthusiast, Yang made her Carnegie Hall debut premiering guitar duo ‘Talking Guitars’ by renowned composer Paul Lansky with JIJI. She performed on the PCMS series as guest collaborator and was a guest artist at the Concordia Chamber Festival. As a recording artist, Ms. Yang has worked with Grammy award winning label Bridge Records Inc. on multiple new chamber works by Paul Lansky and Poul Rouders.

In 2021, Yang won the Astral Artists’ National Audition and her other competitive prizes include the top prizes at the Koblenz International Guitar Competition Hubert Käppel 2024, 54th Markneukirchen International Instrumental competition in Germany, second prize at the GFA International Concert Artist Competition, first prizes at GFA International Youth Competition, CSU International Guitar Competition, and Andres Segovia 7th International Guitar Competition. She was a recipient of the Clifton Foundation’s Emerging Artists Award. Yang holds a BM from the Curtis Institute of Music, MM from Lamont School of Music, and is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the Yale School of Music.

Romain-Olivier Gray, from Québec City and Woodbridge, Va., a student of Gary Hoffman and Peter Wiley, is the Maurice Gendron Memorial Fellow and entered Curtis in 2022.

Extraordinary alumni and faculty from the world-renowned Curtis Institute of Music perform audience favorites – from beloved melodies from Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and Benjamin Britten’s Cabaret Songs to pieces by Brahms, Liszt, and Schumann. Don’t miss these thrilling performances by current and future leading artists – mezzo-soprano Katie Trigg, violinist Elissa Lee Koljonen, pianist Hanchien Lee, and Curtis President and violist Roberto Díaz.

Soprano Sophia Hunt (Voice ’19, ’22; Opera ’22), clarinetist Sara Han (Clarinet ’22), and pianist Ying Li (Piano ’19) performed alongside Curtis President and violist Roberto Díaz (Viola ’84) in a tour of Nantucket, with stops in Falmouth, MA, New York City, and Montauk, NY, performing works by Schubert, Barber, Mozart, and others.

Elissa Lee Koljonen (Violin ’94), Roberto Díaz (Viola ’84), Christine J. Lee (Cello ’13), and Amy Yang (Piano ’06) toured Nantucket and New England, performing works by Brahms, Fauré, Tartini, and Tchaikovsky, with a special tribute to Ned Rorem, (Composition ’44), who enjoyed summers at his home in Nantucket for over two decades.

Roberto Díaz (Viola ’84), David Shifrin (Clarinet ’71, ’73), Takumi Taguchi (Violin ’22), Eunice Kim (Violin ’14), violist Yizilin Liang and John Lee (Cello ’22) made stops in Nantucket, Falmouth, MA, and Kingston, RI, performing works by Mozart, Ellington, and Mendelssohn.

Artists Mimi Stillman (Flute ’99), Bella Hristova (Violin ’08), Roberto Díaz (Viola ’84), Gabriel Cabezas (Cello ’13), and Michelle Cann (Piano ’13) toured Nantucket, with stops at Nantucket Atheneum, Great Harbor Yacht Club, Siasconset Casino, and more, performing a variety of works.

Jordan Dodson (Guitar ’13), Joshua Smith (Flute ’90), Maria Ioudenitch (Violin ’18), Roberto Díaz (Viola ’84), Albert Seo (Cello ’21), and David Ludwig (Composition ’01) toured Nantucket, making stops at Siasconset Casino, Nantucket Dreamland, Nantucket Atheneum, and more, performing works by Marais, Ludwig, Mozart, and others.