New Music School

One week later, we’re still thinking about the incredible performances from our Concerto Class students.

Fifteen talented young musicians took the stage alongside orchestra, showcasing months of dedication, artistry, and hard work. Congratulations to all of our performers on an unforgettable achievement and a truly inspiring learning experience.

Today: IN Recital — Special Alumni Performances from Kevin Hernandez, cello and Zarin Mehta, piano at 3:45 PM, Ganz Hall Roosevelt University.

Kevin Hernandez is a versatile and accomplished young cellist recognized for his expressive musicianship, collaborative spirit, and commitment to artistic excellence. He studied at the New Music School in Chicago under David Cunliffe and has participated in masterclasses with Yo-Yo Ma, Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, David Taylor, Desirée Ruhstrat, Steven Osborne, Amy Barston, and Arnaud Sussmann.

Kevin has received honors throughout his musical career. He was awarded full scholarships to attend the Sphinx Performance Academy from 2020 to 2025 at the Curtis Institute and The Cleveland Institute of Music, and to complete his junior and senior years at The Juilliard School.  He was a semi-finalist in the New Music School Concerto Competition in 2019 and 2021, won the Chicago Chamber Music Festival Concerto Competition in 2022, earned Second Prize at the Youth Symphony of DuPage Concerto Competition in 2023, and First Prize in 2024. He was also selected to the Illinois All-State Honor Orchestra during 2023 -2025.

An active chamber musician, Kevin has performed with the Sprezzatura String Quartet, the Senti Piano Trio, and the Monaco Piano Trio, and has appeared in competitions including Fischoff, Coltman, and Rembrandt. Most recently, he was featured in a live broadcast on WFMT Chicago Classical Radio, participated in the Bowdoin International Music Festival, and will attend the Orford Musique Academy in Québec, Canada, in 2026.

Kevin is currently pursuing a double degree in Cello Performance and Psychology at Oberlin College and Conservatory, where he studies with cellist Darrett Adkins. During the past academic year, he prepared major works including Franck’s Sonata in A Major, Debussy’s Cello Sonata, Bach’s Suite No. 5 for Solo Cello, and Schumann’s Cello Concerto, while performing extensively in chamber ensembles and with the Oberlin Orchestra. In addition to his performance career, Kevin has begun conducting research in music cognition, exploring the relationships among music, psychology, and human development.

TOMORROW - IN Recital - StringStravaganza! at 3:45 PM Ganz Hall (Floor 7). Join us for our All String Departmental Recital, StringStravaganza! which will be held at Roosevelt University!
This event will happen in correlation with our Concerto Class Performance, also in Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University! We will start at 3:45pm, allowing our String Students to watch and be inspired by the students who are playing with a professional chamber orchestra in our Concerto Class Performance.
Then, the rest of our students will take center stage of Ganz Hall for our annual All String Department Recital. We hope you can join us for this exciting day of music making!

TOMORROW: IN Recital: Concerto Class students perform with professional chamber orchestra. Join us for an exciting afternoon of concerto performances, Saturday June 6 at 12:00 and 2:30 PM. Program below or at link in bio.

Saturday 12:00 PM

Anik Bhattacharjee
Bach, Piano Concerto No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056: 1. Allegro

Sonia Aravind
Haydn, Piano Concerto No. 11 in D Major, Hob. XVIII: 11: 1. Vivace

Rebecca Zhao
Haydn, Piano Concerto No. 11 in D Major, Hob. XVIII: 11: 3. Rondo all’Ungarese

Christopher Baron
Mozart Piano Concerto No. 8 in C Major, K. 246: 1. Allegro

Avni Kutty
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414: 1. Allegro

Daniel Razminia
Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11: 1. Allegro maestoso, 2. Romanze – Larghetto 

Saturday 2:30 PM

Mika Matsuyama
Saint-Saens, Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22: 1. Andante sostenuto

Tongbai Deng
Saint-Saens, Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22: 2. Allegro scherzando

Jonathan Truong
Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K. 414: 1. Allegro

Drake Wunderlich
Chopin, Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11: 1. Allegro maestoso

Victoria Zhang
Schuman Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54 1. Allegro affettuoso

Intermission (15 Minutes)

Zarin Mehta (https://www.zarinmehtapiano.com/), Special Alumni Performance
Schumann, Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 54: 3. Allegro vivace

Amay Agarwal
Vivaldi, Violin Concerto in A Minor, RV 356: 1. Allegro

Leo Ma
Lalo, Symphonie espagnole in D Minor, Op. 21: 1. Allegro non troppo

Beatrice Valenzuela
Glazunov, Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op. 82: 1. Moderato

Mak Grgic joins New Music School students IN Residency with Private Lessons.

Touted as a “gifted young guitarist” by the New York Times, and “a guitarist to keep an eye on” by the Washington Post, 4-time Grammy®-nominated artist Mak Grgic [GER-gich] is a star on the worldwide stage. An expansive and adventurous repertoire attests to his versatility and wide-ranging interests. From the ethnic music of his native Balkans to extreme avant-garde and microtonal music, his roles as soloist, collaborator, and Grammy-nominated recording artist are fueled by curiosity, imagination, and boundless energy. As a testament to his versatility and wide-ranging appeal, in 2018 Mak was invited by legendary singer-songwriter k.d. lang to perform as the opening act for the North American leg of her Ingénue Redux Tour.

Jonathan Kwok is a five-year-old pianist attending the British School of Chicago. He began his formal piano studies on January 19, 2026, under the guidance of Clinton Velman at NMS. In his very first competition, the Illinois Music Association Competition, Jonathan won First Prize in the Cadet I division, showcasing remarkable talent, dedication, and rapid progress in just a few months of training. In addition to music, he enjoys playing soccer. He is recognized for his lovely personality and natural and gifted musicianship at this early stage of his development.

#5

Congratulations to Constantine Wang (13) for being one of three winners of the Gold Award in the 2026 Singapore Raffles International Music Festival Competition Youth Category Piano Solo Online Competition.

Constantine will be performing Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 8 “Pathétique” in C Minor, Op. 13 on June 6 at PianoForte Chicago. Tickets in Bio.

Constantine is a student of Winston Choi and Jeffrey Panko at New Music School. He has recently won First Prize in the Junior Category of the American Protégé International Piano & Strings Competition 2026 and will be performing in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in June. Additionally, as the winner of the GOLD HANDS of the Carles and Sofia Piano Competition, he has been invited to perform in Spain this summer. He also recently performed in the Intermediate Piano Master Class with Nancy O’Neill Breth at the 2026 MTNA National Conference.

Meet Zarin Mehta
LEARNING 
Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 54: 3. Allegro vivace 
FOR
IN Curriculum — Concerto Class is an advanced, tuition-based program at New Music School for serious young musicians studying concerto repertoire. Through mentorship and conductor review, selected students perform with a chamber orchestra in Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University. The program is offered every three years.

ABOUT
Zarin Mehta is a classical pianist recognized for his refined, architectural style of playing and emotional depth. He has appeared on national and international stages as both soloist and chamber musician, performing standard repertoire alongside his own compositions and transcriptions. Notable performances include opening the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s Tchaikovsky Spectacular Concert at the Ravinia Festival with a solo recital in 2023 and giving the North American premiere of Augusta Read Thomas’s Amalgam in a live broadcast on WFMT Chicago Classical Radio. He has also performed concerti under the direction of Vladimir Kulenovic, Conner Gray Covington, Mina Zikri, and Francesco D’Ovidio.
Zarin has earned top prizes at the MTNA National Senior Piano Division, the Kaufman Music Center International Youth Piano Competition, the DePaul University Concerto Competition, and the Claudette Sorel Piano Competition.
He previously studied piano in the New Music School’s Pre-Conservatory Program and composition at the Music Institute of Chicago. His principal teachers have included Winston Choi, Jeffrey Panko, Mary Sauer, Sean Bennett, and Matthew Hagle. He currently studies with Minsoo Sohn at the New England Conservatory while pursuing undergraduate degrees in Applied Mathematics and Economics at Harvard University, and continues his artistic mentorship with Jeffrey Panko and Winston Choi. He has also participated in master classes with Boris Berman, Michelle Cann, Antonio Pompa-Baldi, and Orli Shaham throughout Europe.

Meet Drake Wunderlich 
LEARNING Chopin’s  Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11: 1. Allegro maestoso
FOR 
IN Curriculum — Concerto Class is an advanced, tuition-based program at New Music School for serious young musicians studying concerto repertoire. Through mentorship and conductor review, selected students perform with a chamber orchestra in Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University. The program is offered every three years.

ABOUT
Drake Wunderlich is an eighth-grade student at Whitney M. Young Academic Center in Chicago. He began studying violin at age five and piano at age six. In 2024, he joined the New Music School, where he studies piano with Jeffrey Panko and Sean Bennett and has performed in showcase recitals and masterclass series.
A member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras since 2018, Drake has served as Concertmaster for four seasons. He currently performs with CYSO’s flagship Symphony Orchestra, including its 2025 tour of Spain, and appeared at Lollapalooza as Assistant Concertmaster. In 2026, he was also featured as a pianist at the CYSO Gala.
Drake is a prize winner in numerous local and national competitions on both violin and piano, including First Place in the 2025 Sinfonia Bel Canto Concerto Competition and Honorable Mention in the Junior Division of the 2025 O’Malley National Concerto Competition, both in piano. In addition to his instrumental performances, he performed the title role in the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s production of Fiddler on the Roof and has also appeared in productions of Aida and Fidelio.
Outside of music, Drake enjoys animals, history, and sports, and competes in regattas with the Chicago Yacht Club.
 

Meet Mika Matsuyama 
LEARNING Saint-Saens’ Piano Concerto No. 2 in G Minor, Op. 22: 1. Andante sostenuto 
FOR 
IN Curriculum — Concerto Class is an advanced, tuition-based program at New Music School for serious young musicians studying concerto repertoire. Through mentorship and conductor review, selected students perform with a chamber orchestra in Ganz Hall at Roosevelt University. The program is offered every three years.
 
ABOUT
Mika Matsuyama, 16, is a junior at Walter Payton College Prep in Chicago and studies piano with Jeffrey Panko at the New Music School. She has also worked with Mary Sauer and participated in masterclasses with Alan Chow, Stephen Osborne, and Spencer Myer.
Last summer, Mika attended the Interlochen Piano Intensive, Indiana University Piano Academy, Oberlin Piano Festival, and Chicago Chamber Music Festival, where she performed in masterclasses with Norman Krieger, Matthew Gianforte, and Carl Cranmer. She also participated in a masterclass with Stephen Osborne at the Grant Park Music Festival.
Mika has received numerous honors, including First Place in the Senior Division of the 2026 NSMTA Karen Tobias Piano Competition, Honorable Mention with Distinction at the DePaul National Concerto Competition, and Second Place at the American Protégé International Competition, through which she will perform Ravel’s Jeux d’eau at Carnegie Hall. She was also a finalist in the Sinfonietta Bel Canto and Musicians Club of Women competitions. Her repertoire includes works by Bach, Mozart, Schumann, Rachmaninov, Ravel, and Gershwin, as well as chamber music by Mozart, Grieg, and Piazzolla.
Outside of piano, Mika is an accomplished dancer. She previously trained at the Joffrey Academy and now performs with her high school’s varsity dance team, which earned first place at the UDA Regionals. She plans to study bioengineering in college.