April 2024 Artists
Diana Dawydchak
Diana Dawydchak is an exceptional versatile violinist from Toronto, Canada. She holds a BMus Degree from the University of Toronto where she studied with Timothy Ying and is currently in the final year of Masters Degree at the University of Southern California where she is studying with Lina Bahn. She is the recipient of numerous accolades and awards, including the Felix Galimir Award for Chamber Excellence, two-time Canadian Open Fiddle Champion, Ontario Open Fiddle Champion and Canadian Open Bluegrass Fiddle Champion. Internationally, she has earned titles including the American Grand Master Junior Fiddle Championship and Tennessee State Fiddle Championship Runner-Up. Diana's dedication to classical music is evident in her participation in prestigious summer music festivals such as The National Youth Orchestra of Canada and Bowdoin International Music Festival. She has worked with and performed in masterclasses for Midori, Stefan Jackiw, Ani Kavafian and Soovin Kim. Most recently, she was invited to perform in a Baroque production at the prestigious Sibelius Academy in Finland. Diana, a skilled multi-instrumentalist demonstrates her talents on the keyboard, guitar, and French-button accordion. Alongside her brother Andrew, they form the duo known as DnA. Notable achievements include recording their first EP in Nashville at the age of 15. Their musical journey has taken them across Ontario, gracing numerous festivals and events with their electrifying performances. Their talents have garnered attention from Canadian fiddler superstars Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy, who invited them to join as guest artists on numerous occasions. As a dedicated educator, she currently teaches undergraduate non-music majors at USC, serves on faculty at the MNJCC Suzuki School, and provides private instruction in her home studio. |
Paulina Delgadillo
Paulina Delgadillo has been dedicated to the harp since discovering the instrument at eleven years old. As a young artist, she competed in various competitions across Texas, winning 1st place at the Dallas Harp Society competition in 2013, as well as performing as part of various Texas Music Educators Association All-State ensembles from 2014 through 2017. Paulina recently graduated from the University of North Texas under the instruction of Dr. Jaymee Haefner, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree while also minoring in Computer Science and Spanish. As a student at UNT, she performed with their prestigious ensembles, including the award-winning harp ensemble, the Harpbeats, where her arrangements of “Danzon No. 2” by Arturo Marquez and “La Bamba” were featured in concert. She had the honor of performing in masterclasses for reputed harpists such as Emily Levin, Grace Bauson, Lynne Aspnes, and Maria Luisa Rayan during her time there, and was also a part of a flute and harp duo that performed for the Lewisville Lake Symphony Chamber Series. Recently, Paulina was a finalist of the International Lyon and Healy Awards in 2022, as well as a finalist for the Anne Adams Awards in 2020 and the UNT Concerto Competition in 2020 and 2021. She is currently pursuing a Master of Music degree at the University of Southern California under the tutelage of JoAnn Turovsky. When not playing music, you can find Paulina crocheting or completing a crafty DIY project. |
Elaine Lin
Elaine Lin is a passionate collaborative pianist who performs actively in the Chicago area and mainland China, creating an engaging and supportive atmosphere for music lovers of all ages. In 2016, Lin graced the stage of the Laeiszhalle in Hamburg, Germany, as the youngest pianist in a Galakonzert with the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Xin Tan. More recently, she claimed the title of First-Prize Winner in the undergraduate category at the 2022 Indianapolis Matinee Musicale Competition. Her expertise also led to her appointment as the official collaborative pianist for the Second China Grand Prix, which focused on bass brass instruments like the trombone, bass trombone, and tuba, in 2020. She has routinely worked with string players and vocalists, accompanying rehearsals, lessons, recitals, and various competitions. Lin's musical journey began in her hometown of Shanghai, where she was immersed in music from a young age. She began playing the piano at four and picked up the violin at fourteen. Lin holds a bachelor's degree in piano performance at Indiana University Bloomington under French pianist Jean-Louis Haguenauer. Currently, she is furthering her education in keyboard collaborative arts at the University of Southern California with Professor Kevin Fitz-Gerald. |
Cecile McNeill
Driven by a passion and curiosity for the arts, New Zealand violist Cecile McNeill is currently pursuing a Master of Music at USC's Thornton School under Yura Lee. She has been active in premier professional orchestras, chamber ensembles, and community projects around New Zealand. Notably, she was selected for the Young Artist program of the Whakatipu Music Festival in 2021 and 2022, with her solo and chamber recitals broadcast by The Violin Channel and Radio New Zealand. She also served as an Orchestral Fellow and Intern with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Beyond music, Cecile is a keen artist and writer, with an article published online for The Strad. Holding a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honors from the University of Auckland, she studied under David Samuel, Mark Bennett, and Stephen Larsen, receiving awards such as the Anne Bellam scholarship and the Wilhelm Penseler Prize in Music. |
Ariana O'Connell
Ariana O’Connell is earning her bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, studying with Glenn Dicterow. She earned second place in the 2019 Chicago Violin Competition and first prize in the 2019 Midwest Conservatory Concerto Competition. Ariana has been the associate concertmaster of the California Young Artists Symphony since 2022. She received the 2023 Kathleen and Jerry Eberhardt Scholarship while attending Music Academy as a Violin Fellow. |
Yu-Ting Peng
Pianist Yu-Ting Peng is an active collaborative pianist, performer and teacher in Los Angeles. She has won several awards including grand prize in the Duo Competition at the Music Academy and first prize at the CSUN Concerto Competition. As a collaborative pianist, Peng frequently performs in recitals including recitals with Bing Wang, Catherine Karoly and Taeguk Mun. Peng attends summer festivals regularly including Music Academy of the West, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Montecito International Music Festival and the John Perry Academy of Music. Throughout her musical career, she has trained under well-known professors including John Perry, Alan Smith, Bernadene Blaha and Dmitry Rachmanov. She has studied in masterclass with Yuan Sheng, Meng-Chieh Lui, Daniel Shapiro and more. Peng recently completed her Doctorate of Musical Arts and graduated as Outstanding Graduate in the Keyboard Collaborative Arts program from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, studying under Kevin Fitz-Gerald. She completed her Master’s degree in piano performance as a teaching assistant at the California State University, Northridge. Peng currently works as a collaborative pianist at the Thornton School of Music and Colburn School in Los Angeles. |
Sam Shinnick
Sam Shinnick is a guitarist, teacher, composer, and recent graduate from the Studio/Jazz Guitar Department at USC Thornton School of Music. At USC he studied with esteemed jazz guitar legend Bruce Forman and renowned studio guitarist and music producer Tim Kobza. He performs a multitude of genres as a gigging and recording musician including jazz combos, solo guitar gigs, big bands, musical pit orchestras, alternative rock shows, hip-hop and Americana concerts. He has recorded for artists who have over a million collected streams on Spotify. He also has worked as a film composer for award winning films, including the short film Decoy by director Gen Leo Li: winner of the 2023 London Independent Film Awards. Sam is also an avid teacher maintaining a roster of private students, some who have gone on to study music in university and form their own careers in music. He finds joy in teaching his students the value of music, igniting their own passions for music and showing them the positive impact it can have on their lives. |