Joshua Rascón

Sydney Feldman

Sydney Feldman is a second-year undergraduate from Menlo Park, California, in the Bienen-Weinberg dual degree program at Northwestern University. Prior to attending Northwestern, she studied with Catherine Payne at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College division. Throughout high school, she played in the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Golden State Youth Orchestra. Sydney was a National YoungArts Foundation award winner in 2022 and 2023 and received first place in the 2022 Charleston International European Music Competition. As the winner of the SFCM-Symphony Parnassus Short Piece Competition, she made her solo debut in January 2023 with Symphony Parnassus playing Chaminade’s Concertino. During the summer of 2022, Sydney participated in the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra Program, and in the summer of 2023, she attended Yellow Barn’s Young Artist Program. Additionally, she performed at the 2022 National Flute Association Convention in Chicago as a member of the High School Flute Choir. Sydney has played in masterclasses for Leone Buyse, Carol Wincenc, Marina Piccinini, Denis Bouriakov, Jim Walker, and Marianne Gedigian.

Alice Oh

Alice (Juhye) Oh is a second-year undergraduate studying flute performance and journalism at Northwestern University. Prior to Northwestern, she studied under Isabelle Chapuis and Yuna Kim in the Bay Area in California. Alice was a member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (2020-2023) and Oakland Symphony Youth Orchestra. In the summer of 2023, she attended the BUTI Young Artists’ Orchestra program and was chosen to perform at Tanglewood on Parade with her woodwind quintet. Most recently, she performed the Ibert Concerto with the Livermore-Amador Symphony. At the Aria International Academy, Consummate Flutist, and Idyllwild Academy, she performed in masterclasses with Lorna McGhee, Bonita Boyd, Alberto Almarza, and Demarre McGill. Alice has won top prizes in the Enkor Competition, Pelican International Music Competition, American Protégé Competition, and KAMSA Competition. Previously, Alice was president and vice music director of Tri Valley Symphonics, an ensemble bringing music to libraries and senior centers.

Hanna Oyasu is a second-year undergraduate from Palatine, Illinois, pursuing a dual degree in flute performance and neuroscience at Northwestern University. She has studied the piano since age 4, and began playing the flute at age 10, studying under James Donahue and Hideko Amano. Hanna is an alumna of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Orchestra, CORE chamber orchestra, and chamber music program.

She has placed in several competitions over the years, including the London International Music Competition, Walgreens National Concerto Competition, DePaul Concerto Festival Competition, YoungArts National Competition, and locally, in the Chicago Flute Club student competition. Hanna made her orchestral solo debut in 2023 with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago as a winner of the DePaul Concerto Festival Competition. Hanna has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and has appeared on WFMT’s Introductions both as a soloist and as a member of CYSO’s Symphony Orchestra.

Hanna has had the privilege of participating in masterclasses with Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, Emma Gerstein, Jonathan Keeble, Christina Smith, Cynthia Meyers, Molly Barth, and Marina Piccinini. Hanna has spent her summers in the Young Artists Orchestra at the Tanglewood Institute and the Flute Seminar at the Brevard Music Center. In her free time, Hanna enjoys baking new recipes for her friends and family.

Emily Kim

Emily Kim is a fourth-year undergraduate from Lawrenceville, Georgia studying Flute Performance at Northwestern University.

Before attending Northwestern, she regularly played in Georgia’s district, All-state, and JANFEST festivals. She also played with the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, Gwinnett Country Youth Symphony, Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble, Atlanta Youth Metro Flute Choir, and the HOPE Johns Creek Orchestra.

She received 1st prize in the 2020 AFC Junior Artist Competition, first place band soloist, region 2 in the GMEA Regional Solo and Ensemble Showcase in 2021, and was the wind section bronze prize winner of the Georgia Christina University Music Competition in 2013.

Over the summers, she was accepted to the Governor’s Honors Program and Interlochen. She also participated in the Honors Performance Series, NAfME, CMU Pre-College program, and the Schwob school of Music summer flute masterclass.At her high school, she participated in the PRHS marching band and also created a school flute choir.

In her free time, Emily enjoys trying new food, exercise, and spend time with her friends and family.

Maya Ravi

Maya Ravi is a fourth-year undergraduate student studying flute performance and journalism at Northwestern University. Maya is from Austin, Texas, where she studied with Jennifer Keeney and Seetha Shivaswamy. Maya has worked at the Music Academy of the West, the Heifetz International Music Institute, KMFA 89.5 – Austin’s Classical Music Radio Station, and the Austin Chamber Music Center. She will be attending law school after graduation and hopes to pursue a career in entertainment law.

Miguel Rodriguez

Miguel is a fourth-year undergraduate studying Flute Performance and Music Education. Raised in the suburbs of Chicago, Miguel started playing the flute in fifth grade band and started studying with Scott Metlicka (Elgin Symphony, Rockford Symphony, and South Bend Symphony) in 8th grade. Miguel participated in various ILMEA all-district and state ensembles on both flute and jazz saxophone throughout middle and high school. As a member of the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, Miguel played principal flute performing works such as Bela Bartok’s Concerto for Orchestra, Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite, and Shostakovich’s Symphony No.1. During his senior year in high school, Miguel became a member of the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative (CMPI) where he received rigorous coaching from musicians of the CSO, performed recitals, and even made an appearance on Chicago’s WFMT.

Miguel currently has a one-year contract with Rockford Symphony on Second Flute/Piccolo and frequently appears as a substitute musician with South Bend, Highland Park Strings, and Elgin Symphony. Miguel’s passion for teaching has guided him to teaching woodwind players of all levels. Many of Miguel’s students have gone on to summer camps such as Blue Lake, Birch Creek and Interlochen. This past summer, Miguel was the Flute TA working alongside Shannon Finney of the Kansas City Symphony during Birch Creek’s symphony session.

During his free time, Miguel enjoys running and cycling!

Julianna Wang

Julianna Wang is a fourth-year undergraduate student from Concord, North Carolina pursuing a dual-degree in Flute Performance and Cognitive Science. Before coming to Northwestern, Julianna studied with Elizabeth Landon as well as Amy Orsinger-Whitehead. In high school, Julianna participated in the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra as well as the Youth Orchestras of Charlotte Flute Choir. Additionally, she has participated in North Carolina’s South-Central District Band and All-State Band. In 2019, Julianna attended North Carolina’s Governor’s School West for Instrumental Music. She has performed in masterclasses with Victor Wang and Goran Marcusson.

On a lighter note, Julianna’s favorite animal is the seal and wishes to see one in the wild. She enjoys eating noodle soups, skiing intermediate-level slopes, exploring national parks, and collecting animal-themed items.

Haylie Wu

Haylie Wu is a fourth-year undergraduate from San Jose, California, pursuing a dual degree in flute performance and Electrical Engineering. Prior to Northwestern, she studied with Ai Goldsmith.

Haylie was raised in Shanghai, and she moved to the states in the summer of 2017. During high school, she was a member of San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. In 2019, she won the first prize winner of the San Jose Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition. She also played as the second chair in California All-state Wind Ensemble and was qualified in NAfME National Honor Concert Band in 2019. Haylie was the second prize winner of San Francisco Flute Society Junior Division competition in 2019, and the first prize winner of Sacramento Flute Festival High School Artist competition in 2020. She has performed in masterclasses with Robert Stallman, Leone Buyse, and a virtual masterclass with Ransom Wilson through Chicago Flute Club.

Isabel Evernham

Isabel Evernham is a first-year master’s student at Northwestern University. She graduated from the New England Conservatory of Music with a B.M. in Flute Performance studying flute and piccolo with Cindy Meyers, the piccolo of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. During her time in Boston, she regularly performed with the NEC Philharmonia and Wind Ensemble. She was also the principal piccolo of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, performing in Boston’s Symphony Hall, as well as on international tours to South Africa and Europe. 

Isabel began her studies at age ten in Nashville, Tennessee, studying with Leslie Fagan through the Nashville Symphony’s Accelerando Program. She has had notable masterclasses with Lorna McGhee, Paula Robison, Valerie Coleman, James Galway, and Aaron Goldman, among others. In recent years, she has taken part in various summer festivals, including Orford Musique, PRISMA Festival & Academy, and the National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute.  

When she is not playing her flute, Isabel enjoys exploring new coffee shops around the city, crocheting, and trying out new food recipes.

Dylan Abbott

Dylan Abbott (he/him) is a current First Year Master’s student in Flute Performance at Northwestern University. He received his Bachelor’s of Music in Music Performance from the University of Georgia, where he studied with Angela Jones-Reus. During his undergraduate studies, Dylan performed in the UGA Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, where he was involved in various world premiers of varying ensemble sizes.

In August 2024, Dylan was selected as a winner in the National Flute Convention Masterclass Competition, where he performed in a masterclass with Marianne Gedigian. Since June 2022, Dylan has been part of the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra, a non-profit orchestra dedicated to bringing free performances of classical music to the Branson, MO area. In his free time, Dylan enjoys spending time with friends, journaling, reading, and making a cozy cup of tea.

Maggie Umanetz-Lertprasopsak

Maggie Umanetz-Lertprasopsak is a Thai-Canadian flutist from Toronto, Canada. Throughout her bachelor’s degree at the University of Toronto, Maggie was the recipient of many honours including the University of Toronto Scholars Award (2019), the Howard F. Andrews Memorial Prize (2020), Percy Faith Award (2021), and was a candidate for the 2023 Rhodes Scholarship.

As a chamber musician, Maggie has worked in numerous ensembles, including the University of Toronto’s Contemporary Music Ensemble, which performed the Canadian Premiere of Flux, by George Lewis. She has also freelanced with the Brott Music Festival and occupies a substitute position with the Mandel Philharmonic. Maggie has attended many summer festivals including Domaine Forget, where she studied with renowned flutists Julien Beaudiment, Susan Hoeppner, Jacinthe Forand and Emmanuel Pahud, and the 2022 National Academy Orchestra of Canada, where she worked with the prominent conductor Alain Trudel. 

Maggie completed her Bachelor of Music degree at the University of Toronto, where she was a student of Kelly Zimba-Lukic, Leslie Newman, and Stephen Tam. She is now pursuing a Master of Music degree at Northwestern University, where she is the recipient of the Eckstein Scholarship. Maggie is studying with John Thorne, a sought after pedagogue and performer, Jennifer Gunn and Alyce Johnson.

Abby Katje

Abby Katje is a second-year master’s student from San Diego,
California studying Flute Performance at Northwestern University. Abby
graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with her B.M.
in Flute Performance under Dr. Elizabeth Buck. Prior to moving to
Chicago, Abby studied with Diana Morgan in Southern California. Her
previous teachers also include James Romeo of the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra.

At Arizona State University, Abby performed as principal flute and
piccolo of the ASU Symphony Orchestra and the ASU Wind Ensemble. She
was also the flutist of the Aurum Wind Quintet, performing with the
group in various venues across the Phoenix area. In addition to her
studies, Abby has participated in the Imani Winds Chamber Music
Festival in New York City and the MusicAlp Festival in Tignes, France.

Abby has performed in masterclasses with flutists from all around the
world such as Gareth Davies, Susan Hoeppner, Jim Walker, Demarre
McGill, Marianne Gedigian, and Hyeri Yoon.

Mary Lynn Miklos

Mary Lynn Miklos is a second year masters student at Northwestern University studying Flute Performance with Professor John Thorne. Before studying at Northwestern University, Mary graduated from Florida Southern College in Lakeland Florida with a B.M in Flure Performance studying with Colleen Blagov and a B.A in Youth Ministry.

In her undergraduate program, Mary served as the principle flutist in the Florida Southern College Orchestra, FSC Wind ensemble, and played in numerous chamber groups. She holds music scholarships for The Albert Key Memorial Award and The Jack Houts Memorial Award for performance.

Mary has also attended Interharmony International Music Festival and Flauti al Castelo Masterclass Series in Italy studying with Sergio Pallottelli and Mark Sparks.

When she is not playing the flute, Mary enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, and being outside!

Holly Venkitaswaran

Holly Venkitaswaran is a second year master’s student at Northwestern University. She recently graduated from Vanderbilt University, where she won the 2021 Vanderbilt Concerto Competition performing Frank Martin’s “Ballade for Flute and Orchestra”. She was also a prizewinner in the 2019 Bolz Young Artist Competition, where she performed François Borne’s “Carmen Fantasy” with the Madison Symphony Orchestra. Holly won the 2019 Wisconsin Flute Festival Young Artist Competition, 2018 Chicago Flute Club Competition – Senior Division, and the 2018 Kenosha Symphony Concerto Competition performing Carl Nielsen’s Flute Concerto. Most recently, she took first place in the 2023 Mid-South Flute Society Young Artist Competition.

Her other notable performances include solo recitals on Wisconsin Public Radio and WFMT’s radio show “Introductions” in 2019. She has also performed in masterclasses for Stefán Ragnar Höskuldsson, Lorna McGhee, Jim Walker, Marina Piccinini, Bonita Boyd, and Amy Porter, among others. Holly plays a 14 karat rose gold flute made by Juan Arista, one of the last of its kind to be made by the master flute maker.

Cierra Hall

Cierra Hall is a first-year doctoral student and graduate assistant at Northwestern University. Cierra began studying classical music at the Baltimore School for the Arts. She then received her Bachelor of Music Degree from Manhattan School of Music. She received her Master of Music Degree from the University of Miami, where she was also a Henry Mancini Institute Fellow and teaching assistant in chamber music.

In New York City, Cierra served as principal flutist of the New York Youth Symphony and performed a variety of orchestral repertoire at Carnegie Hall. In 2020, she received the Vetter -Vargas/Ukena fellowship. At Manhattan School of Music, Cierra’s wind quintet was a selected winner of the Lillian Fuchs Chamber Music Competition.

As an orchestral musician, Cierra has performed with Symphonia Boca Raton and Opera Naples. She is a substitute musician for the New World Symphony and a regular member of the Chicago Civic Orchestra. Cierra has attended Festival Napa Valley, Kent Blossom Music Festival, and Sewanee Summer Music Festival. In the past, she has performed in masterclasses for Demarre McGill, Nadine Asin, Amy Porter, and Ransom Wilson. In 2022, Cierra was honored with the Pierians Young Arts Award. Aside from performing, Cierra is a dedicated music teacher. Cierra is recognized as a Wm. S. Haynes Young Artist.