The Academy also provides special support and preparation to students who enter local, regional, national and international solo and chamber music competitions. Numerous Music Institute of Chicago Academy students are prize winners and matriculate to the nation’s top conservatories and universities.

Class of 2026 - 2027 Accolades

October 

Neena Agrawal, student of Sang Mee Lee received a full scholarship to attend Yellow Barn, an international center for music in Putney, Vermont, for a week-long workshop. The program is for serious non-professional string and piano musicians.  

Neil Eisfeldt, student of Almita Vamos, was a finalist in the Paul and Loti Christensen Young Artist Competition. Nine outstanding young musicians from across the country competed for top honors and the chance to perform as featured soloists with The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra USA at the 32nd Annual Young Artist Competition on October 11.  

September

Roy Wu, cello, and Olivia Zheng, violin, performed at a Welcome Event at the Obama Presidential Center. Roy is a student of Hans Jensen and Olivia is a student of Almita Vamos.  

Elliot Jung, student of Matthew Hagle, took part in the Piano Concerto Summer Program: From Soloist to Collaborator over the summer. 

Simon Cegys, student of Soo Young Lee, performed Chopin Nocturne in B Major, Op. 62, No. 1 at the Steinway & Sons Piano Masterclass with Angela Cheng with Oberlin Conservatory Faculty and Steinway Artist. He also performed full recitals for the Merion Concert Series in the Crystal Ball Room and in the Plymouth Young Artists Series, Dole Hall.

Alumni News

Cellist Alon Hayut, class of 2019, originally from Ann Arbor, MI, joined the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as Assistant Principal Cello in the fall of 2026. A year prior to his appointment, Hayut received his master’s degree from the Colburn School studying with Clive Greensmith, and in 2023 received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan studying with Richard Aaron. Alon studied with Horacio Contreras during his Academy years. He attended Fischoff and won awards in solo competitions. In 2020, Hayut was a part of the Swan Project, which brought together 24 young cellists worldwide performing Camille Saint-Saëns' The Swan, to offer comfort and community worldwide.  

  
Violinist Joshua Brown, class of 2018. The Sasakawa Foundation in Japan has now loaned its 1702 “Lord Newlands” Stradivarius to VC Artist Joshua Brown. This violin is among the foundation’s “Category A and B” instruments, which are long-term loans of two to seven years for select artists. Joshua’s new violin is named after the owner, Lord Newlands (1825-1906) of England, who treasured it throughout his life. He looks forward to making music with it for years to come. While in the Academy, Joshua studied with Roland and Almita Vamos. 


Internationally acclaimed pianist and Academy alumna, Kate Liu, will perform as part of Northwestern University’s Skyline Piano Artist Series on Friday, October 16. Kate became an international sought after pianist after winning the Third Prize at the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Competition in Warsaw, Poland. Kate has been performed in prestigious halls across the globe. Born in Singapore, Kate began her piano studies at the age of four and moved to the United States at age eight. She studied at the Academy under Emilio del Rosario, Micah Yui, and Alan Chow. Kate holds a Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, as well as a Master’s and Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, where she studied with Robert McDonald and Yoheved Kaplinsky.  


MIC Academy alumna Karisa Chiu was won the Gold Medal at the 2026 International Violin Competition of Indianapolis. Karisa receives a $75,000 prize, a Carnegie Hall recital debut, CD recording contract, and four years of career management and international engagements. Karisa studied with Roland and Almita Vamos from 2012-2017. She received her Master’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music, and she previously earned her Bachelor’s degree from the Curtis Institute of Music. Her preceding mentors include Jaime Laredo, Malcolm Lowe, and Ida Kavafian. She is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at Juilliard School with Catherine Cho and Donald Weilerstein. The preliminary round included forty international musicians including Academy alumni Zachary Brandon and Ria Honda. Zachary advanced to the semi-final round. 

Academy alumnus Clark Snavely, class of 2023, is the recipient of a violin by Francesco Gobetti, Venice, 1714, 'Van Dyl' on generous loan through The Stradivari Society of Chicago. The Stradivari Society is dedicated to the preservation and pursuit of excellence in classical music by identifying the world’s most promising young artists and uniting them with the superb rare, antique Italian instruments they need to help begin and sustain their professional careers thanks to generous patrons. Clark currently studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston with Miriam Fried. Clark studied with Almita Vamos and Davis King in the Academy and was a member of the award winning Pelios String Quartet with Amelia Zitoun, Ellen Zhou, and Tristan Zhu. Read more about Clark and the extensive list of distinguished MIC alumni, and other recent Academy graduates, that Clark joins. https://www.musicinst.org/news/stradivari-society-welcomes-mic-alumnus-clark-snavely-joining-distinguished-mic-alumni

 

Archives