Celebrating the Class of 2026: The Academy
May 27th, 2026
An incredible year comes to a close at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy, and with it, we celebrate the incredible accomplishments of our graduating seniors. These dedicated young musicians have balanced rigorous musical training with academic excellence, and we are proud to share where their next chapters will begin as they head off to top universities across the country.
Elle Cho
Student of Almita Vamos
Park Ridge, Illinois
Columbia University, New York, New York
Financial Economics & Minor in Violin Performance
"My favorite memories of Academy are always the first and last days of each Academy year. Meeting all the new people on the first day’s and having a fun last day and concert with all the graduating seniors and friends."
Lauren Kim
Student of Almita Vamos and Injoo Choi
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Rice University, Houston, Texas
Violin Performance with Kathleen Winkler
"My favorite memory at the Academy is orchestra rehearsals and rehearsals with Quartet Meraviglia at the Lake Forest College campus!"
Matthew Kim
Student of Sang Mee Lee
Chicago, Illinois
Edens Scholar - McDuffie Center for Strings, Macon, Georgia
Violin Performance with Stefan Jackiw and Jessica Lee
"My favorite memory was the enrichments every week. I really enjoyed having a topic or masterclass each week and the amount we learned during these sessions."
Noah Kim
Student of Christopher Guzman
Vernon Hills, Illinois
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
Mechanical Engineering and Piano Performance with Christopher Guzman
"I would say performing in the community outreach concerts are nice because of all the support and enthusiasm the Academy students share in performing music in our community, and that reminds me of the reason why I play music."
Sebastian Manning
Student of Almita Vamos
Quincy, Illinois
The Juilliard School, New York, New York
Violin Performance with Midori Goto
"I still vividly remember my first day at the Academy and how welcoming the MIC community was. I have so many wonderful memories I couldn't possibly choose one, but I will never forget the late night quartet rehearsals, the orchestra concerts and each week's enrichment. I am so happy to have shared these wonderful memories with such amazing young musicians who I am lucky enough to call my friends."
Luke Montzka
Student of Ian Hallas
Chicago, Illinois
Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania
History and Music Minor
"As a bassist, I've had a unique perspective. While my schedule meant two-hour orchestra rehearsals rather than the full-day Academy, these three years gave me a window into what it truly means to pursue excellence. I've watched Academy members show up with dedication, consistency, courage, and resilience in pursuit of a singular dream: artistry. My favorite memory has to be performing Bartók's Divertimento for Strings in Nichols Hall. There's something about that piece that I'll carry with me for a long time!
Henri Smolen
Student of Austin Huntington
Zionsville, Indiana
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Applied Mathematics and Cello Performance with Angela Park
"Opening Secret Santa presents with the Academy."
Romeo Vashishth
Student of Almita Vamos
Evanston, Illinois
New England Conservatory, Boston, Massachusetts
Violin Performance with Donald Weilerstein
"My favorite memory at the academy is spending time with the people, both in musical and non-musical settings— it’s where I’ve made my closest and most cherished friends and where I’ve grown the most in so many ways."
Brayden Wu
Student of Sang Mee Lee
Wilmette, Illinois
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Operations Research and Engineering
"My time at the Academy is filled with fond memories, like playing at the Pilgrim Players outreach concert, singing solfeggio in Mr. Setapen's theory class, and competing at Fischoff with the Vermilion Quartet."
Lucy Wu
Student of Stefan Kartman
Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
Mathematics and Economics
“My favorite memory was performing with the cellos under the baton of Marin Alsop at the 2023 Gala!”
Congratulations, Class of 2026!