NEW RENEWALS & BEGINNINGS
Saturday January 8th - 5:00 PM
An Intimate Night of Piano Trios
Dustin Seo, cello
A native Angeleno, Dustin Seo is a cellist and arts administrator committed to building community spaces in LA through music. Appointed Associate Artistic Director in 2021, Dustin has been involved with Street Symphony since 2017 and commits his artistic practice to organizing and empowering communities in Los Angeles, specifically through partnerships with Skid Row based arts organizations and service providers. In addition to his position at Street Symphony, Seo also performs as an active freelancer in Los Angeles, performing with several LA ensembles, and recording on a number of media projects. Dustin also serves as staff cellist at Church of Our Savior Episcopal in San Gabriel. Dustin is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music (Rochester, NY), where he received his Bachelor of Music degree with distinction in Cello Performance, and Musical Arts. Dustin is also the recipient of the 2021 California Arts Council Established Artist Fellowship. Dustin plays on a 2011 cello by James McKean.
Ji-Yeon Lee, violin
Violinist Ji-Yeon Lee most recently joined the Griffon String Quartet, resident quartet of Midsummer’s Music in northeast Wisconsin. As an avid chamber musician, she has received numerous awards and has had opportunities to perform in Carnegie Weill Recital Hall and Seiji Ozawa Hall. Her solo appearances include performances on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theater, and Lviv Philharmonic Hall in Lviv, Ukraine where she was awarded the title of laureate at the II Oleh Krysa International Violin Competition. She has held associate positions with several orchestras including the Rochester Philharmonic, Buffalo Philharmonic, Columbus Symphony, and most recently the Milwaukee Symphony. Ji-Yeon is also a dedicated teacher and has been invited to teach and coach chamber music for various private studios and chamber music programs including Cord Studios in Gettysburg, City Strings and Chamber Music Connection in Columbus. Ji-Yeon received her Bachelors and Masters degrees at the Eastman School of Music under Oleh Krysa and a Professional Studies Diploma at the Cleveland Institute of Music under Stephen Rose.
Barry Tan, piano
Remarked in the Boston Globe for his "mesmerizing performance," Canadian pianist Barry Tan is enjoying a career as an active soloist, collaborative artist, and educator in Los Angeles, California. He has performed as soloist with the University of Victoria Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, University of Southern California Symphony Orchestra, and the Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra. Most recently, Barry has had the opportunity to serve as one of the official pianists for the 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition, and currently works as a Staff Pianist for the Collinsworth School of Music at California Baptist University, in Riverside, CA. He is currently pursuing graduate studies at the University of Southern California, where he also served as a studio teaching assistant.
Connie Kim-Sheng, piano
Born in La Crescenta, California to musical parents, Connie Kim-Sheng began her piano studies with her mother at age three. Kim-Sheng has been successful in many international and national competitions, achieving recognition for her musical sensitivity. Her awards include top prizes at the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition, Los Angeles Philharmonic’s BronisÅ‚aw Kaper Awards for Young Artists, Virginia Waring International Piano Competition, Knigge Music Competition, and the New Orleans International Piano Competition, as well as finalist and special prizewinner at the Eastman Young Artists International Competition. As a winner of the annual concerto competition at The Glenn Gould School of The Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Kim-Sheng performed Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto with the Royal Conservatory Orchestra. She has joined the Verde Valley Sinfonietta; California State University, Northridge (CSUN) Orchestra; and American Youth Symphony as a soloist, among others. Kim-Sheng also enjoys chamber music and has attended many summer festivals under full scholarships, including Kneisel Hall and the Ravinia Steans Music Institute. After formally studying with John Perry for 10 years and receiving her bachelor’s degree from The Glenn Gould School, she then continued her studies with Hung-Kuan Chen and Meng-Chieh Liu at the New England Conservatory. She served as a graduate teaching assistant while pursuing a doctorate at the University of Southern California under the guidance of Jeffrey Kahane. Her minors at USC include conducting with Larry Livingston and harpsichord with Lucinda Carver.