Young Artist Institute
Launched in 2022, Chamber Music Northwest’s Young Artist Institute (YAI) is an intensive education program for 16 talented string players from around the world, ages 14-18. For the 2026 cohort, the three-week program is held from June 15 to July 4 on the University of Portland campus.
During and just prior to CMNW’s 2026 Summer Festival, the young musicians are featured in performances throughout the community, including free showcases, pop-ups around town, and on SoundsTruck NW’s mobile concert stage for a community concert. As well, during the first two weeks of the festival everyone is welcome to come see them in pre-concert prelude performances!
The 2026 YAI faculty includes esteemed musicians and teachers: CMNW’s Artistic Director Soovin Kim (violin), Jessica Lee (violin), Dimitri Murrath (viola), Nicholas Cords (viola), and Peter Stumpf (cello). The Institute is managed by violinist and music education powerhouse Alyssa Tong and will be supported by Resident Mentors & Production Assistants Jacob Mills and Alexandra Tong, and Operations Associate Paul Kim.
The violinists, violists, and cellists selected for the YAI program are among the top high school string players in North America and beyond. Students in the 2026 YAI cohort come from as far as China, India, and Japan and have soloed with orchestras around the U.S. and Europe. Their accolades include selection for and prizes at YoungArts, Sphinx Competition, National Youth Orchestra, the Fischoff and St. Paul String Quartet Competitions, and many more. They hail from prestigious preparatory programs including New England Conservatory, Royal Conservatory in Toronto, Seattle Chamber Music Society, San Francisco Conservatory, The Juilliard School, and Portland’s own Portland Youth Philharmonic. CMNW’s Institute provides talented young musicians the unique opportunity to perform numerous times during its three weeks. The students will experience tremendous growth performing both solo works and string quartets for small and large audiences. The Portland community will get to enjoy the amazing virtuosity and precociousness of these musicians at festival concerts and pop-up performances around the city.
“Supporting and educating young artists has been at the core of our work at Music@Menlo (where Gloria was institute director), and at the New England Conservatory and Yale School of Music (where Soovin teaches),” said Gloria Chien and Soovin Kim, CMNW Artistic Directors. “This Young Artist Institute is a dream come true, and we know it is going to affect the lives of the extraordinary students and the CMNW audiences. Our hope is to inspire and invigorate the love of chamber music through these bright, shining musical talents!”
Collaborative Piano Fellowship
Hand-in-hand with the YAI program comes the new CMNW Collaborative Piano Fellowship featuring the talents of two exceptional graduate-level pianists. We welcome 2026 Piano Fellows Jiarong Li and Pualina Lim who will rehearse, perform, and learn alongside the young artists to refine their skills in the challenging art of collaborative performance with a soloist.
Sponsored by Yoko & Jon Greeney and the Yu-Brody Charitable Fund of the American Endowment Foundation.
“It takes a rare skill and instinct to support a young string player’s development as the pianist with whom they collaborate in concertos, sonatas, and other pieces with piano,” said Peter Bilotta, CMNW Executive Director. “The pianist provides the string player with the sense of rhythm, harmony, and texture. We are excited to create the CMNW Collaborative Piano Fellowship that brings two of the finest graduate student pianists to not only support the Institute string players, but also develop and hone their collaborative skills.”
2026 Institute Young Artists
• Kai Isoke Ali-Landing (17) Violin • Chicago, Illinois & Melbourne, Florida*
• Aisha Bhansali (15) Viola • Mumbai, India
• Christie Cheung (16) Violin • Toronto, Ontario*
• Timothy Chua (16) Cello • Singapore
• Samuel Dangerfield (16) Cello • Saint Paul, Minnesota
• Griffin Frost (18) Cello • New York City, New York*
• Richard Eishin Hiraishi (18) Viola • Muncie, Indiana
• Euisun Hong (17) Violin • Pleasanton, California
• James Lee (17) Cello • Bellevue, Washington
• Joshua Lee (16) Violin • Phoenix, Arizona
• Mason Lee (18) Viola • Tarrytown, New York
• Isabel Jing Metz (17) Violin • Alfred Station, New York*
• Penelope Tang (17) Viola • Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania
• Leo Trajano (18) Violin • Hillsboro, Oregon*
• Leila Warren (17) Violin • Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
• Xiaowen Zhang (15) Violin • Wenzhou Zhejiang, China
*returning YAI student
READ 2025 YOUNG ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES HERE!
2026 Collaborative Piano Fellows
• Pualina Lim • Piano Fellow*
• Jiarong Li • Piano Fellow
*returning Piano Fellow
“It has been amazing to watch the project grow,” said Alyssa Tong, Young Artist Institute manager. “Soovin and Gloria’s vision is incredible and I am excited to see it all come together! The students are extremely talented and mature, and the faculty is just as amazing and impactful. The final puzzle piece is the audience; I can’t wait to see the audience get to experience and enjoy such a high level of playing from such young artists.”
Come See Them Perform!
2026 FREE SHOWCASE CONCERTS!
● SHOWCASE #1: FRI, June 19 @ Noon | The Old Church
● SHOWCASE #2: FRI, June 26 @ Noon | The Old Church
● FINALE CONCERT: SAT, July 4 @ 2 PM | Kaul Auditorium, Reed College
. . . and at these FREE pre-concert and community events!
● PRELUDE PERFORMANCES ● THU, June 25, SAT, June 27, MON, June 29, THU, July 2 & FRI, July 3 arrive early for these mainstage concerts to enjoy a free, pre-concert performance. Experience the joy and virtuosity of the next generation!
● COMMUNITY CONCERT ● TUE, June 30 @ 7 PM ● Young Artist Institute | University of Portland, Shipstad Field with SoundsTruck NW
● POP-UP PERFORMANCES ● WED, June 24 & WED, July 1 • 1–4 PM with YAI soloists & pianists
FIND THEM at the Central Library, OMSI, Tualatin Public Library, Gresham Senior Center, and so many more fun locations!
Young Artist Institute Circle
We’ve created the Young Artist Institute Circle as an opportunity for people who are passionate about music education to become closely involved in providing a unique training environment that helps prepare exceptionally talented young instrumentalists for a career in music. $10,000 per year is the cost for one student’s lessons, coaching, room and board, and transportation around Portland during the three-week Institute. Together, this group funds student participation in this life-changing experience—everyone is invited to support this effort!
We are deeply grateful to the following generous donors for their major gifts in support of the Young Artist Institute:
The Acorn Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation
Carole Alexander
Dan Boyce & Lilla Cabot
Kennett F. Burnes
Marilyn Crilley & George Rowbottom
Diana Dameron
Linda Dameron in honor of Bill Dameron
Ronnie-Gail Emden & Andrew Wilson
Elinor Gollay
Yoko & Jonathan Greeney
David Greger
Howard Greisler & Elizabeth Hudson
Ted Haskell & Mary Mears-Haskell
Betsy Hatton
Richard & Linda Jenkins
James Kahan & Kathia Emery
Ronni S. Lacroute Fund of OCF
Rev. Dr. Rodney & Sandra Page
Rose E. Tucker Charitable Trust
Peter & Ann van Bever
Ravi Vedanayagam & Ursula Luckert
Slate & Davida Wilson
Anonymous Friend of CMNW
Our thanks to these 2026 CMNW Young Artist Institute Circle members:
Carl Abbott & Margery Post Abbott
Richard & Kristin Angell
Tom Balmer & Mary Louise McClintock
Laura J. Barton
Jan & Diana Boldt
Marlene Burns & Jon Dickinson
Nick & Janet De Morgan
Mary Dickson & Jerry Sunday
Allen Dobbins
Jon R. Feldhausen
Beth Fry
Laura Gordon
John & Judie Hammerstad
Linda & John Hardham
Diane M. Herrmann
Barbara Holisky & Gary McDonald
Jason & Wanda Horwege
Lynne Johnson & Larry Madson
Miyoung Kwak
Thad & Terry Langford
Leslie Lehmann & Clark Worth
Kay Mannion
Gregory & Sonya Morgansen
Patricia Morris-Rader
Deborah & George Olsen
Charles Peterson & Susan Sater
Betty & Jacob Reiss
Dr. Howard Rosenbaum &
Dr. Maricia Kahn
Jeff & Kathleen Rubin
Anne Stevenson
Summerplace Senior Living
Jerry Sunday
Kathleen Worley
Deborah Zita & Maryka Biaggio
Anonymous Friend of CMNW
To make your gift in support of the Young Artist Institute, Click Here.