Meet Our Ambassadors.

We are currently accepting applications for our Ambassadors Program. Click here to apply.

Angeline Kiang, 16, studies cello with Clive Greensmith at the Colburn Music Academy. Angeline has been awarded top prizes in the Pacific Musical Society Competition and the ENKOR International Music Competition. Her ensemble, the Fervida Trio, won gold medals in the Junior Division of the 2019 Fischoff National Chamber Competition. Angeline enjoys running, chess, and baking.

Oboist Meera Bhatia studies at Oberlin Conservatory with Robert Walters. Meera has performed with Oberlin’s large ensembles and participated in music festivals and seminars including Interlochen, Kinhaven, and Elaine Douvas’s Hidden Valley Masterclass Seminar. Meera has appeared as a concerto soloist with the Colorado Springs Chamber Orchestra and the Pikes Peak Philharmonic.

“I love being a Practice Coach. It’s fun and rewarding to volunteer my time to help someone else get better at what I love to do the most. I value the opportunity to become a better teacher myself. It is inspiring to see my mentee understand a concept; it makes me want to work harder at practicing!” — Meera Bhatia, Ambassador

Violist Daniel Simmons is a graduate of The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division and The Dalton School. Daniel has performed with the InterSchool Orchestras of New York, at Curtis SummerFest, Boston University’s Tanglewood, National Youth Orchestra-USA, and the Sphinx Performance Academy. Daniel will attend Columbia University in the fall of 2021.

Delia Marculescu is an artist not only in piano but in many other ways. She studies with pianist Mika Sasaki. Delia is an avid reader and author, working on her first book. She lives in Romania and aspires to work in medicine.

Deja Thomas-Sharif started playing the violin at the age of 4. She attends the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music where she is a peer mentor for fellow string players. Deja has participated in “Big Questions”, a program run by the New York Institute of Philosophy and the philosophy department at NYU. Deja loves poetry and her favorite artist is Trippie Redd.

Vibha Janakiraman studies with Catherine Cho at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division. Vibha has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra and the Ambler Symphony. Vibha is dedicated to creating deeply impactful performances, presented with courage and passion, and is connected to Western Classical music and South Indian Classical music alike. 

Saiya Mittal is a 9th-grade violinist who studies with Elizabeth Faidley. She grew up in New York City and currently lives in Florida. In addition to playing the violin, Saiya loves to bake and go to the beach. She wishes to spread her musical knowledge to those who don’t have the same opportunities, and one of her goals is to help younger students love and understand music.

Violinist Keitaku Iwata started studying the violin at the age of 4 and studies with Elizabeth Faidley. Keitaku has played in the Youth Symphony Orchestra at Duke University, the MYCO Youth Chamber Orchestra, the Greater Princeton Youth Orchestra, and Veritas Youth Orchestra, NJ. He also enjoys playing in a smaller chamber group. Keitaku enjoys playing tennis, baking, and reading.

Nathan Lin, a student of Elizabeth Faidley, has appeared as a soloist with the NY Concerti Sinfonietta, the Washington Heights Orchestra, and the International Music Orchestra. Nathan was a Grand Prize winner in the International Young Artists Competition, a Gold Medalist in the National Young Maestro Competition, and a Grand Prize winner in the East Coast International Music Competition.

Nicolas Lin, a student of Elizabeth Faidley, has soloed with the IMONY Chamber Orchestra and Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra. He was a First Prize Winner in NY Artists International Competition 2020, NY Young Virtuoso Competition 2020, East Coast International Music Competition 2020-21, and VIVO International Competition 2021. Nicolas loves basketball and video games.

Ambassadors are high-level young musicians who are passionate about pedagogy and teaching artistry; want to strengthen their musicianship while mentoring younger students; funnel their musical passion into a rich understanding of artistry and social justice beyond the practice room; and learn how to become effective ambassadors for music.

Obligations for this VOLUNTEER POSITION include:

1. Working for 30 minutes per week with a MusicAlly student via Zoom as a mentor and practice coach. (Sessions are recorded for safety.)

2. Communicating with MusicAlly teachers regarding their mentee's assignments

3. Attend pre-professional development training to support their work with their mentee, and enrich them as artists and people.

Violist Andrew Jensen studies with Surai Balbeisi at The Manhattan School of Music’s Pre-College Division. He is a student at LaGuardia High School. Andrew has attended the Kinhaven Music School, Greenwood Music Camp, and the Viola Intensive at the Interlochen Arts Camp.

“Having my son work with an Ambassador is like getting another mini-lesson each week, which is awesome. It’s good for him to work with an older, more skilled student, so that he can envision his future development.” — Jessica Semar, parent

Violist Callia Liang is a student at Hunter College High School. She studies at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division under Yi-Fang Huang and Heidi Castleman. She attended Music@Menlo in the summer of 2019 and has participated in the New York Youth Symphony’s Chamber Music Program since 2017. In her free time, Callia enjoys reading poetry and walking along the East River.

Erin Mansell (she/her) is a music and biology double major at Davidson College. She began playing horn at 11 years old. Erin studies horn with MusicAlly faculty member Andrew Fierova and plays in the Davidson College Symphony Orchestra, Brass Quintet, and Horn Ensemble. Erin loves connecting with musicians from all around the world who love music as much as she does.

Georgia Post-Lipnick studies at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division with Molly Carr and Yi-Fang Huang. She is principal violist of the New York Youth Symphony, regional director of the Back to Bach Essex County region, and plays with the Harambee Chamber Orchestra. Her quartet, the Amoroso Quartet, was a semifinalist in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Jane Robinson started playing the violin at the age of 4. She has performed at the Rose Studio of Lincoln Center with her school chamber music group and has placed in numerous violin competitions. In her spare time, she volunteers at an animal shelter, working with cats. Jane attends Hunter College High School. Her violin teachers are Elizabeth Faidley and Adelya Nartadjieva.

Kayleigh Kim studies with Catherine Cho and Francesca dePasquale at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division. She is a National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellow, competed in the junior category of the Menuhin Competition in 2021, and won 1st place in the Richmond Symphony Concerto Competition, and the MTNA Virginia Competition. Kayleigh has performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Nationals Park for an MLB game.

Violinist Kaylin Chung studies with Elizabeth Faidley. Kaylin is a private tutor for elementary and middle school violinists in her district. Kaylin also runs on her track and cross-country team. She is also an executive member of her school's SAVE Club, which raises awareness about climate change and studies human impacts on the environment. In her free time, Kaylin loves to bake and read.

Jahmal Farrell is a violinist from New York who began playing in 4th grade. He is a student at the Celia Cruz Bronx High School of Music. Jahmal is excited to help young students grow to be great, and he offers support to underclassmen at Celia Cruz by performing with a variety of ensembles at school concerts. Jahmal loves animals, video games, and basketball.

Kei Obata studies with Catherine Cho at The Juilliard School’s Pre-College Division. He has attended Music@Menlo, Curtis Institute Summer Festival, and Greenwood Music Festival. Kei has appeared with the Concerto Festival Orchestra and the St. Thomas Orchestra. Kei is the Regional Director of Brooklyn for the Back to Bach Project and a Youth Ambassador for Concerts in Motion.