About the Participants

Sofía Skoldberg

Sofía Skoldberg is 16 years old and lives on Long Island, New York. She has been playing violin for 11 years, and is currently a student of Ms. Elizabeth Faidley. Sofía has studied at Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege Program, where she was concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra. Sofía has won several awards, such as the Gold Plus Prize in the American Allegro Fine Arts Association Competition, 1st place in the Elite International Music Competition, 2nd Prize in the East Coast International Competition, and First Place in the Prima Volta Music Competition. When she is not playing, Sofía enjoys watching movies, spending time with friends, and horseback riding.

Kaylin Chung

Kaylin Chung is currently a sophomore attending the East Brunswick high school in East Brunswick, New Jersey. She has been playing the violin since she was eight years old, and currently studies with Elizabeth Faidley in New York City. Other than the playing the violin, she runs on her high school track team and is an active member of her school's SAVE club, which raises awareness about the planet and today's environment. She also loves to hang out with her friends and her dog, Kookie.

Nathan Lin

Nathan Lin is a Junior attending Townsend Harris High School and studies violin with Elizabeth Faidley. From 2018, Nathan served as Co-Concertmaster in the Elite Ensemble Chamber Orchestra and a section leader of the Violin Virtuosi chamber group. Nathan was a featured artist in the 2020 International Shining Stars Concert and soloed with the NY Concerti Sinfonietta. He has also soloed with the Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra and the International Music Organization Chamber Orchestra, as well as played in masterclasses with internationally-acclaimed artists Rachel Barton-Pine, Carolin Widmann, Lisa Batiashvili, and Ray Chen. Nathan was a finalist in the New York Chamber Players Concerto Competition in 2018 and 2020, and the 2018-19 State Winner for the Junior String Performance in the Music Teachers National Association Competition and Honorable Mention in 2020-21 Senior Strings Performance in the MTNA Competition. Besides violin, Nathan enjoys robotics and programming, origami, and playing basketball.

Ryan Tully

Ryan Tully is a 16-year-old from New Jersey. He began playing violin at age seven and studies with Elizabeth Faidley. He is a first place winner in IMO, Rondo Vanguard, National Artists’, ECI and Young Maestro Competitions and has also placed in CAI, NY Chamber Players and ENKOR Competitions.

Ryan has performed as a soloist with the WHCO, IMONY and NV Chamber Orchestras. He has also performed as leader with the “The Violin Virtuosi” who have performed in Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest, as well as The New York Concerti Sinfonietta at Carnegie Hall. In 2017, he performed at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Young Ensembles Program.

Ryan also frequently participates in BridgeMusik festivals which creates bridges between young musicians and world-class professional musicians through mentoring, collaboration and performances.

Ryan’s master class experiences include performing for Charlie Siem, Ray Chen, Vadim Gluzman, David Chan, Lisa Batiashvili, Peter Winograd, Carolin Widmann and Rachel Barton Pine. He has attended the HeifetzPEG program and enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures.

Allison Lovera

Graduate of the Chicago College of Performing Arts (CCPA), she was part of the Almita and Roland Vamos Violin Studio. As a Chamber musician, Lovera was a member of the Roraima Quartet in Venezuela and has participated in collaborative chamber music recitals as a fellow of Nexus Chamber Music Chicago, with 5th Wave Collective, along with CCPA faculty, and the Pacifica Quartet.

Currently pursuing an Artist Diploma at the University of Memphis 'Rudi E. Scheidt' School of Music. Concertmaster at the CCPA Symphony Orchestra since 2016; member of the Sphinx Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra; a Fellow at Memphis Symphony Orchestra, at Chicago Sinfonietta, and a member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago.