Oregon Coast Youth Symphony Festival: University of Portland & South Eugene High School

Franz Schubert: String Quintet in C Major, Op. 163, D. 156 First movement: Allegro ma non troppo
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No.1 Op.11 Adante Cantabile
Manuel Ponce (arr. Jascha Heifetz): “Estrellita”
Christopher Ducasse: Souvenir
Antonin Dvorak: String Quartet No. 12, Op. 96 “American” Fourth Movement: Finale: Vivace ma non troppo

The University of Portland (UP) String Quintet is comprised of UP students, who are all part of the UP orchestra and chamber ensembles. Brought together by their love of music, each individual brings forth a wide range of talent and interests. Marshall Zhang, first violinist, organized the quintet for his senior recital.

Marshall Zhang (1st Violin)a senior from Tamuning, Guam. He is currently pursuing a double major in music and computer science. He has been playing the violin for 15 years. He was part of the Guam Symphony Orchestra and played with the Honors Performance Series in Sydney, Australia in high school. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his friends, playing tennis, and skiing.

Emily Todd (2nd Violin)is a sophomore from Camas, Washington. She is currently pursuing a double major in music and civil engineering. In addition to playing with the UP chamber and symphony orchestras, she participates as an alumni violinist with the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. When not practicing, she can be found baking or long-boarding.

Rowan Lowery (Viola) is a sophomore from Newburg, Oregon. He is currently pursuing a double major in music arts administration and theater sound design. He has been playing viola for 15 years. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing, photography, and exploring nature.

Ian Carlos (1st Cello) is a junior from Hayward, California. He is currently pursuing a degree in electrical engineering with a minor in music. He has studied cello for 12 years as a student of Allen Gove, Joey Hebert, Dr. Hannah Harrington, and most recently Heather Blackburn. He has received recognition and awards from the East Bay Youth Orchestra, the California Orchestra Director’s Association, and the California Music Educators Association. He serves at his home parish in the music ministry and has volunteered his music talents with Melody Connects (a non-profit providing music mentoring to students) and the Golden Gate Boys Choir. When not practicing, he can be found tinkering with robotics and playing video games.

Laney Mohr (2nd Cello) is a junior from Seattle, Washington. She is currently pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering with minors in music and physics. She has been playing the cello for 11 years. In addition to her music career and academic pursuits, she also conducts personal research in the medical field.

 

The South Eugene Piano Trio has been playing together for the past year and are a group dedicated, young musicians from South Eugene. Each member has over 10 years of music experience and shares a passion for music in their community. In addition to playing as a piano trio, the members also participate in school orchestras, youth symphonies, chamber music institutes, and have competed at the state level in solo competitions and honor ensembles.

Zoe Kramer, Piano, is a student of Dr. Brian Hsu at the University of Oregon and has been playing piano for 11 years. She is the first prize winner of the Gottlibe, Chase, and Brown competitions, as well as the Maryland piano state solo competition. In addition to piano Zoe enjoys swimming, hiking, and traveling.

Pearl Carter, Cello, has been playing cello for 12 years and studies with Anne Riddlington, the principal cellist of the Eugene symphony as well as the Corvallis symphony. In addition to cello, Pearl plays piano and is an avid member of the Celeste String Quartet. Apart from music she leads the Feminist Student Union at South Eugene High School and volunteers at Women’s Advocacy Council for Youth.

Nina Vivek, Violin, has been playing for over 10 years and studies with Lillie Manis in Eugene. She has competed in multiple violin competitions and placed 3rd in the OMEA competition in 2023. Nina also is an active member of the Celeste string quartet and is a captain of the South Eugene girl’s tennis team. In addition to violin, Nina plays viola and participates in many clubs such as Rotary and Bridge USA.