Join Music For Youth on October 2 at Pequot Library in Southport for the first Emerging Artists Concert of the season, featuring acclaimed cellist Leland Phillip Ko and 15-year-old Emerging Artist Serena Li. 

Registration is open and will close on October 2. Tickets are free but registration is required for this event.

About the Artists

Cellist Leland Philip Ko (b. 1998) is the kind of person who is always asking “why” — American-born but of Chinese-Canadian descent, schooled at both university and conservatory, and extremely thorough in any number of activities ranging from competitive tennis and distance-running to home-baking and origami, he wants to find the similarities between seemingly disparate things, and in doing so hopefully find something human in everything.  Above all, Leland does his best to remember advice once given to him that music is about life, not the other way around.

Nicknamed “the storyteller” and “a daring prince” by the media during his time at the Queen Elisabeth Competition, and described as “one of those artists who defy analysis, because words simply cannot describe the powerful emotions they evoke” (RTBF), Leland is a first prize winner of the Walter W. Naumburg International Cello Competition, an Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, and a third prize winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition.

Highlights for Leland’s 2026-2027 season include concerto appearances at home with the Kendall Square Orchestra and the Apollo Ensemble of Boston, a recital at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, and chamber music at Shriver Hall in Baltimore, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Newport Classical Festival, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, and Wigmore Hall in London.  Past engagements have included a sold out debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, performances at Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Music Center, Boston’s Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall, and concerto appearances with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, the Brussels Philharmonic, the Orchestre Symphonique de Sherbrooke, the DuPage Symphony, the Roswell Symphony Orchestra, and the Hudson Valley Philharmonic.

Despite growing up a part of Boston’s strong youth orchestra culture, Leland feels that chamber music is central to his being, having had formative years at Yellowbarn, Ravinia's Steans Music Institute, Four Seasons Chamber Music Workshop, and the Perlman Music Program’s Summer Music School and its Chamber Music Workshop.  Leland’s love for chamber music has also led him to be a former Artist in Residence of New York Piano Society (NYPS), and former Music Director of Opus 21, a student-run chamber music collective at Princeton.  He is the cellist of Trio Rai, the OAK Trio, the Phaidros Quartet, and also a frequent member of the International Sejong Soloists.

Leland was a long-time student of Kirsten Peltz, Ronald Lowry, and Paul Katz before attending Princeton University, where he graduated with an A.B. in German Literature.  He went on to complete an M.M. at The Juilliard School under the teaching of Minhye Clara Kim, Timothy Eddy, and Natasha Brofsky, and then earned an Artist Diploma from the New England Conservatory under guidance of Laurence Lesser, Yeesun Kim, and Donald Weilerstein.  Leland performs on a cello by Pietro Guarneri of Venice, c. 1728-30, and a bow by Dominique Peccatte, both of which are on generous loan to him from Canimex Inc.  He resides in Boston, with his 14-year-old cat, Ham.

Serena Li, age 15, is a tenth grader from Scarsdale, New York. She currently studies at Juilliard Pre-College under the tutelage of Clara Minhye Kim. Serena began learning cello at the age of five with Maxine Neuman at Hoff Barthelson Music School and was accepted into the Honors Program at the age of nine. For the past few years, she has been actively participating in various chamber ensembles and orchestras at Hoff Barthelson, the New York Youth Symphony’s Chamber Music Program and Juilliard Pre-College.

Serena has won many awards in cello including the NLPA Virtuosi Recital Competition, the Enkor International Competition, and the CAI Concerto Competition. She performed as a soloist three years in a row with the Symphony of Westchester as one of the prize winners of their Young Artists’ Competition. Serena attended Heifetz International Music Institute for three summers and during the summer of 2025, she studied with Hans Jørgen Jensen at Meadowmount. Outside of music, Serena is passionate about art and math and enjoys playing tennis.

About the Program

This wonderful (and unique!) concert is the kind of thing one could only get with two cellists in a room together at once — from the elegance and nonchalance of a Geminiani Sonata from hundreds of years ago, to the gripping intensity and shock of Penderecki’s music in a piece to which he kept adding movements for almost 20 years, to the peace and memory encoded in an arrangement of a piece by bluegrass fiddler Mark O’Connor, and finally to a suite which captures folk instruments and folk songs from many different provinces in East Asia, this program is a chance to tour through many parts of the world, many times in history, and many sides of the human experience and human emotion.

FRANCESCO GEMINIANI (1687-1762) — Cello Sonata in C major, H. 105, Op. 5 No. 3 (1746) [14’]

Andante

Allegro

Affettuoso

Allegro

Serena Li & Leland Ko, cellos

KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI (1933-2020) — “Preludio,” from the Suite/Divertimento for Solo Cello (1994-2013)

Serena Li, cello

MARK O’CONNOR (1961- ) — Appalachia Waltz (2003) (arr. solo cello)

Leland Ko, cello

BRIGHT SHENG 盛宗亮 (1955- ) — Seven Tunes Heard in China (for solo cello) (1995)

I. Seasons (Qinghai)

II. Guessing Song (Yunnan)

III. The Little Cabbage (Hebei)

IV. The Drunken Fisherman

V. Diu Diu Dong (Taiwan)

VI. Pastoral Ballade (Mongolia)

VII. Tibetan Dance

Leland Ko, cello

Friday Night Café is a welcoming, fun-filled evening that brings young musicians and the community together through live performance and a shared love of music.

Students of all ages and instruments are invited to take the stage and present a performance-ready piece, introducing their selection to the audience and creating a more personal, engaging experience. Whether it’s a first public performance or an opportunity to try out new repertoire, the atmosphere is supportive, relaxed, and encouraging.

Free and open to the public, Friday Night Café invites families, friends, and music lovers to gather for an inspiring night that celebrates connection and the joy of making music together.

Honoring former MFY Executive Directors Misty Beyer and Cynthia Cummiskey

Join Music For Youth for an unforgettable evening where beautiful music, inspiring young artists, and a vibrant community come together in support of the next generation of musicians.

Set in a stunning historic Southport home, our Annual Benefit features an intimate performance by winners of this year's Marianne Liberatore Competition, special appearances by beloved MFY alumni, and the opportunity to meet some of our extraordinary Emerging Artists—the talented young musicians who represent the future of classical music.

Registration is open and will close on June 14. Tickets are free but registration is required for this event.

About the Artists

Please join us for a Music for Youth Emerging Artists concert featuring the acclaimed Terra String Quartet. Winner of the 2025 Naumburg Chamber Music Competition, and the 2025 Bordeaux and Wigmore Hall International Quartet Competitions, the Terra String Quartet is a vibrant young international ensemble based in New York City. They are composed of graduates of The Juilliard School, The New England Conservatory, Harvard University, and the Curtis Institute of Music.

TSQ is the 2024-26 fellowship Ensemble-in-Residence at the Yale School of Music, where they coach undergraduate chamber group ensembles, as well the 2024–25 Ernst Stiefel String Quartet-in-Residence at the Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts. TSQ has also won top prizes at the 2023 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, the 2023 Osaka International Chamber Music Competition, and the 2022 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Known for their sincere storytelling, commitment to artistic excellence, and versatile approach to repertoire, TSQ strives to foster conversation and genuine human connection through their performances and pedagogy. Their mentors and coaches include the members of the Brentano Quartet, Ara Gregorian, Hye-Jin Kim, and Marcy Rosen.

Collaborating with TSQ on this concert are Music for Youth Emerging Artists, Emma Maini and Harry Tao. Emma, age 16, is a junior at Rye Country Day School and attends the Precollege Division of The Juilliard School, where she studies under Elizabeth Chang and Lucie Gelinas. Harry, age 16, is a junior at Wilton High School and studies under Clara Kim in the Juilliard Pre-College program. Emma and Harry have both won numerous competitions and awards, and are avid chamber musicians.

About the Program

This program features Alexander Borodin’s String Quartet No. 2, written as a loving tribute to his wife, pianist Ekaterina Protopopova, alongside the first movement of Brahms’s String Sextet No. 1 in B Flat Major. This program is a masterclass in the art of lyricism - both composers weave incredibly beautiful melodies throughout, and each makes the striking choice to begin their works with the soulful timbre of the cello before passing the line to the first violin.

The sheer catchiness of such melodies has certainly helped to secure their lasting legacies: Borodin’s quartet became the direct inspiration for songs in the 1953 Broadway musical Kismet, making his themes recognizable to those who may not have even heard the quartet before, while Brahms’s sextet is regarded and revered today to be the first work that popularized the irresistible sound and nature of the string sextet form. 

Friday Night Café is a welcoming, fun-filled evening that brings young musicians and the community together through live performance and a shared love of music.

Students of all ages and instruments are invited to take the stage and present a performance-ready piece, introducing their selection to the audience and creating a more personal, engaging experience. Whether it’s a first public performance or an opportunity to try out new repertoire, the atmosphere is supportive, relaxed, and encouraging.

Free and open to the public, Friday Night Café invites families, friends, and music lovers to gather for an inspiring night that celebrates connection and the joy of making music together.

About the Artists

Music for Youth Emerging Artists concert featured award-winning pianist Vitaly Starikov.  Vitaly has found distinction with “raw, deeply felt, and powerful” (La Scena) performances, while having an unassuming onstage presence and a “willingness less to play at the audience than to draw [them] into musical intimacies” (Dallas Morning News). 

His bold approach won him silver at the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition and the admiration of fans around the globe. His Cliburn performance of Bartok’s Second Piano Concerto electrified the room, with a La Scena reviewer noting that “he understood this music, and gave an impactful, lively, and gripping interpretation on all levels: emotionally, architecturally, and in terms of his sound palette.”

He has performed with the Antwerp and Belgian National Orchestras, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Belarusian State Symphony Orchestra, and St. Petersburg Symphony, and toured with the Orchestre national de Metz Grand Est. This inaugural Cliburn season takes him to the Bravo! Vail and Sunriver Music Festivals, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, and Pacific, Topeka, and Springfield Symphony Orchestras, and in recitals throughout the United States.

Vitaly studied with Vera Gornostayeva, one of the world’s most venerated teachers, at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the Conservatory and then his master’s degree, under the tutelage of Eliso Virsaladze. He’s now at the Yale School of Music, pursuing an artist diploma under Boris Berman.

Collaborating with Vitaly on this concert is Music for Youth Emerging Artist, Edouard Ferragu, a sophomore at Hopkins School in New Haven, CT.  Edouard currently studies piano with Professor Delana Thomsen and chamber music with Professor Claudia Knafo at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division.  Edouard won first & second prizes at the Golden Key Music Festival, Vivo Music Competition, Musical Life Competition and Charleston Competitions and has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and Kaufman Music Center’s Merkin Concert Hall

About the Program

This program is centered around two composer-pianists, Chopin and Debussy. At its core is a suite of études by both composers, bringing their styles into direct dialogue, reimagining the musical narrative, and turning the evening into a captivating journey through the aesthetics of two great geniuses, whimsically united within a single musical universe.

Music for Youth and Norwalk Youth Symphony co-hosted an Audition Prep workshop on April 19, 2026 from 12:00-1:30 pm at Norwalk City Hall.  The workshop was taught by Daniel Pettrow, a Brooklyn-based actor, director, interdisciplinary artist and teacher with over a decade of experience coaching young musicians on techniques for overcoming performance nerves, strategies to deal with perfectionism, and warm up approaches and mindsets for auditions. Daniel also serves as the Director of Performance and Communication Training at the renowned Heifetz International Music Institute.

Friday Night Café is a welcoming, fun-filled evening that brings young musicians and the community together through live performance and a shared love of music.

Students of all ages and instruments are invited to take the stage and present a performance-ready piece, introducing their selection to the audience and creating a more personal, engaging experience. Whether it’s a first public performance or an opportunity to try out new repertoire, the atmosphere is supportive, relaxed, and encouraging.

Free and open to the public, Friday Night Café invites families, friends, and music lovers to gather for an inspiring night that celebrates connection and the joy of making music together.

Friday Night Café is a welcoming, fun-filled evening that brings young musicians and the community together through live performance and a shared love of music.

Students of all ages and instruments are invited to take the stage and present a performance-ready piece, introducing their selection to the audience and creating a more personal, engaging experience. Whether it’s a first public performance or an opportunity to try out new repertoire, the atmosphere is supportive, relaxed, and encouraging.

Free and open to the public, Friday Night Café invites families, friends, and music lovers to gather for an inspiring night that celebrates connection and the joy of making music together.

Friday Night Café is a welcoming, fun-filled evening that brings young musicians and the community together through live performance and a shared love of music.

Students of all ages and instruments are invited to take the stage and present a performance-ready piece, introducing their selection to the audience and creating a more personal, engaging experience. Whether it’s a first public performance or an opportunity to try out new repertoire, the atmosphere is supportive, relaxed, and encouraging.

Free and open to the public, Friday Night Café invites families, friends, and music lovers to gather for an inspiring night that celebrates connection and the joy of making music together.

About the Program

This program celebrates the lyrical intimacy and rich harmonic language of French music from the late Romantic to early 20th century. César Franck’s radiant Sonata in A major anchors the program with its sweeping emotional arc and cyclical design, a hallmark of French Romanticism. Nadia Boulanger’s Three Pieces for Cello and Piano offer a more introspective voice of poetic miniatures that reveal delicate shades of color and quiet nuance. Camille Saint-Saëns’s beloved The Swan complements these works with its elegance, warmth, and timeless melodic charm. Together, these pieces trace a lineage of French expressivity—refined, nostalgic, and deeply human.

About the Artists

Music for Youth Emerging Artists concert featured award-winning cellist Sydney Lee. Praised for her “mesmerizing” interpretation of Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante, where she “surmounted all of its technical challenges with ease and gave us a joyous musical experience” (Julian Lloyd Webber, solo cellist), Sydney captivates audiences with her refined elegance, expressive depth, and radiant sincerity.

A rising force in the classical music world, Sydney was awarded First Prize at the 2022 Washington International Competition, Second Prize at the Classic Strings International Competition, and became the inaugural recipient of Meadowmount School of Music’s prestigious $50,000 Gurrena Fellowship.

Since making her solo debut at age thirteen with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Sydney has performed across North America and Europe in such renowned venues as Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage and Terrace Theater, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium, and the Konzerthaus Berlin.

Deeply committed to arts advocacy and education, Sydney serves on the Board of Directors for the Back to Bach Project, a global initiative reaching over 70 regions and800 members, dedicated to inspiring children through music and community Engagement.

A native of New York City, Sydney is a graduate of The Curtis Institute of Music an Northwestern University, where she is currently pursuing her Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the mentorship of Hans Jørgen Jensen.

Collaborating with Sydney on this concert is Music for Youth Emerging Artist, Serena Li. Serena, age 14, is one of the talented high school musicians selected by Music for Youth to be part of their Emerging Artists program. She currently studies at Juilliard Pre- College under the tutelage of Clara Minhye Kim, and has won many awards in cello including the NLPA Virtuosi Recital Competition, Enkor International Competition, and the CAI Concerto Competition. Serena performed as a soloist three years in a row with the Symphony of Westchester as one of the prize winners of their Young Artis Competition.