Category Archives: Branch News

2025 MTACSD Spring Recital Report

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On Sunday, March 9th, we held our first recital, hopefully first of many recitals at Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library. We had 18 students from 7 studios perform in two recitals. Thank you to the participating studios: Ken Ard, Xiao Chen, Yuko Maruyama, Lea Schmidt-Rogers, Hua Wang, Elena Yarritu, and Dan Yu. We welcome suggestions from teachers about the length of pieces and how many pieces students may play (some being only 30 seconds for the younger ones). We may schedule our next recital as needed, perhaps even as soon as this fall. We hope to see you at the next recital.

2025 Regional VOCE Results for San Diego Branch

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The 2025 MTAC Southern CA Regional VOCE Competition was held online via video submission on January 10th.  ALL students who competed at regionals are to be commended for such hard work and dedication!

Representing eight (8) teachers, congratulations to these twenty-nine (29) San Diego Branch students who were selected as “finalists” at the 2025 Southern CA Regional VOCE!

Junior Solo Strings
Clarie Chen, violin
Emel Cubukcu, violin

Intermediate Solo Strings
Tracie Liu, violin
David Lee, cello

Senior Solo Strings
Alvin Wang, viola

Intermediate Solo Winds
Maggie Liang, flute
Harper Xu, flute

Senior Solo Winds
Edward Pacal, bassoon
Ethan Worthen, bassoon

Intermediate Instrumental Ensemble
“Trio Calzino”
Mila Keres, violin; Sophia Slott, cello; Bradley Carpiuc, piano

Intermediate Instrumental Ensemble
“San Diego Youth Cello Quartet”
Julian Wu, cello; Laiyina Shate, cello; Elaine Wang, cello; Alice Lau, cello

Intermediate Instrumental Ensemble
“Quartet Cellissimo”
Mason Kwon, cello; Sion Lee, cello; Andrew Hong, cello; Anthony Hong, cello

Intermediate Instrumental Ensemble
“Luminis Trio”
Jasmine Chan, violin; Vera Muller, cello; James Cao, piano

Senior Instrumental Ensemble
“San Diego String Quartet”
Dylan Ellis, violin; Benjamin Luo, violin; Ethan Zhou, viola; David Lee, cello

Senior Instrumental Ensemble
String Quartet
Ronica Najmabadi, violin; Nadja Marjon, violin; Alvin Wang, viola; Paul Tassos, cello

Regional VOCE “finalists” are eligible to move on to the State VOCE competition held online March 15. 

2025 Concerto Results & Acknowledgements

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The participants in this year’s competition provided us with two days of exceptional musical performances. Congratulations to all contestants and their teachers!

The first-place winner in each division will perform with the Mira Costa College Symphony Orchestra, directed by Branden Muresan. Concerts will take place at:

Mira Costa College – Oceanside Campus Concert Hall (Bldg 2400), 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside, CA 92056

DIVISION I PIANO (through 11 yrs old)
First Place: JANELLE CHEN – Mozart Concerto in A Major, K.414, 1st mvt
~ Performs with the Mira Costa College Symphony Orchestra, Branden Muresan, conductor, on Fri-Sat March 15-16, 2025 (7:30 pm)
Second Place: Claire Chen
Third Place: Claire Ding
Honorable Mentions: Kye Urgolites, Julia Yu, Mananya Debnath, Daren Ren
Studios represented for these award winners: Elena Edgar, Berta Godkin, Chris Kim, Carol Seefeldt, Anna Stal, Lori Vickers.

DIVISION II: PIANO (12-14 yrs old)
First Place: YEN-CHENG WU – Haydn Concerto in D Major, 3rd mvt
~ Performs with the Mira Costa College Symphony Orchestra, Branden Muresan, conductor, on Fri-Sat March 15-16, 2025 (7:30 pm)
Second Place: Luna Lee
Third Place: Ashley Li
Honorable Mentions: Ryan Jian, Clara Stone, Euan Lee, Aven Ko
Studios represented for these award winners: Carol Ong-Chen, Sun Yung Cho, Karen Follingstad, Minji Lee, Chetan Tierra, Lori Vickers.

DIVISION III: PIANO (15-18 yrs old)
First Place: VICTORIA CHEN – Grieg Concerto in A Minor, 1st mvt
~ Performs with the Mira Costa College Symphony Orchestra, Branden Muresan, conductor, on Fri-Sat March 15-16, 2025 (7:30 pm)
Second Place: Celine Kargodosa
Third Place: Khai West
Honorable Mentions: Yo Yo Wu, Ethan Chen
Studios represented for these award winners: Brendan Nguyen, Carol Seefeldt, Chetan Tierra, Ting Ting Zhang.

DIVISION IV: WINDS
First Place: MAGGIE LIANG – Ibert Concerto for Flute, 1st mvt
~ Performs with the Mira Costa College Symphony Orchestra, Branden Muresan, conductor, on Fri-Sat May 16-17, 2025 (7:30 pm)
Honorable Mentions: Ruth Tu
Studios represented for these award winners: Elena Yarritu

DIVISION V: STRINGS (through 13 yrs old)
First Place: EMEL CUBUKCU, violin – Mendelssohn Concerto E minor, 1st mvt
~ Performs with the Mira Costa College Symphony Orchestra, Branden Muresan, conductor, on Fri-Sat May 16-17, 2025 (7:30 pm)
Second Place: Aaron Seo
Third Place: Sequoia Jain-Hong
Honorable Mentions: Olivia Min
Studios represented for these award winners: Sunjin Kim, Michael Tseitlin, Pasha Tseitlin.

DIVISION VI: STRINGS (14-18 yrs old)
First Place: CAITLIN WANG, violin – Lalo Symphonie espagnole, Op. 21
~ Performs with the Mira Costa College Symphony Orchestra, Branden Muresan, conductor, on Fri-Sat May 16-17, 2025 (7:30 pm)
Second Place: Julian Wu (cello)
Third Place: Tracie Liu (violin)
Honorable Mentions: Caroline Lee (violin) Alvin Wang (violin), Helen Wang (cello)
Studios represented for these award winners: Ruslan Biryukov, Chia-Ling Chien, Susanna Han, Irina Tseitlin, Michael Tseitlin, Pasha Tseitlin.

Thank you to those who were tremendously helpful to me during the competition:
Sun Yung Cho, Kathy Kim, Carol Ong-Chen, Carol Seefeldt, Chetan Tierra, Melissa Tierra, Lori Vickers, Ting Ting Zhang in piano. Elena Yarritu in winds, and Michael Dvoskin, Susanna Han, and Pasha Tseitlin in strings. And a SPECIAL thank you to Carol Seefeldt who scanned all judges’ comment sheets so they could be emailed to you quickly!

There were 27 teachers who participated this year and a total of 55 students competing!

Cheers to all!

Spring Recitals registration now open!

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Registration is now open for the 2025 MTACSD Spring Recitals! We invite you to enter your students in our brand-new recital event, which will be held at the Serra Mesa-Kearny Mesa Library Community Room on March 9, 2025. For more information and to access the registration form, please visit the Spring Recitals page. The registration deadline is February 22. Teachers must login to access the registration form.

2024 Pop Music Festival Acknowledgements

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Congratulations to all participating students who shared their music with us, and a big thank-you to all the teachers, families and friends who came to support these young performers at the 2024 Popular Music Festival, which was held at the beautiful Cuyamaca College Theatre on Saturday, December 14.

Judges Yuko Maruyama and Taylor Smith wrote comments and suggestions which will be sent by email to the students’ teachers. The students were rewarded with individual certificates and a medal at the end of each recital.

Event co-chairs Chutaphin Yeager and Miriam Cole would like to extend their gratitude to the volunteers who helped out: Irina Bessonova, Kate Iwanami, Valeria Kravchenko, Lea Schmidt-Rogers and Naomi Teran. Your help was very valuable.

The 2024 Popular Music Festival Participating Studios were: Irina Bessonova, Paul Burd, Kate Iwanami, Valeria Kravchenko, Jiwon Lee, Philip Lim, Yu Carole Liu, Yuko Maruyama, Lea Schmidt-Rogers, Anna Stal, and Chutaphin Yeager.

We hope to see you again next year!