2024 Residents
Introducing the resident artists of the 2024 Windwood Music Festival!
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Violin
Natalie Koh is a current violin fellow at the New World Symphony. Born and raised in Singapore, she was the recipient of the Goh Soon Tioe Centenary Award and the National University of Singapore Society Medal for Outstanding Achievement.
Natalie made her solo debut with the National Repertory Orchestra in the summer of 2023. She was also appointed co-principal second violin that summer, and worked with renowned conductors such as JoAnn Falletta, Ken-David Masur and Michael Stern. Since starting her fellowship at the New World Symphony, she has played under the baton of prominent conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, Stephane Deneve and Jukka-Pekka Saraste. Season highlights include serving as concertmaster for the 36th Anniversary Gala Concert, and playing in a side-by-side concert with The Cleveland Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, some of her memorable experiences include participation in the Musical Chairs Chamber Music Festival and the Alpenkammermusik Festival.
Natalie is passionate about community engagement and music education. In particular, she believes that music can be used as a platform for children of all abilities to bond over. She frequently runs and facilitates music appreciation workshops for children with and without special needs.
Natalie holds a Master of Music in violin performance from DePaul University and graduated with a Bachelor of Music with Honors (Highest Distinction) in violin performance from Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music (Singapore).
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Violin
Violinist Claire Hebeisen is passionate about musical storytelling. She is committed to a variety of diverse musical performances including alternative repertoire, creative collaboration, and performing for non-traditional audiences. Claire is active in chamber music, solo performance, and community engagement in North America and Europe and has performed in the United States, Canada, France, Iceland, and the Netherlands.
Claire cares deeply about being involved in her community through music. She has led and participated in several programs that bring music outside of the concert hall including the Peabody String Sinfonia and the Peabody Musician in Residence program. With these groups she has performed in rehab centers, cancer treatment facilities, homeless shelters, and senior living communities. Claire performs with several ensembles as both an orchestral and chamber musician. She is a member of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, the Asteío Trio (which was invited to Ísafjörður, Iceland in June 2023 to perform and teach at the Við Djúpið Festival), and the Crandal Hebeisen Duo from 2018-2023. She loves new music and has worked closely with many composers to premier their pieces. Most notably, she will premiere two violin concerti by Tristan Latchford in England this May. Claire started the Honey Acres Music Center in 2024, a venue for both teachers and performers located on Honey Acres Farm in Boyds, MD. Claire graduated from Peabody Conservatory with a Bachelor and Master’s of Music, studying with Judith Ingolfson, and from McGill University with a Graduate Diploma in Performance, studying with Violiane Melancon.
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Viola
Violist and Composer Sundoo "Syara" Robert (she/her) began her musical training at age 15. She made her solo debut twice with the UTA Symphony Orchestra and the UNT String Institute, where she performed the Walton, Bartok Concertos and Hindemith's Trauermusik respectively.
Syara is an active chamber musician and solo performer that has spent many summers at music at Domaine Forget and Orford Music Academy and has held fellowship positions at Colorado College Summer Music Festival, PRISMA, Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival and Toronto Summer Music where she collaborated with artists such as Yura Lee, Saeunn Thorsendotter, and members of the Dover and New Orford String Quartets. She has performed in masterclasses for violist such as Antoine Tamestit, Atar Arad, Jeffery Irvine, Ettore Causa, Cynthia Phelps, and George Taylor.
Syara received her Bachelor's Degree and Artist Diploma from The University of Texas at Arlington and the Conservatoire de Musique du Quebec de Montreal, where she studied with Catherine Forbes and Jocelyne Bastien respectively. During her undergraduate studies she was awarded the Centennial Endowed Scholarship twice and the College of Liberal Arts Award of Excellence. Between her studies she also received her Ontario Graduate Certificate in Music Composition from Humber College Institute of Technology in Toronto, Ontario under the tutelage of Nancy Walker and Aaron Davis. She is currently a Graduate Diploma student at the University of Ottawa under the tutelage of Michael Van der Sloot where she is a recipient of the Marina Kun international Fellowship Award.
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Cello
Originally from Hastings on Hudson, New York, cellist Adam Willson is a performer of solo, chamber and orchestral works currently based in New York. Adam is a member of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and regularly performs with the Rhode Island Philharmonic, Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, and others. Through these performances and chamber works, Adam hopes to break down the barrier between audience and performer, aiming to facilitate one communally shared experience. A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, Adam received degrees in both cello performance and mathematics. After attending Oberlin, Adam completed his graduate studies at Rice University. Adam has studied with Darrett Adkins, Desmond Hoebig, and Fred Zlotkin. Aside from music, Adam is an avid hiker, runner and chef. His passion for music extends into his love for nature, melding these two interests into one.
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Piano
South Korean-born pianist Hyewon Chang, her musical journey has seen her grace stages of international renown, including the Weill Concert Hall at Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich, and the historic birthplace of Franz Joseph Haydn in Rohrau, Austria. Additionally, her performances have resonated through Rolston Hall at the Banff Centre and across numerous venues in America, captivating audiences with her profound musicality and technical prowess.
She has performed with the Camerata München, LA Korean American Musicians’ Association Orchestra, engagements such as the "Artists of Tomorrow" concert with the Brentwood Westwood Symphony Orchestra, as well as performances with the Culver Symphony Orchestra. She has been invited to Chopin Masterclasses, a collaboration with The Fryderyk Chopin Institute, at Cornell Center for Historical Keyboards. She has performed in numerous masterclasses with world-renowned artists, including Leon Fleisher, Menahem Pressler, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Dang Thai Son, Olga Kern, among others.
Aside from her solo career, Ms. Chang participated in Chamber music collaborations such as the Colburn Chamber Music Society concert with Denis Bouriakov, principal flutist of the LA Philharmonic. Her leadership and artistic vision have been instrumental in her role as the artistic director of the Aegio International Piano Competition for the California/Los Angeles region.
She has participated in competitions, including first prizes in Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition, Orbetello International Piano Competition, Clara Schumann International Piano Competition, ICA International Piano Competition, and Korea's Segye-Ilbo Music Competition, second prizes from American Protégé Piano Competition, and Seoul Young Artist Music Competition. Also, she made it to the finalist and semi-finalist for New York International Piano Competition, Dallas International Piano Competition, and Thailand International Piano Competition.
Hyewon has attended The Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto on a full scholarship, followed by obtaining a Bachelor of Music degree from the Colburn School and a Master of Music degree from the USC Thornton School of Music. She studied under the tutelage of renowned pianists John Perry, Ick Choo Moon, and Jeffrey Kahane. Currently, she is continuing and pursuing a Doctoral of Musical Arts at USC Thornton School, and she is a staff pianist at the Colburn Conservatory of Music.