SENIOR BIOGRAPHIESALISHA AGARWAL is a senior at Mission San Jose High School who has played Senior Symphony for 2 years. She began learning viola in 4th grade, and also has studied piano since she was 6 years old. In school, Alisha is heavily involved in the DECA business club as its co-president, and has been president of the Japanese culture club for two years. Some of her hobbies include cooking, calligraphy, and teaching. She will be majoring in business administration at the University of Michigan next year, and hopes to continue orchestra in college.

JASPER AHN is a senior at the King’s Academy, and this is his first and last year with ECYS. He began playing flute when he was 11, and for the first time, he has joined a full symphony orchestra for his senior year. Besides flute, he plays a variety of instruments in a band at church and at school. He is also part of the yearbook staff and participates in other photographic endeavors. Being interested in service, Jasper has gone around the world to places such as Mexico, Greece, Turkey, Palestine, and more, to work with the local families and the youth through various means. Jasper will be going to Santa Clara University and plans to major in Computer Science and Engineering and hopes to continue to incorporate music throughout college.

KEVIN CAO is a senior at Evergreen Valley High School and is enjoying his first and last year in ECYS. He plays in his school’s Wind Ensemble and has participated in local County and All-state honor bands, and as a classical music geek, has always wanted to have a full symphony experience. Besides music, Kevin is an officer of Math Club, Programming Club, and Photo Club. He is also an avid photographer with Gear Acquisition Syndrome who likes doing prom and graduation photoshoots and taking spontaneous photo adventures. After graduation Kevin hopes to be able to play in the Berkeley symphony, but will more realistically be bogged down by his EECS Major.

Three years ago, MORGAN CHAN entered her first ECYS rehearsal and found a seat in the rear of the second violin section. Playing with others accentuated her various musical shortcomings, but rather than becoming discouraged, she diligently practiced her parts and technique at home. She was inspired by the experience of working with other musicians, and despite her reservations regarding her own playing, Morgan began to consider a career as an orchestral musician. A few years, two lost solo competitions, and seven college auditions later, Morgan is incredibly excited to continue her studies in music at Oberlin College & Conservatory this fall. She would like to thank her teachers, friends, and family for their support in this endeavor.

TRUMAN CHENG is a senior at Mission San Jose High School and has been playing viola in the Senior Symphony for two years. Aside from music, Truman has also played soccer for nine years, having played competitively in a local club and on his school’s varsity team. When he has free time, Truman enjoys programming, gaming and browsing reddit. After graduation, Truman plans to attend UC Irvine to pursue a degree in computer science.

JEFFREY CHIU, 18, is a senior at Lynbrook High School. He has been playing cello for 12 years, is currently studying under Mr. Jonathan Koh. Jeffrey has been in the ECYS organization for 11 years, and part of the ECYS Senior Symphony for 6 years, and is currently the Co-Principal cellist. He has toured with the ECYS Senior Symphony twice, and was a part of the NTSO International Youth Orchestra 2015. Jeffrey has also won numerous cello competitions, including the ECYS Solo Competition. Apart from cello, Jeffrey is an active member of Lynbrook French Honor Society and Lynbrook FBLA. He is also the managing editor of Lynbrook’s Valhalla Yearbook. After graduation, Jeffrey will be studying Information Systems at Carnegie Mellon University.

YIWEN DAI has been playing the violin for a decade, beginning in the second grade. As a member of the Irvington High School community, she is involved in many activities, including her roles as President of Science Bowl/Club and Vice President of Math Club, along with participation in various other STEM and art and interest clubs. One of Yiwen’s favorite extracurricular activities is training 6th graders in competitive math as a Weibel Elementary Math Club coach. After graduation, she will be attending University of California, Berkeley.

NICO DIAZ-WAHL is a senior at Gunn High School and has played in senior symphony for just this year. He has been studying violin for 12 years (currently with Davis Law), and plans to continue doing so as long as his fingers permit. In addition to his musical passions, he is also a jumper for Gunn’s track and field team. Nico is also unremitting learner, particularly passionate about physics, mathematics, and teaching. He will pursue a math/physics double major at Carnegie Mellon University.

ADI FAINTUCH is a senior at Los Altos High School and has been a part of ECYS for the past 5 years. At school, she participates in the Wind Ensemble and was the mellophone section leader in the LAHS Marching Band. She has also participated in the California All-State Honor Band multiple times. Besides playing the clarinet, Adi enjoys dancing, oil painting, and skiing. Next year, she will be attending UC Irvine to study Cognitive Science in the honors program. She thanks her teacher, Karen Hoexter, for her support, guidance, and inspiration.

ELYSE GARREAU is a senior at Castilleja and has been playing violin in ECYS since 2012. She has been thoroughly involved in music, sustainability, visual art, Model UN, and theater at her high school. She is also an active member of student government, the class archivist, and an intern at clickPA. She has volunteered at her school’s Peninsula Bridge program for two years and has earned the Presidential Volunteer Service Award (Gold Level) for her work. In her free time, she loves to read and work on creative writing/art. This spring, she played a leading role in her school’s production of Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play. Elyse plans to study Mathematics and English next year at UC Berkeley.

FAVORITE ECYS MEMORYECYS Tour 2013. It was on this trip that I learned to appreciate classical music a lot more. The halls that we performed in, as well as being on the radio, were all experiences that I still can’t believe I’ve had. - Jeffrey Chiu

MARLENE GOETZ, a senior at Gunn High School, has been a member of ECYS for 7 years. She began playing violin 9 years ago and currently studies under Anna Sokhor. Previously at ECYS, she has been concertmaster for the Camarata, Galbraith, and Sinfonietta orchestras. Having begun her musical studies on piano, Marlene has passed Certificate of Merit level 10 and performed as the pianist for her school’s musical, The Music Man. She also plays for her school’s varsity lacrosse team, has conducted biological research at UC Davis, is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and likes to play guitar in her free time. In the fall, Marlene is excited to continue her musical endeavors and study computational biology at Brown University.

EUGENE HOWE (violin) joined ECYS last fall. Formerly, he was a member of the San Francisco Youth Symphony. Eugene is a student at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, where he was the recipient of two Red and White awards for academic achievement. Eugene began playing the violin at age 4, and currently studies under Robin Sharp. In addition to violin, Eugene enjoys the card game Magic The Gathering. He also enjoys baseball, and has plays pitcher and second baseman on Fremont’s varsity team. Eugene will attend DeAnza college in the fall.

JORDAN KIM has been playing with ECYS for two years, after four years with PYA. In addition to ECYS, he is also part of the Menlo-Atherton orchestra, which has traveled across the US for the Festival of Gold competitions. He started playing the trumpet in 4th grade, and has studied with Joyce-Johnson Hamilton for six years. Jordan has also been selected for the CBDA/CMEA All-State honor bands in his middle/high school years. In addition to orchestras, he has played with Menlo-Atherton pit band in several school musicals. Jordan has also earned a 1st degree black belt in martial arts, and hopes to be certified as a BLS instructor over the summer. Jordan plans on attending either University of Washington, or University of Oregon.

XANDER KOO has been a member of ECYS for 7 years. Xander began playing violin at the age of 5, with his abilities peaking at the age of 12 as associate concertmaster of Camerata Orchestra. During his four years at Palo Alto High School, besides a brief stint as president of the now-inactive Hip Hop Dance Club, he was not involved in any student organizations or club activities whatsoever. In his free time, Xander enjoys hip-hop dance, cycling, and wasting away at his computer. He prefers Pepsi over Coke. Xander will be attending Pomona College in Claremont, CA in the fall, where he intends to double major in anthropology and computer science. He extends his thanks to his violin teachers, Christina Ho and Ming-Shiu Yo, for their guidance.

SHAWN LIU is a senior at Lynbrook High School and has been a member of ECYS for four years. Shawn has earned numerous awards during his time in the Lynbrook band program, including best woodwind marcher, the Red White and Blue award, and the John Phillip Sousa award. In addition to music, Shawn enjoys working in the scientific fields, particularly in physics and bioengineering. Having a great thirst for knowledge, he qualified as a USA Physics Olympiad semifinalist. Shawn plans to continue pursuing music in Carnegie Mellon University. He would like to thank his parents for their endless support and ECYS for providing me with this wonderful opportunity to play with the senior symphony.

FAVORITE ECYS MEMORYPlaying in the Wind Orchestra and watching us grow more and more each year. - Shawn Liu

LEO MINAMI is a senior at Palo Alto High School, and has been a member of ECYS for four years. He first learned to play the clarinet in 5th grade as part of the school music program. Leo has participated in the school band ever since, and has been selected to the All-State as well as the All-Northern California Honor Band multiple times. He studies under Michael Corner. Leo is an avid road cyclist participating in local races, and in his free time, enjoys working on cars. Leo is thrilled to be off to NY to attend Union College where he plans to study mechanical engineering and economics, and continue to play the clarinet in the orchestra. Leo would like to thank ECYS and Dr. Cai for the amazing musical journey during the last two years in the Senior Symphony.

MEHRNAZ MIRHOSSEINI is a senior at Henry M. Gunn High School. She has been a member of ECYS since moving to the U.S. from Australia at the age of 12. She is currently in first violin and studies under Anthony Doheny at the Community School of Music and Arts where she has been a Merit Scholar in violin for four years. She also soloed for the Camerata Orchestra in 2014. In addition to music, Mehrnaz has been a part of her high school swim team for two years as well as a kids art camp counselor. In her free time, Mehrnaz pursues kickboxing at Studio Kicks. After graduation, Mehrnaz plans on majoring in Physiology/Pre-Med track at the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities and hopes to continue her musical studies.

BOBBY MISSIRIAN has been playing the cello for seven years, studying with Shain Carrasco, Peter Gelfand, and Jonathan Koh. Bobby joined ECYS this year. In addition to playing cello, he enjoys surfing, skateboarding, and composing music. Bobby will attend UC Santa Cruz next year as a Regent’s Scholar, majoring in Computer Science. He also received a scholarship to play cello in the UC Santa Cruz University Orchestra in the Fall.

HANNAH MURRAY joined ECYS 6 years ago, and has been principal oboist of the Senior Symphony for 3 years. She was also in the ECYS chamber music program and toured Spain with ECYS. Outside of ECYS, she plays oboe in the Sequoia High advanced band and piano in the SHS jazz ensemble. At school, she is an IB diploma student, founded the Double Reed Club, and takes part in swimming and Key Club. She wants to thank her teacher, Adrienne Malley, and her family and friends for always supporting her (and listening to her talk about Shostakovich). She also wants to thank Jindong for being an incredible conductor who has inspired her in so many ways. Hannah will be double majoring in oboe performance and economics at Northwestern University next fall.

ERICA NAGASE has been a member of ECYS for six years. She has been playing the flute for eight years and currently studies with Isabelle Chapuis. Erica has received various prizes at competitions, including the American Protégé International Competition, USOMC, Junior Bach Festival, and has participated in both the Santa Clara County and All-State Honor Bands. Erica is principal flutist of Homestead High School’s Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra. At Homestead, she is president of CSF and a mentor for ESL students. She also regularly performs in senior homes as a member of the Bay Area Youth Music Society. Erica will be studying neuroscience at UCLA in the fall.

FAVORITE ECYS MEMORYPlaying Ode to Joy in concert. - Bobby Missirian

Tour in 2015 and playing Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony. - Hannah Murray

NITIN ONGOLE is a senior at Monta Vista High School and has been playing the trombone in the Senior Symphony for two years. Outside of ECYS, Nitin participates in the Monta Vista Wind Ensemble and has played for musicals and large events. He currently studies trombone under Ryan Bettencourt. Nitin also plays the tabla, a classical Indian percussion instrument, and enjoys hiking, exploring, reading, and community service. He plans to continue playing music while majoring in aerospace engineering at UCLA.

HENRY OVERHAUSER is a senior at Monta Vista High School and has been playing with the Senior Symphony for one year. Henry began playing trumpet at the age of 9, and at school he has been playing the the Jazz Band for 2 years. Outside of music, Henry has been an active member of the Boy Scouts of America since 2007. After graduation, he plans to study chemical engineering at Syracuse University.

LUCY PRITCHARD is a senior at Menlo-Atherton High School. Although this is her first year with ECYS, she has played in the California Youth Symphony ensembles for the last 4 years. She has been playing for 11 years, and is grateful to every peer, teacher, and mentor who has helped her develop into the musician she is now. She has been the principal violist in her school orchestra for 3 years, with which she has played in many famous venues, including Carnegie Hall. She has also taken part in M-A’s pit orchestra and varsity badminton team. Next fall, she will be starting as a viola performance major at the University of Puget Sound on a music scholarship, but is very excited to be spending her last summer before college with ECYS on tour!

ERIK ROISE (cello) has been involved with ECYS since middle school, spending the last three years as a member of the Senior Symphony. He is a student of Sara Styles and Stephen Harrison and has also played drums and percussion in his school’s jazz band. Outside of music, Erik enjoys biking, eating, skiing, doing math, and designing/building/fixing things of all kinds. After graduating from Menlo-Atherton High School, he will spend the next four years at Stanford, attempting to double major in engineering and music. His favorite ECYS memories include playing in the Palau de Musica Barcelona and performing Beethoven’s Ninth.

TOMMY SHAN has been a member of ECYS for the past three years, where he has played percussion for the senior symphony. As a student at Archbishop Mitty High School, Tommy has participated in his school’s waterpolo and swimming teams. In the fall, Tommy will study Accounting at the University of San Francisco.

FAVORITE ECYS MEMORYMy favorite ECYS experience was the 2017 Benefit Concert, in which we played the Beethoven Symphony No. 9. Playing such emotionally satisfying music with an entire choir behind me is an experience that I can never forget. - Nitin Ongole

Playing Timpani in Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. - Tommy Shan

ISITA TRIPATHI is a senior at Lynbrook High School. She has been a member of ECYS for 4 years, performing in Wind Ensemble, Sinfonietta, and Senior Symphony, in which she has participated for the last two years. Outside of orchestra, she plays flute in the Lynbrook Wind Ensemble and various state and national honor bands. She has also won several awards at regional competitions such as VOCE and MTNA. In addition to music, Isita enjoys backpacking, volunteering as a reading tutor for AYLF, and undertaking research at Stanford. In the fall, she plans to attend UCLA to pursue both biology and music. She would like to thank her flute teacher, Amelia Vitarelli, for her constant guidance.

ELAINE WANG is a senior at Cupertino High School and has been with El Camino Youth Symphony for six years, including four years in Senior Symphony. At school, she plays in the Tino Chamber Orchestra. In addition to playing the violin, Elaine has been playing the piano since age four and also enjoys drawing. In her “free time,” she likes to scroll through tumblr/reddit/twitter and immerse herself in memes. In the fall, Elaine will be attending UC Berkeley.

JOHNNY WANG (clarinet) is a senior at Foothill High School who recently joined El Camino Youth Symphony and studies with Debra Gardner. He actively participates in all northern, all state honor bands and is part of the Foothill High School wind ensemble. He will be spending his summer as part of the young artist orchestra at the Tanglewood institute. He plans to continue his passion for music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music studying with the principal clarinetist of the San Francisco Symphony, Carey Bell, next fall.

VALERIE WANG started playing viola at the age of 11. She joined ECYS when she was 12 years old, and she has been a member of the Senior Orchestra for 2 years. Valerie has played at the MTAC State Conventions and a member of a string trio that won the Los Altos VOCE competition. Additionally, she has also passed the Advanced Level CM for both piano and viola. Aside from music, Valerie has been a delegate of the Congress of Future Science and Technology Leaders and is a Commended Student of the NMSC. She enjoys traveling and crafting in her spare time.

TERESA YANG has been a member of ECYS for four years and has been playing clarinet for 7 years. She is also a part of the Lynbrook Wind Ensemble and has been a part of band for 7 years as well. In addition to music, she participates in business, community service, and yearbook. As she moves on to UC Berkeley in the fall, she would like to thank her family for their unending support, as well as Isita Tripathi and Jeffrey Chiu for making the journey to orchestra an adventure every week.

FAVORITE ECYS MEMORYAfter a late night rehearsal during my first retreat, there was a power outage, so everyone gathered around in a circle between the dorms, cheering on the rap battles, dance-offs, and of course, Cathy’s hulu dancing. We all had so much energy and everyone was having a great time as one big family, which sometimes feels rare in such a big orchestra. - Isita Tripathi

ALICE ZHANG is a senior at Palo Alto High School and has been a cellist in ECYS for 8 years. Besides playing and listening to music, Alice is co-captain of her school’s Science Olympiad Club, vice president of her school’s recovering DECA Club, member of her school’s varsity tennis team, and co-founder of Teens Exploring Code, an organization dedicated to engaging a broader demographic of teenagers in computer science and the technology industry. In her free time, she enjoys following the NBA and NFL, getting Philz Coffee, watching food videos, and going to the gym. Next year, she plans on studying computer science and economics at Columbia University.

AUSTIN ZHANG is a senior at Monta Vista High School and has been playing percussion for four years. He started out as a drum set player and later joined Monta Vista’s Wind Ensemble as a percussionist. Austin also participated in Monta Vista’s Winter Percussion and Jazz Ensemble programs. He also played in the Monta Vista Drama department’s annual musicals. He recently joined ECYS and has been playing in the Senior Symphony for a year. Besides music, Austin is a badminton player who had played in the undefeated Monta Vista Badminton Team as a varsity singles player. Austin plans to continue to play percussion in college. After graduation at Monta Vista, Austin will major in Mechanical Engineering at UCSB.

Congratulations to the Class of 2017!

FAVORITE ECYS MEMORYBecause this is my first year in a symphony orchestra, the first time we sat together and played something, it was fascinating to be a part of something larger than anything that I have participated in before. - Jasper Ahn

Hearing Jindong explain how he listened to contraband Beethoven material in Communist China. - Kevin Cao

Beethoven’s 9th Symphony Concert. - Truman Cheng

Spain Tour in 2015! - Elyse Garreau

Performing Beethoven’s 9th Symphony! - Lucy Pritchard

Playing principal clarinet on Tchaik 5. - Johnny Wang