NWS Welcomes 32 New Fellows

Selected from a highly competitive pool of over 1,800 applicants, this year’s incoming Fellows represent 14 U.S. states and six countries worldwide. In addition to extensive experience performing, many hold advanced degrees from some of the country’s top institutions such as The Juilliard School, Eastman School of Music, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, New England Conservatory and Peabody Institute, among others.

Meet the new 2026-27 Fellows:

Seoho Bang | Natalie Boberg | Maggie Brady | David Carreon | Chi-Hsien Chen | John Heo | Christopher Jasiewicz | William Kinney | Abigail Macy | Hyesong Park | Tomoka Yamagata | Isabel Aronin | Seung A Olivia Jung | Quinn Robinson | Daniel Simmons | William Cayanan | Emmanuel Tolu Losa | Bryan Ping | Eli Hilborn | Wynter McCray | Aidan Pasquale | Aalia Hanif | Juliyan Martinez | Mark Morris | Jaben Sim | Abner Wong | Kimberly Nelson | Benjamin Liberti | Will Morgan | Elijah Nice | Oliver Moore | Julia Hoffman

New Season, New Orchestra

Each season, NWS forms a brand-new orchestra comprised of 87 new and returning young musicians who come to Miami Beach to hone their voices through fellowships lasting up to three years. In addition to performing diverse repertoire alongside world-class artists, Fellows dive into creative and enriching programs to develop skills in entrepreneurship, leadership and community engagement.      

As part of their orientation this month, Fellows participated in a series of educational and enriching activities, including coaching sessions and rehearsing side-by-side with NWS alumni, who often return to serve as mentors. Over the course of the season, Fellows will be mentored by over 100 visiting faculty members and guest artists.

In addition to coaching, alumni shared their experiences and encouraged new Fellows to make the most of their fellowship.

“Don’t just go to the master classes for your instrument – if you’re a wind player go to a strings master class; if you’re a horn player, go to a woodwind master class. Take advantage of all your resources with the brilliant people who work in this building. Really just take risks. Think about it, one year, five years, 80 years from now…are you going to have any regrets? I hope every Fellow can approach their fellowship that way,” said NWS alum and current Trustee Ebonee Thomas (Flute 2004-08), who currently performs with the Dallas Opera and teaches at the University of Texas at Austin.

This season’s alumni coaches also included Chad Goodman (Music Director, Elgin Symphony Orchestra), Isabel Trautwein (Violin, The Cleveland Orchestra), Marlea Simpson (Viola, Minnesota Orchestra), Daniel Carson (Bass, Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Erich Rieppel (Timpani, Minnesota Orchestra) and Neil Kimmel (Horn, Grand Park Music Festival & Chicago’s Lyric Opera Orchestra).

2025-26 Season Job Wins:

As we welcome a new class of Fellows, we’re equally proud of those who recently completed their journey at NWS and are stepping into professional roles with renowned orchestras and institutions worldwide, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Ojai Music Festival, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera and Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, underscoring NWS’s role in cultivating and launching the careers of today’s exceptional young musicians.

Since 1987, NWS has helped launch the careers of over 1,300 alumni, now making an impact in communities across over 30 countries. 

Erina Buchholz, Concertmaster, Louisiana Philharmonic  
Bridget Conley, Principal Tuba, Saint Louis Symphony
Jake Darnell, Principal Timpani, Atlanta Symphony 
Diego Diaz, Violin, Jacksonville Symphony  
Jack Farnham, Principal Trumpet, Spokane Symphony
Ian Grems, Bass, Turku Philharmonic (Finland)  
Sadie Hamrin, Violin, Tucson Symphony
Ryan Ran Hou, Violin, Washington National Opera
Deurim Jung, Violin, Colorado Symphony (one-year)
Jack Kessler, Viola, Israel Philharmonic Academy
Sooyoung Kim, English Horn/Oboe, Toledo Symphony 
Marcie Kolacki, General Manager, Hopkins Symphony Orchestra
Wing Yan Alison Kwok, Second Violin, Fort Worth Symphony
Nina Laube, Second Bassoon, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (one-year)  
Yun-Chung Lin, Violin, Kansas City Symphony 
Matthew Matheny, Second Bassoon, Sarasota Orchestra (one-year)  
Elizabeth McCormack, Principal Flute, Hartford Symphony  
Soomi Park, Second Violin, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra
Sam Sun, Viola, Nashville Symphony
Matthew West, Percussion, San Diego Symphony  
Alexander Wu, Cello, The United States Air Force Band