This was a truly outstanding, once-in-a-lifetime experience that cannot be replicated with any other orchestra. The variety of experiences touched on all facets of being a professional musician (education, performance, recording, psychology, etc). I am beyond grateful that I've gotten to experience the best of MA's visionary goals over the past few years!
Not only did we play two concerts and a patch session, we also experienced professional development for peak performance, outreach training, cultural exchange, and free time to explore London. No US-based orchestra could ever deliver such an experience, simply because the cultural exchange and immersion was such a highlight.
London Symphony Orchestra Keston Max Exchange
Music Academy and the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) launched a transatlantic partnership in 2018, in which 10-12 fellows are selected annually to participate in intensive training with the Orchestra and Sir Simon Rattle. As part of the partnership, the winners of the 2018 Solo Piano and Marilyn Horne Song competitions made a London recital appearance at LSO St Luke’s as part of the Keston Music Academy Exchange (Keston MAX). Throughout the partnership, Michael Tilson Thomas, Marin Alsop, Daniel Harding, Elim Chan, Sir Simon Rattle, and other key LSO conductors and musicians have performed and taught at the Academy. LSO principals have led virtual lessons and coaching sessions and the Keston MAX auditions.
In June and November 2022, 48 Keston MAX fellows were invited to train, rehearse, and perform with the LSO in London, led by Sir Simon Rattle and Gianandrea Noseda. These experiences gave Music Academy alums a taste of the professional life of an orchestral musician and an extraordinary performance opportunities.
10 fellows were selected during the 2022 Summer Festival to attend the November exchanges. Read about them below!
The lead sponsors of the London Symphony Orchestra partnership are Linda and Michael Keston and Mary Lynn and Warren Staley. Additional support has been provided in remembrance of Léni Fé Bland.
The LSO has created extraordinary opportunities for our fellows to step into experiencing the life of a professional musician at the highest level. Our partnership continues to break ground on an international stage
We always look forward to the residency of the fellows from the Music Academy. They are extremely well prepared to perform with the LSO. Our musicians really enjoy working with these emerging artists.
2022 Exchanges:
June 15-24, 2022 Highlights
- June 17: Fellows performed a lunchtime chamber concert at LSO St. Lukes
- June 23: Fellows joined the LSO for a Gala Concert at St. Paul’s Cathedral conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, featuring Berlioz’s Grande Symphonie Funebre et Triomphale and Messiaen’s Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum
- Fellows observed rehearsals and attended concerts
- Each Fellow was paired with a mentor who also provided a coaching session
- Other activities included discovery training, meeting with Kathryn McDowell (LSO Managing Director) and Sir Simon Rattle, and a Peak Performance workshop
Nov 11-21 & Nov 15-25, 2022 Highlights
- Nov 17: Fellows performed in a Symphonic Jazz with Jess Gillam at Barbican Hall, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
- Nov 20: Fellows joined the LSO for a performance of Beethoven and Berlioz at LSO St Luke’s led by Gianandrea Noseda
- Nov 24: Fellows performed Shostakovich: The Year 1905 in Barbican Hall, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda
- Other activities included lessons, coachings, rehearsals, and additional performance opportunities with LSO musicians
2022 LSO Keston MAX Winners
Kenneth Chauby
trumpet
Jordan Farber
bassoon
Nicholas Gallitano
viola
Gene Hotta
viola
Orion Miller
double bass
Katelyn Poetker
clarinet
Gracie Potter
trombone
Matthew A. West
percussion / timpani
Melody Yuan
violin
Hanna Zhdan
violin
2021 LSO Keston MAX Winners
Rodion Belousov
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Aaron Blick
double bass
Keoni Bolding
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Elissa Brown
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Cristina Cutts Dougherty
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Carlos Jiménez Fernández
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Sean Juhl
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Emma Lee
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Ka Long Lee
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Kipras Mazeika
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Javier Morales-Martinez
2021 Keston MAX Winner
Jonathan Wisner
2021 Keston MAX Winner
2020 LSO Keston MAX Winners
Chas Barnard
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Ben Brogadir
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Ava Conway
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Hannah Duncan
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Andrew Gantzer
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Vincent Igusa
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Devan Jaquez
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Wenqi Ke
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Gustavo Leite
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Gerbrich Meijer
clarinet
Noah Roper
2020 Keston MAX Winner
Jeremy Sreejayan
2020 Keston MAX Winner
2019 LSO Keston MAX Winners
Shenae Anderson
2019 Keston MAX Winner
James Dion Blanchard
2019 Keston MAX Winner
Bianca Marian Chambul
2019 Keston MAX Winner
Victoria Chung
2019 Keston MAX Winner
Christine Comer
2019 Keston MAX Winner
Njioma Chinyere Grevious
2019 Keston MAX Winner
Sara Han
2019 Keston MAX Winner
Chien-Lin Lu
Alex Mayon
2019 Keston MAX Winner
Gabrielle Pho
2019 Keston MAX Winner
Sun-Ly Pierce
Maddi Shake
2019 Keston MAX Winner
Ha eun Song
cello
Jonathan Yeoh
2019 Keston MAX Winner
2018 LSO Keston MAX Winners
David Bender
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Nina Bernat
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Stephanie Anne Block
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Quinn Delaney
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Joe Desotelle
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Taylor Isberg
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Francis Lawrence LaPorte
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Kelsey Lauritano
William Loveless
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Sophiko Simsive
Alan Snow
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Lisa Stoneham
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Andrew Sun
William Cedeño Torres
2018 Keston MAX Winner
Agnes Tse
2018 Keston MAX Winner
New York Philharmonic Global Academy
From 2014-2018, as part of a four-year partnership with the New York Philharmonic, 40 Music Academy fellows participated in the New York Philharmonic Global Academy’s Zarin Mehta fellowship program. Ten fellows were selected each summer to travel to New York for a ten-day intensive program, which included training and playing alongside Philharmonic musicians.
During each Summer Festival, the partnership also offered Academy fellows training by Philharmonic musicians, biennial performances by the Philharmonic at the Music Academy Summer Festival, and Academy Festival Orchestra performances at Music Academy Summer Festivals.
The Music Academy’s partnership with the New York Philharmonic was made possible through the generosity of lead sponsors Linda and Michael Keston.
2017 Global Academy Winners
Michael Cox
Hannah Hammel
Jenny Kwak
Michael Marks
Yuan Qi
Nathaniel Silberschlag
Ryan Toher
William Welter
Choi Tung Yeung
Gi Yeon Yoon
2016 Global Academy Winners
Kevin Chen
Minji Choi
Michael Daley
Kaelan Decman
Ao Peng
Emily Switzer
Alexander Volkov
Jack Ryan Walters
Justin Woo
Hyeree Yu
2015 Global Academy Winners
Carl Anderson
Benjamin Hoffman
Maki Kubota
Nikolette LaBonte
Jose Martínez
Rebecca Reale
Samuel Sparrow
Mark Teplitsky
Naisui Zhu
2014 Global Academy Winners
Douglas Aliano
Anthony Bellino
Matthew Cohen
Sean Krissman
Simon Michal
Charlie Rosmarin
Michael Severance
William Shaub
Genevieve Tabby
Jennifer Zhou
