Amelie Wright (age 17) is a composer, violinist, and singer from Portland, Oregon. She grew up surrounded by music and consequently fell in love with it. Amelie loves to explore various possible textures, extended techniques, and the intersections between music and culture. Amelie has participated in various composition opportunities around the United States, including the Walden School of Music, the Portland Young Jazz Composers mentorship, the Young Composers Program, and the Portland Art Museum Film Scorers Project. Her works have been awarded an OMEA 2024 State Composition Honorable Mention and the ASCAP 2025 Irving Berlin Award.

Julia Lu (age 17) is a composer from Ellicott City, Maryland who believes music has the power to bring people together. With a love for exploring unique sounds and techniques, she creates works that evoke deep emotion. Her recent compositions push the boundaries of traditional music, blending classical and contemporary elements. Her music often draws inspiration from nature and everyday life. For Julia, music is a way to connect, inspire, and move audiences.

Sophia Kunxu Dou (17) is a composer based in New York City, who studies composition under Valerie Coleman at The Juilliard School. She was formerly a Juilliard Pre-College student of Daniel Felsenfeld. She is a winner of the 2023 ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, The American Prize in Composition–Orchestra 2024, and The 2025 First Commission Awards, among others. She has been a New York Youth Symphony member since 2022 and participated in the Young Artists Composition Program of BUTI, Yellow Barn and Dolphins Quartet. Sophia’s works have been performed at National Sawdust, Composers Now Festival, 14th Busan Maru International Music Festival, Sounds of US Festival, and more.

Ana Leon Kovatch (age 17) is a composer and guitarist from Hershey, Pennsylvania who is inspired by fusing contrasting genres. She studies with Dr. Justin Morell and attended Interlochen Arts Camp, the Juilliard Composition Intensive, and the Penn State Youth Composition Institute. Her piece Tangents for Strings received the PMEA All-State Composition Award and featured at CMCB Young Composers Festival. The Hershey HS Concert Orchestra also performed her work Baile Eterno at the PMEA All-State Conference. Ana teaches children’s guitar classes under Eric Dieter at QBGS and interns for Brian Buterbaugh with the Hersey HS Orchestra. When not composing, she enjoys playing guitar, from jazz to progressive metal.

Angela Jin (age 17) is a composer and flutist from Andover, Massachusetts, and a junior at Phillips Academy. She studies composition with Yiming Wu and flute with Nina Barwell and Lisa Hennesy. She has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center and Boston Symphony Hall, and her work was recognized by Tribeca New Music. Drawing inspiration from her cultural background and philosophy, Angela seeks to create music that spreads kindness and fosters reflection. As a flutist, she has performed with the Massachusetts All-State Orchestra, and serves as principal flute of the NEC Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and Andover Symphony Orchestra.

Karis Huang (age 14) is a composer, violinist, and pianist from Seattle, Washington. She is a freshman at Mercer Island High School. Karis plays in the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra and her favorite memories include performing for Pacific Northwest Ballet and playing side-by-side with the Seattle Symphony. She recently attended the Wildflower Composers Festival where her piece was performed by the Bergamot Quartet. Karis currently studies violin with Patrick Galvin, at the Coleman Violin Studio and composition with Daixuan Ai. Her favorite activities include reading and dancing on her high school’s drill team.