The Music Mind Lab

About the Episode:

In this episode, acclaimed violinist Professor Chen Zhao shares his experiences transitioning from music studies to a professional career, his favorite recordings, insight into approaching new repertoire, and advice on balancing a musical career with personal interests.

About the Artist:

Chen Zhao joined the San Francisco Symphony second violin section in 2000 and was previously a member of the New World Symphony. He is also a professor of violin at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a violin coach for the SF Symphony Youth Orchestra.

As a soloist, Zhao has appeared with the SF Symphony, SF Symphony Youth Orchestra, Camellia Symphony, Oslo Chamber Orchestra, Stanford Symphony, Cal Poly Symphony, UC Davis Symphony, and Curtis Symphony. He has also toured extensively across the United States, Europe, and Asia, including appearances at the Ravinia Festival, La Jolla Music Society, Sun Valley Music Festival, Round Top, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, Evian Rencontres Musicicales, Pacific Crest Music Festival, BBC Proms, and Lucerne Festival.

Zhao is a native of Shanghai and showed an early interest in music, playing a makeshift violin—a chopstick and pencil box—until receiving a one-eighth-size violin on his fourth birthday. He studied with his uncle Ronghao Nie and gave his first public performance at the Shanghai Children’s Palace at age six. He later studied at the Shanghai Conservatory, Crossroads School for Arts and Sciences, Curtis Institute of Music, and San Francisco Conservatory of Music. His teachers include Jiaxiang Zhou, Jiyang Zhao, Heiichiro Ohyama, Felix Galimir, and Camilla Wicks, along with members of the Amadeus, Guarneri, Vermeer, Juilliard, and Borodin quartets.

Intro/outro music: Naja's Waltz, performed by Chen Zhao (playing on a 1713 Stradivari on loan from Strad Society), Hagan Tran, Harriet Cohen, and Joe Brackmann.

About the Episode:

In this episode, Ms. Mary Clementi speaks about her experiences with encountering and overcoming imposter syndrome, the importance of music foundations, and the joy of staying open to new opportunities. 

About the Artist:

Mary is in her seventh year at Lakeside School and her twentieth year of teaching. She relocated to Seattle from New York City, where she was the Executive Director and Music Director of Highbridge Voices, an after school music and academic program serving children in the Bronx. Mary has served as a guest clinician and adjudicator in schools in New York, Virginia, Maryland, and Wisconsin. She was a 2013 Fellow to the International Conductors Exchange Program in Hangzhou, China. She is a member of Mirinesse Women’s Choir. Mary received her Master of Music Education degree at Florida State University in Tallahassee, and her Bachelor of Music degree at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota.

Intro/outro music: Bel Canto by Gary Fry, performed by Highbridge Voices, conducted by Mary Clementi 

About the Episode:

In this episode, Erica Johansen speaks about her experiences navigating music school, managing stage fright, finding her passion in her career, and ultimately pursuing a career in music education.

About the Artist:

ERICA JOHANSEN grew up on both coasts, spending equal childhood years on Cape Cod and in the Monterey Bay area. She began studying the violin at age 8 with a teacher who referred to herself as “the fiddlewitch.” Since 1998 Erica has resided in the Pacific Northwest where she enjoys a healthy balance of teaching and performing while raising two teenage boys. Johansen holds a Master of Music in violin performance from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Music from the University of Puget Sound. Her primary teachers include Ed Seferian, Rochelle Walton, Kyung Chee and Rene Staar. Erica is concertmaster of the Lake Union Civic Orchestra and has served in that role since 2002. She is in her 18th year teaching and conducting at Lakeside School, where she runs a robust string program of over 150 students in grades 5-12.

Intro/outro music: Rimsy-Korsakov Scheherazade, I. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship solo performed by Erica Johansen

About the Episode:

In this episode, Eidee Tan and Selina Lai speak about their inspirations, motivations, and plans for Octave, a youth-run organization aiming to foster musical mentorships.

About the Artists:

Eidee is a Seattle-based student violinist, chamber musician, and ensemble leader who began her violin studies during the Covid-19 pandemic and quickly discovered a passion for connecting with others through music. She has been a member of the Seattle Chamber Music Society Youth Academy for the past three years, performing in winter and summer festival pre-concert recitals and presenting full chamber music programs in Tacoma and other regional venues.She serves as concertmaster and section leader in school and community orchestras, including Newport High School and Seattle Youth Symphony, and is actively involved in coaching and mentoring younger musicians. Eidee currently studies with Professor Ronald Patterson, a former student of Jascha Heifetz, and Simon James of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Selina Lai is a junior at Newport High School and plays the violin and viola. She has been playing the violin for 7 years and the viola for around 3 years. She plays the viola in her quartet, but mainly plays the violin in and out of school. Outside of school, she enjoys creating music with her peers in the Youth Symphony of Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO). 

She is the co-organizer of the program at a local middle school, coaching young musicians and taking that opportunity and experience to tutor more students in her school. Her passion for tutoring stems from volunteering in organizations that allows her to make a change in her community.

Intro/outro music: Debussy String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10, performed by the Achille Quartet (Eidee Tan, Selina Lai, Elliott Pyon, and Eli Paek)

About the Episode:

In this episode, composer, violist, and educator Heather Bentley explains her composition inspirations and process, the impact of her classical background, her experiences with music education, and her future plans to pursue music in France.

About the Artist:

Seattle-based violist and composer Heather Bentley has trailblazed a career as one of the West Coast’s most visible improvisatory musicians, specializing in creating evocative atmospheres and textures. Classically trained, she has shifted to an unabashedly experimental artistic output: As a performer, she can be seen performing on instruments like her electric seven string and five string violins or her electronic pedal board in numerous chamber ensembles that utilize improvisation, electronics, and often both. As a composer, her work for chamber ensembles and orchestras has been performed by organizations across the US. Relentless in her pursuit of creativity, she continues this work as co-founder of Kin of the Moon, a 501(c)(3) organization which fosters collaboration between artists in service of creating unique art.

Intro/outro music: Monday’s Child (2020-21) For viola solo, written and performed by Heather Bentley

About the Episode:

In this episode, pianist and singer Megan Liu explains the unique quality of music to bridge generations, express emotions, and bring joy to others.

About the Artist:

Megan Liu, a junior at Newport High School, is a pianist and (casual) singer. She moved to WA from Beijing when she was 10 years old. She has been playing piano for 12 years and singing for 8 years. She sometimes plays the piano or ukulele to accompany her singing. She has been part of Project Andante, a student-led music performance organization, for almost 4 years. She likes to perform classical and pop music renditions. Outside of music, she enjoys exploring Indie video games, watching theories and ARGs on YouTube, running around her neighborhood, and hanging out with her little sister.  

Intro/outro music: Debussy Suite bergamasque, L. 75: I. Prélude , performed by Megan Liu

About the Episode:

In this episode, violinist Mia Hong explains the unique curriculum of Juilliard Precollege, shares notable memories from summer programs, and speaks about focusing on self-growth. 

About the Artist:

Mia Hong is a 16-year-old violinist from New York. She studies with Ann Setzer at Juilliard Pre-College, and has previously attended the Meadowmount School of Music. 

Intro /outro music: Clara Schumann Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22 (1853) I. Andante Molto, performed by Mia Hong

About the Episode:

How do musicians overcome frustrating performances and reach the highest efficiency possible while practicing? In this episode, violinist Brandon Hu explains the importance of planning, reflecting, researching composers and music history, and building a strong and loving relationship with oneself. Listen to Brandon share notable lessons from summer programs, speak about the intersection between music and writing, and give a framework for maintaining efficient practice every day. 

About the Artist:

Brandon Hu is a sophomore at the John Burroughs School. Hu started playing the violin at three and at the age of eleven, started transitioning from a music lover to a serious musician. At the age of 9, he joined the Webster Community Music School’s (CMS) string orchestra. He joined CMS’s Young People’s Concert Orchestra in 2019 and was the principal of second violins at the Young People’s Symphonic Orchestra (YPSO) during the 2022-2023 season. During that season, he and YPSO were chosen to perform at the Missouri Music Educator Association.  

Hu’s first concerto debut was with the Odyssey Chamber Series alongside two violinists performing the “Bach Triple Violin Concerto” as one of the winners of the Odyssey Concerto Competition in Columbia, Missouri. In 2023, he was awarded the runner-up at the Missouri state level in the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) in the junior string division.  

At John Burroughs School, Hu, along with his classmates, founded the school’s first ever chamber music ensemble, The Burrough Trio, and performed at the school and around the St. Louis Area.  

Hu has studied at music festivals such as Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music Summer String Academy in 2023, Meadowmount School of Music in 2024, and University of Michigan’s MPulse Center Stage Strings in 2025. He has received guidance from pedagogues like Mr. Pasha Sabouri, Mr. I-Hao Lee, Ms. Danielle Belen, Mr. Elbert Tsai, and Mr. Simon James. 

Hu would like to thank his former teacher Ms. Celina Casado for guiding him on the very start of the violin. He thanks Ms. Joo Kim who has taught over the last 9 years and has helped him to grow as a musician and as a person.

Intro/outro music: Vieuxtemps Violin Concerto No. 5 in A minor, Op. 37, performed by Brandon Hu

About the Episode:

How do musicians manage their everyday practice and deliver their best performances onstage? In this episode, cellist Ana Chirinos explains how she began playing the cello, her experiences with orchestra and chamber music, her preparation process for the National Sphinx Competition, advice for college auditions, and strategies for balancing music with academics.

About the Artist:

Ana is a 17-year-old cellist from Columbus, Georgia. Although she began on violin like her mother and sister, she soon realized she wanted to follow in her father’s footsteps and picked up the cello instead. She has earned first place in the Atlanta Music Club Scholarship Competition, received honorable mention in the Sphinx Competition and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, and was a finalist in both the Samuel Fordis Young Artists Concerto Competition and the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition. She is also an awardee of a full scholarship from the International Cello Institute.

Ana enjoys learning orchestral repertoire and listens to the music so often that she memorizes not only her part, but the parts of other sections too. One of her favorite works is Rimsky Korsakov’s Scheherazade, a piece she finds cinematic, colorful, and full of vivid storytelling.

Intro Music: Haydn Cello Concerto No. 1 in C major, Hob. VIIb/1, performed by Ana Chirinos at the 2026 Sphinx Competition Semi-Finals

About the Episode:

What does it take to be the Director of Education and Community Engagement at the Seattle Chamber Music Society? What are music conservatory and doctorate programs like? Why is music education so important?

In this episode, violist, educator, and director Marta Lambert answers these questions and shares notable lessons from her music experiences. Listen to Marta explain how she began playing the viola, her incredible music education journey, how she began working with the Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS), the multifaceted value of music, and strategies for remaining resilient.

About the Artist:

Márta Hortobágyi Lambert was born in Greenville, North Carolina, and began her musical studies on piano and violin, later developing a love for viola. Márta received her Undergraduate training in Viola Performance from East Carolina University with Melissa Reardon and Ara Gregorian, later transferring to The Juilliard School where she studied with Misha Amory and Hsin Yun Huang. Márta earned her Graduate Degree from Yale University with Steve Tenenbom and Ettore Causa, and graduated from The Juilliard School with a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree under the tutelage of Roger Tapping and Steve Tenenbom in May 2024.

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Márta currently serves as the Director of Education and Community Engagement at Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS) where she leads the Academy for Chamber Music and curates community initiatives that aim to make classical music more accessible, relevant, and engaging to all audiences.

A passionate educator and advocate for the arts, Márta is currently on faculty at the Academy for Chamber Music at SCMS where she coaches pre-college level chamber groups. She previously held positions teaching violin, viola, chamber music, and general music studies at the Eisman Center for Preparatory Studies in Music (ECPSM), Kinhaven Music School, St. Davids School, and Suzuki on the Island (SOTI) where she additionally served on the administrative team under the directorship of Ani Gregorian Resnick. Márta has also held fellowship positions at The Juilliard School for music theory and ear training while also engaging with younger students in public school classrooms through Juilliard’s Morse Fellowship and Yale University’s Music in Schools Program.

Márta’s devotion to chamber music has created opportunities to perform with members of the Cleveland, Alban Berg, Brentano, Ensō, Orion, and Daedalus String Quartets, including performances with Miriam Fried, Ida Kavafian, Colin Carr, Maria Lambros, and Michael Kannen. Márta has also performed at music festivals including Donaueschingen Musiktage, Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, Prussia Cove, Portland Chamber Music Festival, Four Seasons-Winter Workshop, and Kneisel Hall, where she was a founding member of the prize-winning Blue Hill String Quartet.

Márta was awarded the Dean’s Prize at Yale University in May 2019 and the Presser Foundation Graduate Music Award from The Juilliard School in March 2021, and most recently received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School as a recipient of the C.V. Starr Fellowship and the Richard F. French Doctoral Prize for her dissertation The Viola as a Voice of Lamentation: The Story Behind the Sound.

Intro and outro music: Last Leaf: In Memoriam (2022), I. Mr. Behrman by Iván Enrique Rodríguez, performed by Marta Hortobágyi Lambert, Viola, and Kevin Ahfat, Piano