Mon, Feb 16, 2026, 7:00 pm

Zun-Hin Woo is a conductor, violinist, and educator based in Southern California. He currently serves as Associate Conductor and Concertmaster of the Temecula Valley Symphony and is Music Director and Conductor of the Temecula Valley Youth Symphony. In addition, he is Orchestra Conductor and Strings Coordinator at Fullerton College and Instrumental Department Coordinator at Santiago Canyon College.

Dr. Woo holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Missouri. During his graduate studies, he served as Assistant Conductor of the Columbia Civic Orchestra and Show Me Opera, gaining experience conducting both orchestral and operatic repertoire.

As a professional violinist and violist, Dr. Woo has performed internationally with ensembles including the Hong Kong Sinfonietta and the Hong Kong Virtuosi, collaborating with orchestras across Asia and the United States. His work as a conductor spans professional, educational, and community ensembles, reflecting a strong commitment to musical excellence, mentorship, and arts education.

Yunfei (Joanna) Huang, age 14, began her piano studies at the age of seven under the guidance of Dr. Ivona Kaminska. Through systematic and sustained study, she has developed a strong foundation in classical piano performance along with growing maturity in musical expression.

Joanna has participated in numerous competitions and festivals, earning recognition for her dedication and artistic development. Her recent honors include First Place in the American Protégé International Romantic Music Competition (2025), Gold Medalist at the Classical Viennese Festival (2025), First Place (Top 15 Most Exceptional Performer) at the Spring Music Competition (2025), and First Place in the 19th Century Music Competition (2024).

Through her musical training and stage experience, Joanna has developed a strong interest in classical repertoire, with particular attention to musical structure, stylistic clarity, and the interpretation of composers’ musical language. She approaches performance with discipline, focus, and artistic sensitivity. Outside of music, Joanna enjoys drawing, playing basketball, and writing.

Yutong (Angela) Xie, age 12, began studying piano at the age of six and currently studies with Dr. Ivona Kaminska. She has distinguished herself through advanced technical command, musical maturity beyond her years, and strong ensemble awareness.

Angela is a First Prize winner of the International Music Competition “Vienna” (Grand Prize Virtuoso, 2025) and a three-time First Prize winner of the American Protégé Piano and Strings Competition. She has earned Gold Medals at both the Classical Viennese Festival and the Bach Festival International, reflecting stylistic breadth across Baroque and Classical repertoire.

Since 2022, Angela has been invited to perform annually at Carnegie Hall, where she has demonstrated confident stage presence and strong collaborative musicianship in large-scale works.

Andrew J. Lee, from Sammamish, Washington, studies piano with Drs. Ivona Kaminska-Bowlby and Peter Mack and previously studied at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He has earned numerous First Prize awards and top honors at local, national, and international competitions.

His recent awards include First Prize at the WSMTA Outstanding Artist Piano Competition, First Prize at the San Francisco International Piano Competition, Gold Medal at the Seattle International Piano Competition Bach Festival, Grand Prix Winner of the Russian Chamber Music Foundation of Seattle Competition, and First Place at the Chopin Council of San Francisco Chopin Competition.

Andrew has performed as a soloist with the Golden State Youth Orchestra and has participated in prominent festivals including MusicAlp (France), the Southeastern Piano Festival, the Seattle Piano Institute, and the Philadelphia International Music Festival. He has worked in masterclasses with numerous distinguished artists and is also committed to community service, regularly performing at senior living facilities and coaching music theory for younger students.

Why this piece exists
Mozart composed this concerto shortly after settling in Vienna, where he was supporting himself through teaching, publishing, and public performances. K. 415 was designed to appeal to a broad audience and could even be performed with reduced forces, making it practical as well as polished.

What to listen for
The first movement is bright and confident, with clear themes passed between orchestra and soloist. Rather than dramatic confrontation, the piano and orchestra engage in conversation, each taking turns shaping the musical narrative.

The human angle
At this point in his life, Mozart was entrepreneurial as well as artistic. This concerto reflects his ability to write music that was refined without being remote, and virtuosic without being intimidating.

Why it still resonates
Its appeal lies in balance. The music is clever, graceful, and immediately intelligible — qualities that make it as enjoyable today as it was for Mozart’s original audiences.

Why this piece exists
K. 413 was written alongside two other early Vienna concertos and reflects Mozart’s interest in flexibility and practicality. He explicitly noted that it could be performed either with full orchestra or with string quartet, widening its usefulness in different settings.

What to listen for
The first movement unfolds with calm assurance. The piano writing is transparent rather than flashy, and the orchestra provides a supportive, chamber-like backdrop rather than dramatic opposition.

The human angle
This concerto reveals Mozart’s confidence in simplicity. Rather than pushing boundaries, he refines them, trusting proportion and clarity to carry the music.

Why it still resonates
Its modesty is part of its strength. The music invites close listening and rewards attention to detail, making it quietly satisfying rather than overtly dramatic.

Why this piece exists
Grieg wrote his Piano Concerto while on a creative retreat in Denmark, at a moment when he was searching for a personal musical voice. Although the concerto follows the traditional Romantic concerto model, it was also Grieg’s first major orchestral work and a bold attempt to step onto the international stage.

What to listen for
The opening movement begins with one of the most recognizable gestures in the concerto repertoire: a dramatic orchestral statement followed by the piano’s sweeping entrance. Throughout the movement, listen for sharp rhythmic contrasts, bold piano writing, and frequent dialogue between soloist and orchestra rather than pure accompaniment.

The human angle
Grieg was deeply concerned with national identity, and although this concerto does not quote folk songs directly, its rhythms, harmonies, and melodic shapes reflect the music of Norway. The result is a work that feels both cosmopolitan and personal, rooted in place without being programmatic.

Why it still resonates
Grieg’s concerto succeeds because it balances immediacy with depth. It is emotionally direct and highly dramatic, yet carefully crafted — a piece that speaks just as clearly to first-time listeners as it does to seasoned concertgoers.

Why this piece exists
Mozart composed this concerto for one of his pupils, Barbara Ployer, and it reflects a pedagogical clarity alongside compositional sophistication. By 1784, Mozart was at the height of his popularity in Vienna and writing with confidence and freedom.

What to listen for
The first movement is rich in thematic variety and sudden turns of mood. Listen for unexpected harmonic shifts and the piano’s ability to sound both lyrical and mischievous within a tightly organized structure.

The human angle
This concerto shows Mozart enjoying himself. There is wit in the dialogue between soloist and orchestra, and a sense of delight in musical surprise.

Why it still resonates
Its charm is inseparable from its craft. Beneath the lightness lies careful construction, making it engaging on both a surface and structural level.

Why this piece exists
Composed during a period of intense productivity, K. 491 is one of only two piano concertos Mozart wrote in a minor key. It expands the orchestra and deepens the expressive range far beyond his earlier concertos.

What to listen for
The first movement is driven by tension rather than brilliance. The piano does not dominate but wrestles with the orchestra, creating a sense of struggle and seriousness uncommon in Mozart’s concerto output.

The human angle
Here, Mozart sets aside elegance in favor of intensity. The music suggests a composer willing to explore darker emotional territory, even within a public concert form.

Why it still resonates
Its power lies in restraint and complexity. Rather than offering easy resolution, the music sustains a sense of urgency that feels strikingly modern.

Why this piece exists
Chopin composed this concerto in his late teens while preparing to leave Poland and establish himself as a virtuoso pianist. Like many piano concertos of the period, it was written primarily as a vehicle for the soloist, designed to showcase tone, elegance, and expressive nuance rather than orchestral drama.

What to listen for
In the first movement, the orchestra sets the scene, but the focus quickly shifts to the piano. Listen for long, lyrical lines, delicate ornamentation, and a sense of rubato-like flexibility — the piano often feels as if it is speaking freely, even when tightly structured.

The human angle
Although labeled “No. 2,” this concerto was actually completed before Chopin’s First Piano Concerto. At the time, Chopin was deeply influenced by Italian opera and the bel canto tradition, and his writing here treats the piano less as a percussive instrument and more as a singer.

Why it still resonates
Rather than aiming for power or grandeur, this music invites close listening. Its emotional impact comes from intimacy, restraint, and expressive detail — qualities that continue to define Chopin’s voice and make his music enduring.