FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER

Time to Sign Up for the Prestigious
JCM Chamber Music Competition

Thank you to all students who registered for the JCM Concerto Competition. We look forward to hearing your performances and seeing the results of your hard work.

Now it’s time to register for the prestigious JCM Chamber Music Competition, one of the most anticipated events of the year for our ensembles. This competition is open exclusively to current JCM groups and highlights the artistry, teamwork, and dedication of our chamber musicians.

Registration Deadline: February 26

OC Honor Concert at the Nixon Library

On February 8, we held our OC Honor Concert at the beautiful Nixon Library in Yorba Linda. Congratulations to all the honor groups selected to perform.

OC Group 36:
Amy Sun (flute), Gianna Lee (violin), Leilani Gesk (harp)

DDDS:
Emma Chen (piano), Summer Park (violin), Abigail Yoo (cello)

Trio de Musique:
Karlyna Chokryn (piano), Aric Xiao (violin), Kevin Lew (cello)

Trio Élégiaque:
Skyler Tran (piano), Julian Yoon (violin), Jeeho Park (cello)

Three Musketeers:
Lawrence Chen (piano), Zachary Lee (violin), Jeremiah Ming (cello)

OC Group 20:
Madeline Chang (piano), Zoe Lee (violin), Abigail Chua (viola), Tara Lee (cello)

ASA Trio:
Sterling Tran (piano), Audrey Lee (violin), Alex Hwang (cello)

LA Chamber Music Workshop with Coach Stella Cho

Our LA branch hosted a wonderful Chamber Music Workshop with Coach Stella Cho at Fried Music. Thank you, Coach Stella, for an inspiring session, and thank you to JCM LA Co‑Directors Connie Kim-Sheng Fried and Ben Fried for organizing this meaningful event.

JCM Student Service Concert - Conejo Valley

On January 17, our Conejo Valley branch held a JCM Student Service Concert at University Village. Congratulations to all the groups who performed. We hope you enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to fulfill your community service volunteer hours.

More Student Service concerts are coming up across other JCM branches.

So Many Opportunities Ahead

We’re thrilled to offer so many enriching opportunities for our JCM students, and we’re exploring nonstop to bring even more to our ensembles.

Coaching Sessions

Coaching sessions continue throughout all JCM branches, with students making steady progress as they prepare for upcoming concerts and competitions.

Shostakovich:
Five Pieces for Two Violins and Piano

This month, we feature Shostakovich’s Five Pieces - a charming, accessible set arranged from his film and ballet music. Each movement offers its own character and gives young chamber groups a chance to explore color, phrasing, and ensemble balance. The suite moves from lyrical to playful to dance‑like, allowing students to experiment with expression, timing, and communication within the ensemble.

Although originally arranged for two violins and piano, this set has become a favorite for many different ensemble combinations. JCM groups have performed it with a variety of instrumentations over the years, and the music adapts beautifully, a testament to its clarity, charm, and versatility. It’s a delightful blend of musicality and fun, and a wonderful introduction to Shostakovich’s unique voice.

Here are some performances by JCM students of this piece:

Faculty Feature

Dr. Sarkis Baltaian

Dr. Sarkis Baltaian has gained an international reputation as a concert pianist, chamber musician, recording artist and pedagogue. He has been praised by critics for his “beautiful tone and ability to project even the most delicate pianissimos” and compared to George Gershwin and Oscar Levant for his performance of Gershwin’s Concerto in F. Dr. Baltaian made his Carnegie Hall Debut in 1999 and has performed extensively both as recitalist and concerto soloist with major orchestras throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia.

Dr. Baltaian has been a top prize winner of several national and international competitions and has appeared as guest artist in numerous festivals including the Aspen International Music Festival, Casalmaggiore International Music Festival, Holland Music Sessions, Bad Bertrich Klaviersommer, Pan Pacific Music Festival, Mammoth Lakes Music Festival, and Plovdiv International Chamber Music Festival. Dr. Baltaian has made recordings for Television and Radio Stations and has been featured in live concerts and interviews on NBC, NPR, KUSC-Los Angeles, K-Mozart-Los Angeles, WMFT-Chicago, Bulgarian National Radio and TV, Classic FM-Bulgaria among others.

A dedicated teacher, Dr. Baltaian’s students have won various national and international competitions and have been accepted at schools such as Eastman School, Peabody Conservatory, New England Conservatory, Manhattan School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, Cleveland Institute of Music, USC, UCLA, Rice University, Cornell University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Santa Barbara, Pomona College and University of Colorado at Boulder.

He is a fierce advocate for the music education of young musicians and has served on the piano faculty at the Casalmaggiore Music Festival in Italy, Pan Pacific Music Festival in Australia, John Perry Academy in California and as a chamber music coach for the Junior Chamber Music Series in Los Angeles. Dr. Baltaian is in demand as clinician and regularly presents Master Classes at Universities across the United States. He is frequently invited to adjudicate for such organizations as the Music Teachers National Association, Music Teachers Association of California, Junior Bach Festival and Southwestern Youth Music Festival.

Dr. Baltaian began to study piano at the age of four with Rositza Ivancheva at the “Dobrin Petkov” Music High School for gifted students in his native Bulgaria. He continued his education at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles where he received the Bachelor of Music, Masters of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts Degrees under the direction of renowned pedagogue and concert artist John Perry where he also served as his teaching assistant.

Dr. Baltaian has held full time professorships at the Colburn Conservatory and UAHuntsville.

He is currently the Director of Instrumental Music at the Orange County School of the Arts and serves on the piano faculty of the Pasadena Conservatory of Music.

We Want to Feature YOU!

Got an awesome story, fun fact, or performance video to share?
We love celebrating our students & alumni.

Send your stories or clips to Aimee: aimee@juniorchambermusic.org for a chance to be featured!

Stay Connected!

Follow us for daily inspiration, student spotlights, and behind-the-scenes fun:

• Instagram: @juniorchambermusic

• Facebook: @juniorchambermusic

• YouTube: @juniorchambermusic

February is already filled with music, momentum, and meaningful experiences for our students. Thank you for continuing to be part of JCM. We’re excited for all that’s ahead.

With gratitude,
The Junior Chamber Music Team