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Catch our faculty concert, and explore upcoming competitions ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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We hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! As we step into the last month of 2025, we’re filled with gratitude for our students, families, and faculty who make JCM such a vibrant community.
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Sunday, December 7, 2025 - 4 PM
Irvine Valley College Performing Arts Center, Rezanoor Stage
5500 Irvine Center Dr, Irvine, CA 92618
Get your tickets here. We’re thrilled to partner with Irvine Valley College Performing Arts Center for a special evening of chamber music and community. Calling all students, families, and friends, come hear our incredible JCM coaches perform and experience the magic of live music together. Faculty Performers: - Piano: Susan Boettger, Anna Gliadkovsky, Kirill Gliadkovsky, Kookhee Hong, Wen-Ting Huang, Wenjing Liu, Jacqueline Petitto, Teresa de Jong Pombo, Svetlana Smolina, Svetlana Transky - Violin: Jin Hee Kim, David Lisker, Eriko Tsuki, Amanda Yang - Viola: Leslie Ho, Jiawei Yan - Cello: Chiawen Tsai, Alexander Zhiroff - Clarinet: David Chang, Claire Chung - Saxophone: John Hallberg
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JCM Groups in ActionOur ensembles are hard at work rehearsing and receiving coaching from our esteemed faculty.
Here is OC Group 10 - Kevin Lew, Aric Xiao, and Karly Chokry - rehearsed and received coaching from Coach Lila Yang.
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Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition
www.fischoff.org
Due date: December 15, 2025 - February 18, 2026
Fees: $135 per ensemble
Eligibility: Age 19 or younger and in high school.
Audition video: At least two contrasting movements, minimum of 15 minutes of total playing time.
Prizes: Quarterfinal & Semifinal Rounds on Friday, May 8 at the University of Notre Dame (in Indiana)
1st Prize and Gold Medal - $2,500
2nd Prize and Silver Medal - $2,000
3rd Prize and Bronze Medal - $1,500
**Finalists featured on NPR’s From the Top
Los Angeles Youth Classical Competition for Piano and Strings
www.friedmusic.com/competition
Date: Sunday, January 18, 2026
Location: Fried Music, 7 N 3rd Street, Alhambra CA 91801
Eligible instruments: Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello
Age eligibility: 6–18 (as of January 18, 2026)
Early Application Deadline ($25 off app fee): December 20, 2025
Final Application Deadline: January 2, 2026
JCM Concerto Competition
https://www.juniorchambermusic.org/young-musicians-concerto-competition
Due date: January 31, 2026
Competition date: February 28, 2026
Fees: $90-$100 solo. Ensemble: $60/performer.
Eligibility: JCM students only. See website for repertoire restrictions.
Category A: 11 & under (combined with CAPMT)
Category B: 14 & under
Category C: 21 & under
Category D: All ages, multi-instrument
Prizes: Performance with Orchestra Collective of Orange County (OC of OC) in Daniel Recital Hall at CSULB in September 2026.
Amici Solo & Chamber Music Competition
https://www.amicisummer.org/amici-solo--chamber-competition.html
Due date: February 1, 2026
Fees: $40-$60 per member
Eligibility: Any piano/strings ensemble
Category A: 10 & under
Category B: 12 & under
Category C: 14 & under
Category D: 16 & under
Category E: 25 & under
Prizes: Winners of the 1st round will receive trophies and an invitation to perform at the Winners Showcase Concert. Prizes include scholarships to the 2026 Amici International Music Festival.
JCM Chamber Music Competition
https://www.juniorchambermusic.org/chamber-music-competition
Due date: February 26, 2026
Fees: $50 per ensemble member
Eligibility: Current JCM group. One chamber work of your choice.
Senior: Age 21 & under
Junior: Age 14 & under
Elementary: Age 11 & under
Senior Prizes: $1,200, $600, $300
Junior Prizes: $1000, $500, $250
Elementary Prizes: $600, $300, $120
Grand Prize: Featured performance on Da Camera Society Chamber Music Series, March 22, 2026.
MTAC LA County Scholarship Competition for Solo and Chamber Music
mtaclacounty.org/programs/branch-programs
Due date: April 1-15, 2026
Fees: $30 teacher fee (if not a member of MTAC-LA)
$40-$45 per applicant
Category 1 - Ages 16-18
Category 2 - Ages 13-15
Category 3 - Ages 10-12
Category 4 - 9 & under
Competition on May 2, 2026 in Alhambra
Each Division has 1st, 2nd, 3rd cash prizes ranging from $325-$675
Musical Arts Club of Orange County Competition
www.musicalartsoc.org
Due date: April 2026
Fees: $40 teacher membership
$50 student application
Numerous divisions and ages - see website
Repertoire free choice
Prizes: Trophies and comments
Finalist performance in May at CSULB
John Child Walker Music Competition
www.walkermusiccompetition.org
Due date: April 2026
Fees: $40 Teacher membership fee
$50 per applicant
Eligibility: Teacher must be a member of the Musicians’ Club of Pomona Valley
Prizes: Trophies, $100, and comments.
Southwestern Youth Music Festival
www.symf.org
Due date: July 2026
Teacher membership due May 1st, 2026
Student fees apply
Numerous divisions, levels, and ages - see website
Repertoire for ensemble is free choice.
Prizes: Trophies and comments
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December marks the birth month of Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest composers in history. This month, we highlight his Piano Trio No.1 in E-flat Major, Op.1 No.1.
This piece is Beethoven’s first published piano trio, composed in 1795 when he was in his early 20s. Though labeled “Opus 1,” it was not his first composition, but it marked his bold entry into the world of chamber music.
Structure: Four movements - a confident Allegro, lyrical Adagio cantabile, groundbreaking Scherzo, and a spirited Presto finale - each highlighting Beethoven’s balance of elegance and innovation.
Innovation: The scherzo replaces the traditional minuet, injecting humor, surprise, and rhythmic vitality. This was one of the earliest chamber works to use the scherzo form, a hallmark of Beethoven’s style.
Interpretive challenge: The trio demands equal partnership among piano, violin, and cello, with nuanced phrasing and dynamic contrasts. It’s a perfect study in ensemble dialogue and expressive range for advanced JCM groups.
Watch JCM students perform this piece:
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Dr. Wenjing Liu
Dr. Wenjing Liu is a distinguished solo performer, chamber musician, and educator, renowned for her passionate and intense musicality. Her performances have captivated audiences across the United States, China, and Italy, with engagements at prestigious venues such as Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and Steinway Hall in New York. Her artistry has also been featured at prominent academic institutions worldwide, further solidifying her reputation as a dynamic and expressive pianist.
Dr. Liu is a distinguished piano educator currently serving on the faculty at the Orange County School of the Arts and Junior Chamber Music (JCM) of Orange County. She also holds the roles of Music Director and CEO at the North Orange County Conservatory of Music. Previously, she taught at the University of Iowa, where she provided instruction in both group piano and applied lessons.
In addition to her teaching roles, Dr. Liu is an active lecturer, masterclass clinician, and adjudicator, frequently presenting in both China and the United States. She shares her expertise with students and educators alike through workshops, masterclasses, and competition adjudications. Recent engagements include teaching at the Concordia University Summer Chamber Music Festival and serving as an adjudicator for the Concordia Chamber Music Competition and the Satori Young Pianist Contest.
Beyond her work as a performer and educator, Dr. Liu holds the position of President of the Music Teachers Association of California – Orange County North Branch (MTAC). In this role, she plays a vital part in organizing and hosting musical events, competitions, concerts, and performance opportunities for students across Southern California, fostering a vibrant and enriching musical community. Her students have consistently excelled in the MTAC Certificate of Merit program, earning top prizes and honorable mentions in prestigious competitions, including the Satori Summer Music Festival, LA Young Pianist Competition, Glendale Piano Competition, Musical Arts Club of Orange County, LA Liszt Competition, MTNA Piano Competitions, Kathryn Gawartin Chopin Competition, and the International Music Competition 'Brussels' Grand Prize Virtuoso Competition. Many of her students are also active participants in music festivals and community ensembles, such as the Style Piano Festival and the Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic. Their success has led to acceptances into leading universities throughout California. Dr. Liu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy from the University of Iowa, a Master of Music in Piano Performance and Collaborative Piano from Illinois State University, and a Bachelor of Music from Shandong University. Through her dedication to performance, education, and leadership, she continues to inspire the next generation of musicians.
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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!
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Stay Connected!Follow us for daily inspiration, student spotlights, and behind-the-scenes fun:As we wrap up 2025, we celebrate the music, growth, and community that JCM embodies. Thank you for being part of our journey. We look forward to an inspiring new year together!With gratitude,
The Junior Chamber Music Team
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