Sarah Cho, Ella Phillippy, and Danielle Lee

Sarah Cho, 15, is a sophomore attending Poolesville High School’s Global Ecology Magnet Program. She currently studies with Dr. JeongEunPark Kang. She started playing piano at the age of 4 and gave her first performance at 6. Her musical achievements include 1st place at the Maryland State Music Teachers Association Piano Festival, 1st place at the Young Musicians Inspiring Change (YMIC) Metropolitan Music Festival, Gold at the National Gospel Music Festival, 1st place at the Rockville Music Competition for Piano and Strings, 2nd place at the YMIC International Competition, 2nd place at the American Protege Music Talent Competition, and more. She has also performed at the Washington International Piano Festival at Catholic University. She is also a part of numerous musical non-profit organizations including Young Musicians Inspiring Change, Cadenza Club, and Back to Bach. She has received the President’s Gold Volunteer Service Award and has received The County Executive Award for her community service through piano.

Ella is a high school student from Maryland who has been playing piano since the 1st grade. Her most recent musical accomplishments include 1st place in the Piano Chamber category along with a Special Jury Award at the 2020 Metropolitan Music Festival. In 2019, Ella was a finalist for the Young Artist Concerto Festival and had the privilege of performing with a professional orchestra at the winners recital. She was also selected as a Top Winner at the Rockville Music Competition in 2018 in Rockville, MD. Ella loves bringing the world of music to others and has taught piano to underprivileged elementary schoolers for over three years. Prior to the pandemic, she would also regularly perform for nursing homes and hospitals. Beyond piano, Ella is an avid horse rider and has recently begun competing in recognized horse trials.

Danielle Lee is a junior at Thomas S. Wootton High School. She has been studying piano under Dr. JeongEun Park Kang for eleven years. Danielle was invited to perform at Carnegie Hall through YMIC in 2021 and was awarded the Special Jury Award in the Metropolitan Classical Musical with her piano ensemble in 2020. She also placed third with her piano ensemble at the MSMTA Piano Festival in 2020 and won first place in the YMIC Metropolitan Solo & Chamber Music Festival Chamber Division in 2019 and in the Solo Division (2018, 2016). Danielle won first place in the Rockville Music Competition (2019, 2018, 2016). She was the first prize winner at the CAI Maestro Competition in 2017 and was selected to perform at the Kennedy Center in the Millennium Stage in 2016. In her free time, Danielle enjoys spending time with her friends and playing with her dog.