Grace Sawyko – soprano
I will graduate with my master’s from SFCM in May of 2026, and from there I plan to continue my education at the DMA or AD level. I have submitted applications for schools across the country, and am currently waiting on audition notices from those schools. I will be singing in the SFO chorus for their opening production next season, and I am planning on doing some regional work in the bay area over the summer while in rehearsals for SFO.
Oliver Corro – piano
Music is central to my life. I am especially drawn to the poetic genius of Chopin. Although it is a daunting task, I intend to study all of his music and perform it to the best of my ability. I am very interested in how his music effects us and am drawn to the study of neuroscience as well as music. I want to learn how music effects the brain and triggers our emotional response. My school district (Fremont, CA) has minimal funding for music programs, and this concerns me a great deal. At the very least, I plan on a series of benefit concerts to raise funds for music education at the elementary school level. While I have very high expectations and aspirations for myself, I wantto remain aware and responsive to the needs of my local community.
Emmy (Megan) Sanfilippo Bonilla – soprano
My Future consists of residing in New York, and continuing my studies at a conservatory in order to become a professional operatic soprano. In addition, I would really love to help others by teaching voice and music to the community. My hope is to be hired by an opera company and to perform. Through performance and teaching, I hope to share what classical music means to me  and to convey the beauty it holds for me to the modern day listener.
Natalie Burr – piano
I plan to pursue a career in piano performance, with the goal of becoming a professional concert pianist. In order to achieve my goal, I want to continue my education at a higher level. In early March, I will be traveling to New York City for auditions at Juilliard and the Manhattan School of Music. These opportunities are incredibly important for my future, but they also come with significant financial problems. Flights, audition expenses, application fees, lessons, and tuitions quickly add up, and pursuing music at the collegiate level is undeniably, extremely expensive. This scholarship would support the cost of travel, competitions, and continued study, allowing me to focus more on practicing and performing at my best. 
Isabel Yang – mezzo-sporano
My approach to singing is one of both tradition and innovation. I hope to continue improving my artistry and collaborative skills by joining a young artist program at an American opera house. Growing up singing in the San Francisco Girls Chorus I learned to appreciate working with living composers and creating performances that are truly unique. I hope to use my arts administration skills to facilitate projects that highlight living composers and tell modern stories. One of my musical role models is Sasha Cooke because she works extensively with the top orchestras in the world, sings roles in 20th and 21st century operas, and has commissioned new works by living composers. A specific dream of mine is to be the alto soloist on Mahler’s Symphony No.2. I have recently begun focusing on conducting and I believe it is a skill that will help me with my new music ambitions, as I can see myself taking on administrative roles in future projects. 
Yejoon Kwon – violin
I plan to pursue a career centered on chamber music and teaching. I genuinely enjoy working closely with other musicians, sharing ideas, and hearing perspectives different from my own. In a string quartet or trio setting, I am constantly learning. Every rehearsal challenges how I listen, think, and respond. I value the way collaboration pushes me to grow and to see music from angles I would not discover alone. There is something deeply meaningful about the moment when an interpretation comes together and we begin to hear the music as one unified voice. That process is what draws me most strongly to chamber music. Alongside performing, I hope to teach young students, building strong foundations while encouraging curiosity and openness in their own musical thinking.
Wanruo Zhang – flute
I am currently studying flute at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and serving as principal flutist of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra. As I continue my training, I hope to work toward a position in a professional orchestra. In the next few years, I plan to focus on improving my orchestral excerpts, gaining audition experience, and learning how to stay steady under pressure. I also enjoy chamber music and hope to continue collaborating with other musicians. In the long term, I would like to teach and share what I have learned with younger students.
Eve Iacovelli Barajas – mezzo-soprano
Professional opera, private vocal coach, musical theatre.I will be participating in my first Young Artists Program this summer with the Italianprogram La Música Lírica, which entails singing in the opera L’impresario in Angustie asthe role of Doralba.

George Miller – composer
I plan to build a career as a composer and educator devoted to the creation and study of new works. Through graduate studies in composition and counterpoint, I will develop the technical clarity necessary to compose fluently and to teach at the collegiate level. As an educator, I aim to instill a rigorous foundation that supports creative independence in contemporary practice. My creative work will initially focus on vocal and chamber music, expanding to opera and musical theatre as my career progresses.
Lucas Trinh – piano
Piano has always been a core aspect of my life, and I will continue exploring its immeasurable depths for the rest of my life.  Though I will not be pursuing a career in music, I plan on continuing my piano journey in college and beyond through chamber music.   Recently, I have been enamoured by collaborative piano, and I’m excited for the prospect to connect musicians from numerous backgrounds and perspectives in college.  Wherever I do end up, I will be seeking out chamber groups, piano trios, and anyone with a love for music.  I plan on taking every opportunity to meet new musicians, from campus performances to casual sightreading sessions, and share my passion for music with my community.
Zoe Lee – cello
My future career plans center on expanding my work as a cellist and interdisciplinary curator through Resonant States, a rotating collaborator-based platform that reimagines the recital format as an immersive listening experience. This season includes performances in a San Francisco yoga studio and a May program in a San Francisco hall venue. In April, I will travel to Boston to collaborate with a Boston-based pianist, and I plan to return to the East Coast in August for a touring series in major cities, including collaboration with a New York–based vibraphonist. Moving forward, I aim to work across disciplines, partner with living composers to present contemporary repertoire, and commission new works specifically designed for immersive concert environments.
Xuanwen Shao – cello
As a cellist who committed to a professional path in junior high school, my career is centered on building a life in performance and teaching, associate with chamber music and collaborative work. I seek not only to present music, but to communicate its structure, meaning, and relationship to the world and nature through thoughtful interpretation.Prior to my sophomore year, I focused on establishing a solid posture, technical foundation and shaping my individual artistic voice. In my junior year, I will present a solo recital, and in my junior or senior year, I plan to bring the Prokofiev cello concerto to the low string concerto competition in the SFCM. For graduate study, I aim to study in Yale or Harvard music school, and potentially apply to Curtis thereafter. During my master’s studies, I intend to participate in significant national and international competitions while continuing to build a professional performing and chamber career.
Jimi Vargas – piano
I have been playing for five years now, and hope to continue for the rest of my life.I want a phd in piano performance, composition, and pure maths. I want to, at least, do performance and math professionally.
Grace Jordan François-Rosa – piano
My future goals are to continue growing as a classical concert pianist, building a strong foundation in performance while also developing as a scholar who seeks to understand the music in deeper historical and cultural context. I absolutely love the stage and the discipline of performance, and am equally inspired by the stories behind the music, why it was written, what it meant in its time, and how it continues to connect with audiences today. Long-term, I hope to build a foundation for future study in musicology alongside piano performance, so that I can eventually contribute not only as a musician, but also as a researcher, writer, and educator. I especially hope to guide young musicians and children who may not yet have access to classical training, understand and love classical music more deeply, discovering its instruments, its history, and the beauty and meaning it offers across generations.
At University, I anticipate pursuing these goals through rigorous training, high artistic standards, and opportunities to learn from outstanding faculty and peers. Through private instruction, performance opportunities, mentorship, collaboration, and academic study in music history and analysis, I believe the conservatory will help me grow into a more expressive performer and a more curious, well-rounded musician prepared for advanced study and a meaningful, long-term career in music.
I am especially excited about chamber music and orchestral opportunities, where I hope to strengthen my collaborative skills such as balance, timing, cueing, and shaping phrases. I also hope to study abroad, which I believe would deepen my musicianship and broaden my understanding of music history within its cultural context. Lastly, I hope to explore national and international piano competitions, not only to challenge myself as a performer, but also to refine my artistry under pressure and learn from the highest standards of excellence as I continue growing toward a future that combines performance, scholarship, and education.
Zhangguanglu Wang – soprano
My long‑term goal is to build a sustainable career as an opera singer, specializing in light lyric coloratura repertoire, while actively serving the local community through music education, performance, and outreach. With over 20 years of vocal training and continued study under Jane Randolph and Terence Goff, I aim to deepen my technical foundation and expand my operatic repertoire through roles, covers, and ensemble work with opera companies and summer programs.In the near future, I plan to pursue increasing principal and comprimario roles, while remaining engaged in professional choruses such as the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and collaborating with early‑music and chamber ensembles. These experiences allow me to refine musicianship, language skills, and stylistic versatility across operatic and concert repertoire.Community engagement is already a meaningful part of my artistic life. I currently volunteer monthly at a senior home, presenting small performances in collaboration with the Los Gatos Chamber Music Society, using music to foster connection, accessibility, and well‑being. Building on this experience, I hope to expand my involvement in outreach concerts and educational initiatives that bring classical music to diverse audiences throughout the Bay Area.As a multilingual artist fluent in German, Italian, French, Chinese, and English, I am particularly interested in projects that encourage cultural exchange and bridge Western classical traditions with multicultural perspectives. While continuing my professional work as a consultant in San Francisco, I remain fully committed to artistic growth and service, seeking collaborations with organizations that value artistic excellence, inclusivity, and shared purpose.

My long‑term goal is to build a sustainable career as an opera singer, specializing in light lyric coloratura repertoire, while actively serving the local community through music education, performance, and outreach. With over 20 years of vocal training and continued study under Jane Randolph and Terence Goff, I aim to deepen my technical foundation and expand my operatic repertoire through roles, covers, and ensemble work with opera companies and summer programs.
In the near future, I plan to pursue increasing principal and comprimario roles, while remaining engaged in professional choruses such as the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and collaborating with early‑music and chamber ensembles. These experiences allow me to refine musicianship, language skills, and stylistic versatility across operatic and concert repertoire.
Community engagement is already a meaningful part of my artistic life. I currently volunteer monthly at a senior home, presenting small performances in collaboration with the Los Gatos Chamber Music Society, using music to foster connection, accessibility, and well‑being. Building on this experience, I hope to expand my involvement in outreach concerts and educational initiatives that bring classical music to diverse audiences throughout the Bay Area.
As a multilingual artist fluent in German, Italian, French, Chinese, and English, I am particularly interested in projects that encourage cultural exchange and bridge Western classical traditions with multicultural perspectives. While continuing my professional work as a consultant in San Francisco, I remain fully committed to artistic growth and service, seeking collaborations with organizations that value artistic excellence, inclusivity, and shared purpose.