We’re excited to announce the incredible artists selected for this year’s Emerging Artist Fellowship Program at Garth Newel Music Center!
On July 6th, 2026, eleven string and piano artists from top conservatories and music schools across the country—and beyond—will make their way to Bath County, infusing our region with a jolt of youth, vigor, and talent! Over the course of four immersive weeks, they will study, perform, and grow as artists, working closely with the Garth Newel Piano Quartet and a world-class group of guest faculty.
Each fellow receives a full scholarship covering tuition, housing, and meals, allowing them to fully devote themselves to music-making in the inspiring setting of Bath County, Virginia. They come not only eager to develop as musicians, but to discover what it is that makes Garth Newel and Bath County so special, and to take a piece of their ‘new home’ with them when they return to the real world.
Save the Date: Upcoming Public Events
Throughout the summer, our fellows will take part in master classes, community outreach, and collaborative performances, all of which are free and open to the public. We invite you to join us in celebrating their artistry.
- Master Class with Aisslinn Nosky, violin – July 9, 4:00 PM
- Master Class with Dana Kelley, viola – July 15, 4:00 PM
- Master Class with Violaine Melançon, violin – July 16, 4:00 PM
- Community Concert – Kendal at Lexington – July 22, 7:00 PM
- Master Class with the Pacifica Quartet – July 23, 4:00 PM
- Community Concert – Greenbank Observatory, WV – July 28, 7:00 PM
- Community Concert – Highland Center – July 30, 7:00 PM
- Finale Concert Weekend – Herter Hall, Garth Newel – August 1, 5:00 PM & August 2, 3:00 PM (click the links for program information)
The Fellows’ residency here will include three major weekends of performances at Herter Hall, each extremely special in its own way:
- Sunday, July 12th, 3pm: Vivaldi’s 4 Seasons, with Aisslinn Nosky leading the Emerging Artist Chamber Orchestra.
- Saturday July 18th, 5pm and Sunday July 19th, 3pm: Collaborative Weekend – One of our favorite weekends of the year, when Faculty and Fellows share the stage and perform larger-scale chamber works, joined by superstar guest artists Violaine Melançon and Dana Kelley.
- Saturday August 1st, 5pm and Sunday August 2nd, 3pm: The culmination of four weeks of intense study and growth, the Emerging Artists present their final concerts at Garth Newel. You don’t want to miss this special weekend!!
Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we share more around our 11 shining artists in the coming weeks.
Nicole Yanzuo Liu - Piano
Nicole was born in China and began playing the piano at the age of five. She earned her Bachelor of Music degree at Juilliard, studying with Julian Martin, and is currently completing her Master of Music degree at the Eastman School of Music with Ran Dank. She was a winner of the Yamaha Young Performing Artists Competition in 2025 and was selected to perform in the 2025–2026 Washington Young Artists Music Series at the Bulgarian Embassy in Washington, D.C. She won the Eastman Concerto Competition and performed the Barber Piano Concerto with the Eastman Philharmonia under the baton of Kensho Watanabe. She has performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Van Cliburn Concert Hall, Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, and Peter Jay Sharp Theater, and has participated in the Bowdoin International Music Festival, PianoTexas International Festival & Academy, and the Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy. As a recipient of Juilliard’s Gluck Community Service Fellowship, she presented interactive chamber music performances in healthcare centers throughout New York City. She also participated in Juilliard ChamberFest with clarinetist Alan Kay.
Frances Norton - Violin
Frances is a performer and educator based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She recently completed her Masters in Music and Masters in Chamber Music at the University of Michigan under the tutelage of Aaron Berofsky and the Telegraph Quartet. Originally from North Carolina, Frances received her undergraduate degrees in Music and English at the University of North Carolina, where she studied with Nicholas DiEugenio and was a recipient of the Kenan Music Scholarship. Frances has spent inspiring summers at the Chautauqua Institution, Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Luby Violin Symposium, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Kinhaven Music School. Frances performs regularly with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and has a growing private studio in the southeast Michigan area. In the Fall, she will begin a new role as Operations Manager of UNISON Chamber Music Collective, a nonprofit organization that presents chamber music in homeless shelters, prisons, and rehabilitation centers.
Evan MacLean – Violin
Evan is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Performance at the Schulich School of Music, McGill University, studying with Violaine Melançon. He is an active participant in large and small ensembles ranging from the McGill Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alexis Hauser to the Greg String Quartet coached by André J. Roy. Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Evan has appeared as a soloist with the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra and the Windsor Symphony Youth Orchestra, earning top distinctions in competitions including the WSO Guild Competition, the Kiwanis Music Festival, and multiple provincial finals at the Ontario Music Festivals Association. He has attended Encore Chamber Music Institute, Domaine Forget, Bowdoin International Music Festival and McGill International String Quartet Academy. In 2024 and 2026, he was selected for the National Youth Orchestra of Canada. Evan’s musical development has been shaped by extensive orchestral, chamber, and solo experience, along with a growing repertoire spanning major concertos, Bach solo works, and significant 20th-century pieces. He is committed to a career as a collaborative and solo performing artist.
Evan Schuman - Violin
Evan is 21 years old from Rochester, Minnesota. He is currently studying under Professor Aaron Berofsky as an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan. Evan has performed as a soloist for the South Eastern Minnesota Youth Orchestra after winning their concerto competition. He has also received 1st place at the Rochester Music Guild Competition. Evan has participated in the Chautauqua Institute Music Festival and the Castleman Quartet Program. During these programs, he received masterclasses from renowned musicians Charles Castleman and Ilya Kaler.
Yolanda Ni - Violin
Violinist Yolanda Ni is pursuing her B.M. in violin performance with Mark Kaplan at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Other influential teachers include Jan Sloman, Kevork Mardirossian, Borislava Iltcheva, and Stephen Redfield. Yolanda has participated in summer festivals such as Heifetz International Music Institute, Domaine Forget International Festival, Euro Arts Academy, Heifetz Program for the Exceptionally Gifted, Semper Music International Festival, and Masters at the Chateau de Cremault. She has also been awarded first prize in competitions such as the Gulf Coast Steinway Society Concerto Competition, the Charleston International Music Competition, the Music Teachers National Association Mississippi Strings Competition, and the Mississippi Music Teachers Association Strings Competition. In 2022, Yolanda had the opportunity to perform in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall on a 1702 Stradivarius violin and a Peccatte bow.
John-Paul Hernandez - Violin
John-Paul is from North Carolina and a current undergraduate student at the Cleveland Institute of Music. John-Paul has performed with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States, touring North America under the Baton of Sir Andrew Davis with soloists Gil Shaham and Hilary Hahn. He has performed extensively with the CIM Orchestra under conductors such as Tito Muñoz, Anthony Parnther and Carl Topilow and frequently subs in the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra. Additionally John-Paul has played in masterclass for Catherine Cho, Areta Zhulla, Todd Phillips, Ara Gregorian, Hye-Jin Kim, Michael Kannen, Maria Lambros, and Caroline Shaw among others.
Haixin Wan - Viola
Haixin is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s degree at The Juilliard School, studying under Hsin-Yun Huang. She is a graduate of the Colburn Music Academy and the Xinghai Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Teng Li and Donglei Hou. A native of China, Wan began playing violin at age four before transitioning to viola at eleven. An avid chamber musician, Wan has participated in Juilliard Chamber Fest, Kneisel Hall, Morningside Music Bridge, and Bravo! International Music Academy. She has served as Principal Violist of the Juilliard Orchestra, Colburn Academy Virtuosi, and the Xinghai Conservatory of Music Youth Symphony Orchestra. In 2024, Wan performed Elgar’s Cello Concerto (transcribed for viola by Lionel Tertis) in Alice Tully Hall with the Juilliard Orchestra as the winner of the Juilliard Concerto Competition. Wan has appeared in Paul Hall, Jordan Hall, Zipper Hall, and Xinghai Concert Hall, and has participated in public masterclasses with Misha Amory, Paul Coletti, Roberto Díaz, Kim Kashkashian, Steven Tenenbom, and Wenting Kang.
Charlie Picone - Viola
Charlie is a Boston-based musician, composer, and writer. While classically trained, he specializes in new and unfamiliar music, and is always open to cross-genre experimentation, having played and sung in open mics with his siblings for most of his childhood. Charlie’s interest in art outside the classical canon is rooted in a wish for everyone to find joy in creating art of their own, regardless of level of craft or renown. Outside of music, Charlie is a fictionwriter, poet, and an avid reader, finding particular inspiration in Virginia Woolf and Kenneth Patchen. He is also a bird-lover (which is unfortunate given the Boston thing), and lives for long walks in the snow.
Claire Mindell - Cello
Claire is From Vancouver Island, Canada, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Performance from McGill University under Professor Brian Manker. Claire is an avid chamber musician and enjoys making music with friends and organizing concerts for her community. She is currently a member of the Greg String Quartet at McGill. Claire has performed in various orchestras including the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, McGill Symphony, PRISMA Festival Orchestra, and Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artist Orchestra. Additionally, she held a principal position in the Strathcona Symphony Orchestra for three years. Claire has appeared as a soloist with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra, and Strathcona Symphony.
Ariun-Enerel Gantumur - Cello
Ariun-Ene is originally from Mongolia, currently lives in Seattle, WA, and is pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in cello performance under the guidance from Professor Steven Doane and Rosemary Elliott at the Eastman School of Music. Enerel is part of the Lazuli String Quartet at Eastman and was selected as a recipient of the 2025-26 Celentano String Quartet Award. Enerel served as the principal cellist in the Eastman Philharmonia Orchestra and Eastman School Symphony Orchestra. She is passionate about bringing her musicality and artistic vision to the community and strives to move audiences deeply.
Anthony De Clara - Cello
Anthony was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and began his cello studies with Rebecca Morton and later with Paul Widner and Paul Marleyn. He has participated in several prominent festivals, including Orford, ENCORE, Blossom, the Hidden Valley Cello Seminar and the inaugural CelloWorld Festival in Vienna. In 2017, he was a recipient of the Royal Bank of Canada “Students Leading Change” scholarship, writing on the power of music to transform lives. He has collaborated with artists including David Kaplan, Jean Desmarais, Yehonatan Berick and Saeunn Thorsteinsdottir, as well as masterclasses with Johannes Moser, Colin Carr, Zlatomir Fung, Philippe Muller, David Ying, Joanna Cole, Joshua Gindele, Vardan Gasparayan, Gary Hoffman, Peter Somodari, Eric Kim and Paul Watkins. In 2023, he was a faculty member at the Vid Djupid Festival in Isafjordur, Iceland. Anthony studied at McGill University with Brian Manker, earning a master’s degree and a graduate diploma. Other important mentors include Joseph Johnson and Mark Kosower.
Want to learn more about the Emerging Artist Fellowship Program?
Visit our information page for details on the program, application process, and what makes this opportunity so transformative for young musicians.
Interested in supporting the next generation of artists?
Consider becoming a PEAP – Patron of the Emerging Artist Program. PEAPs play a vital role in supporting our fellows and have the unique opportunity to connect with them on a personal level throughout their time at Garth Newel. Click here to learn more about how you can get involved.
