Heifetz

The 2025 Heifetz Holiday Tour at the Kreeger Museum
2025-12-18 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | The Kreeger Museum, The Kreeger Museum 2401 Foxhall Road, NW, Washington D.C., DC, 20007, United States
TICKETS

DIGITAL CONCERT PROGRAM

Get ready for the Heifetz Holiday Homecoming, featuring the brilliant young alumni of the Heifetz International Music Institute, returning to the Kreeger Museum for a program featuring favorites of the season along with glittering solo works, chamber masterworks, and some special Yuletide treats for listeners of all faiths.

VENUE & DIRECTIONSKreeger Museum 2401 Foxhall Road, NW Washington D.C

MEET THE ARTISTS

Nicholas Kitchen
Violin

Violinist Nicholas Kitchen has performed throughout the world both as soloist and chamber musician, most significantly as founding member and first violinist of the Borromeo String Quartet for 30 years. He has extensively performed and worked on projects with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, and Performance Today, and has initiated many innovative collaborations, combining multiple forms of artistic expression with performance. The BSQ has performed his acclaimed transcriptions of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and the Well-Tempered Clavier Book I internationally, the latter of which the Quartet released on an acclaimed premiere recording which hit the billboard charts. A passionate educator, he often leads discussions enhanced by projections of handwritten manuscripts, investigating with the audience the creative process of the composer, and has lectured and given master classes across the globe, and has encourage audiences and students of all ages to explore and listen to both traditional and contemporary repertoire in new ways. Teaching at the New England Conservatory of Music, Nicholas has pioneered the use of computers and page-turning pedals to make it possible for the Borromeo and students to always work from the complete score, which has allowed him to become involved in the serious study of composer’s manuscripts. In the case of Beethoven, this manuscript study has led him to exciting discoveries of a new dynamic and articulation system within the manuscripts, praised and supported by scholars and institutions and performed world-wide. He is Artistic Director of the Heifetz International Music Institute.

Clark Snavely
Violin

Violinist Clark Snavely (Heifetz 2024, 2025) has appeared as soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wisconsin Philharmonia, Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, SEEN Worldwide Orchestra, and Festival City Symphony. His solo performances have taken him to prestigious venues including the Royal Concertgebouw, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Parkzaal Musis Sacrum. In 2024, he performed for an estimated audience of 20,000 at the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s 40th anniversary Concerts on the Square celebration. Snavely is a recent award recipient from the American Opera Society of Chicago and has earned numerous distinctions, including Second Prize at the International Young Artist Competition and Third Prize at the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition. As a chamber musician, he has been recognized with Second Prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the Gold Medal and Haydn Prize at the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, and both First and Grand Prizes at the A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Chamber Music Competition. A former Merit Scholar Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy—an elite training program for advanced pre-college musicians—he studied with Almita Vamos and Davis King. He has also been featured on Introductions (WFMT Chicago) as a chamber musician, performing with the Pelios String Quartet in August 2023 and with the Seraphim Quartet at a “Bach to School” community outreach event in November 2023. He currently studies at the New England Conservatory of Music.

Jiwon Kim
Viola

Born in Seoul, South Korea, violist Jiwon Kim (Heifetz 2019, 2023) has been a winner of the Richmond Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, as well as a prizewinner at the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League’s competition. Jiwon also performed with A Far Cry in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory as the winner of A Far Cry/New England Conservatory Prep Collaborative Competition. In addition, Jiwon has performed in solo masterclasses given by Roberto Diaz, Kim Kashkashian, Carol Rodland, Richard O’Neill, Karen Dreyfus, and Cynthia Phelps. In 2018, Jiwon graduated from Walnut Hill School for the Arts, where she studied with Mai Motobuchi, violist of the Borromeo String Quartet.

Hun Choi
Cello

Praised for his “playing with finesse and precision” (Concert Review, NYC), cellist Hun Choi (Heifetz 2023) made his United States debut in 2022 as a soloist with the Penn Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Thomas Hong, performing Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. In the 2023–2024 season, he toured across North America as a Curtis on Tour artist, performing with Maestro Osmo Vänskä and violinist Erin Keefe. He has appeared in solo and chamber performances at leading venues including New York’s 92nd Street Y, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in Florida, and South Korea’s Kumho Art Hall and Daejeon Arts Center. He was also invited to perform at the 9th Korean American Day celebration at Philadelphia City Hall. As a soloist, he has appeared with the PyeongChang Festival Orchestra, Namyangju Symphony Orchestra, and Yewon Orchestra. A recipient of numerous awards, Choi won First Prize at the Seoul Youth Chamber Music Competition (2015), the PyeongChang Music Festival Concerto Competition (2018), and was a prizewinner at the Morningside Music Bridge Concerto Competition (2019). He has also participated in the Prague Spring International Music Competition (2018) and the ISANGYUN Competition (2022), and was a semifinalist in the 2023 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. He has been featured at renowned festivals including the PyeongChang Music Festival & School, Morningside Music Bridge, Seoul Arts Center Music Academy, and the Heifetz International Music Institute, where he was a String Scholar Fellow. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Mr. Choi earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he continues his studies toward a master’s degree under the guidance of Peter Wiley and Gary Hoffman. His previous teachers include Carter Brey and Myung-Wha Chung.

Yandi Chen
Piano

A native of Shanghai, China, pianist Yandi Chen has performed extensively as a soloist, collaborator, and chamber musician, across the United States, Italy, France, and China. He is a recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the Second Prize of Le Prix de la Fondation Maurice Ravel, the Borromeo String Quartet Guest Artist Award, and the NEC Honor Ensemble, and has appeared as soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra, New England Conservatory Philharmonia and Fort Worth Symphony. As a passionate chamber musician, Yandi has been an active participant of the inspirational Perlman Chamber Music Workshop. He has also been heard at music festivals such as Piano Texas International Academy and Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Virtuoso & Belcanto Music Festival, Fontainbleau Summer Music Program. He has collaborated with such renowned artists including Itzhak Perlman, Donald Weilerstein, Donald Palma, Molly Carr, Patrick Romano, and the members of the Borromeo String Quartet. He has also performed in Music for Food Concert, Core Memory Music Series and Wellesley Chamber Players concert in Boston area. Yandi has been the staff pianist at Perlman Music Program Israel Residency (2024), Heiftz International Music Institute (2023), and Chamber Music Northwest Young Artist Institute (2022, 2024). He is currently serving as the staff pianist at New England Conservatory. He coaches chamber music ensembles and CHIPS program at NEC’s Preparatory School. He has performed for community engagement events for communities in Boston, New Hampshire, and Shelter Island. Yandi holds a Bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School and a Master’s from Yale University where he studied with Prof. Hung-Kuan Chen. He is currently studying with Prof. Vivian Weilerstein as a candidate of the Doctoral of Musical Arts in Chamber Music at the New England Conservatory.

The 2025 Heifetz Holiday Homecoming
2025-12-20 19:30 - 21:30 | Francis Auditorium, 227 East Frederick Street, Staunton, VA, 24401, United States
PURCHASE TICKETS

DIGITAL CONCERT PROGRAM

Get ready for the Heifetz Holiday Homecoming, featuring the brilliant young alumni of the Heifetz International Music Institute, returning to Francis Auditorium for a program featuring favorites of the season along with glittering solo works, chamber masterworks, and some special Yuletide treats for listeners of all faiths.

VENUE & DIRECTIONS
Francis Auditorium @ Mary Baldwin University 227 E. Frederick Street Staunton, VA
Free parking available both at MBU lots and on East Frederick Street (see a campus map here)

TICKETS
Individual Tickets: $30
Free Admission for MBU Students
$5 tickets for all other students (must register in advance & present valid student ID at the door)
Free Admission for Children 12 and under
Groups welcome – please email tickets@heifetzinstitute.org to inquire about group rates.

MEET THE ARTISTS

Nicholas Kitchen
Violin

Violinist Nicholas Kitchen has performed throughout the world both as soloist and chamber musician, most significantly as founding member and first violinist of the Borromeo String Quartet for 30 years. He has extensively performed and worked on projects with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, and Performance Today, and has initiated many innovative collaborations, combining multiple forms of artistic expression with performance. The BSQ has performed his acclaimed transcriptions of Bach’s Goldberg Variations and the Well-Tempered Clavier Book I internationally, the latter of which the Quartet released on an acclaimed premiere recording which hit the billboard charts. A passionate educator, he often leads discussions enhanced by projections of handwritten manuscripts, investigating with the audience the creative process of the composer, and has lectured and given master classes across the globe, and has encourage audiences and students of all ages to explore and listen to both traditional and contemporary repertoire in new ways. Teaching at the New England Conservatory of Music, Nicholas has pioneered the use of computers and page-turning pedals to make it possible for the Borromeo and students to always work from the complete score, which has allowed him to become involved in the serious study of composer’s manuscripts. In the case of Beethoven, this manuscript study has led him to exciting discoveries of a new dynamic and articulation system within the manuscripts, praised and supported by scholars and institutions and performed world-wide. He is Artistic Director of the Heifetz International Music Institute.

Clark Snavely
Violin

Violinist Clark Snavely (Heifetz 2024, 2025) has appeared as soloist with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Wisconsin Philharmonia, Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago, SEEN Worldwide Orchestra, and Festival City Symphony. His solo performances have taken him to prestigious venues including the Royal Concertgebouw, Queen Elizabeth Hall, and Parkzaal Musis Sacrum. In 2024, he performed for an estimated audience of 20,000 at the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra’s 40th anniversary Concerts on the Square celebration. Snavely is a recent award recipient from the American Opera Society of Chicago and has earned numerous distinctions, including Second Prize at the International Young Artist Competition and Third Prize at the Ronald Sachs International Music Competition. As a chamber musician, he has been recognized with Second Prize at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition, the Gold Medal and Haydn Prize at the Saint Paul String Quartet Competition, and both First and Grand Prizes at the A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Chamber Music Competition. A former Merit Scholar Fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy—an elite training program for advanced pre-college musicians—he studied with Almita Vamos and Davis King. He has also been featured on Introductions (WFMT Chicago) as a chamber musician, performing with the Pelios String Quartet in August 2023 and with the Seraphim Quartet at a “Bach to School” community outreach event in November 2023. He currently studies at the New England Conservatory of Music.

Jiwon Kim
Viola

Born in Seoul, South Korea, violist Jiwon Kim (Heifetz 2019, 2023) has been a winner of the Richmond Youth Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, as well as a prizewinner at the Richmond Symphony Orchestra League’s competition. Jiwon also performed with A Far Cry in Jordan Hall at the New England Conservatory as the winner of A Far Cry/New England Conservatory Prep Collaborative Competition. In addition, Jiwon has performed in solo masterclasses given by Roberto Diaz, Kim Kashkashian, Carol Rodland, Richard O’Neill, Karen Dreyfus, and Cynthia Phelps. In 2018, Jiwon graduated from Walnut Hill School for the Arts, where she studied with Mai Motobuchi, violist of the Borromeo String Quartet.

Hun Choi
Cello

Praised for his “playing with finesse and precision” (Concert Review, NYC), cellist Hun Choi (Heifetz 2023) made his United States debut in 2022 as a soloist with the Penn Symphony Orchestra under Maestro Thomas Hong, performing Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. In the 2023–2024 season, he toured across North America as a Curtis on Tour artist, performing with Maestro Osmo Vänskä and violinist Erin Keefe. He has appeared in solo and chamber performances at leading venues including New York’s 92nd Street Y, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall in Boston, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in Florida, and South Korea’s Kumho Art Hall and Daejeon Arts Center. He was also invited to perform at the 9th Korean American Day celebration at Philadelphia City Hall. As a soloist, he has appeared with the PyeongChang Festival Orchestra, Namyangju Symphony Orchestra, and Yewon Orchestra. A recipient of numerous awards, Choi won First Prize at the Seoul Youth Chamber Music Competition (2015), the PyeongChang Music Festival Concerto Competition (2018), and was a prizewinner at the Morningside Music Bridge Concerto Competition (2019). He has also participated in the Prague Spring International Music Competition (2018) and the ISANGYUN Competition (2022), and was a semifinalist in the 2023 YCA Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. He has been featured at renowned festivals including the PyeongChang Music Festival & School, Morningside Music Bridge, Seoul Arts Center Music Academy, and the Heifetz International Music Institute, where he was a String Scholar Fellow. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Mr. Choi earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, where he continues his studies toward a master’s degree under the guidance of Peter Wiley and Gary Hoffman. His previous teachers include Carter Brey and Myung-Wha Chung.

Yandi Chen
Piano

A native of Shanghai, China, pianist Yandi Chen has performed extensively as a soloist, collaborator, and chamber musician, across the United States, Italy, France, and China. He is a recipient of numerous prizes and awards, including the Second Prize of Le Prix de la Fondation Maurice Ravel, the Borromeo String Quartet Guest Artist Award, and the NEC Honor Ensemble, and has appeared as soloist with the Juilliard Orchestra, New England Conservatory Philharmonia and Fort Worth Symphony. As a passionate chamber musician, Yandi has been an active participant of the inspirational Perlman Chamber Music Workshop. He has also been heard at music festivals such as Piano Texas International Academy and Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Virtuoso & Belcanto Music Festival, Fontainbleau Summer Music Program. He has collaborated with such renowned artists including Itzhak Perlman, Donald Weilerstein, Donald Palma, Molly Carr, Patrick Romano, and the members of the Borromeo String Quartet. He has also performed in Music for Food Concert, Core Memory Music Series and Wellesley Chamber Players concert in Boston area. Yandi has been the staff pianist at Perlman Music Program Israel Residency (2024), Heiftz International Music Institute (2023), and Chamber Music Northwest Young Artist Institute (2022, 2024). He is currently serving as the staff pianist at New England Conservatory. He coaches chamber music ensembles and CHIPS program at NEC’s Preparatory School. He has performed for community engagement events for communities in Boston, New Hampshire, and Shelter Island. Yandi holds a Bachelor’s degree from The Juilliard School and a Master’s from Yale University where he studied with Prof. Hung-Kuan Chen. He is currently studying with Prof. Vivian Weilerstein as a candidate of the Doctoral of Musical Arts in Chamber Music at the New England Conservatory.

Bach Around the Clock 2026
2026-03-21 09:00 - 21:00 | Christ Lutheran Church, 2807 North Augusta Street, Staunton, VA, 24401, United States
A free community-wide marathon celebration of the music and majesty of Johann Sebastian Bach. From sunup to sundown, you’ll hear superb string soloists, renowned organists, guitarists, pianists, choirs, & brilliant ensembles, performing the inspiring and moving works of “the immortal god of harmony.“

VENUE & DIRECTIONS
Christ Lutheran Church — 2807 North Augusta Street Staunton, VA 24401

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE
We invite you to be a vital part of Bach Around the Clock! As a free event that attracts everyone from Baroque music connoisseurs from across the state to local families eager for cultural programming, we rely on supporters like you to underwrite each performance segment. You can sponsor a programming segment, helping us bring this inspiring event to life and ensuring that world-class performances remain accessible to all. As an Hour Sponsor, you will be recognized in event materials and during your sponsored hour—demonstrating your commitment to music, community, and artistic excellence. Claim your segment today and help keep Bach’s brilliance alive for all to enjoy!

SPONSOR A PROGRAM SEGMENT

9:00 AM: PreludioGreat beginnings to Bach’s solo works, featuring members of the Heifetz Ensemble in Residence: Emma Servadio & Carson Howell, violins; Yeh-Chun Lin, viola, and Austin Topper, cello, with additional guests.

10:00 AM: Bach At The Top of the PopsHeifetz President & CEO Benjamin K. Roe explores how Bach’s works have inspired everything from classical revivals to modern pop.

11:00 AM: Club BachMembers of Staunton’s Thursday Morning Music Club in a program of works by JSB for recorder and flute.Ruth Chodrow, recorder; Cynthia Lumme, keyboard; Laura-Jean Brand, flute; Ellen Schorsch keyboard

11:30 AM: Bach for Gamba Heifetz alumna Yeh-Chun Lin and faculty pianist Yandi Chen perform the stirring Viola da Gamba Sonata No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1027.

12:00 PM: Bach and the BoysVocal and keyboard works by JSB and his sons, featuring Mezzo-soprano Kaitlyn Townsend and pianist Tracey Schimmel Reed.

12:30 PM: Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6The Shenandoah Chamber Players present Bach’s energetic 6th concerto, featuring four violas!

1:00 PM: Bach Da Spalla, Part IRenowned Heifetz alum Andrew Gonzalez. a master of the rare “shoulder cello,” performs the complete Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor, BWV 1011 on the compelling sound of the six-string Baroque instrument.

1:30 PM: Bach’s French Suites, Part IPianist Lawrence Quinnett plays Bach’s charming French Suites Nos. 1, 3, & 5.

2:30 PM: Bach for BrassThe elite local ensemble Nickel Plate Brass performs great works of Bach.

3:00 PM: Bach from the Balcony Members of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Chapter of the American Guild of Organists perform some of JSB’s great organ works on Christ Lutheran’s magnificent Op. 24 Taylor & Boody Organ. Featuring organists Gen Bolena, Gabriel Rhys Simerson, Larry Smith, Barbara Moore, and Florence Jowers.

3:50 PM: A Bach Birthday Coffee and Cake Break!March 21 is JSB’s 341st birthday, and we’ll celebrate with some Kaffee und Kuchen fit for Bach the Koenig!

4:05 PM: Bach at the KeyboardPianist Lawrence Quinnett is front and center with the Heifetz Ensemble in Residence to play Bach’s sprightly Keyboard Concerto No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1054.

4:30 PM: Bach’s French Suites, Pt. IIPianist Lawrence Quinnett resumes his survey of Bach’s French Suites Nos. 2, 4, & 6.

5:00 PM: Bach Da Spalla, Pt. IIHeifetz alum Andrew Gonzalez returns to the BATC stage to perform the complete Cello Suite No. 6 in D major on the viola da spalla.

5:30 PM: The Goldberg VariationsMembers of the 2026 Heifetz Ensemble in Residence – four outstanding recent alums of the Heifetz Summer program – present Bach’s epic Goldberg Variations in the remarkable arrangement for string quartet by Heifetz Artistic Director Nicholas Kitchen.

6:30 PM: Feature Organ Recital: Daniel AuneThe resident organist at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University & Christ Lutheran Church, Baltimore, performs an assortment of Bach’s organ works

8:00 PM The Grand Finale: Now Thank We All Our God Our day-long celebration comes to a rousing end with the BATC Chamber Choir, soloists and orchestra performing the Cantatas 196 (“Der Herr denket an uns,” 79 (“Gott her Herr is Sonn und Schild,” and the final audience choral “Nun danket alle Gott” from Cantata No. 192. Music Director Paul D. Weber leads the ensemble.

PREVIOUS HIGHLIGHTS
