Angels Perform at Alice Tully Hall

Four accomplished string players from the Academy of the Holy Angels showcased their musical talent at the 40^th Annual Young Musicians Concert at Alice Tully Hall. The AHA Chamber Ensemble was one of only 11 groups chosen from a field of 400 of the tristate area’s best school-sponsored chamber ensembles.

This was a repeat appearance for violinist Hyerin “Ella” Eom of Palisades Park (’24) and cellist Brianna Kim of Cresskill (’26), and a first-time invitation for violinist Lauren Yoon of Tenafly (’26) and violist Hayley Lim of Norwood (’27). They presented Prokofiev’s “Allegro sostenado” from “Quartet No. 2.”

AHA Orchestra Director Andrew Monticello filed the applications with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The Academy’s musicians were selected for the Young Musicians of New Jersey Regional Concert, where they earned the invitation to New York.

“It was an amazing experience to be able to perform again at Tully, and playing with my friends was such a gratifying experience,” Eom shared. “We were honored to be chosen for both the regional and final concert and had so much fun performing!”

In 2023, Eom performed two pieces at the 39^th Annual Young Musicians Concert. She presented Hoffmeister’s “Duet for Flute and Violin in G Major, Mvmt. 1” with flutist Sooah Jeon (’26) of Cresskill. Eom and Kim also blended their talents with violinist Hankyoung Chang (’26) of Edgewater and violist Faith Youn (’23) of Closter as they played Dvorak’s “String Quartet No. 12 in F Major, Op. 96, Mvmt. 1.”

Eom finished her senior year as concertmaster of the AHA Orchestra. This award-winning violinist was a semifinalist in the Stulberg International String Competition (’23), and a senior division winner and overall runner-up at the Adelphi Young Artists Competition (’23). Eom also earned a gold medal in the 2021 Bravura Concerto Competition. She studies violin at AHA and at Juilliard’s pre-college division. This fall, she will continue her studies at both Juilliard and Columbia University.

Kim studies at the Manhattan School of Music Pre-College Division, Yoon studies at Juilliard Pre-College, and Lim studies at The New School Mannes Pre-College.

“As a ninth-grader, I thought this was an incredible experience to play at Alice Tully Hall in Lincoln Center,” Lim shared. “I have been playing viola since third grade and in sixth grade during COVID I was accepted at The New School Mannes Pre-College. I am part of many orchestras but this was my first time being in a string quartet. In my middle school, we had never been put into smaller groups to perform or enter any kind of competition. It was a huge step for me. Since this is my first year, I did not expect to be placed in such a high-level group. I am very thankful that I got to play with Ella, Lauren, and Brianna because I feel that I have grown my skills just by watching them practice and learning how to communicate as a group. I am really grateful and lucky to have played with Ella as a senior and an amazing violinist. I am thankful for Mr. Monticello, who decided to put me into this string quartet.”