Class of 2029

Anna Bray, piano

Anna Bray (piano) is from Sterling, Virginia. Anna has played the piano since she was six years old and has studied with Professor Alexander Shtarkman at Peabody Conservatory since March 2021. She will be studying under Professor Clara Yang at UNC. In 2024, Anna performed Prokofiev Concerto No. 3 with the MostArts Festival Orchestra under the baton of Yuval Zaliouk. That year, Anna was featured on NPR’s From the Top and was selected to participate in the Young Performers Program of the prestigious Music@Menlo festival. In addition, she received 1st Place at the 2023 Claudette Sorel Piano Competition, as well as Grand Prize and Audience Award at the 2023 MostArts Young Pianist Competition, which makes her eligible to become a Young Steinway Artist. Anna was twice selected to receive a scholarship by the Chopin Foundation of the United States. She has performed at many venues including the Kennedy Center, Merkin Hall, Linehan Hall, and Friedberg Hall, as well as the Embassies of Russia, Germany, France, Hungary, Austria, and the Netherlands. In January 2023, the National Institutes of Health invited her to perform a solo recital. She was invited to participate in the Frost Chopin Academy and the first Leon Fleisher Academy; she has performed in masterclasses for Gary Graffman, Jonathan Biss, Boris Slutsky, Boris Berman, Matti Raekallio, Emile Naoumoff, Kevin Kenner, Katarzyna Popowa-Zydron, Chad Hoopes, the Viano Quartet, and the Emerson String Quartet. Anna’s chamber music endeavors have also enabled her to be coached by Ben Beilman, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Sterling Elliott, and Orli Shaham, among others.

Mateo Carvajal, trumpet

Mateo Carvajal (trumpet) is a first-year student from Raleigh, North Carolina, studying with Professor Rusty Smith. Mateo began playing trumpet when he was nine years old and began private lessons with Alex Fioto, later studying with Lisa Burn. Throughout his musical journey, Mateo discovered his passion for both classical and Jazz. He has been involved in numerous ensembles such as the Triangle Youth Philharmonic, Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble, Triangle Youth “J. Perry Watson” Brass Band, as well as All-District and All-State bands. Through his participation in the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble, Mateo had the incredible opportunity to compete in the Jazz at Lincoln Center’s “Essentially Ellington” competition in New York City in 2023 and 2024. He also competed in the National Trumpet Competition in the Solo High School Division in 2025.  Mateo plans on double majoring in Music Performance and Business Administration while at UNC Chapel Hill.

Andrew Cho, cello

Andrew Cho (cello) is a first-year student from Fayetteville, North Carolina. He began studying the cello at the age of nine with Peng Li of the North Carolina Symphony and has continued his training with Brooks Whitehouse at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA) since 2021. Andrew thrives in collaborative musical environments and has performed chamber works by composers such as Debussy, Mendelssohn, and Beethoven. In the summers of 2023 and 2024, he attended the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Burlington, Vermont, and most recently participated in the International Chamber Music Academy in Ochsenhausen, Germany, organized by the Landesakademie Ochsenhausen. At these festivals, he worked closely with renowned artists such as cellist Hillel Zori and violist Matthias Buchholz, and received chamber music coaching from members of the Verona Quartet, Miró Quartet, and Balourdet Quartet. Andrew was a finalist in the 2025 UNCSA Concerto Competition, performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85. He has also gained valuable insights from acclaimed cellists including Tommy Mesa, Jan Vogler, Clive Greensmith, Andrea Casarrubios, and Zvi Plesser, who have played a significant role in shaping his artistic identity.

Elijah Smith, jazz piano

Elijah Smith (jazz piano) is a first-year student from Raleigh, North Carolina, double-majoring in music and biology.  He is a student of Dr. Stephen Anderson. Elijah began studying piano at the age of five under Cameron Bolin and started playing the tuba at the age of ten. Elijah is a YoungArts award winner in both Jazz Piano and Jazz Composition. As a pianist with the Triangle Youth Jazz Ensemble, he competed in Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington National Competition and received an Outstanding Soloist Award at the North Carolina Regional Essentially Ellington Festival. He was also selected for the All-Region Jazz Band. He also performed as a tubist with the Ravenscroft Concert Band and Watson Brass Band, and has earned positions in All-District, All-State, and NAFME All-National Concert Bands. He currently performs with Gregg Gelb in the Heart of Carolina Jazz Orchestra.