International Chamber and Vocal Music Institute

09/26/2026

What a night at UMKC! 🌕

The Moonlight Chamber Concert was a beautiful celebration of music, artistry, and community.

A huge thank-you to all the incredible artists, orchestra, and band who performed and made this special evening unforgettable. And thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate the Moonlight Concert!

Please enjoy the concert livestream here:
https://www.youtube.com/live/7pIUC5rmMkk?is=XhQ706yt9rlJbrAB

UMKC Composers' Guild, Metropolitan Conservatory KC,International Chamber and Vocal Music Institute

09/22/2026

Meet Out “Moonlight” Chamber Concert Artists:

COdE Viols Orchestra, Victor Penniman (Conductor)

The Cameratta Occhio dal’ Elephante (COdE) is the student orchestra at the Metropolitan Conservatory, founded in 2011 by Nick Jarrett (treble viol). It was conceived as an alternative youth/community orchestra, focusing on a different repertoire than the usual offerings, primarily Renaissance and Baroque repertoire, though newer (than 1700) pieces are performed as well. While the participants use their own, modern standard instruments, the ensemble fosters the rhetorical style of phrasing and articulation, and the conductor-less performance practice of the Baroque orchestra and Renaissance band. In 2017, Historical Performance practitioner and educator Dr. Victor Penniman joined the ensemble as co-director and brought with him a consort of violas da gamba, which are on loan from the Viola da Gamba Society of America. The COdE Viols became an integral part of the COdE experience, becoming a regular part of the performances, and a highlight of our Kansas City Renaissance Festival appearances each Fall. The COdE Viols are open to anyone who is interested in playing this instrument, and viols and instruction are provided to our participants. There are openings currently, and anyone interested may contact Dr. Penniman for more information.

Dr. Victor Penniman has a uniquely diverse musical background. As a performer and music director, he has been involved in many projects over the last 4 decades, across many musical genres, cultures, and time periods; from songs and dances of Medieval Europe performed on period instruments, to the computer music and electronic wizardry of the current era, playing to audiences large and small, in venues of all types.

Throughout his active performance career, however, teaching has always been the centerpiece of Dr. Penniman’s work. He earned his Doctor of Music degree from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music's Historical Performance Institute, received a Master of Music in Historical Musicology from Florida State University, and a B.A. in Music from Marylhurst University near Portland, Oregon. He taught for ten years at Wells College in Aurora, NY, where he was awarded tenure, has served as Director of the Music Program in the Communication & Fine Arts department at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO, and as adjunct faculty in Music History at Ithaca College Conservatory in Ithaca, NY. His classroom teaching repertoire includes Western Music History, Music Theory, American Popular Music History, Studio Recording, and choral and chamber music ensemble direction. He offers private instruction in cello, viola da gamba, guitar, electronic music, and theory/composition.

In 2013, Dr. Penniman left formal academe in order to better devote his energy to private instruction and performance coaching. As a “leader of horses to water,” his teaching philosophy does not adhere to a single school or approach, but draws from the depth and diversity of his own experiences and observations, encouraging the student to define their own goals, and guiding the student in understanding how brain and body learn through focused, mindful, gradual processes of errors and their correction, moving ever closer to the attainment of those goals.

Metropolitan Conservatory KC

09/22/2026

Meet Out The “Moonlight” Chamber Concert Artists:

Countertenor - Lei Zhou

Dr. Lei Zhou, a celebrated counter-tenor known for his "velvet and spectacularly clear" voice, has graced stages as a soloist in oratorios, operas, chamber music and concerts throughout the UK, USA, Italy, and China.

As an accomplished performer, His operatic repertoire includes Adolfo Pirelli in Sweeney Todd, Bertarido in Rodelinda, among others. Dr. Zhou has collaborated extensively with BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra, University of Kansas symphonies, Baroque orchestras and quartets. He has also earned several accolades in vocal competitions, including Third Place in the West Central Region of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and Second Place in the Charleston International Baroque Music Competition.

Dr. Zhou is currently working in the music business, has established his own music studio on social media platforms with over 100,000 followers, He create a systematic singing curriculum which guided over 2,000 students to significant improvement in the past five years, as it is continuously growing his current team consist 6 professional voice instructors. Dr. Zhou holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Kansas, a Master of Music from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, and a Bachelor of Music from the Wuhan Conservatory of Music. He teaches Voice at the Blinn College at in Houston, TX.

Soprano -Huihui Lou

Drawing on a rich international background in operatic performance, Huihui has performed throughout the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Serbia, and Italy. Most recently, she appeared with Lawrence Opera Theatre, performing the roles of Mrs. Gobineau in The Medium and Mrs. Foster in The Séance. She was also selected as a Young Artist with the Opera Festival of Chicago (OFC). Her previous operatic roles include Barbarina (Le Nozze di Figaro), Musetta (La Bohème), Papagena (Die Zauberflöte), Ellen (Lakmé), and Susanna in concert performance. In addition, she has participated in the creation and premiere of several new Chinese operas. Beyond the stage, Huihui has served as a vocal coach, stage manager, opera director assistant, and teaching artist, bringing a collaborative and multidisciplinary approach to both performance and education. She is an emerging Chinese soprano and voice teacher currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance at the UMKC Conservatory. She previously earned a Master of Music degree from the University of Southampton (UK) and a Bachelor of Music degree from the Zhejiang Conservatory of Music (China). Her artistic and academic achievements have been recognized through numerous scholarships and awards, including the Mary Zesky Scholarship and the Marvin Millsap Scholarship, as well as several additional honors recognizing excellence in vocal performance.

Piano - Hanyu Sun

Yu-Han Sun is a Taiwanese pianist, collaborative pianist, and improviser currently
pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance at the University of
Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC). While rooted in classical performance, she is also actively engaged in jazz and free improvisation, embracing opportunities for cross-genre
collaboration and creative exploration.
In addition to her solo performances, she is an active collaborative pianist, working regularly with instrumentalists and vocalists across a wide range of repertoire. She frequently collaborates with musicians from diverse musical backgrounds, exploring spontaneous creation and new sonic possibilities.

Shakuhachi - Haoyu Zhao

Haoyu Zhao is a certified Shihan shakuhachi performer and composer based in Kansas City. He was a finalist in the 2023 International Shakuhachi Festival Performer
Competition. His performance practice encompasses both the traditional honkyoku repertoire and contemporary works, with a particular interest in improvisation and cross-cultural collaboration. As a composer, Zhao draws on his experience as a shakuhachi performer to bridge traditional Japanese music with contemporary composition. His works integrate traditional performance practice with contemporary compositional techniques and
have been performed by Mivos Quartet, Loadbang, and the St. Petersburg Improvisers Orchestra. He is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Composition at the University of Missouri–Kansas City, where he studies with Zhou Long and Chen Yi.

Piano - Aaron Liu

Aaron Liu began studying piano at the age of five and has developed a strong passion for classical music. He has received First Prize in several international competitions, including the New York Golden Classical Music Awards International Competition in 2024, the Paris “Grand Prize Virtuoso” International Music Competition in 2025, and the Salzburg “Grand Prize Virtuoso” International Music Competition in 2026. In 2024, Aaron also performed at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

09/21/2026

Meet out “Moonlight” Chamber Concert Artists:

🎷 State Line Saxophone Quartet:

Saxophone Soprano - Tre Wherry
Saxophone Alto - Nick May
Saxophone Tenor - JJ Jamison
Saxophone Baritone - Brett Jackson

Soprano - Tre Wherry

Originally from Aurora, IL Tre Wherry is a freelance saxophonist residing in the Kansas City area where he is pursuing studies in Music Performance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. Before moving to Kansas City Tre lived in Normal, IL where he attended Illinois State University and spent a summer at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina. At ISU he was named winner of the orchestra and band concerto competition. Additionally he was featured with the Wind Symphony along side ISU saxophone professor Dr. Nolen performing the Urban Requiem, a concerto grosso by Michael Colgrass. Tre had received Honorable Mention in Young Artist Woodwinds in the Illinois round of the MTNA Young Artist competition. As a freelance saxophonist Tre has performed with the Taneycomo Festival Orchestra in Branson, MO and the Heartland Festival Orchestra in Washington, IL. Currently you can find him performing as principal saxophonist in the Maslanka Wind Symphony, the Pinnacle Winds of KC and teaching privately at the P***n Music Center in Liberty, MO.

Alto - Nick May

Saxophonist Nick May is recognized as “a highly expressive, virtuosic, and fresh performer” (David Del Tredici, Pulitzer Prize and Grammy winner) whose artistry “knows no boundaries, neither technically nor emotionally” (AM:plified Magazine). Since making his solo debut at eighteen with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, he has established an international profile with performances across the United States, Singapore, Germany, Sweden, and Denmark, including multiple solo appearances at Carnegie Hall. As the founder of the I Exist Project, May leads an innovative artistic initiative that celebrates q***r life, culture, and creativity through performance, collaboration, and the commissioning of new repertoire. A sought-after educator, May has given masterclasses, performances, and residencies at major conservatories and universities including the Manhattan School of Music, the Peabody Institute, Harvard University, among numerous others. Nick May is an endorsing artist for Key Leaves and Légère Reeds and performs exclusively on Yanagisawa saxophones.

Tenor - JJ Jamison

JJ Jamison is a saxophonist in the KC area who specializes in both jazz/commercial and classical/chamber music. His dual speciality has put him on stage with jazz/commercial groups like the Missouri Jazz Orchestra, Northland Big Band, and Back Alley Brass, as well as with chamber and classical groups like Pinnacle Winds, the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and the Crossroads Saxophone Quartet. JJ places high value on collaboration, diversity, traditions, and innovation, with a special interest in avenues of musical expression that exist outside of the conventions of established idioms.

Baritone - Brett Jackson

Since arriving in 2009, Brett Jackson has been establishing himself as a first-call woodwind artist in the flourishing Kansas City music scene. Stepping between genres, his performance and recording credits include Bobby Watson, Cyrille Aimée, Johnny Mathis, Michael Feinstein, Shirley Jones, Roy Hargrove, Jerry Bergonzi, Jaleel Shaw, Sean Jones, Tech N9ne & Krizz Kaliko, Kelly Finnigan, Josh Heinrichs, Monophonics, The Freedom Affair, Marcus Lewis Big Band, The Project H, Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Repertory Theater and the Broadway tours of Wicked, Mean Girls, Hello Dolly, Chicago, Motown and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. He currently serves as Director of Instrumental Studies at Kansas City Kansas Community College. Jackson can be heard on ”The Freedom Affair” and “Freedom Is Love” by The Freedom Affair, “In Rotation” and “After Dark” by the Chris Hazelton Quartet, “We Live Among The Lines”, “Become Light” and “Everyday, Forever” by The Project H, “Soul Jazz Fridays” and “The Basement Beat” by Chris Hazelton’s Boogaloo 7, “Rhapsody” by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra, “Go” by Krizz Kaliko and “The Storm” by Tech N9ne.

🎻UMKC GFSQ Quartet:

Violin - Emma Andersen
Violin - Qiufan Chen
Violin - Chung-Wen
Cello - South-Korean

Violin - Emma Andersen

Emma Andersen is a dedicated performer and teacher studying for a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Violin Performance at the University of Missouri – Kansas City with Professor Joseph Genualdi performing as one of the concertmasters of the Conservatory Symphony. She has appeared as a soloist with both the Austin Symphony Orchestra and Willmar Area Symphonic Orchestra and performs regularly as a substitute violinist with orchestras across Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Minnesota. Emma also performs with the Kansas City Sinfonietta premiering new works of music. She has enjoyed working with composition students from all the schools she has attended and most recently the Mostly Modern Festival to premiere both ensemble and solo violin pieces. She hopes to use these experiences to explore areas of violin performance like fiddle music and especially video game music. She has attended Summer festivals across the nation to study with renowned teachers such as Paul Kantor, Blair Milton, and Kurt Sassmanshaus.

Violin - Qiufan Chen

Qiufan Chen is a violinist from Shanghai, China. She received her undergraduate training at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, where she studied with renowned violinist Mengla Huang. She later continued her studies in Germany and Belgium with Stephan Picard, Daniel Rubenstein and Nachum Erlich, with a particular focus on chamber music.
Chen has performed in China, Europe, and the United States in both orchestral and chamber music settings, including as a guest musician with the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Violin Performance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory, studying with Benny Kim and performing with the UMKC Conservatory Graduate Fellowship String Quartet. Her recent summer activities include two seasons at the Kent Blossom Music Festival, where she performed with The Cleveland Orchestra in works by Beethoven, Rachmaninoff, and others.

Violin - Chung-Wen

Chung-Wen (Katy) Lee is a Taiwanese violist and educator currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Viola Performance at the University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC), where she studies with Scott Lee and serves as violist of the Graduate Fellowship String Quartet. A former principal violist of the Wu Ling Philharmonic, she has performed throughout Taiwan, China, Japan, and the United States, including appearances with the Kansas City Symphony and Topeka Symphony Orchestra. Passionate about performance, chamber music, and education, Lee continues to inspire audiences through her artistry and musicianship.

Cello - South-Korean

South-Korean cellist Seungchan Song is building his career as a captivating soloist and chamber musician. Having made a solo debut at the age of 12, he has worked with Jinju Symphony (Korea), State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, Midwest Chamber Ensemble, and has been performing nationally with the Paragon Ragtime Orchestra. His competition experiences include Plowman Chamber Music Competition, III International Klaipeda David Geringas (Lithuania), Gustav Mahler (Czech Republic) and French Music Competition, and has held solo recitals in US and Asia. He has participated in masterclasses by Zlatomir Fung, John Sharp, and Mike Block and worked with Dave Eggar, Gil Shaham, Jake Heggie, and Del Sol Quartet. A fervent advocate of contemporary music, Seungchan has presented several lecture recitals on extended techniques as an expressive medium across the United States and Canada.
Seungchan holds a B.M from Indiana University and a M.M from University of Missouri-Kansas City.

05/11/2026

We had a wonderful St. Louis Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Concert last Friday! For the first time, we combined piano, voice, and group dance performances in one concert, and it was a great success.

The program featured piano solos, chorus, and dance performances, showcasing English art songs, operatic arias, musicals, and Chinese songs spanning from the Baroque period to contemporary works. It was an evening filled with joy, artistry, and cultural celebration.

Thank you to all of the performers, collaborators, and audience members for making this event so special!

05/11/2026

The winners of the 2026 American Midwest Chamber and Vocal Music Competition gave a wonderful and successful Winners Concert at the CMS of Webster University. We are so proud of these talented artists and look forward to seeing their continued success in the future.

Special thanks to our amazing jury members — Thomas Pandolfi, Nini Wang, Stella Markou, and Marta Simidtchieva — for their invaluable support and dedication. We could not have made this event possible without them! Congratulations again to all the winners!

05/05/2026

We’re proud to be featured in Sophisticated Living St. Louis for Asian Pacific Heritage Month!
Experience an unforgettable night at the ICVMI Asian Pacific Concert on May 8.
Live performances. Cultural celebration. One special evening—see you this Friday!🎉🎉🎉

First recognized as a week-long observance in 1978 and expanded to a full month in 1990, May was chosen to commemorate two key moments: the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States in 1843. It is both a celebration and a correction—an acknowledgment of contributions that were ...

04/28/2026

04/28/2026

🎉 Winner Announcement 🎉

We are delighted to announce that 25 outstanding applicants have been awarded prizes in the Final Round of the 2026 ICVMI American Midwest Chamber and Vocal Music Competition.

Congratulations to all of our winners for their exceptional artistry, dedication, and musical excellence. The Winners List has been officially published on the ICVMI website: https://www.icvmi.com.

We warmly invite you to join us for the Winners’ Concert on May 8 at CMS of Webster University, where these remarkable musicians will bring their performances to life on stage.

We look forward to celebrating this special occasion with you!

04/10/2026

Last Call for Music Competitors! 🎶

The application is almost closing — don’t miss your chance! We warmly welcome talented young musicians to join this exciting competition and share your artistry on stage. Apply at https://www.icvmi.com✨

We are also proud to present our amazing panel of jurors for this year’s event. Stay tuned and get ready for an inspiring musical journey!

🌟Stella Markou-Voice

Hailed as “exquisite” by Gramophone, Greek-American soprano Stella Markou enjoys an international career as a soloist in opera, oratorio, and contemporary music. She has appeared at major festivals including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, International Computer Music Conference, SEAMUS, and many more, with a strong passion for new music and cross-genre collaboration.

As a performer, she has been featured with leading ensembles and organizations across the U.S. and Europe, with repertoire spanning Carmina Burana, Messiah, Requiem, Ein Deutsches Requiem, and numerous contemporary works and operatic roles.

An award-winning stage director, Dr. Markou’s opera productions have received top honors from the National Opera Association and The American Prize. She is also a nationally recognized educator and currently serves as Associate Professor of Music, Director of Opera, and Coordinator of Voice at the University of Kansas.

🌟 Thomas Pandolfi-Piano

American pianist Thomas Pandolfi is celebrated for performances that combine Romantic virtuosity, poetic color, and a deep emotional connection with audiences. Equally at home in the grand concerto repertoire and intimate solo works, he is widely recognized for his commanding yet deeply expressive artistry at the piano.

His repertoire focuses on Romantic and early modern masters including Chopin, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Debussy, Ravel, and Gershwin, through which he explores the piano’s full expressive and narrative range. From Beethoven’s architectural brilliance to the shimmering colors of French Impressionism and the vitality of American classics, his performances are known for clarity, depth, and storytelling.

As a concerto soloist, Pandolfi has performed with orchestras across the United States in major works such as Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Gershwin’s Concerto in F, earning praise for both virtuosity and musical sensitivity.

A Juilliard-trained artist, he continues to be a distinguished interpreter of the Romantic tradition—bringing both intellectual insight and heartfelt communication to the stage.

🌟Marta Simidtchieva-Strings

Bulgarianborn cellist Marta Simidtchieva is an accomplished string educator, a passionate performer with uncompromising artistic integrity, and an important advocate for the music of her native country and the music of historically underrepresented composers. Classical Voice of North Carolina describes her as a musician “with superb intonation while spinning seamless melodic lines. Her lower range is rich while her highest notes and tricky harmonics are pure.” Her award-winning album of 20th-century works for cello by Bulgarian composers titled “Bulgarian Sketches” was released in 2018; the new collection of chamber works by Bulgarian composers titled “Irminden” was released in November 2022.

As a versatile musician, Simidtchieva has performed with vocalist Bobby McFerrin, the Eppes String
Quartet under the guidance of Ellen Zwillich, Illinois Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Tallahassee Symphony, and the New Symphony Orchestra in Sofia, Bulgaria. She is also a regular performer with the Chamber Project of Saint Louis, presenting innovative concerts of contemporary programming, and a guest performer with Saint Louis Chamber Soloists. Marta is the Professor of Cello at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she teaches cello, chamber music, string methods, and courses in general music. Marta completed her undergraduate studies at the Bulgarian State Academy of Music in Sofia before emigrating to the United States for graduate study at Florida State University.

🌟 Nini Wang-Voice

As a lyric soprano, Professor Wang Nini has performed in collaboration with numerous renowned conductors and artistic directors across the United States, France, China, and South Korea. In December 2019, she participated in a joint production of Bizet’s opera Carmen by the China National Opera House, Fujian Opera House, and Hong Kong Opera, performing the role of Micaëla. She is a long-term contracted artist with the Northwest Lyric Opera in the United States, where her principal roles have included Angelica in Puccini’s Suor Angelica, Musetta in La Bohème, Violetta in Verdi’s La Traviata, Pamina in Mozart’s The Magic Flute, and the Page in Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Professor Wang Nini currently serves as an Associate Professor and doctoral advisor at Midwest University in Missouri. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Vocal Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music, and earned her DMA degrees in Vocal Performance from Kunsan National University in South Korea and Midwest University in the United States.

🎼We are honored to welcome them to our distinguished jury panel!