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A highlight of the Rising Stars Gala will be musical performances by winners of Discover Classical's Young Talent Search. Learn more about the musicians below. Discover Classical's Young Talent Search is sponsored by Charles and Patti Demirjian and Vernon and Janet Fernandes.

Catie Brenner, harpist
Mira Buerk, guitarist
Amy Juhascik, bassoonist
Andy Li, violinist
Kaede Suzuki, pianist
Angela Tang, violinist

Catie Brenner, harp

Harpist Catie Brenner attends Oakwood High School and is a member of the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. She took up the harp at only four years old, motivated by jealousy because her older brothers played violin. "I wanted an instrument of my own," she said. "I really liked it because it was absolutely gigantic." Besides music, Catie also enjoys reading and drawing comics, and she hopes to make her career in astronomy. She was amazed by images from the Hubble space telescope: "The universe is so big, and I didn't even know it." Listen to Catie's ArtsFocus interview:

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Mira Buerk, guitar

Mira Buerk is a junior at the Miami Valley School and she studies with Jim McCutcheon, host of "The Intimate Guitar" on Discover Classical. When Mira was in first grade, Jim visited her school to demonstrate the guitar and she immediately decided: "This is what I want to do." Now seventeen years old, Mira has been playing for ten years. "One thing that I can always count on is the fact that my guitar will be there," she says. "It's grounding really, and I owe it so much." Listen to Mira's ArtsFocus interview:

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Amy Juhascik, bassoon

Amy Juhascik is a student at Bellbrook High School and principal bassoonist for the Dayton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. She had every intention of becoming an oboist, but in middle school she was introduced to the bassoon at an instrument petting zoo. "As soon as I tried it, I made a good sound," she said. "I'm so glad that I tried it." Amy appreciates the wide range of moods the bassoon is able to express. "It can sound very melancholy, but it can also sound very triumphant," she said. "I think that that's one of the beautiful parts about it." Listen to Amy's ArtsFocus interview:

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Andy Li, violin

Andy Li, a sixth-grader from Mason, says, "When I turned five, I decided I wanted to play the violin just like my sister and dad." Now, at age 12, he has impressive ability and is the principal second violinist of the Cincinnati Junior Strings Orchestra. Besides Fritz Kreisler and Felix Mendelssohn, Andy also likes baseball, video games and socializing with friends, and he's looking ahead to studying electrical engineering in college. "Music lets you express your feelings," he says. "If you're sad, you can play a sad piece, or a happy piece to change your mood." Listen to Andy's ArtsFocus interview:

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Kaede Suzuki, piano

Pianist Kaede Suzuki is a sophomore at William Mason High School and is a student of Dr. Jackson Leung. She already has several music awards to her credit and will give her second performance at Carnegie Hall next month. "I'm an introverted person," Kaede says. "So naturally, I spend a lot of my free time practicing the piano instead of socializing." For Kaede, meeting people before and after a concert is more challenging than actually playing. "Performing the piano for the listener is always a part of my joy," she said. After graduation, Kaede hopes to pursue both music and medicine as a career. Listen to Kaede's ArtsFocus interview:

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Angela Tang, violin

Angela Tang is in eighth grade at Mason Middle School, and she's been playing violin since she was just five years old. "To be completely honest," she admits, "the only reason why I started to play violin originally was because I thought the instrument was really cute." Angela's musical ability has already led to awards and recognitions, and she's the concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. She also participates in the Bethany Group, a non-profit organization that serves the community. "I organize performances regularly for senior homes," Angela says, "and that allows us to bring classical music live to them." Listen to Angela's ArtsFocus interview:

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If you have questions about the Rising Stars Gala, contact Martha Harris at marthah@dpr.org or (937) 222-9377.