2023 Young Artists

Angelina Chen is a senior attending Ames High School. She currently studies with Dr. Jonathan Sturm. Her violin journey began at the age of four under Mary Wilson of West Virginia, before moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she worked with Linda Andersen for a year. After moving to Ames, Iowa in 2015, she studied with Julie Henson for six years.

During her time as a violinist, Angelina has been a 4-Year All-State Orchestra musician, performing as the fourth chair in the 2022 year. She was awarded the state alternate title at the Junior String Division of the Musical Teachers National Association (MTNA) State Competition in 2019. Additionally, she has worked with Friends of Ames Strings (FOAS) as a violin coach for the past two summers, assisting young violinists in developing musical techniques and skill sets.

Outside of music, she’s passionate about driving change in underrepresented issues and hopes to work to improve communities in the future. She enjoys playing tennis, going on boba runs with friends, taking care of her three pet fish, and performing holiday music at retirement homes.

Sebastian Sauder is a junior at Iowa City High School. He studies cello at the Preucil School of Music with Laura Shaw. Sebastian has been a member of the Iowa All-State Orchestra for the past three years.  He is also active in the City High Symphony Orchestra, and the Preucil School String Orchestra, alongside several chamber groups.  Sebastian has toured twice with the Preucil School String Orchestra, performing in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, and the Czech Republic.

Sebastian studied previously with Kate Vos, Nancy Hair, and Carol Werbow-Schier, and has performed in masterclasses with Bion Tsang, Wilhelmina Smith, and Bruce Uchimura.  He has been studying cello for 14 years.

Alongside classical musicianship, Sebastian volunteers on the directorial team of the Family Folk Machine, a non-profit community choir in Iowa City.  He has recorded on multiple albums by Iowa City artists.