James Deitz Memorial Young Artist Competition

Sponsored by The Main Line Symphony Orchestra

2025 Winner, Kai Freeman, Violin
Performing at Spring 2025 Philadelphia Sounds Concert

Kai Freeman is a 16-year-old violinist from Haddonfield, NJ. He is currently the Associate Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and performs in the Braverman String Quartet as a scholarship recipient in the Settlement Music School’s Advanced Study Program.

As the winner of their Young Artists Competitions, Kai has appeared as soloist with Ambler Symphony, Delaware County Symphony, Old York Road Symphony, Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, Rowan University’s String Ensemble and Warminster Symphony.

In the past summers, Kai participated in the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra in Switzerland, Carnegie Hall’s NYO2 program, Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute, Heifetz Program for Exceptionally Gifted, the Mann Center’s All City Orchestra Summer Academy, Point Counterpoint, the Philadelphia International Music Festival, and the inaugural Suzuki Conventions of the Americas in Cancun, Mexico.

In 2023, Kai was named the inaugural Peter Benoliel and Willo Carey Springboard Grant Winner by the Bruce Montgomery Foundation for the Arts. In the past seasons Kai has won first prizes in the Junior division of New Jersey Music Teachers Association’s Young Musicians Competition and Triumph Music Festival’s Concerto Competition.

Kai began playing the violin at the age of four under Gerry Rice and currently studies with Amy Oshiro-Morales of The Philadelphia Orchestra. He has also studied with J. Freivogel of the Jasper String Quartet and Francesca de Pasquale. Aside from playing the violin, Kai plays trumpet, and enjoys reading and watching movies.

Past Winners

2024

Kwanyun Loo, Cello Tchaikovsky's Pezzo Capriccioso in B minor

Kwanyun was a student at Rosa International Middle School and began cello lessons when he was 4. He was a student of Amy Barston. His cello teachers would include Alex Veltman, Clancy Newman, and Gloria dePasquale. He was a member of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra and Settlement’s Trowbridge Advanced Study Quartet. He studied with Andrew Mark at the Heifetz Institute in the summers of 2022 and 2023 and performed in masterclasses with Sheku Kanneh-Mason, David Geber, and Raman Ramakrishnan. He enjoys chess, tennis, and basketball with family and friends and has been a proud member of the PMAY Artists’ Initiative since 2021.

2023

Mio Imai, Violin  - Mozart's Violin Concerto, No. 3 in G, Mvt 1

Mia made her solo violinist debut with the New York Session Symphony at the age of nine, performing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor. She made subsequent appearances with the Rowan String Ensemble of Rowan University, the Temple University Youth Chamber Orchestra, the Old York Road Symphony, and the Ambler Symphony. Mio plays with the Center for Gifted Young Musicians program at Temple University and studies with Kimberly Fisher, principal second violinist of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

2020

Vibha Janakiraman, Violin - Wieniawski's Violin Concerto No. 2, in D Minor, Op.22, Mvt 3

2019

Sabine Jung, Cello - Dvorak's Cello Concerto in B minor, Op. 104, Mvt. 1

Sabine was a junior at Unionville High School, and studied with Priscilla Lee of Philadelphia Philharmonic Orchestra. Sabine served as associate principal cellist in the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and was selected as principal cellist in the National Youth Orchestra 2 in the 2015-16 season.

Angelina Phillips, Violin - Saint-Saens' Havanese, Op. 104, Mvt. 1

Angelina studied with Kimberly Fisher, Principal Second Violinist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Angelina has won a number of awards in regional contests, served as Co-Concertmaster of the Delaware County Youth Orchestra, played in the first violin section of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and in the Settlement Music School’s Trowbridge String Quartet. Her interests also include Bluegrass fiddling and playing the piano.

2018

Sasha He, who was a junior at Radnor High School, was the first Deitz competition winner. She performed the finale of the Elgar Cello Concerto with MLSO on February 27, 2018.

Email info@mlso.org for information on next season's competition.

James Dietz Memorial Young Artist Competition

Kai Freeman, Violin