Every year, students in the Department of Music's performing ensembles are recognized for their high level of accomplishment in their discipline and their commitment to their ensemble(s). This year, seven students in the University Symphony Orchestra have been recognized. Congratulations to all!
2026 Ellis Bonoff Kohs Award for Orchestral Excellence
Established in 2003, the Ellis Bonoff Kohs Award for Orchestral Excellence is presented to outstanding undergraduate or graduate students in the University Symphony Orchestra who are members of the woodwind, brass, or percussion section. It is awarded each year to University of Chicago students who have been members of the USO for at least one full season, and who have consistently demonstrated the highest level of musical accomplishment on his or her instrument, and extraordinary commitment to the Orchestra during that tenure. The recipients of the 2026 Kohs Awards are Armin Adly and Juliet Oliver.
Armin Adly, oboe, is a second-year PhD student in ecology & evolution. He works in the lab of Joe Thornton, where he studies the evolution of new functions in reconstructed ancient proteins. Originally from the Bay Area, Armin began playing piano at the age of 4 and oboe at the age of 12. Before college, he studied oboe with John Speers and played with the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra of Oakland. Armin got his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley, where he majored in biology and music. There, he studied piano with Michael Orland and played oboe in the UC Berkeley Symphony Orchestra. He is currently studying oboe with Joe Claude in Chicago and also sings in the University Chorus. He also enjoys birding, hiking, cooking, and is learning the drums. He is grateful to his teachers and to his family for providing the opportunities and support that got him here.
Juliet Oliver, percussion, is a fourth-year in the College majoring in math and minoring in
education. Growing up in California, she studied piano with Barbara Ruzicka, percussion with
Emma Bartlett, and played in the Youth Music Monterey Honors Orchestra under Farkhad
Khudyev and Danko Druško. In addition to the University Symphony Orchestra, Juliet has been
a member of Percussion Ensemble since her first year and enjoys studying marimba with John
Corkill. After graduation, she will join the United States Peace Corps as a high school math
teacher in Sierra Leone.
2026 David L. Fulton Prize for Orchestral Excellence
Established in 1998, the David L. Fulton Prize for Orchestral Excellence is presented to outstanding undergraduate or graduate student string players in the University Symphony Orchestra. It is awarded each year to University of Chicago students who have been members of the University Symphony for at least one full season, and who have consistently demonstrated the highest level of musical accomplishment on his or her instrument, as well as extraordinary commitment to the Orchestra, during that tenure. The recipients of the 2026 Fulton Prize are Miriam Friedman, Cellestine Harig, Clarice Kim, Michael Lee, and Anthony Yoon.
Miriam Friedman, violin, is a graduating fourth-year majoring in English language and literature and creative writing. She began her private musical training at four years old in the Chicago suburbs. Miriam has been a member of the University Symphony Orchestra since her first year at the college. Throughout her time here, Miriam also participated in the chamber performance program, performing in local concerts and special events. In her free time, she loves to solve jigsaw puzzles and read children’s literature.
Cellestine Harig, harp, is a fourth-year in the College completing a double major in economics and music and has been a dedicated member of the University Symphony Orchestra since her freshman year. Cellestine began playing professionally as the 2017 resident harpist of the Lake Forest Civic Orchestra (LFCO). As her music experience advanced, so did her desire to connect her music to service. A new endeavor, Harp for Hope, emerged as she leveraged her solo talent to raise funds in partnership with Feed My Starving Children to address food scarcity around the world. Cellestine currently performs with the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and has recently appeared as a featured soloist in Berstein’s Chichester Psalms with the Downers Grove Choral Society, Mechem’s Seven Joys of Christmas with the Libertyville First Presbyterian Choir, and Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite with the LFCO. Outside of orchestra and academics, Cellestine is a dedicated rower and has a newfound appreciation for conducting. After graduation, Cellestine will begin her career in economics at Bates White Economic Consulting and continue her pursuit of harp performance in Washington D.C.
Clarice Kim, violin, is a fourth-year student graduating with a joint B.S./M.S. degree in computer science and a minor in music. She has been playing violin for 16 years and has been a member of the University Symphony Orchestra since her first year. Throughout her time at UChicago, Clarice has also been active in the UChicago Chamber Music Program and has taken private lessons with Heather Wittels through the Music Lesson Award Program. She enjoys teaching violin as part of the South Side Free Music program and transcribing pop songs for her student. Before attending university, Clarice served as Concertmaster of the Detroit Symphony Youth Orchestra for two years. After graduation, she plans to work in New York City as a software engineer and hopes to join a community orchestra. Clarice would like to thank her family for their support, as well as Conductor Barbara Schubert for her mentorship and leadership over the last four years.
Michael Lee, viola, is a fourth-year in the College, double majoring in mathematics and computer science. His musical journey started on the piano, before he picked up the viola at the age of twelve as a student of Marietta Ku. Since then, he has come to enjoy the viola’s distinctive voice in the middle of the orchestra’s texture. After graduation, Michael will begin a PhD program in mathematics at the University of Texas at Austin, where he hopes to continue playing in ensembles and running in his free time.
Anthony Yoon, violin, is a third-year undergraduate studying computational and applied mathematics and statistics in the college. Hailing from Rancho Palos Verdes, California, Anthony started to learn the violin at the age of nine. Before college, He was fortunate to study under the direction of Maestro Alexander Treger, Eric Tsai, and William Hagen. He has also participated in many orchestras such as the Palos Verdes Regional Symphony Orchestra, California All State Symphony Orchestra, and the Colburn Chamber Orchestra. Anthony has won awards for his solo violin playing on the local, state, national, and international level. In college, he participates in events held by the music department and the University Symphony Orchestra. Outside of his life in music, Anthony conducts research about mathematical computation under the tutelage of Professor Yuehaw Khoo and is involved in various clubs. In his free time, he likes to play poker and = tennis and is an avid fan of baseball and Formula 1. After college, he wants to pursue a career in research.