Musicians

Audrey Fullerton

Flute

Audrey Fullerton is a second-year student at Emory University pursuing a joint major in Spanish & Linguistics and a major in Music on the performance track. She is originally from Overland Park, Kansas, where she studied flute under Dr. Virginia Backman. Audrey is passionate about a wide variety of music. In high school, she participated in the Kansas City Youth Symphony and Kansas All-State Band, and performed as principal flute of the ECKMEA District Band and Kansas All-State Full Orchestra. At Emory, she has participated in the Emory Sound Collective and Emory Chamber Orchestra. She currently studies flute under Dr. Jim Zellers.

Audrey views music primarily as a means of authentic self-expression and hopes to convey this in her practice and performance. In the Sound Collective, she enjoys exploring new techniques and is inspired by the passion and emotional honesty of her peers. Outside of playing flute, Audrey loves learning languages, rock climbing, reading, and being outdoors.

Vivian Zhao

Piano

Vivian Zhao is a first-year medical student at Emory University School of Medicine. She graduated summa cum laude from Emory with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Music Performance. Originally from Arizona, Vivian studied at the New Century Conservatory with Fei Xu before coming to Emory, where she studied under Dr. Elena Cholakova. She is passionate about music-making and has participated in many regional and national competitions. Vivian has also attended festivals such as the International Institute for Young Musicians and the Prague Piano Festival. Her accolades include the William B. Dickinson Scholarship, the Pathways Global Award, and the Atlanta Music Club Scholarship.

Vivian is passionate about fostering community through music. As an undergraduate, she served as keyboardist for the Emory University Symphony Orchestra and played chamber music with fellow students. She also volunteered at senior homes and hospices, using music as a universal language to connect with others. Wanting to give back to the Emory community, Vivian co-founded an undergraduate organization to create a space for musicians pursuing healthcare careers and opportunities to combine both interests. Vivian looks forward to continuing her journey in music and medicine in tandem.

Alex Kahn

Percussion

Alexander Kahn is from Mamaroneck, New York and is a freshman at Emory University. He is a member of both the Emory Sound Collective and the Emory University Symphony Orchestra. He studies under Scott Pollard of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. In high school he played in his region’s Area All-State Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra and was an alternate for New York’s All-State Concert Band. He also participated in national music festivals such as Boston University Tanglewood Institute. His favorite contemporary composers are Phillip Glass and Steve Reich. In addition to concert percussion, Alex has experience playing drum set since age four and harmonica since age seventeen. Alex’s favorite part of music is engaging a crowd with performances that instill powerful emotions, whether it be through a Bonham style drum solo or a timpani roll at the climax of an opera. Outside of music, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, working out, and going camping.

Juanse Valencia

Violin

Juanse Valencia is a first-year undergraduate at Emory University, planning to double major in Anthropology & Human Biology and Neuroscience & Behavioral Biology. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Juanse was a member of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program, studying under Bob Anemone, performing in community concerts and initiatives that promote Black and Latinx representation in classical music. He has also played with the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Brevard Concert Orchestra, GMEA All-State Orchestras, and the Franklin Pond Chamber Music Program, developing a deep appreciation for both symphonic and chamber music. At Emory, Juanse continues this pursuit as a member of the Emory University Symphony Orchestra and the Emory Sound Collective, where he explores how music shapes not just individual experience but society at large.

Beyond music, Juanse is drawn to cultural anthropology and medical physics, and hopes to apply these interests toward advancing medicine while pushing back against societal issues he’s committed to changing.

Nick Wandrick

Clarinet

Nicholas Wandrick was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently a fourth-year student at Emory University in Atlanta. At Emory, he is involved in both the fields of neuroscience and music, being a member of the orchestra and participating in chamber music. He has been interested in music since he was young and has participated in numerous ensembles. These ensembles include the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO), a chamber group within the ASYO, the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, the Emory University Symphony Orchestra, and the Emory Sound Collective. He has participated in national festivals, namely Boston University Tanglewood Institute and Mostly Modern Festival. He has also participated in multiple competitions and was the winner of the Atlanta Wind Symphony’s 2nd annual Concerto Competition. He is an avid supporter and frequent performer of all different kinds of music, and it is his goal to experience as much music as he can. Nicholas plans to pursue music at the graduate level, following his passion for touching hearts with his music.

Bethany Chao

Cello

Bethany Chao is a first-year student at Emory University planning on majoring in Biology with a minor in Music on the pre-med track. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Bethany began studying under Hannah Schmidt at the age of 4 and currently studies under Karen Freer. At Emory, she is involved in the Emory Sound Collective and a string quartet. Bethany has served as Principal Cellist in numerous large ensembles including the Germantown Youth Symphony Orchestra (GYSO), the Memphis Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO), the University of Memphis Honors Orchestra, and the Tennessee All-West Orchestras. She has participated in many chamber ensembles such as string quartets, trios, duets, a sextet within the MYSO, an octet within the GYSO, and the Schmidt Studio Cello Ensemble. She has also performed in the Tennessee All-State Orchestra.

Bethany sees music as a language that can communicate complex messages simpler than words can. Her favorite part of playing cello is working through new pieces and finding the meaning behind every note. An avid Snoopy fan, Bethany can be found fishing, crafting, or reading when she isn’t practicing.

Audrey Fullerton

Flute

Audrey Fullerton is a freshman at Emory from Overland Park, KS planning to major in Linguistics. She loves flute and is passionate about all kinds of music, with experience in wind ensemble, full orchestra, marching band, and small chamber group settings. When she’s not practicing or performing, you can find her trying new coffee spots, learning languages, going on walks, listening to music, or writing for The Wheel.

Jonathan Luo

Piano

Originally from Mason, Ohio, Jonathan Luo is a junior at Emory University majoring in Data Science. He began studying piano at age five with Dr. Benita Tse-Leung and currently studies with Dr. Elena Cholakova at Emory. Jonathan was the winner of the 2025 Georgia MTNA Competition in Piano Performance in the Young Artist division and was an honorable mention in the 2024 Emory University Concerto Competition. Prior to joining the Emory Sound Collective, he has also performed as a member of the Emory University Symphony Orchestra and the Emory Wind Ensemble. Aside from piano, Jonathan is a member of Emory’s oldest all-gender a cappella group and is a two-time member of the U.S. National Jump Rope Team. 

Alan Zhao

Percussion

Alan Zhao is a percussionist with the Emory Sound Collective, where he performs contemporary and mixed-percussion works. As an orchestral percussionist, he has performed with numerous ensembles across genres ranging from drum set in jazz ensemble to full symphonic percussion and chamber settings. As a marimba soloist, Alan has performed works by Clair Omar Musser, Gordon Stout, and Keiko Abe, exploring the instrument’s lyrical and expressive potential. He currently studies percussion with Mark Yancich and Scott Pollard of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.

Josephine Sim

Violin

Josephine Sim (b. 2005) is a violinist from Waco, Texas. Starting from the age of five at Suzuki Academy of Waco, Josephine studied under Susan Whitney and Dr. Sue Jacobson and currently studies under Professor Jessica Wu at Emory University. As an orchestra player, Josephine was the concertmaster of the Midway High School Symphony Orchestra and the Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra. She has also performed with the Texas All-Region and All-State orchestras. She performed the Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1 with the Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra as the winner of the WSYO Concerto Competition. 

Josephine joined the Emory University Symphony Orchestra in 2023 as a Liberal Arts Scholar. She is a founding member of the Emory Sound Collective.

Chanhee Park

Viola

Chanhee Park began studying the viola in fourth grade under the guidance of Yunsun Kim, whose mentorship sparked his lasting passion for music. Since entering college, he has continued his musical development with Paul Murphy, exploring a broader range of repertoire and artistic expression. His favorite composer is Brahms, whose depth, lyricism, and emotional intensity continually inspire his playing. Outside the practice room, Chanhee enjoys playing basketball and being active, finding parallels between the focus of the game and the discipline of performance. His favorite part of the program has been the process of learning a multitude of contemporary pieces and the varying techniques that come with them.

Christine Park

Cello

Christine Park is excited to perform with the Emory Sound Collective as a cellist. In addition to ESC, Christine has also been a proud member of the Emory University Symphony Orchestra since the Fall of 2022. Additionally, she performed at the 2025 Cremona Summer Festival
alongside other Emory musicians as part of the Music in Italy study abroad program, offered by Emory University’s music department. In the past, she has also performed with the Purchase
Symphony Orchestra in New York. As a guitarist, she was a proud member of her high school’s pep and jazz band as well.

In the spring, she will deliver a full recital, featuring the Brahms Cello Sonata in E minor, Bach Cello Suite 3, and David Popper’s “Polonaise de Concert.” Christine is active in the musical theater scene at Emory, having performed as a guitarist in the pit orchestra for previous musical theater productions (The Lightning Thief and Spring Awakening) with Ad Hoc, a musical theater club at Emory. Before Emory, she has also performed in Les Miserables: School Edition as a cellist, Mamma Mia as a guitarist, and Mary Poppins as a cellist. Currently, she is the appointed pit conductor for Ad Hoc’s upcoming musical theater production, where she will be directing a team of approximately twelve musicians to accompany the cast.

Robin Meyer

Violin

Robin Meyer is a junior at Emory from Grand Rapids, Michigan, studying environmental science as a major and pursuing music as a minor. Robin began studying music at 6, in Nashville, Tennessee. Throughout her time as a musician, she has studied under multiple teachers, including soloist Dylana Jenson and Jenna Anderson Buchner of the Grand Rapids Symphony. In high school, Robin performed with the Grand Rapids Youth Symphony as Principal Second Violin and Concertmaster and as a soloist through the Skip Gates Concerto Competition. She was nominated for the MSBOA Concerto Competition and Honors Orchestra in 2022. As an undergraduate, Robin is currently studying with Emory University artist affiliate Jay Christy, who is Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Acting Associate/Assistant Principal Second Violin. She has performed with the Emory University Symphony Orchestra for the past four semesters. From her very first performance as a young violinist, music has always been about sharing emotion for Robin.

Robin prioritizes storytelling in performance, which she experiences as a sharing of energy and emotion between her, her fellow performers, and the audience. She hopes that her performance invites audiences into a space of connection through her vulnerability and outpouring of emotion as a performer. Within her study of environmental science, Robin is interested in the relationships between people, place, and environment. The emphasis Robin places on community in every area of her life is a uniting factor between her life as a performer and her interests as an academic. When she is not studying or practicing, you can find her dabbling in a variety of other instruments, crafts, and activities. Beyond her formal training and study of classical music, Robin can produce some semblance of music on the piano, tin whistle, and guitar. She has a deep love for both making and listening to folk music. She is also an avid reader, a chaotic crocheter, an amateur watercolor painter, and an enjoyer of long walks.

Nicholas Wandrick

Clarinet

Nicholas Wandrick was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently a third-year student at Emory University in Atlanta. At Emory, he is involved in both the fields of science, pursuing pre-med, and music, being a member of the orchestra and participating in chamber music. He has been interested in music since he was young and has participated in numerous ensembles. These ensembles include the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra (ASYO), a chamber group within the ASYO, the Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, the Emory University Symphony Orchestra, and the Emory Sound Collective. He has participated in national festivals, namely Boston University Tanglewood Institute. He has also participated in multiple competitions and was the winner of the Atlanta Wind Symphony’s 2nd annual Concerto Competition. He is an avid supporter and frequent performer of all different kinds of music, and it is his goal to experience as much music as he can. Nicholas plans to pursue music and medical research as a Neuroscience and Music Performance major, following his passion for touching hearts with his music and hoping to make a difference in the world of science.