Orchestra
Positive Motions Series | SAN DIEGO YOUTH CELLO QUARTET +
This concert is a fundraiser to help our young cellists, members of the quartet:
Meet and get to know our young musicians and their parents at the reception right after the performance with exquisite Temecula and San Diego wine, all kinds soft drinks, yummy cookies, salami & cheese, as well as organic fruits and veggies!
ABOUT THE SERIES:
Positive Motions Concert Series @ Ruslan Conservatory is a project of the Positive Motions Foundation (501©3 non-profit). It presents solo and chamber music recitals monthly on the first Saturday of the month. Designed as an opportunity for the young aspiring musicians to show case their talents it offers an excellent opportunity for the audiences to enjoy fine music in the closest proximity to the performers in a truly intimate settings with an excellent drink/food reception and “get to know artists” afterwards. All the proceeds and donations from the ticket sales are distributed to the performers. Ruslan Biryukov is the artistic director of the series. If you desire to perform at our concert series please submit your requests: Maestro@celloart.com Please include bio, picture, suggested program and possibly video unedited recording(s) of your performances.
ABOUT THE ARTISTS:
Julian Wu is a freshman at Westview High School in San Diego, California. He started learning piano at age 5, and switched to cello when he was 10. Upon being invited to the MTAC State Convention in 2018, he has earned awards in the VOCE competition, Sinfonia SDYS concerto competition, and Satori Strings Festival. In the past, he has attended in the Civic Youth Orchestra, and is currently playing for the San Diego Youth Symphony. Outside of music, he likes to play basketball, participate in programming competitions, and spend time with his family and pets.
Layina Shate is a 15-year-old freshman at The Bishop's School. She has been studying under Ruslan Biryukov for over two years now, learning to cumulate her passion into the art of the cello. Besides participating in Ruslan's chamber group, Yina enjoys her weekends at San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS), playing in her school's jazz ensemble, and helping out as a guest musician for various school social-events. She also enjoys staying active with field hockey, playing the piano, listening to music, and reading. Yina completed Level 10 of the Certificate of Merit with State Honors and convention, received first prize at the 2022 Open Division Satori Summer Music Festival Solo category, as well as a 2023 VOCE Finalist. Throughout her time at SDYS, she has been principle cellist twice in the past two ensembles, and currently is part of SDYS's Ovation symphony orchestra. In the Summer of 2023 Layina was awarded Third Prize at the International Academy of Music competition in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Italy.
Elaine Wang is a sophomore at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla. She began her musical journey with the piano at age six, but switched to cello at age nine and has been playing ever since. Elaine has completed the Music Teachers’ Association of California’s (MTAC) Certificate of Merit (CM) Level 10 and achieved Panel recognition. In addition, she earned awards in the VOCE and Satori competitions, and has been principal cellist at the San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS). Besides playing cello in Ruslan Biryukov’s San Diego Youth Cello Quartet, Elaine enjoys writing short stories and poems, listening to music, bringing her cats Mochi and Luna out for walks, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Alice Lau is a sophomore at Westview High School in San Diego, California. She began her musical journey nine years ago in a Suzuki group class, where she discovered her passion for cello. Alice has earned awards in the MTAC VOCE and Satori Strings Festival competitions, while studying with Ruslan Biryukov for the past four years. In addition, she has served as principal cellist in the San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS) and is currently a member of the highest ensemble, the Symphony Orchestra. Besides playing in the San Diego Youth Cello Quartet, Alice pours her passion for chamber music back into her local community by directing her own chamber orchestra at Black Mountain Middle School and mentoring younger ensembles at SDYS. In her free time, Alice enjoys playing badminton, painting, listening to music, and hanging out with her friends.
