Today we bring you five graduating seniors from Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative – a flute player, a trumpeter, a violinist, and two percussionists.
Sofia Villanueva is an 18-year-old flutist from Oriole Park, Chicago. Sofia has been studying the flute for 8 years and has been studying privately with Betsy Ko. Sofia attended the Merit School of Music where she was a member of the Wind Symphony, Philharmonic Orchestra and Purple Hippopotami Flute Trio. Sofia has participated in many chamber music competitions with Purple Hippopotami and recently won the Chicago National Chamber Music Competition “Other Instruments” Division. Sofia was a fellow of Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative and has performed in many of their recitals. She has also participated in masterclasses with Emma Gerstein, Ebonee Thomas, Jennie Oh Brown, Cassie Lear and William Boustany. Sofia also attended Luzerne Music Center and Sewanee Music Festival where she performed major symphonies and had intense chamber music training.
Sofia is an incoming freshman at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign majoring in Flute Performance.
Isabel Armenta is an 18-year-old percussionist who has been a student of Douglas Waddell and Patricia Dash at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Percussion Scholarship Program for 8 years. She was a part of the Lincoln Park High School Wind Symphony for 4 years and was a fellow of the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. She participated in the Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) and Interlochen Arts Camp, where she was first chair in the Wind Youth Wind Symphony.
Isabel recently graduated from Lincoln Park High School and will be attending San Francisco Conservatory of Music to pursue a degree in Percussion Performance.
Natalia Noriega, 18, is a trumpet student of Leah Schuman, and recently graduated from Whitney Young High School. They grew up in East Side, Chicago and began studying at Merit School of Music in 2017. Natalia was the principal trumpet of the Merit Philharmonic, brass ensemble, and competitive brass quintet. With the Hervor Quintet and Alta Tensione Quintet, Natalia has participated in and won awards in various chamber music competitions, including the Fischoff (2023, 2024) and Barnett (2022, 2023). Natalia joined Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras in 2021, playing as Principal Trumpet in the Philharmonic Orchestra and subsequently in both the Jazz Orchestra and the flagship Symphony Orchestra. They were a Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative fellow, participating in festivals and summer programs such as Kinhaven Music School, Interlochen Arts Camp, where she was Principal of the World Youth Wind Symphony, Colburn Fortissima Intensive, and was Principal Trumpet of the 2022 and 2024 Equity Arc National Pathways Festival Orchestra. Natalia has had the privilege to work in masterclasses with artists John Hagstrom and Courtney Jones, to share the stage with trumpeters such as Esteban Batallán and William Leathers, and conductors Riccardo Muti and Giancarlo Guerrero.
In the fall, Natalia will be attending the Eastman School of Music to major in Trumpet Performance.
Javier Irizarry is an 18-year-old violinist from Highland Park who studies with Desirée Ruhstrat. Javier was a fellow of the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative and served as Concertmaster of the Midwest Young Artists Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, where he rehearsed every Saturday and played chamber music. As an avid chamber musician, Javier has performed in France, Cuba, and all throughout the United States, entering competitions and performing outreach concerts for various communities. His chamber ensemble, Trio Fiammifero, has won top prizes at the Chicago Chamber Music Competition, Rembrandt Chamber Musicians, and the A.N. and Pearl G. Barnett Chamber Music Competition, and this group appeared on Introductions in December 2023. In 2022 Javier was the Early Music category winner of the Walgreens National Concerto Competition. Javier has also participated in numerous music festivals, including Cordes en Gascogne Chamber Music Festival, Equity Arc’s Festival Orchestra, and Boston University’s Tanglewood Institute.
Javier recently graduated from Highland Park High School and will attend Northwestern University in the fall.
Wanye (Wan) Williams, 18, is a Chicago based African American musician who has dedicated the past seven years to learning and performing music as a classical percussionist, a jazz vibraphonist, and a pianist. Born into a musical family and growing up in church, music has played a large role in his religious life and affected his life approach. He believes that the creativity, emotion, diversity, and passion put into music is the outlet for people all over the world to connect. Wanye brings an energetic, open-minded, and intense sense of rhythm to the concept of improvised music when he performs. He is rooted in jazz but does not fail to go back to his original classical training to expand on technique, style, and tone. Wanye never fails to play for the crowd and brings high energy and swagger to his performances.
A recent graduate from Chicago High School of the Arts, Wanye will be pursuing a degree in Jazz Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
