Today we hear from flute soloist Zoe Strange, a recent graduate of Plainfield Central High School and Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras. She joins pianist Yoko Yamada-Selvaggio and two of her PCHS classmates for a recital of Nielsen, Reinecke, Arnold, Daiki Kato and Sergei Golovko.
Zoe Strange has studied flute since the age of 11 with teachers Sonia Middleton and Dr. Jennifer Gosack-Darwell. Zoe has been in Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras since 2023, playing in both the Concert Orchestra and Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2024, Zoe won the Concert Orchestra Concerto Competition performing Georges Hüe's Fantaisie. She has been awarded many opportunities, including being invited to the Southwest Prairie Conference Honor Band the last four years, the ILMEA District IX festival for three years, and ILMEA All-State in 2025. Zoe also won the American Wind Band Competition and scholarship in 2024. She has performed in masterclasses under Jonathan Keeble, Amy Porter and Rebecca Johnson, and is looking forward to performing in more as an avid member of the Chicago Flute Club. Zoe is also an invited performer at Bonita Boyd's international flute masterclass this summer in Rochester, New York.
In the fall, she will attend DePaul University where she will begin a Bachelors degree in Flute Performance studying with Alyce Johnson.
Caleb McMillin, 18, has studied percussion since the age of 8 with Paul Kairis. Throughout his years of playing, he has won his district's solo-ensemble contest with mallet solos twice. He has also composed marimba solos for the past two years, and took first place in the 2024 ILMEA Composition Contest in the solo instrumental category. Beyond that, Caleb performed with the Plainfield Central High School Jazz Band for the past two years and has performed in the school's front ensemble for the past four as a marimba player. He is set shortly to begin Engineering studies at Michigan Technological University.
Lucas Vergara, 18, has studied clarinet from the age of 12, and prior to that studied violin from the age of 9. He studies with Shawn Maxwell and has been involved in the Naperville Youth Symphony Orchestra and in music groups at Plainfield Central High School. He has also performed with the District IX ILMEA band and IMEC honor band on E-flat clarinet. In the fall, he will begin at Illinois State University majoring in Music Education and Clarinet Performance.
Robbie Ellis, Lucas Vergara, Zoe Strange and Caleb McMillin in WFMT’s Fay and Daniel Levin Performance Studio. (Photo: Adela Skowronski.)
