Young Concert Artists on Tour features three extraordinarily talented musicians: cellist James Baik, Saxophonist Estel Vivó Casanovas, and pianist Zhu Wang. Their program for TAA will include solo works, duets, and trios. TAA is honored to host this one-of-a-kind concert spotlighting these rising, world-class artists. Here is more about each performer.
James Baik
Cello
Cellist James Baik has been described as an artist with “undeniable authority” and “a real warmth emerging in lyricism” by Belgian newspaper Le Soir after his astounding performance at the 2021 Queen Elisabeth competition.
First prize winner of the 2023 YCA Susan Wadsworth Young Concert Artists International Auditions and recipient of the Paul A. Fish Memorial Prize and the Bridgehampton Chamber Music Prize, Baik is a Young Concert Artist Jacobs Fellow. He has recently appeared as soloist in Beethoven’s Triple Concerto with the Mobile Symphony alongside artists Benjamin Baker and Chaeyoung Park, and in Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with the Hamilton College Symphony Orchestra. Upcoming highlights include his debuts at the Kennedy Center and at New York’s Merkin Hall at Kaufman Music Center, as well as a return to Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall for the Young Concert Artists season finale.
Estel Vivó Casanovas
Saxophone
Estel Vivó Casanovas is a saxophonist from Barcelona, Spain, currently based in Rochester, New York. She has performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and with the Symphony Orchestra of the Terrassa Conservatory. A multi-award-winning musician, her achievements include first prize at the 2024 Manhattan International Music Competition and first prize at the 2023 International Saxophone Academy, among other national and international prizes. She is a winner of the 2025 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. Casanovas is also a researcher. Her current project, “Masked Dissonance: Avant-Garde Music as a Subtle Resistance in Francoist Spain”, examines how experimental music developed within the cultural and political context of the Cold War and mid-20th-century Spain. She is now pursuing her doctor of musical arts degree in saxophone performance at the Eastman School of Music under the mentorship of professor Chien-Kwan Lin.
Zhu Wang
Piano
Praised by the New York Times as “especially impressive” and “a thoughtful, sensitive performer,” pianist Zhu Wang won first prize at the 2020 Young Concert Artists Susan Wadsworth International Auditions. He has earned top honors at the Zhuhai International Mozart Competition, Manhattan International Music Competition, Hilton Head Young Artist Piano Competition, and Juilliard’s Gina Bachauer and Mieczyslaw Munz Competitions. Celebrated for his “technical mastery and deep sense of lyricism” by the Durango Herald, Wang has appeared at major venues including Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Hall, the Kennedy Center, Caramoor, and the Morgan Library & Museum. Internationally, he has appeared at the Berliner Philharmonie, Warsaw Philharmonic, and Shanghai Concert Hall, and at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall with Randall Goosby. A native of Hunan, China, Wang holds degrees from Juilliard and Curtis and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Juilliard under Emanuel Ax and Robert McDonald.
New Ballet Ensemble’s lively production of Peter and the Wolf takes the traditional musical tale and introduces audiences to the instruments of the orchestra, and also to five distinct dance disciplines including ballet, modern, jazz, character, and hip-hop. Composed by Sergei Prokofiev, Peter and the Wolf follows a young boy named Peter (depicted by strings) who ventures into a meadow despite warnings from his grandfather (bassoon) about a dangerous wolf (French horn). Along the way, Peter encounters several animals, each represented by a different instrument in the score, including a bird (flute), a duck (oboe), and a cat (clarinet). When the wolf appears and captures the duck, Peter cleverly devises a plan to trap it with the help of the bird. Using a rope, Peter captures the wolf and soon hunters arrive (to the sound of timpani and bass drum) to take it away. Instead of killing the wolf, Peter insists it be brought to the zoo in a triumphant procession. As they all head off, the duck can be heard quacking inside the wolf’s stomach, for, in his hurry, the wolf had swallowed her whole. Blending humor, tension, and adventure, Peter and the Wolf celebrates courage, quick thinking, and the expressive power of music and dance. New Ballet Ensemble’s engaging performance is geared to elementary school students but is designed to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
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About New Ballet Ensemble and School
New Ballet Ensemble and School was founded in 2002 and has developed into a robust nationally-recognized organization centered on placing teaching artists in schools, providing holistic after-school programming, and using dance and culture as mechanisms for change. In addition to immersing students in high quality classical ballet training, New Ballet Ensemble incorporates multicultural dance genres into students’ instruction and dance repertoire. This unique combination of diversified techniques and cultural emphasis informs New Ballet’s engaging and distinctive performances. Alongside a rigorous dance education, New Ballet is committed to whole child development, combining arts and creativity with academic support, family engagement, and access to wellness services. Recognizing the country’s best creative youth development programs, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities awarded New Ballet with the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award in 2014, presented by then-first lady Michelle Obama.
The 129th Army Band has a long and distinguished history of service to Tennessee and the United States in peacetime and during armed conflict. The group traces its lineage back to the earliest units of the Tennessee Militia that protected the early colonial settlements and routed the British at the Battle of Kings Mountain on October 7, 1780. Since its inception, the 129th Army Band has proudly represented the state of Tennessee and the Tennessee Army National Guard. From playing at two world’s fairs to marching in a presidential inaugural parade, the 129th Army Band has been called on to perform countless times across the globe. On two occasions they played for the United States Ambassador of Columbia, South America. Additionally, they performed in Izmir, Turkey, in support of NATO and have relieved numerous active-duty bands at such places as Fort Monroe, Virginia, the United States Military Academy at West Point, and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. Additionally, the 129th Army Band was one of two reserve bands called to active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm. In more recent years, the 129th has sent music performance teams to perform at the United States embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria. The 129th Army Band’s most rewarding job, however, is supporting the troops and families of the Tennessee National Guard. Without question, the 129th has established itself as a premier National Guard band and will continue to perform at the highest level of professionalism every time they are called upon to represent the state of Tennessee and the United States of America. The 129th Army Band is headquartered at Houston Barracks in Nashville, Tennessee, and is led by Chief Warrant Officer Billy Stepp and First Sergeant Tim Keyser.
About the Conductor
Chief William Stepp is a distinguished educator and leader with more than twenty-eight years of experience in the Tennessee academic system. Throughout his extensive career, he has held a variety of pivotal roles, ranging from band director to director of schools. In addition to his civilian leadership, Chief Stepp serves as the Commander of the 129th Army Band based in Nashville, Tennessee. In this capacity, he oversees the musical proficiency and operational readiness of a premier unit that provides support for military ceremonies, official functions, and public performances across Tennessee and abroad.
Currently lighting up Broadway, Betsy Wolfe stars as Madeline Ashton in the hit Tony-nominated musical Death Becomes Her. Most recently, she earned wide critical acclaim starring as Joy, the title role in the new musical Joy. She previously wrapped her acclaimed tenure with & Juliet, as Anne Hathaway, where her performance was nominated for the 2023 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Wolfe is well known for her starring turns as Jenna Hunterson in the Tony-nominated Waitress, Cordelia in the Broadway revival of Falsettos, and Cathy in the celebrated off-Broadway revival of The Last Five Years. Other Broadway credits include: Bullets Over Broadway (Ellen), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Rosa Bud), and Everyday Rapture. Her screen credits include the holiday film Estella Scrooge: A Christmas Carol with a Twist, the indie comedy First One In, and a guest-starring role on the CBS series Instinct.
Wolfe made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Die Fledermaus and has appeared as a guest artist with more than sixty symphony, pops, and philharmonic orchestras across the United States and worldwide, including the New York Philharmonic, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The New York Pops, and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. She has collaborated with The New York Pops and played to sold-out crowds at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center with their Broadway Today and Women of Note concerts.
Originally from California, Wolfe received a degree in musical theater from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. And at age twenty she made her Carnegie Hall debut with the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra under Maestro Erich Kunzel. Wolfe quickly moved on to star as Rona Lisa Peretti in the San Francsico and Boston companies’ productions of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Soon after, she made her Broadway debut in the revival of 110 in the Shade. Wolfe performed her one-woman cabaret show All Bets Are Off to sold out crowds at 54 Below in New York City, as well as in Las Vegas, San Francisco, New Orleans, and more.
Wolfe is also the founder of BroadwayEvolved, a groundbreaking training program for the next generation of performers, now in its eighth year.
Dive into the fantastical world of Dr. Seuss in a short snippet of Seussical the Musical, where beloved characters and stories intertwine in a vibrant tapestry of music and imagination. From the loyal Horton the elephant, who hears a faint cry for help on a speck of dust, to the mischievous cat in the hat guiding us through unexpected adventures, this musical brings to life tales like Horton Hears a Who!, Gertrude McFuzz, and The Cat in the Hat. With a dynamic score blending pop, gospel, blues, and R&B, audiences of all ages are invited to explore themes of friendship, loyalty, and the power of “thinks.” Whether you’re young or young at heart, this production promises a heart warming experience that celebrates the unique qualities in each of us. Seussical the Musical’s score and book were written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, with co-conception by Eric Idle.The musical is based on the works of Theodor Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.
About Nashville Children’s Theatre
Nashville Children's Theatre is the oldest professional children’s theatre in the United States and one of Nashville’s most treasured arts institutions. Founded in 1931, it has spent more than ninety years inspiring generations of young people through the magic of live theatre. Located in the heart of Nashville, the theatre produces a vibrant season of professional productions designed especially for young audiences and families, welcoming more than 100,000 students, teachers, and patrons each year. Known for its high-quality storytelling, imaginative staging, and educational impact, NCT presents a wide range of productions, from beloved classics and literary adaptations to world premieres and contemporary works. The theatre’s mission is to spark imagination, develop empathy, and create community through extraordinary shared experiences. Nashville Children’s Theatre creates artistic experiences for everyone. Theatre can change the world, one person at a time. Performances and classes are designed to help children process real-world situations and build a foundation of empathy for their relationships and actions.
About the Director
Jenilee Houghton is passionate about creating productions that spark empathy, wonder, and connection. Houghton has worked at theatres across the country including Sierra Repertory Theatre, Paper Mill Playhouse, the Virginia Theatre Festival (formerly the Heritage Repertory Theatre), the Glimmerglass Festival and the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Newly installed this summer as the executive artistic director of Nashville Children’s Theatre, Houghton directed the recent production of Charlotte’s Web and is also a playwright, with original plays produced at Greenhouse Theater Center and Moving Bench Theatre in Chicago, as well as Vintage Soul Production’s international New Works Festival. Houghton is a dedicated advocate for arts education and accessibility, and is also a certified Safe Zone facilitator. The company’s consent-based rehearsal practices are based on training through the Theatrical Intimacy Education program in New York City. Houghton earned a degree from Illinois Wesleyan University as well as a master’s degree from New York University, at the Tisch School of the Arts.
