The Armoris Quartet is a classical string ensemble with four high school musicians from the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra (PYSO). The group earned the 23-24 Montgomery Fellowship Award with sponsorships from Chamber Music Pittsburgh and coachings with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra violinist Jeremy Black. Though the group formed recently in the summer of 2023, they still featured on the WQED-FM Radio and highlighted numerous Gala performances. Through PYSO, they led their respective sections under Maestro Jacob Joyce and took part in the orchestra’s international tour to Portugal. Later this Spring, they will work in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Ballet School on Jessie Montgomery’s Strum and will also feature in the annual Tiffany Concert Series in April.
Jeongwoo Cheon is a senior at North Allegheny and a student under Rufina Yefimova. He began studying violin at age 7 and has since made his solo debut with PYSO and the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. Now, since serving as PYSO Concertmaster for two seasons, he plans to continue his music through Northwestern University in the Bienen School of Music.
Karin Hoppo is a sophomore at the North Allegheny Intermediate High School and the current associate concertmaster of PYSO. She started violin at age 4 and studied with Hong-Guang Jia, the former associate concertmaster of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Currently working with Charles Stegeman, she attended the 2021 Interlochen Summer Arts Camp and will be attending the Boston University Tanglewood Institute this summer.
Greta Coleman is a sophomore at Mount Lebanon High School and the current principal violist of PYSO. She began her musical journey at age 8 and studied violin with Carolyn Edwards but later started viola with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Laura Fuller. As a violinist, she serves as the concertmaster of Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra (YPO) and will later perform the Hoffmeister Viola Concerto with the orchestra in the Fall of 2024.
Ellie Kim is a sophomore at North Hills High School and joined PYSO in 2022. She began studying cello at age 8 and studied under Katya Janpoladyan and Charlie Powers. Currently a student of David Premo, she later attended the Interlochen Summer Music Camp in 2021. Outside of music, she is the captain of the NH Girls Varsity Tennis Team and an avid member in her school’s Future Business Leaders of America.
