Zachary Wang, cello with Grace Burns, piano
Brady Conley, viola with Grace Burns, piano
Nazmee Kamal, mezzo-soprano with John Makara, piano
Jocelyn Hsu and Emily Nickl, harp and flute duo
Zachary Wang is an eighth-grade student at Carson Middle School and currently studies cello with Adam Liu, a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He is a member of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Three Rivers Young People’s Orchestra. When he is not playing the cello, Zachary enjoys nature, playing the piano, and swimming.
Grace Burns is Zachary Wang’s pianist as well as Brady Conley’s.
A musician with widely ranging interests, Grace Burns enjoys an active and varied career split between solo engagements, collaborative work, and teaching. Currently a staff pianist at Duquesne University’s Mary Pappert School of Music, she regularly collaborates with students and faculty on recitals, competitions, recording projects, and opera development. Recent collaborations in the Pittsburgh area also include concerts with students and faculty at the Carnegie Mellon School of Music, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, and Pittsburgh Opera’s new opera development (Co-Opera) project. Prior engagements include performances with the Pendulum New Music Series, and performing as a member of the new-music focused Meraki Trio. As a soloist, Ms. Burns has performed in a wide variety of concerts and venues, ranging everywhere from informal house concerts to Carnegie Hall.
Ms. Burns received her Master’s Degree from the University of Colorado – Boulder, where she studied with Dr. David Korevaar and was a graduate assistant for the collaborative piano department. Previously, she graduated Magna Cum Laude with “Distinction in Research and Creative Work” from Rice University with a degree in Piano Performance, where she studied under Jeanne Kierman Fischer. She has performed for a wide variety of master clinicians in both solo and chamber music including Richard Goode, John Perry, Paul Kantor, and Howard Karp, among others.
Ms. Burns has sustained a large piano studio for 12 years, and enjoys teaching students of all ages. In recent years she has undergone continuing education and certification in Suzuki piano (book 1) and Musikgarten.
Brady Conley is a Woodland Hills High School sophomore who studies viola with Sean Juhl. Brady currently performs with the Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Orchestra. In the summer of 2025, he was selected to participate in the National Youth Orchestra NYO2 program. Brady is honored to have been accepted again for the upcoming summer. In addition to orchestral performance, Brady enjoys sharing music in the community and is grateful for opportunities to perform solo at local churches. He also further developed his musicianship through attending the Philadelphia International Music Festival Solo Preparation Program.
An enthusiastic chamber musician, Brady has participated in the YC2 chamber music program for seven years and is a current recipient of the Montgomery Fellowship. Beyond the viola, Brady is a percussionist in his high school’s marching band and concert band and is member of his high school golf team.
Nazmee Kamal is elated to be a part of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Young Artist Concert. Hailing from the greater Washington D.C. area, Nazmee is a senior at Carnegie Mellon University, studying Vocal Performance under Daniel Teadt and Dr. Jocelyn Dueck. Throughout her time at CMU School of Music, Nazmee performed in a number of opera, musical, and oratorio works. This season, she performed as Lazuli in Emmanuel Chabrier’s L’étoile, the Senior Woman in Sondheim’s Putting it Together, and as an Alto Soloist in Bach’s Magnificat with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic. In previous seasons, she performed as Bradamante in Händel’s Alcina, the Good Fairy in Conrad Susa’s Transformations, and was an Alto Soloist in Händel’s Messiah. Nazmee has performed in various projects with Pittsburgh Festival Opera, most notably in the chorus of Ponchielli’s La Gioconda. She was recently selected to be a young artist at Classic Lyric Arts France, which she will be attending this summer. Nazmee is excited to continue her classical music journey into graduate school, and is incredibly grateful for the support from her friends and family as she launches into her career.
John Makara is completing his Master of Music for collaborative piano at CMU, where he holds an assistantship and studies with Dr. Jocelyn Dueck. John’s education includes a foundation of vocal and instrumental repertoire, in addition to an independent study for piano technician work. John received his BFA in Piano Performance at IUP, studying piano with Dr. Wong Doe and organ with Dr. Clewell. John enjoys playing upright and electric bass. Last summer, he won a scholarship, spending two months in Slovakia studying folklore music and traditions
The Eclipse Duo, consisting of flautist Emily Nickl and Jocelyn Hsu, premiered at Carnegie Mellon University in 2026. They have performed in chamber concerts and hope to continue their musical journey through additional performances and competitions in the coming years.
