As the 2024–2025 school year comes to a close, PCM faculty and staff are proud to acknowledge the graduating class of 2025, which includes 26 graduating seniors — a record number of which (20!) presented a senior recital. Join us in celebrating these dedicated seniors and their contributions to PCM as they embark on their next chapter. 

Congratulations, Class of 2025!

Oliver Barr

Oliver started at PCM in the Young Musicians program, learning to sing and keep a steady beat from an early age. Oliver then began studying piano and, for the past 10 years, has been under the tutelage of Kathryn Eames.

“I have loved performing at Friday night, composer of the year, and studio recitals while at PCM. Studying music under Ms. Katie Eames has kindled a love for piano that I hope to continue into college and beyond. This fall, I will be starting at Haverford College, where I plan to study Physics.”

Trisha Chakraborty

Trisha graduated from South Pasadena High School and has been playing the clarinet since she was 10 years old. She has studied at PCM with Laura Stoutenborough since 2020 and has performed with the California All-State Honor Band (2021), the Southern California SCSBOA Honor Band (2021), and the Idyllwild Summer Symphony Orchestra (2023). This Fall, she will attend UC Berkeley, majoring in Neuroscience and continuing with music through the university’s orchestra or wind ensemble. 

Josselyn Cheng

A graduate of the Westridge School, Josselyn has studied voice at PCM with Mariné Ter-Kazaryan since 2021. She is involved in theatre and filmmaking and has served as a stage manager, assistant director, and actress, while also working on independent student film projects. Beyond the arts, Josselyn was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Award for her excellence as the Captain of the Westridge Basketball Team. She looks forward to continuing her artistic, athletic, and creative pursuits in college.

Haley Hua

Haley recently graduated from Mark Keppel High School, where she was the Band Clarinet and Orchestra Winds section leader, as well as the President of Tri-M, a music honor society. For the last three years, she studied clarinet at PCM with Laura Stoutenborough. Since then, she participated in the California Music Educators Association (CASMEC), where she performed in California’s All-State Band (2025) and was recognized at Fullerton College’s Forum Festival for outstanding musicianship. She’s excited to continue her studies in music performance and forensic science. 

“During my time at PCM, what I will cherish most are the deep connections I formed through music. The joy and growth I experienced under Ms. Laura’s guidance made an enduring impact—from the laughter of my very first lesson, spinning in circles with a clarinet in hand, to the discipline and confidence I gained along the way. Most of all, I’ll carry with me the memory of my senior recital, when I had the honor of sharing my music with those I love most—my friends and family.”

Aram Kedeshian

Aram graduated from the Flintridge Preparatory School, where he was honored with the Junior History award. He’s been a student at PCM since 2009, studying cello with Niklas Bertani for the last 10 years. He’s excited to attend Indiana University in the fall, majoring in Finance at the Kelley School of Business while also pursuing music as a Hutton Honors Scholar.

Norah Kim

Norah, a recent graduate from Pasadena High School, has been playing the piano since she was five years old. She began studying at PCM with Nic Gerpe in 2017. During her time here, she participated in multiple competitions, placing as the runner-up in the 2024 Dan Stover Music Competition and winning 1st place in her division at the 2025 Sonata/Sonatina Competition.

“I would like to thank the PCM faculty, my parents, and especially my teacher, Dr. Gerpe, for all of your guidance and support throughout these past several years of my piano journey. This fall, I will be attending the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, where I plan to pursue a degree in political science.”

Shayne Kim

Shayne has been studying piano since she was seven years old. At PCM, she studied with Nic Gerpe and has participated in numerous recitals, culminating in her senior recital in June.

“I appreciate PCM very much, from its amazing staff to its very well-kept facilities. Most of all, I am so grateful to my teacher, Dr. Nic Gerpe, for his patience and commitment when it comes to teaching. For the future, I will be attending USC as a communications major.”

Dora Lee

A graduate of the New West Charter High School, Dora started playing piano at age four and a half with Stephen Cook, participating in various events and competitions throughout the years. In 2019, she began to study oboe under the mentorship of Naomi Ozawa. Since then, the oboe has become her primary instrument, and her commitment and talent have been recognized when she performed a solo concerto with the Westside Youth Orchestra in 2024. 

“The things that I will remember the most about my time at PCM are all the performance opportunities and master classes I was able to take. Being able to take part in these events has allowed me to grow more confident with performing for other people, which is especially important to me as I will be studying music performance in the fall at UCLA.”

Phoebe Lee

Phoebe, a recent graduate from Temple City High School, has been playing the cello since 2016. She started lessons at PCM with Rowena Hammill and, since 2020, has studied with Andrew Cook. During summer, Phoebe joins music camps and has been accepted into prestigious programs, such as Meadowmount. She has also traveled to Europe for festivals like the Nice International Summer Academy in France. She has won 1st place in the Global Philharmonic Competition and was a finalist in the MAP-IMC and Moments of Music competitions.

“What makes PCM so special is its small but deeply engaged community. I feel incredibly grateful to have grown up surrounded by people who truly cared, not just my parents, but also the amazing teachers, staff, and other families who always believed in me. Being part of a place where everyone knows and supports each other gave me the courage to grow, take creative risks in my playing, and discover my true love for music. PCM has always felt like a second home, where I spent countless hours rehearsing, performing, improving during lessons, grieving in the practice rooms, and sharing some of the most meaningful conversations in the hallways. This fall, I’ll be attending the Manhattan School of Music to study cello performance with Professor Philippe Muller.”

Steinunn Liorsdottir

Steinunn recently graduated from Flintridge Preparatory School. She has been at PCM for 6 years, studying voice and piano with Mariné Ter-Kazaryan. During her time here, she has performed in various recitals, masterclasses, concerts, and, most recently, PCM’s 2025 Honors Recital. She also participated in Music Center’s Spotlight Awards, where she earned her first Merit Award (2024) and, this year, advanced to the Semi-Final round. In the fall, she’ll be attending Princeton, where she plans to minor in classical voice performance.

Amishi Mahadev

Amishi has studied vocal arts for nine years, and for the last five years, she has studied at PCM under Tamara Bevard. During her time at PCM, she was a featured singer in the Los Angeles Opera Connects Opera Camp (2023, 2024). She hopes to continue her music career at university and beyond. 

“To me, PCM provided a space to connect with music in a deeper, more meaningful way than I had ever experienced before. No matter what was happening in my life, my weekly lessons offered a sense of consistency and joy during an otherwise unpredictable time, and for that, I am deeply grateful. This fall, I’ll be attending UC Davis as a Cognitive Science major, and I hope to carry forward the discipline, creativity, and appreciation for the arts that PCM has instilled in me.”

Sienna Ng

Sienna is a recent graduate from the California School of Arts – SGV in the Creative Writing conservatory. She began playing piano at the age of four, and, since 2022, has been studying with Nic Gerpe at PCM. In the fall, she’ll attend UC San Diego as a Literary Arts major at Marshall College.

Nathan Park

Nathan graduated from Flintridge Preparatory School and has been very involved at PCM since enrolling in Young Musicians classes at the age of one. He has since studied classical guitar with Adam Pettit, music theory with Kathryn Eames, and has been part of the guitar ensembles led by Scott Tennant. Recently, he won first place at the 2024 CalASTA State Competition. He’s excited to attend the University of Chicago, where he plans to pursue his music studies.

Matteo Paz

A recent graduate of Pasadena High School, Matteo has been at PCM since 2012 studying classical, jazz, and electric guitar with Brian Barany.

Shelby Sartor

Shelby, a recent graduate from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, has been playing violin since age five. She has been a member of multiple ensembles over the years. At PCM, she joined the chamber program and, with the Pasadena Youth Symphony Orchestra, has performed at Carnegie Hall and toured Italy.

Luke Sauppe

A recent graduate from Crescenta Valley High School, Luke has played cello since he was five years old. His grandfather and grandmother — PCM’s co-founder, Silke Sauppe — influenced his love for music, inspiring him to study cello and piano, not only in classical music but also jazz. This fall, he’ll be attending Pasadena City College to pursue a degree in Computer Information Systems and Cybersecurity. 

Mallika Sheshadri

Mallika, a graduate of Pasadena High School, enrolled at PCM in 2019 to study piano and composition with Vatché Mankerian. She has studied violin with Aimée Kreston since 2023, participating in chamber music, playing in multiple masterclasses, and winning various competitions, such as the Southern California Junior Bach Festival and the MTAC VOCE competition. Recently, she performed Ernest Chausson’s Poème with the Santa Clarita Symphony Orchestra after winning their concerto competition. This summer, she’ll be attending Domaine Forget de Charlevoix in Québec, Canada.

“I’m very grateful for all that PCM has given me. Studying with Ms. Kreston and playing chamber music have shaped me into a completely different musician, and I will always value all that I’ve learned here. I’ve been fortunate to have many great memories here, but the ones that particularly stand out are the chamber music intensives I’ve participated in and my junior and senior recitals. I’m excited to take what I’ve learned here to Northwestern University next year, where I’ll be majoring in violin performance and physics.”

Arturo Solorzano

Arturo, PCM’s 2024-2025 Roman Andrew Borek Scholar, is a graduate from Eagle Rock High School. He has studied guitar with Adam Pettit since 2014, participating in PCM’s guitar chamber music ensembles and masterclasses with Scott Tennant and Douglas Lora. Arturo’s love for a variety of music has led him to participate in the Herbie Hancock Jazz Program at his high school and has inspired him to explore other music genres, such as 90s hip-hop and Spanish boleros. In the fall, he’ll be a freshman at USC Thornton School of Music, majoring in classical guitar performance, and plans to double major in mechanical engineering.

Mariel Vargas-vonBreymann

Mariel graduated from Polytechnic School and has been at PCM since 2014, studying piano with Elizabeth Babor. Over the years, she has played classical, romantic, baroque, ragtime, jazz, and other music genres. She also created “Octaves Together,” a nonprofit that uses piano performance to spark friendship between generations, just as she and Ms. Babor were able to maintain a bond due to piano performance. She will be attending the University of Michigan as an animation and political science double major, and plans to continue playing piano and possibly minor in composition.

Alyssa Yen

Alyssa, a recent graduate of Crescenta Valley High School (CVHS), has studied at PCM since she was eight years old, taking violin lessons with Patrick Rosalez. Since then, she has participated in multiple activities, most recently playing in PCM’s String Jury Honors Recital. At CVHS, she was awarded the Director’s Award for Orchestra for her leadership and musical efforts as the concertmaster of the String Orchestra.

“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time here at PCM, from when I first began taking lessons with Patrick Rosalez when I was eight years old to now, as a graduating senior. I have so many fun memories at PCM, from lessons to group classes to my senior recital. Performing my senior recital in Barrett Hall was such a wonderful and special way to mark the end of my journey here at PCM. Music and PCM have always been a part of my life, and it will continue to be, as I will be studying Music Therapy at the University of the Pacific.”

Ethan Yule

Ethan started his musical journey at seven years old, studying classical piano. However, as he wanted to expand his abilities, he decided to pursue jazz and joined PCM to study jazz piano with Amy Rowe. He also started learning to DJ, hoping to be a “jazz pianist by day, producer by night, and composer in between.” In the future, Ethan hopes to be a multifaceted musician as he pursues a career in composition for film, TV, and video games.

Andrés Engleman

Instrument: Violin
Instructor: Aimée Kreston
Years at PCM: 8

Jeremy John

Instrument: Viola
Instructors:  Brandon Encinas, Natalie Brejcha, & Megan Shung
Years at PCM: 6

Isabella Realzola

Instrument: Violin
Instructor: Sharon Harman
Years at PCM: 9

Sydney Sheldahl

Instrument: Vocal Arts
Instructor: Jennifer Weiss
Years at PCM: 1

Tristan Willstout

Instrument: Piano
Instructor: Kathryn Eames
Years at PCM: 1