Praised by the South Florida Classical Review as “an old-fashioned virtuoso in the best sense” and by the Miami Herald for his “sizzling intensity,” violinist Ko Sugiyama has built a multifaceted career as an orchestral leader, chamber musician, soloist, and educator. Since 2012, he has served as Assistant Concertmaster of the Washington National Opera Orchestra and the John F. Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra (KCOHO).

A dynamic soloist and collaborator, Sugiyama has performed with the KCOHO, Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Burbank Philharmonic, and New World Symphony, and served as guest concertmaster for the American Ballet Theatre, National Philharmonic, and Aspen Music Festival. His expansive performance roster includes collaborations with major dance companies, the KC Jukebox New Music Concert Series, and global venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Severance Hall, the Royal Albert Hall, and the Concertgebouw.

Recognized by VA House Resolution 82 for his artistic and educational contributions, Sugiyama has served as a U.S. State Department Cultural Diplomacy representative and a faculty member for the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) Youth Fellowship Program, NSO Summer Music Institute, and Eastern Music Festival.

Prior to his Kennedy Center appointments, Sugiyama was a fellow with the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas. An alumnus of the Colburn School, he holds a Bachelor of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music (studying with Paul Kantor) and a Master of Music from The Juilliard School (studying with Masao Kawasaki).

Violinist Kayleigh Kim joined the first violin section of the Washington National Opera/Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in 2026. Originally from the DC-area, she is a graduate of the National Symphony Orchestra Youth Fellowship. She is also a graduate of the Juilliard Pre-College program and studied at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University. Principal teachers include Paul Kantor, Catherine Cho, Francesca dePasquale, and KCOHO assistant concertmaster Ko Sugiyama.

Kayleigh has appeared as a soloist with the Richmond, Montgomery, and Shepherd School Symphonies as the winner of their respective concerto competitions. She is a substitute for the Houston and New World Symphonies and served principal positions in the Juilliard Pre-College and Shepherd School Orchestras. She was a fellow at Madeline Island Chamber Music and the Tanglewood Music Center and joined the Festival Orchestra of the Shostakovich Festival Leipzig in May of 2025.

Described by the press as possessing a “powerful and juicy” soprano voice, Millicent Scarlett performs across North America in opera, oratorio, musical theatre, and jazz. She currently serves as an Adjunct Voice Professor at George Washington University’s Corcoran School of Arts and Design, Voice Faculty at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, and Music Director at University United Methodist Church in College Park, Maryland. She previously taught at Shenandoah University and the Washington Opera Summer Institute.

As a versatile performer and Artist in Residence with the Dana Tai Soon Burgess Dance Company, Ms. Scarlett’s notable highlights include performing in Morgaine with Opera Lafayette, starring as Ida B. Wells in the world premiere (and 2024 audiobook release) of 19 The Musical, and featured appearances at the Kennedy Center, National Portrait Gallery, National Cathedral, and Folger Shakespeare Library.

Her orchestral and concert engagements include Strauss’s Vier letzte Lieder and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with the NIH Philharmonic, Verdi’s Requiem with the Choral Arts Society of Washington, and concerts with "The President’s Own" United States Marine Chamber Orchestra and Columbia Orchestra.

A winner of the Luciano Pavarotti International Competition and a Metropolitan Opera National Semi-Finalist, Ms. Scarlett holds a Master of Music from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Music (Silver Medalist) from Brandon University. She is an active member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing and a sought-after adjudicator and masterclass presenter across the DMV region.

Yejin Lee is an active soloist and chamber musician based in the United States. She has been invited to perform in many prestigious venues, including her solo debut at Weill Recital Hall of Carnegie Hall in New York, the Cultural Art Center in Jaen, Spain, the Tyler Recital Hall in Florida, and the Seoul Arts Center in Seoul, Korea. Her performances have also been featured and broadcast live on WCLV 104.9 FM from the Cleveland Play House. She has appeared as a soloist with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, Virginia Chamber Orchestra and the Accord Symphony Orchestra.

Yejin has claimed awards at prestigious competitions, including the Dallas International Piano Competition, Kingsville International Piano Competition, and Wideman International Piano Competition. She has also performed at leading music festivals and masterclasses at the Mozarteum Academy in Salzburg, the Banff Music Festival, the Gijon Music Festival in Spain, and PianoTexas International Academy & Festival.

Yejin graduated with honors from the Oberlin Conservatory, earning degrees in both piano performance and vocal accompanying under Haewon Song and Philip Highfill. She later completed her master’s and doctorate degrees under Boris Slutsky at the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. Shecontinues to receive invaluable mentorship from Lambert Orkis, further cultivating her artistry.

She currently serves as a piano faculty member at the Washington Conservatory of Music and as a professorial lecturer at George Washington University. As a staff pianist at Shenandoah University, she actively collaborates with students in both solo and ensemble performances. In addition to her academic roles, Yejin maintains a private teaching studio and is dedicated to music education as a member of MTNA and NVMTA.

As the founder and artistic director of Matinee-M, a house concert series in McLean, VA, she is also committed to bringing classical music into the community through intimate and engaging performances.