Rachel Won (Violin), Ninah Chan (Cello) and Simon Yao (piano) are members of the Colburn School Arts Ed and Mari Edelman Chamber Music Institute’s Honors Program. Coached by Moni Simeonov, the MOCA trio was formed in the fall of 2025 and recently participated in the prestige Winter Honors Recital at Colburn.
Rachel Won is a violinist whose musical journey is rich with diverse performance experiences. She was chosen for the From the Top Fellowship program in 2025 and recorded a show for NPR. She has soloed with the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra and the Porta Caeli Chamber orchestra. She also performed in the Colburn School McAllister Honors Recital twice—both solo and chamber music. Rachel enjoys chamber music and is a part of Colburn’s Ed and Mari Edelman Honors program, coached by Moni Simeonov. Last year, she was the first violin of the SEAL Quartet, which won first place and the Haydn Prize of the Saint Paul String Quartet competition. She served as concertmaster in the Equity Arc Pathways Orchestra which performed in Chicago's Symphony Center this past April. Rachel has participated in and received top honors at various competitions including first place in the VOCE competition, SFV Concerto Competition, Concordia Music Competition, American String Teachers Association, Orange County School of the Arts Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, and the Charleston International Music Competition, where she also received the Most Exceptional Performer Award. She has attended and performed in summer programs including Sounding Point Academy, Center Stage Strings, Bowdoin International Music Festival, Idyllwild Arts, Montecito International Music Festival, and Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. She is currently a senior at the Orange County School of the Arts and is a Herbert Zipper Scholar at the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts where she studies with Samuel Fischer. Rachel has always enjoyed performing on stage, sharing her music.
Ninah Chan is an aspiring cellist based in Loma Linda, California. Ninah has participated in summer festivals such as the National Youth Orchestra USA, Encore Chamber Music Institute, and Brevard Music Festival. She has performed at Weill Hall in Carnegie Hall and at the 45th Anniversary of Chinese and American Relations Celebration held at the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. She has performed in master classes for Hans Jørgen Jensen, David Finckel, and Norman Fischer. Ninah is enrolled in Colburn’s Ed and Mari Edelman Chamber Institute Honors program and she currently studies privately with Michael Kaufman.
Simon Yao began playing piano at age six and currently studies with Jeffery Lavner at the Colburn Community School of Performing Arts, where he has developed a versatile repertoire and an expressive musical voice. A highly accomplished pianist, he is a two-time first place and Best Performance Award recipient at the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition (2022, 2024). Recent achievements include the gold medal in the 2025 Southern California Junior Bach Festival Complete Works Audition; winner of the 2025 Southern California Music Teachers’ Association of California Piano Concerto Competition; first place at the 2024 Spotlight International Piano Competition; winner of the 2024 Colburn Advanced Orchestra Concerto Competition; and second place at the 2024 Edith Knox Young Artist Competition. After making his solo recital debut at age nine and his orchestra debut at 10, Simon has collaborated with a range of orchestras, including the Colburn Youth Orchestra, Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic, Glendale Youth Orchestra, and Southwestern Youth Music Festival Orchestra. His performances have taken place in venues such as Walt Disney Concert Hall, Zipper Hall, Alex Theatre, and the Grand 1894 Opera House in Texas. He has also participated in master classes with internationally renowned pianists including Lang Lang, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and Fabio Bidini. As a member of the Ed and Mari Edelman Chamber Music Institute Honors program, Simon has been actively performing in piano trios since age 10. His ensemble won first alternate in the 2024 Music Teachers’ Association of California State VOCE Ensemble Competition and first place in the 2025 Amici Chamber Music Competition.
J. Higdon, Piano Trio, 2nd mvt “Fiery Red”
