Kristy Park, 16, is a sophomore at Newport High School in Bellevue. She began cello studies at age 10 with Leslie Marckx. Kristy has received numerous honors such as placing first in the 2016 and 2017 Washington Music Educators Association State Solo Contest. She performed the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Seattle Youth Symphony in Benaroya Hall, and has served as the principal cellist of the Seattle Youth Symphony and of the NAfME All-Northwest orchestra. Kristy has had the honor to play for Ronald Leonard, Hans Jørgen Jensen, Natasha Brofsky, and Alison Wells. Recently, she won the Sammamish Symphony Orchestra’s concerto competition, and performed the Elgar Cello Concerto with them in two concerts. Kristy plays on an R. Masens cello made in Lettonia, Latvia c. 1969, generously loaned to her by the Carlsen Cello Foundation.