Gretna Music is proud to present young artists on the Playhouse stage. First Listen features local high school and college-aged students in free 20-minute pre-concerts before mainstage performances.
First Listen with Yuze Lee, piano
Sunday, August 23 | 2:15 p.m.
Mt. Gretna Playhouse, 200 Pennsylvania Ave, Mt. Gretna, PA 17064
FREE Admission
Pianist Yuze Lee, age 15, was born in Hong Kong and moved to the United States at the age of three. He studies piano with pianist and conductor Ignat Solzhenitsyn.
He grew up in Orange County, California but is currently attending Fusion Academy for ninth grade.
Yuze has performed at Carnegie Hall in New York, as well as having performed with the Hollywood Chamber Orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
In 2025 he was awarded first place in the concerto competition at the Philadelphia International Music Festival and was invited to perform with members of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
He has also received awards at the Triumph Music Festival, the Singapore International Music Festival, and with the Los Angeles Youth Philharmonic Piano Concerto Competition (Second Place Honorable Mention) and American Protégé International Piano and Strings Competition (2nd place).
First Listen with Pop’s House Youth Jazz Ensemble
Saturday, August 29 | 6:45 p.m.
Mt. Gretna Playhouse, 200 Pennsylvania Ave, Mt. Gretna, PA 17064
FREE Admission
The Pop’s House Youth Jazz Ensemble is made up of seven Harrisburg local teens. This performance will mark their Gretna Music debut.
First Listen with Kwanyun Loo, cello
Sunday, August 30 | 2:15 p.m.
Mt. Gretna Playhouse, 200 Pennsylvania Ave, Mt. Gretna, PA 17064
FREE Admission
Kwanyun Lucien Loo, 15, is a cellist and Diploma Candidate at the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studies with Peter Wiley, Yumi Kendall, and Nick Canellakis.
Accepted to Curtis at 13, he is a 2026 YoungArts Winner in violoncello, toured Europe with NYO-USA in 2026, and helps lead the Back to BACH Project’s global music outreach.
First Listen with the 12 Strings Cello Trio
Saturday, September 12th | 2:15 PM
Mt. Gretna Playhouse, 200 Pennsylvania Ave, Mt. Gretna, PA 17064
FREE Admission
The 12 Strings is a cello trio made up of three young cellists, Aileen Chan, Claire Chen, and Markus Johnson, from differing high schools in the Philadelphia area.
They share a passion for expressive performance and collaborative music-making.
Drawing on their experiences in competitions and youth orchestras, the ensemble comes together to explore chamber music with focus, curiosity, and a shared commitment to musical growth.
Jennifer Jie Jin is their teacher.
