“Artists of the Future” Soloists

Beach Cities Symphony holds an annual “Artists of the Future” concert in partnership with the Music Teacher’s Association of California (MTAC) – featuring young local soloists. We are excited that classical music is still important to young musicians and that these local student soloists are helping to ensure classical music remains relevant to the next generation. We are excited to feature our upcoming Artists of the Future.

2025 Beach Cities Symphony “Artists of the Future” Soloists

Juhyeok Lim, piano

Juhyeok Lim was born in Korea and began piano studies at the age of seven. Competition achievements include 2nd Place at the Los Angeles International Liszt Competition in 2018, 1st Place at the JCM/CAPMT Young Musicians Concerto Competition in 2020, 1st Place at the MTAC Piano Concerto Competition in 2020, 2nd Place at the CAPMT Concerto Competition (State Finals) in 2021, 1st Place at the MTAC Scholarship Competition in2023, and a finalist at the Bach Festival in 2023. Juhyeok is passionate about chamber music, which he performs regularly as a participant of Junior Chamber Music. He has also performed as a soloist with several orchestras, including the Cherubini Symphony Orchestra in Peruzia, Italy and the Orchestra Collective of Orange County. Juhyeok has participated in master classes with Boris Slutsky and John Perry and is currently
studying with Joseph Keel.

Aside from piano, Juhyeok is dedicated to volunteer work helping people with developmental disabilities and is also working toward obtaining a pilot’s license to fly a plane.

Juhyeok played Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concert No 2 in C Minor, Op 18.

Coco Sakuma, violin

Fifteen-year-old Violinist, Coco Sakuma began her violin studies at age eight, with Ms. Gail Gerding-Mellert and has won numerous local and international awards including 1st place in the
2021 Pelican International Music Competition for Young Artists and the second prize for the Masters of Concerto Competition Series. She has also won top prizes in the Great Composers Competition “Music of Europe” and the International Competition for Young Performers “Artist of the Year.” In 2022 Coco garnered 1st place recognition in The Music of Germany & Austria, The
Music of Eastern Europe competitions, and the Best Haydn Performance Competition. Coco has participated in the Violin Intensive Program, hosted by faculty from the Manhattan School of Music and the San Francisco Conservatory and has garnered top awards in the MTAC VOCE Competition, the Southern California Junior Bach Festival, the Southwestern Youth Music Festival, and the MTAC Scholarship Competition. Recently, Coco has completed all 10 Levels of the Certificate of Merit Evaluations with honors.

Coco’s orchestral endeavors include first violin of the Pacific Vision Youth Symphony under the Baton of David Benoit, as well as performances at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Youth Symphony. Coco has served in the first violin section of the Colburn Youth Orchestra and currently is a member of the prestigious Colburn Chamber Music Program.

In 2023, Coco was recognized by the Professional Engineers in California Government with an award of excellence at the State Science fair. In addition to her musical studies, Coco studies Japanese and enjoys singing and watching combat sports. This performance marks Ms. Sakuma’s
orchestral solo debut, for which she is truly grateful and honored.

Coco played Wieniawski’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in D minor, Op. 22.

Francis X. Skirtich, piano

Francis Xavier Skirtich is an 8-year-old pianist whose musical journey began at the age of 4. Under the mentorship of renowned pianist Vladimir Khomyakov, he has cultivated an expansive repertoire that spans Baroque, Classical, and Romantic works. His performances have earned him numerous accolades, including awards at prestigious competitions such as the 2023 Glissando International Youth Piano Competition, the 2024 Kathryn Gawartin Chopin Competition, the 2024 Henle International Piano Competition, the 2024 CAPMT District 3 Sonata Competition, and the 2025 MTAC South Bay Artists of the Future Competition.

In addition to his piano studies, Francis Xavier is a skilled violinist, having studied under Elmer Su since the age of 6. His violin performances have earned recognition, with multiple awards at the 2024 Southwestern Youth Music Festival and a notable honor at the 2025 CAPMT Concerto Competition.

A passionate composer, Francis Xavier frequently creates original works on the piano and further enhances his musical expression as a current member of the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus. Outside of music, he enjoys drawing and spending summer afternoons playing Little League baseball.

Francis Xavier’s dedication to his craft, versatility across instruments, and broad artistic interests position him as a promising young artist with a bright future in the arts.

Francis played Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major, Op. 15.

Timothy Yang, piano

Timothy Yang, age 15, is a sophomore at Palos Verdes High School. He is a five-time U.S. National Gold Medalist awarded by the Royal Conservatory of Music (RCM), including the prestigious National Diploma Gold Medal for achieving the highest marks in the United States. In October 2024, he earned his Associate Diploma in Piano Performance from the RCM, graduating with First Class Honors with Distinction in both Music Theory Chopin and Piano Performance. He currently studies piano under Hae-Young Moon and Dr. Ick Choo Moon. Timothy has received scholarships to attend several programs, including the Advanced Piano Seminar at the Colburn Music School, the Piano Concerto Festival in Portugal, the Southeastern Piano Festival at the University of South Carolina, and the New Orleans Piano Institute.

Recognized with many top awards, Timothy’s most recent notable accolades include 1st Prize at the 2024 Pacific Stars International Piano Competition and Finalist at the 2024 Kaufman International Piano Competition in New York City. In 2023, he won the Concerto Competition held by the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans and the New Orleans Piano Institute (NOPI), was a Finalist at the American Bach Society’s Ruth Monte Bach Memorial Competition, and earned an Honorable Mention at the California MTNA competition. He also earned 1st Prize at the 2022 Radda Rise International Piano Competition.

Timothy’s career includes several notable solo and orchestral performances. He has performed at Carnegie Hall four times, making his debut at age 8 and most recently appearing in January 2025. In March 2024, he was the musical guest soloist for The Bohemians New York Musician’s Club Fundraiser. In July 2024, he performed with the Orquestra Do Algarve at the Gala Concert of the Piano Concerto Festival in Faro, Portugal. In December 2023, he was the featured soloist with the
New Orleans Civic Symphony.

When he is not playing the piano, Timothy enjoys reading about history, learning about AI and traveling.

Timothy played Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11.