Aiwen Li
Social Chair
School: Wharton ’27
Instrument: Violin
Hometown: Rochester, NY
Aiwen is studying statistics at the Wharton school and minoring in math. She started playing the violin in kindergarten and has been in various youth orchestras and chamber groups ever since! In her free time, Aiwen likes to go shopping, cook new recipes, attend boxing classes, play card games, and curl up with a good book to read.
Claire Kang
School: College of Arts and Sciences + Engineering ’28
Instrument: Violin
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Claire is a freshman studying Chemistry and Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. She’s been a violinist since she was 7 years old; her favorite part of playing the violin is playing with other people in orchestra and chamber and meeting friends passionate about classical music, which is why she joined PSO and is currently in a piano trio. Her favorite composers are Mendelssohn, Shostakovich, Dvorak, and Schumann, and her favorite pieces are Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 and Shostakovich Quartet No. 3. A fun fact about Claire is that she has six ear piercings!
Derek Zhang
School: College of Arts and Sciences ’28
Instrument: Violin
Hometown: Long Island, NY
Derek is a freshman in the College studying biochemistry, with potential minors in music and healthcare administration. He’s been playing the piano since he was 5 and violin since he was 7, and his current favorite pieces are Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet (yes the whole ballet) and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloé (both suites). In his free time, Derek likes trying new restaurants, reading depressing novels, and making dumplings with his grandma.
Zayd Khan
School: School of Engineering ’27
Instrument: Violin
Hometown: Vienna, VA
Zayd is a sophomore in SEAS studying Bioengineering. He started playing the violin since he was 10 and his favorite composer is Shostakovich. He loves sleeping, watching Netflix, and trying new cafes. A fun fact about Zayd is that he’s left-handed!
Zayd Khan
School: College of Arts & Sciences ’27
Instrument: Flute/Piccolo
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Ellie is a sophomore studying Music and History of Art. She’s been playing the flute for ten years and the piccolo for three years. When she’s not practicing, Ellie likes running and going to concerts. A fun fact about Ellie is that she is a transfer student.