Leo Zupko, 17, violin
Today we hear from violinist Leo Zupko, a senior at the Lycée Français de Chicago and the Music Institute of Chicago Academy. He performs concerto movements by Mozart and Sibelius and finishes with music by his father Mischa Zupko, who also plays piano for the broadcast. Leo Zupko is an award-winning violinist with extensive training and performance experience. A scholarship fellow at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, he has studied under Almita Vamos, Sang Mee Lee and Davis King. He has also trained with Simon James, Danielle Belen, and Dong-Suk Kang through programs like Center Stage Strings and Music Alp Festival. Leo has performed as a soloist with the Northeastern Illinois University Symphony Orchestra and at venues such as the Steinway Series at Skokie Library and Fourth Presbyterian Church in Chicago. His chamber music accolades include a bronze medal at the St. Paul String Quartet Competition, a semi-finalist placement at the Fischoff Competition, and a feature on Introductions in December 2023. Awards include third prize in the International Young Artist Concerto Competition, first prize in the Fox Valley Concerto Competition, first prize in the Chicago Chamber Music Festival Concerto Competition and honorable mentions in the O’Malley Foundation National Concerto Competition, the DePaul Concerto Competition, and the CYSO Concerto Competition. He plans to attend Northwestern University in the Fall to study under Professor Jinjoo Cho.