Clexical is a student-led nonprofit organization 501(c)(3) that aims to democratize access to contemporary music.
Clexical was founded in response to a young musician's personal struggles to discover and engage with contemporary repertoire.
This individual challenge echoed a broader, collective frustration over the lack of accessible resources for exploring modern music.
Motivated by this gap, the team created a platform devoted to expanding access to contemporary compositions.
Through Clexical, they spotlight emerging and established composers, host workshops and concerts for children with limited exposure to
contemporary classical music, and explore innovative trends shaping the future of the art form.
Their shared vision fuels Clexical's mission to make contemporary music more inclusive and accessible for all,
creating a space where individuals can explore, learn, and grow through the power of music.
This project is made possible with the generous support from
The Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund(2022),
Alex Nair Bahk Foundation(2023)
and National Federation of Music(2024),
as an awardee of their grants.
President / Co-founder / Head of Outreach Program
Hana Tsai
Hana Tsai, 17, is a violinist studying with Professor Elizabeth Chang at Juilliard Pre-College and has been a chamber musician in the New York Youth Symphony Chamber Music Program since 2021. In the summer of 2025, she attended the Kennedy Center’s National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute on a full scholarship. She is a 2025 National YoungArts Award winner and the New York State Winner of the 2024 MTNA Senior String Competition. Her other honors include awards from the Adelphi Orchestra Young Artist Competition, Prodigy International Music Competition, International Grand Music Competition, and the Bravura Philharmonic Concerto Competition.
Through Clexical, Hana conducts in-depth interviews with living composers. These conversations have reshaped how she approaches contemporary repertoire. Rather than new music as something abstract or distant, a living dialogue between composer and performer allows her to understand new works through the composers’ creative intentions, personal histories, and artistic decisions.
As a co-founder of Clexical, Hana is committed to bringing these perspectives to fellow young musicians by demystifying contemporary music and encouraging active collaboration with composers. Looking ahead, she aims to expand Clexical’s workshops and mentorship programs to further support students, including herself, in discovering, performing, and advocating for modern classical music.
About us
Vice president / Head of California Region and Enrichment Program
Minji Choi
Minji Choi is a 16 year-old violinist studying under the tutelage of Professor Margaret Batjer at the Colburn Music Academy, where she currently serves as the Concertmaster of the Colburn Music Academy’s conductorless chamber orchestra, Virtuosi. She previously studied with Chloe Chiu, and has also received guidance from renowned violinists including Donald Weilerstein, Stefan Jackiw, Yoojin Jang, Jessica Lee, Jinjoo Cho, Paul Kantor, Qian Zhou, and Bing Wang through masterclasses and lessons.
Since making her debut at age 13 with the Southern California Philharmonic, Minji has made appearances as a soloist with the Pasadena Community Orchestra, the Bellflower Symphony, and the Orchestra Collective of Orange County. In 2025, Minji was nominated as the Grand Prize Finalist in classical music and scholarship recipient at the 2025 The Music Center’s Annual Spotlight Competition, where she was given the opportunity to perform at the Ahmanson Theater in its Finale performance. She was also named a 2025 and 2026 National YoungArts Winner.
While having been constantly drawn to exploring the world of contemporary music, Minji’s deeper appreciation for the genre rooted from her experience as a participant of the Yellow Barn Young Artists Program, where she was given the opportunity to interact and work with modern composers. Being able to share musical ideas and concepts with the composer themselves and, as a result, fully understand and acknowledge the composer’s intentions in every note they write has become a core component of Minji’s beliefs as a musician. Through her involvement with Clexical, she hopes to create an environment that allows today’s classical music to become more accessible to all.
Clexical Leadership
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Clexical Ambassadors
Bergen/NJ
Semin Chun, violinist
(Cresskil High School)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1.Astor Piazzolla - Tango Etude 3
Princeton/NJ
Valentina Chen, violinist
(Princeton Day School)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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Shelly Washington- Middleground
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George Walker - String Quartet No. 1
Bergen/NJ
Abijah Aranda, pianist
(Bergen County Academies)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1.Glinka - The Skylark
NYC/NY
Claire Lee, violinist
(Spence School)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1. Michael Jeffrey Shapiro - Peace Variations No. 3 (2010)
Minnesota
Taeho Kim, clarinetist
(Bergen County Academies)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
Silicon Valley/CA
Jesse Kim, violinist
(Fremont High School)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
Silicon Valley/CA
Katie Kim, oboist
(Cupertino Middle School)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
NYC/NY
Larissa Lakner, cellist/compoeser
(Juilliard School Pre-college)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1. George Crumb - Sonata for Solo Cello, 1st movement
2. Sophia Dou - Dance of the Unconscious Particles and Awkward Ghosts (World Premiere)
Bergen/NJ
Sejin Chun, cellist
(Bergen County Academies)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1. Andrea Casarrubios – SEVEN for solo cello (2020)
Bergen/NJ
Jinha Park, violist
(Academy of Holy Angels)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1. Zelter, K.F. - Concerto for Viola E flat major, 1st movement
Scarsdale/NY
Serena Li, cellist
(Scarsdale High School)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1. Muczynski-Gallery Unaccompanied Cello Suite (1966)
2. Rosner-Danses à la mode (1994)
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Irvine/CA
Seojun Baek, cellist
(Orange County School of the Arts)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1. Genesis for String Orchestra by Brendan McBrien (World Premiere)
2. Cello Concerto No. 2 by D. Kabalevksy
3. Pieces by Yukiko Nishimura and Jordan Jinosko
Florida
Robert Choi, violinist
(Bak Middle School of the Arts)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1.
Florida
Lydia Choi, violist
(Bak Middle School of the Arts)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1.
NYC/NY
Ben Puts, cellist
(Ethical Culture Fieldston School)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1. Andrea Cassarubios Seven
2. Eugene Freisen Slap Janacek Pohadka
3. Cello Sonata in C major by Sergei Prokofiev
4. Bright Sheng Seven Tunes Heard in China
NYC/NY
Tobia Im, violinist
(Special Music School)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
1. Rhapsody No.2 for Violin and Orchestra by Jessie Montgomery
2. Giant Steps from 24 American Caprices by Curtis Stewart
3. Sweeter than Wine by Ken Benshoof
4. Triple Quartet by Steve Reich
Young Ambassadors
Lielle Park
(Mentored by Alyson Lee)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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A Trumpet March edited by Himie Voxman (1955)
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Chaconne by Yiruma
Leah Haejoon Woo
(Mentored by Hana Tsai)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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Toccatina by Dmitri Kabalevsky (1932)
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Tarantell by D. Shostakovich
Shinbee Choi
(Mentored by Valentina Chen)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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Concerto in C Major, Op.48 by D. Kabalevsky (1932)
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Praeludium and Allegro by F. Kreisler (1910)
Stella Kwak
(Mentored by Claire Kim)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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Prelude in C major Op.12,No.7 by Sergei Prokofiev (1960)
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Titanium Toccata by Dennis Alexander
Anderson Lee
(Mentored by Edward Lee)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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Waltz No.2 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1938)
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Liebeslied by F. Kreisler
Min Chae
(Mentored by Abijah Aranda)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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Ride Ride by Dmitri Kabalevsky (1932)
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A Little song Op. 27 by Dmitri Kabalevsky
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Little Piece no. 7 by M. Tajčević
Chloe Taeyeon Kim
(Mentored by Minji Choi)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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L. Portnoff Concertino in E minor (1940)
Jiyu Alice Yoon
(Mentored by Jacky Chuang)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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Violin Concerto in C major, Op. 48 by Dmitri Kabalevsky (1932)
Aiden Kwak
(Mentored by Tobia Im)
Contemporary Music Performance Log:
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Applemania by Aleksey Igudesman
Our goals
Industry News
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A monthly overview of three featured concerts
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Four to five reviews published each month
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Weekly updates on the contemporary music landscape
Composer Interviews
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Six interviews conducted each month
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Two interviews conducted monthly
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Podcast episodes released regularly
Enrichment Programs
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Bi-weekly contemporary music concerts held in public spaces
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Summer camp designed to inspire future generations
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Ambassador Program for music outreach
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Buddy Program providing mentorship and support
Founder
Jinan Laurentia Woo
Teen violinist Jinan Laurentia Woo, a Yale University student and Juilliard Pre-College graduate who studied under Itzhak Perlman, is the founder of Clexical, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing contemporary classical music. At 12, she commissioned Holo (2020) from Korean composer Shin Kim for the Menuhin Competition, honoring her Korean heritage. She later won Best Performance of a Commissioned Work at the 2022 Johansen Competition for her rendition of Jessica Krash's The Wisdom of Bella Pavis.
From those insightful experiences, Laurentia realized that firstly, finding contemporary works written after 1960-which is becoming required at more competitions nowadays-was more challenging than finding works from other periods of classical music. This is because emerging classical works are not broadly publicized and as accessible to those without the knowledge to obtain it. Secondly, communicating with the composer of the work you were working on was an invaluable education in understanding the greater meaning of the piece and its role in shaping the scene of contemporary classical music. This inspired her to create Clexical to provide a platform to introduce new works along with commentary and insight from interviews with composers.
Laurentia’s love for contemporary music extends to a diverse range of composers, from Arvo Pärt and George Crumb to living creators like Caroline Shaw and Jessie Montgomery. Most recently, she co-founded the Juilliard Pre-College New Music Ensemble, DERIVE with David Fulmer, aiming to further engage her community with innovative classical music.
