About the Episode:

What goes behind a good performance? According to many musicians, confidence is a major factor. Yet for young students surrounded by constant comparison and feedback, true confidence seems impossible to obtain.

In this episode, violinist Sydney Li-Jenkins shares her tips for performing with confidence, practicing pieces effectively, and balancing her musical studies with her academics. Listen along to learn from her rich summer program, competition, and chamber music experiences!

About the Artist:

Sydney is a 15 year-old violinist from Sausalito and studies with Elbert Tsai at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. As a soloist, Sydney has performed with multiple orchestras including the Mill Valley Philharmonic, the Sonoma County Philharmonic, and the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra. Sydney has garnered numerous awards and accolades. She is a 2026 YoungArts award winner, the 2025-2026 MTNA California state winner in the Senior Strings category, one of nine national semi-finalists in the prestigious 28th Sphinx Competition, and first prize winner in Pacific Music Society, International Youth Music Competition, and Korea-American Music Supporters Competition. She is the 4-time recipient of the Marin Music Chest and was awarded the Alma Tomlinson Award for Outstanding Performance in 2025.

Sydney is an avid chamber musician and a founding member of the Onde Trio. Her passion for learning and performing chamber music was recognized by Yellow Barn, the internationally renowned chamber music program, with an invitation to participate in a collaborative performance at the 2025 summer music festival. Sydney is a current member of the San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra (Second Violin Co-Principal 2024-2025) and a past member of the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra (Co-Concertmaster 2022-2024). In past summers, Sydney has attended Music@Menlo (2024), Center Stage Strings at the University of Michigan (2025, 2024, 2023), and the Sphinx Performance Academy at Juilliard (2022) and Cleveland Institute of Music (2023). Outside of music, Sydney is a fan of poke, crocheting, and F1 racing.

Intro/outro music: Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 performed by Sydney Li-Jenkins