2024 AFSF Opportunity Award recipient
Serge Kalinovsky, 17, studies cello with Richard Aaron and Brandon Vamos, and also continues to play for his long-time teacher Susan Moses. He lives in his hometown of Bloomington, IN, and is a merit scholarship student at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy. In past summers, Serge has participated in Pinchas Zukerman’s Young Artists Program, Indiana University Summer String Academy, Heifetz International Music Institute, Chamber Music Northwest Young Artists Institute, and Music@Menlo Young Performers Program. In Spring 2022, he performed the first movement of Victor Herbert’s Cello Concerto No. 2 with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and participated in the inaugural “Food for Music” Benefit Concert in Bloomington. As part of the Heifetz Ensemble in Residence (HEIR) program, he performed in several concerts in Virginia, including playing the Dvorak Piano Quintet No. 2 with famed violinist and pedagogue Ani Kavafian. In Spring 2023, he performed Bruch’s Kol Nidrei with the Oistrakh Symphony of Chicago.
Serge has also played in masterclasses and lessons for Hans Jensen, Csaba Onczay, Vladimir Perlin, Lluís Claret, Amir Eldan, Peter Stumpf, Brinton Smith, Antonio Lysy, Amit Peled, Hannah Roberts, Guy Fishman, Yessun Kim, Edward Aaron, Colin Carr, Ani Kavafian, Clara Kim, and Frans Helmerson, among others.
Serge was a finalist at the 2019 International Popper Competition, 2nd prize winner of the 2020 Association of the Louisville Orchestra Young Artist Competition, the winner of the 2020 MTNA statewide competition, First Prize winner of the 2020 Indianapolis Symphony Maurer Young Musicians Contest, and First Prize winner of the 2021 Philadelphia International Music Festival Competition. In 2023 he became a winner of the DePaul Concerto Festival, the winner of the Senior Division of the Orchestra Indiana Patricia Tretick Young Artist Competition, 3rd prize winner at the Ronald Sachs International Competition, and tied for runner-up at the International Young Artist Concerto Competition. Serge is also an avid chamber music player. In 2021-22, he was a member of the Peresson Quartet, which won the Grand Prize at St. Paul String Quartet Competition and 3rd Prize at Fischoff Competition, Junior Division in Spring 2022. In 2022-23, he was a member of the Goya Piano Trio, which won first prizes at the Rembrandt Chamber Music Competition, Barnett Chamber Music Competition, and Chicago National Chamber Music Competition.