GRAD RECITAL
May 27, 2025
Join HSC’s graduating music students to celebrate the completion of their musical journey at the College.
Sophia Cober
Vincent
Jia
Amelia
Kiung
Evan
Lawrence
7:00 p.m. Senior Student Commons
Zachary
Yu
TWINKLE TWINKLE
arr. 2025 Graduating Music Class GRADS ’25
CHILDREN’S CORNER – DOCTOR GRADUS
AD PARNASSUM
Claude Debussy
VINCENT JIA
SHALLOW
Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper
SOPHIA COBER, MR. COBER
CLARINET CONCERTO NO.3, I. ALLEGRO
MODERATO
Carl Stamitz
EVAN LAWRENCE, ZACHARY YU
JUST GIVE ME A REASON
Pink
SOPHIA COBER, AMELIA KIUNG
A FAREWELL
Zachary Yu
ZACHARY YU
STAND BY ME/SOMETIMES YOU CAN’T MAKE IT ON YOUR OWN
Ben E. King
U2
arr. Sophia Cober and Jeff Cober
SOPHIA COBER, MR.COBER
PIECES FROM KINDERSZENEN OP. 15
Robert Schumann
VINCENT JIA
FALL FOLIAGE
Evan Lawrence
EVAN LAWRENCE, VINCENT JIA, AMELIA KIUNG
EVERYTHING WE’RE WORTH
Amelia Kiung
AMELIA KIUNG
LULLABY OF BIRDLAND
George Shearring
ZACHARY YU, DAREN ZHANG, EDWARD CLARK
PIANO SONATA NO. 8 IN C MINOR, “PATHÉTIQUE”, I. GRAVE - ALLEGRO DI
MOLTO E CON BRIO
Ludwig van Beethoven
EVAN LAWRENCE
BLUE SKIES
Ella Fitzgerald GRADS ’25
SOPHIA COBER ’25 VOICE
Sophia Cober is a singer based in Hamilton influenced by classic rock artists like U2 and her dad, Jeff Cober. Since Grade 2 with the HSC Treblemakers, Sophia has performed at school events, CISMF, with her dad at chapel and even to the unappreciative neighbours on her street at 2:00 a.m. Her latest project, a family performance at chapel with Sophia on vocals and her parents, Jeff Cober on guitar, and Denise Cober on bass, showcases how she believes the connection you have with your co-performers makes all the difference. Throughout it all, Sophia’s goal has been to spread joy, positivity and heartfelt moments that only music has the power to convey in every single one of us.
Grad Recital
VINCENT JIA ’25
PIANO, PERCUSSION
Vincent’s musical journey started when his parents signed him up for piano lessons and bought him a Yamaha upright when he was 5 years old. Passing the Chinese Musicians Association level 10 exam in Grade 6, his early years at the piano were filled with recitals, community performances, competitions—woven with laughter, tears, and joy.
Vincent is someone who likes to try new things, and when he decided to expand his musical experiences, he joined the HSC Grade 9 concert band, where he began his venture into orchestral percussion playing. After a year of music making with the Senior Wind Symphony, in which his passion for percussion and music making grew tremendously, he joined the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (HPYO) in Grade 11, where he is currently the Principal Percussionist. Vincent enjoys making music within an ensemble alongside other musicians and learning from other talented peers. He particularly loves the variety of band and orchestral repertoire
he has been exposed to over the last few years. Both inside and outside of school, Vincent likes helping and mentoring younger musicians to facilitate their growth in musicianship and improve their percussion playing.
Alongside the HPYO, Vincent has performed with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra (HPO) and the Hamilton Children’s Choir (HCC), collaborating with both young and professional musicians in a number of concerts. He also has a passion for applying his love for the piano in the orchestral context and has had a lot of fun accompanying the HCC and the HPYO on the piano in various concerts.
AMELIA KIUNG ’25 TRUMPET, PIANO
Amelia Kiung feels she’s been a musician longer than she’s been human—a vibrant journey filled with laughter, connection, and growth. She began with piano, expanding to trumpet and ukulele in Middle School. The COVID-19 pandemic introduced songwriting, singing, and composition, inspiring her to connect through music.
A Level 10 RCM piano exam completer, Amelia started teaching piano in Grade 9, working with students from beginner to intermediate levels, including those with ASD. With her trumpet, she explores concert band music in the Wind Symphony and jazz improvisation in the Senior Jazz Ensemble, performing for diverse audiences.
Taking it further, Amelia designed, filmed, and edited music videos for her original songs, sharing them with her school community (e.g., “Second-Hand Embarrassment”). She’s currently creating a video for “Everything We’re Worth,” her first song from 2019, to cap her high school journey. Additionally, she’s co-composed student-run
mashups for piano, two pianos, and a current two-piano orchestral mashup.
Amelia’s diverse musical style across instruments and genres consistently aims to positively influence others. Whether through piano, jazz, songwriting, or composition, she shares exciting musical moments, hoping listeners realize music’s profound effect on her own path.
Grad Recital
EVAN LAWRENCE ’25 CLARINET, PIANO
Evan Lawrence has been musically active for quite a long time, beginning with general music lessons from a young age. He then moved to more formal instruction on the piano at age 7, followed by the clarinet two years later. He has come a long way since then, having achieved his Level 9 Piano certification from the Royal Conservatory of Music, as well as several more accomplishments on clarinet.
Evan’s musical career really took off after coming to HSC in Grade 9. He became a part of the musical community by joining the Senior Wind Symphony, and has led the band’s clarinet section since Grade 11. He continues to be involved outside of school in several ensembles, including the CISMF Wind Ensemble and the Hamilton Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, where he is now Principal Clarinetist. Throughout his time as a music student at HSC, Evan has received several awards for both musicianship and leadership, including those from the Grade 9 Band and the Wind Symphony, one
at the Golden Horseshoe Music Festival, and most notably the Ovation Award at the WorldStrides Heritage Festival from the Wind Symphony’s recent trip to Chicago.
One of Evan’s favourite things about being a musician is having the opportunity to meet and collaborate with like-minded people. He enjoys the special connections that he has forged by playing music with other people, and has met many friends this way. He greatly appreciates what music has done for him, and hopes that it will continue to be an important part of his life in the future.
ZACHARY YU ’25 PIANO, GUITAR
Zach Yu has been carving his way through the musical world with his distinct combination of classical precision, improvisational freedom, and close collaboration with peers. Starting piano at an early age, when his fingers could barely reach an octave, Zach’s musical journey has been filled with many special moments; from nervous competition performances to late night musical revelations.
After picking up the guitar during COVID, Zach joined the HSC Jazz Band (led by the legendary Allan Gaumond). In this band he learned from some amazing peers, shared musical moments, and smiled every second. Zach has thrived in HSC’s musical ecosystem and will miss the art that he made and, even more, the people that he made it with.
No matter the instrument or the genre, Zach’s connection to music will always be with the common purpose of connecting with others through the language of melodies. He’s excited to see what musical adventures will be thrown at him next.
2025 GRADUATING CLASS OF MUSICIANS
SOPHIA COBER Voice
VINCENT JIA
Piano, Percussion
AMELIA KIUNG
Trumpet, Piano
EVAN LAWRENCE Clarinet, Piano
ZACHARY YU Piano, Guitar
A NOTE TO THE GRADUATING PERFORMERS
HSC’s music department is grateful for the dedication, professionalism, and leadership that tonight’s graduating performers have demonstrated over the years as part of the College’s program. They have provided a wonderful model of musicianship and commitment for their peers. We wish them all the best wherever their future may take them and hope that music will continue to be an important part of their lives.
HSC Music Department
Mrs. Hammond ’98
Mr. Gaumond
Ms Boose
GRADS! CONGRATULATIONS
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Hillfield Strathallan College is situated upon the traditional territories of the Erie, Neutral, Huron-Wendat, Haudenosaunee and Mississaugas. This land is covered by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt Covenant, which was an agreement between the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabek, and other Indigenous nations to share and care for the resources around the Great Lakes. As members of the learning community at HSC, we are committed to honouring this covenant by working alongside our Indigenous neighbours and building a sustainable relationship with the land that we all cherish.
