Hee Jin Yoon, Founder & Executive Director
Hee Jin Yoon is a harpist and educator based in Southern California. She is the Founder & Executive Director of the Orange County Youth Music Foundation (OCYMF), where she founded the California Youth Harp Ensemble (CYHE), a program dedicated to providing young harpists with high-quality ensemble training, performance opportunities, and community outreach.
Ms. Yoon has performed with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, and numerous orchestras throughout Southern California. She served as Principal Harpist of the Lancaster Festival Orchestra from 2008 to 2015. An active chamber musician, she is the co-founder of Duo Gliss, presenting diverse recital programs and educational performances. As a member of Duo Gliss, she performed at the 2018 American Harp Society National Conference in Redlands, California, and also performed at the 2015 American Harp Society Summer Institute in Logan, Utah.
As a soloist, Ms. Yoon has performed Debussy's Danse sacrée et profane with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra; Mozart's Concerto for Flute and Harp in C Major, K. 299 with the CCM Philharmonia; Handel's Harp Concerto in B-flat Major, Op. 4, No. 6 with the Korean Symphony Orchestra; and Ravel's Introduction and Allegro and Lutosławski's Concerto for Oboe and Harp with the CCM Concert Chamber Orchestra.
Ms. Yoon won the University of Cincinnati Concerto Competition in 2012 and has received numerous honors, including an Honorable Mention in the Victor Salvi Awards, prizes in the Busan MBC Music Competition, and recognition as a finalist in the American Harp Society Anne Adams Awards.
Born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Seoul, Korea, Ms. Yoon earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Seoul National University. She later returned to the United States to pursue graduate studies, earning a Master of Music degree and completing doctoral studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where she studied with Gillian Benet Sella. She also earned a Performer Diploma from Indiana University, where she studied with Susann McDonald.
In addition to maintaining a successful private teaching studio, Ms. Yoon is deeply committed to mentoring the next generation of musicians. Through OCYMF and the California Youth Harp Ensemble, she provides young harpists with meaningful opportunities to perform, collaborate, develop leadership skills, and engage with their communities through music.
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Naomi Cheng, President
Naomi Cheng is currently a high school student at Yorba Linda High School, and is a student of Ms. Yoon's. After starting to take harp lessons from Ms. Yoon in 2021, she has since then grown a passion for the instrument, and has competed in competitions like IAPMT Concours Online Junior Grand Prix and Concordia Music Competition and summer camps like Concordia Chamber Music Festival. After winning the Concordia Music Competition 2025, she performed at the Winners’ Recital in Carnegie Hall months later. Aside from harp, she is academically motivated, and does many other extracurriculars on the side, like volunteering at a cat shelter, writing research, and doing art.
Kaitlin Miller, Guest Ensemble Coach
Kaitlin’s journey with the harp began at the age of three when she first heard its enchanting sound featured in an interview on the bonus features to a children’s film. Now an active musician and teacher residing in the Los Angeles area, she delights in sharing her love of
this instrument with her community through orchestral, chamber, and solo performances. She is also an avid new music supporter and enjoys collaborating with composers to premiere new works for the harp.
Kaitlin has performed with esteemed ensembles such as the Los Angeles Chamber
Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Pasadena Symphony Orchestra and Boise Philharmonic. Her
accolades include the 2019 American Harp Society Scholarship Competition, the 2020 Anne
Adams Awards, and the 2024 Frances Walton Competition (chamber ensemble division), as well as fellowships at the Music Academy of the West in 2022 and 2023. Distinguished as the Young Professional Division winner of the AHS National Competition, Kaitlin served as their Concert Artist for 2023-2025, enabling her to share her artistry through nationwide masterclasses and harp recitals.
She earned a bachelor's degree in music theory and harp performance from the University
of North Texas with Dr. Jaymee Haefner, and a master’s and doctorate degree from the
University of Southern California with JoAnn Turovsky. When not performing or teaching, you
can find Kaitlin either connecting with nature, enjoying the beach, or spending time with loved ones at a local coffee shop.
Sydney Lee, Ensemble Coach / Former-President/ Our Alumni
Sydney Lee graduated from Orange County School of the Arts (OCSA) in the Instrumental Music conservatory’s Strings and Orchestra program. She served as Principal Harpist of OCSA’s Symphony Orchestra for three years, Principal Harpist of OCSA’s Wind Ensemble for one year, and Principal Harpist of OCSA’s Chamber Orchestra for three years. Sydney was Co-Principal of Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra for two years. She was also invited as the only harpist to play with Korean American Youth Symphony in the K-Town LA 50th Anniversary Benefit Concert with Kim Tae-Woo of g.o.d and four-time Grammy nominee Eric Benet, raising $720k. She has studied under Hee Jin Yoon for over six years and is extremely grateful. Sydney has gained over 2.1 million views on TikTok through her harp covers and now works as a freelance harpist while pursuing her studies at Stanford University.
Joshua Ho, Ensemble Director / Our Alumni
Joshua Ho was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. His first encounter with the harp was passing the Salvi harp showroom every day on his way to preschool. Shortly after, he asked his mom if he could play the harp. Finally, at the age of eight, Josh started his harp studies with Hee Jin Yoon, and then shortly after with JoAnn Turovsky. He is now in his second year at the Colburn Conservatory and continues to study with JoAnn Turovsky.
Josh is an avid chamber musician. He has participated in many chamber festivals, such as the Junior Chamber Music, Concordia University Chamber Music Festival, and the Bowdoin International Music Festival. Recently, his group, Lusingando Trio, was a semifinalist at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition in 2025. He has received recent awards, including Honorable Mention at the Music Center Spotlight 2025, being a finalist in the Advanced Division of the American Harp Society Competition 2025, and Honorable Mention at the Grandjany Memorial Competition 2026.
Josh was the principal harpist of the Colburn Youth and Sinfonietta Orchestra from 2021 to 2025. He is currently performing with the Colburn Orchestra across different venues in Los Angeles. He has worked under the baton of conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Carlos Miguel Prieto, Kevin John Edusei, and Earl Lee. Over the summers, he has studied with notable harpists such as Franziska Huhn, June Han, and Yolanda Kondonassis.
Outside of music, Josh enjoys following his favorite baseball team, the Los Angeles Dodgers. He also enjoys trying out new restaurants across LA.
Sydney Danielle Concepcion, Program Director
Sydney Danielle Concepcion first started playing the harp in 2016 with Hee Jin Yoon. Before her introduction of the harp, she had previously played the piano, drums, and was a part of the National Children’s Chorus. She has performed in various recitals and competitions under the Los Angeles Harp Ensemble and Concordia University. During her summers in high school, she would participate in the Concordia Chamber Music Festival. Now an incoming sophomore at Connecticut College, Sydney continues her love for the harp in her free time while also being a member of the tennis team at school. Besides harp, she is working on her bachelor’s in biology and economics and enjoys reading and teaching tennis to others.