Columbia Pops

Barnard College, 2026.

Amelia is from Seattle and really really loves the rain (she swears!!). You can probably find her squinting at a sunset, running in Riverside, or procrasti-baking.

Barnard College, 2028

Athena is a violinist from Seattle, Washington. In her free time she buys overpriced iced lattes, rots in her dorm bed, and browses Pinterest for more unattainable outfit inspiration. She also loves skiing and film photography, you will never see her on a trip without her trusty camera.

SEAS Class of 2029

Alex is a violinist from California (the best state) that has been stuck with the instrument since six years old. He is an outdoor fiend that loves day-tripping along the gorgeous California coastline (hikes, beaches, adventures...) and any water-related activity, from water polo to rafting. His favorite artists include Laufey, ROLE MODEL, and Natalie Jinju, but new genres/artists are always on the horizon! Although you'll rarely see him crack a book open, Alex will definitely be cracking jokes with friends while on boba runs, "study sessions", or any other excuse to not be alone :p

General Studies Class of 2027

A native Seattlelite, Asher is excited to be living on the East Coast for the first time in his life after spending his first two years in France as part of the Sciences Po Dual BA! Now back on American soil with French drinking habits (but not the tolerance!), he is looking forward to enjoying all of the Asian food he missed while abroad. When not playing the violin, he can be found rewatching the entirety of Studio Ghibli's film catalogue, practicing the piano, or playing Genshin Impact -- please ask him about his Tartaglia watch, he'll really appreciate it).

Columbia College, 2027.

Austin is a violinist from Dayton, Ohio (tentatively) planning to study Biology. He enjoys playing golf and basketball, building PCs, and playing with his two dogs, Bert and Ernie.

School of General Studies, 2026.

Bella is a film and media studies major at GS in the Dual BA program with Trinity College Dublin. Originally from Iowa, she has played the cello since elementary school and is excited to finally put her obsession with film scores to good use. Outside of playing cello, she enjoys going on aimless walks in Riverside, watching weird movies, and rearranging her endlessly expanding trinket collection. 

Columbia College, 2026

Ben Parkhurst is a bassist from California, having lived in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles. He studies linguistics at Columbia College and is passionate about language learning—in addition to English, he speaks Spanish and is learning Korean and Portuguese. Outside of school, Ben loves to cook, hike, go rock climbing, swim, and play games of any sort.

Columbia College, 2028.

Benjamin is a proud double bassist from Mequon, Wisconsin. If you can find him poking out from behind his instrument, you will find out he is a physics major (ugh I know), but his friends joke he is really an engineer (this is NOT true). Since beginning the bass almost 11 years ago, he has just barely graduated up from a quarter size, although he looks about the same height. You will probably find him on campus in the Formula SAE shop late into the night, Dodge Library, or Plowshares Coffee (really anything coffee), but if it is too difficult, you may need the Schrödiner equation to locate his tiny stature. Also, he wants you to listen to Mahler, now!

School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2027.

Ben is a cellist from Ellicott City, Maryland planning to study biomedical engineering. He enjoys all kinds of music, especially hip hop artists and rappers like Travis Scott and Drake. In his free time, Ben can be found weightlifting, swimming, eating, and playing poker with friends.

GSAS (exchange master's student)

Daphné is a viola player from France. An ethnomusicology student on exchange at Columbia, she spends most of her time exploring every corner of New York City and finding the best places for concerts, hiking, and bagels

Columbia College Class of 2028

David is a bassist and low brass player from Irvine, California. He is in Columbia College studying neuroscience on the pre-med track. He enjoys playing video games and exploring Columbia's campus.

SEAS, 2027

I'm David! I'm an undergrad studying CS, and alongside playing upright and electric bass, I'm a huge video game and anime fan. My favorite games include fighters like Guilty Gear and Smash Bros, JRPGs like Persona, and anything Nintendo. My main musical background is in Jazz, but I also love VGM, J-Pop, and City Pop.

Columbia College, 2028.

Ellie is a violinist from Portland, OR studying political science as a (hopeful) pre-law student. While she can’t play any other instruments, she proudly believes in her singing skills—contrary to opinion—and enjoys the occasional karaoke. In her free time, you’ll find her reminiscing about the abundant nature of her hometown with a walk along Riverside Park, exploring the city with her friends, or enjoying tea time with her roommate.

Esme is a violinist from Salt Lake City, Utah. When she's not working on a physics problem set (which she actually enjoys most of the time!), she loves going to concerts, watching movies, taking long walks, listening to Taylor Swift, and sharing her latest hyperfixation with anyone who will listen. 

Barnard College, 2028.

Hadassah Weinmartin, aka Dasi, is a proud Philadelphian with a New York appreciation. She is hoping to study some combination of music, math, and Spanish. You can find Hadassah at a jazz club downtown, in a green chair at Milstein Library, or taking unnecessarily long walks down Broadway instead of taking the subway. Outside of playing bass and guitar, Hadassah enjoys cooking, trying new food, hiking, rewatching The Office and Rick and Morty, and learning how to DJ. 

GSAS, 2026.

Hanyu is from Yunnan Province in southwest China, a region known for its natural beauty and cultural diversity. From a young age, he was immersed in music, developing a deep appreciation for both classical and traditional Chinese music. Hanyuy began playing the violin and clarinet simultaneously in the second grade and had the opportunity to perform at the prestigious Golden Hall in Vienna. During his undergraduate studies, he played the violin with the Beijing Jiaotong University Symphony Orchestra, performing major classical works by composers such as Tchaikovsky and Beethoven, and also gave solo performances.

Outside of music, Hanyu is a passionate football fan, a die-hard supporter of FC Barcelona and the Argentine national team. He captained his department's football team during his undergraduate years. An outgoing and enthusiastic person, Hanyu looks forward to making new friends and sharing his hobbies with everyone during his time at Columbia Pops!

School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2027.

Hi, My name is Jackson Aoyama, I have been a musician for more than half of my life, and love to play any type of music from orchestra to marching band. In my free time I usually play games, but I also enjoy going out and trying places to eat. 

Columbia College, 2026.

Jeff is a guitarist (and, sort of, violinist) in CC hailing from the great state of Connecticut. He likes eating pasta, reading, and... playing guitar. You may see him wheeling his green wagon around on campus as he goes to rehearsal. He loves his wagon.

Columbia College, 2028

Joseph is planning to major in maths and neuroscience, and research with music. Joseph learned meditation when he was 5 years old from his mom, started playing cello at 10, and combined the two in a workshop since 11; he can't wait to continue growing this in the next 4 years. Joseph loves nature too and wants to bring friends to local community gardens. And at any hangout with Joseph, there will always be someplace to eat yummy food.

Columbia College, 2028.

Jude is a violinist from Austin, Texas, which means he had never experienced living in the cold. (That is, until moving to New York). In his free time, Jude loves playing basketball, going to JJ's with anyone, exercising excessively, and finding ways to socialize instead of doing homework. He plans to major in Economics-Mathematics. 

Columbia College, 2027.

Julian is a cellist from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, and studies Electrical Engineering. Outside of practicing and school, he enjoys reading, going to concerts, and taking advantage of his AMC A-List membership.

Barnard College 2029

Juniper Setterberg is a cellist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After eight years of playing the instrument, she can definitively confirm that Shostakovich is the best composer, even if all his music sounds the same. 

Aside from performing, Juniper enjoys conducting research into biology, reading philosophy, playing video games, playing the electric bass (poorly), and baking. 

SEAS Class of 2028

Justin Ham is a violist from East Brunswick, NJ studying computer science on the premed track. He enjoys playing soccer, basketball, golf, and eating wawa.

Columbia College, 2026.

Katie is a born-and-raised Seattle native who didn’t realize that Seattle was home to the original Starbucks until her senior year of high school. Besides being oblivious to her surroundings, she loves playing instruments (only ones with strings so far, though), complaining about hiking up to Hamilton 7, and learning languages (aka, watching TV shows in different languages to feel productive while procrastinating).

Barnard College, 2027.

Kimi is from Westchester, NY. When she is not playing the violin (or the occasional cello), she likes to play video games, dive, and make cartoons! If you ever run into Kimi, she will happily accept a beet (haha music pun) of any kind, they taste yummy. She is currently obsessed with Nintendo playlists, but loves all genres of music!

Columbia College, 2027.

Leel, who hails from the Great State of New Jersey, is excited to play cello with Pops this year. Aside from playing cello, Leel enjoys running, reading, and working on projects related to environmental activism.

Columbia College, 2026.

Lela is from New York City majoring in earth science. She likes dinosaurs, cats, knitting, and playing frisbee (badly). She has two pet cats, cinnamon and spice.

Columbia College, 2026.

Lina is a biology and medical humanities major from Los Angeles. When not hibernating in the warmth of the Music and Arts library, you can find her walking in Riverside, trying new food spots, or getting overly excited every time it snows.

Columbia College, 2027.

Natalie Kim is a Columbia College student from Austin, Texas, majoring in Sociology and minoring in English. She loves to spend time with friends and family, play piano and cello, go to museums, thrift, read, write, drink cortados, and ritually rewatch Studio Ghibli movies in the company of her inner child :)

School of Engineering and Applied Science, 2028

Olivia is from Toronto, Canada, where she grew up in the city hanging around polar bears and moose. In addition to being a student at SEAS, she has been playing the violin for 12+ years. In her free time, she can often be found scouring for cheap concert tickets and trying out new restaurants.

Columbia College, 2028

Rayson is a violinist from Singapore majoring in sociology. He loves (in no particular order) the violin, cats, Chinese food, going to Mala Town (as pictured) photography, playing badminton, Pink Floyd, dogs, guitar, the gym, Studio Ghibli films, and sleeping for half the day.

Columbia College Class of 2029

Signe is a violist from North Dakota. When not reading the thousands of pages assigned to someone majoring in both Political Science and History, she likes doing other, more enjoyable reading, knitting, binge watching any sitcom, and missing her cat.

Columbia College, 2028

Born and raised in Hong Kong, SJ started playing the harp at the age of 7, while they were still idolizing their elder sister (who started playing the harp a year prior). They love delicious food, theatre, and listening to instrumental (often anime) soundtracks while trying to study. SJ is also a big fan of sleep, even though they rarely get the recommended 8 hours a night. When they’re not in the practice room, you can find SJ either looking up etymology or gushing over adorable creatures!

Columbia College, 2028

Sophia is a violinist from Longmeadow, Massachusetts, where the closest boba place is too far away. She plans to major in Neuroscience & Behavior on the pre-med track. When she's not napping in her dorm or studying in Butler, Sophia can be found watching movies with friends at 1 am, playing volleyball, scrolling on Instagram instead of being productive, crocheting, or trying to navigate the NYC subway.

Barnard College, 2027.

Sophia from Albany, California (30 mins from San Francisco). She loves to play tennis, read, and watch anime. Sophia is a Physics major at Barnard College and enjoys all things stem. She has an unhealthy boba obsession and is on a quest to find the best boba place in NYC.

Barnard College, 2028

Stella Dull, a Seattle native and violinist, is equally passionate about playing John Williams' Star Wars scores as she is about tackling her opponents on the rugby field. When not immersed in orchestral music or club rugby, you'll likely find her on a quest for the city's best food spots! (May the fork be with you)

Barnard College, 2027.

Teja is a violinist from Maryland majoring in neuroscience at Barnard College. Outside of violin, she also sings Carnatic (Indian Classical) music, and loves to (attempt) landscape photography! She also loves knit sweaters and any variation of tea (although homemade chai is her favorite).

Columbia College, 2028.

I am from Cincinnati, Ohio but I studied cello performance at Interlochen Arts Academy in Northern Michigan. I’m studying biology at Columbia, but I also enjoy thrifting, watching movies with friends, and trying new food spots in the city! I like a wide range of music: afrobeats, amapiano, r&b, and classical!