Our Flagship Program welcomes applicants of all ages to experience a transformational M2 Summer
July 11th—26th, 2026
The M2 Fellowship Program is carefully cultivated by world renowned performers and educators to truly provide what students need to thrive and reach their fullest potential.
This year, we are pleased to open our fellowship programs for applicants in Piano, Voice, and Piano-based Chamber Groups. All our programs are either tuition free or heavily subsidized, with students only responsible for a small portion of room and board.
A blend of performance opportunities, dedicated, hands on mentorship, and non-traditional curriculum aims to develop the musician as a full human and provide a forum for artistic and technical exploration. Aimed towards ambitious instrumentalists and singers seeking to develop their talents further, our participants are chosen based on potential as much as current achievements. At the core of our program is a sense of community, with the goal that fellows can leave the program with faculty members as true mentors.
M2 on Tour
Unique to the program is the importance of stage experience with each musician expected to participate in multiple tailored opportunities to perform throughout the Santa Ynez Valley in their two week residency.
The M2 Curriculum
While private lessons make up the core of the curriculum for pianists and singers, all fellows take part in a wide array of non-traditional workshops such as acting, dance, and various outdoor activities. Our location at Midland nature-based School allows for many special experiences both in and outside of the classroom. Students are also encouraged to participate actively in the community while they are in residency and will be offered many opportunities to do so.
Scholarship and Financial Aid
This program is tuition free for chamber and piano fellows and $400 for vocal performance fellows. All fellows must pay a facility fee of $600 which includes room and board. Further financial aid is still available.
faculty
Sylvia Jiang - Program Chair
Sylvia Jiang is a young concert pianist from New Zealand and serves as Artistic Director and co-founder of non-profit organization Muffin Music Inc.. Hailed by critics as a ‘gifted young pianist of genuine substance’ and ‘New Zealand’s most notable young emerging pianist,’ Sylvia has been featured on BBC News, The Washington Post, ABC Australia, Radio New Zealand Concert, and other notable news networks and publications.
Sylvia has performed as a soloist with numerous internationally renowned Orchestras such as the Royal Philharmonic, Queensland Symphony, Music Academy of the West, and Juilliard Chamber Orchestras. Solo performance highlights include Alice Tully Hall in New York City, Auckland Town Hall, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Sylvia has served as Artistic Director for multiple arts organizations and events, with a focus on her interest in multi-disciplinary collaborative work. She was invited to be a featured soloist in The Kennedy Center’s Ballet Across America with Dance Theatre of Harlem and Miami City Ballet.
Over the years, she has won numerous top prizes at national and international level competitions including the prestigious Lev Vlassenko, Kerikeri, Music Academy of the West, and Hastings International Piano Competitions. She most recently served as the sole Artist Diploma Candidate at Johns Hopkins University.
She is currently on faculty at the University of Aukland School of Music.
Learn more about Sylvia here
Chi-Ho Han - Piano Faculty
Korean concert pianist Chi-Ho Han is an artist with an unmistakable personal mark, embracing technical diversity, emotional realness and philosophical depth in all his unique recital programs.
Establishing a firm conviction in German arts at age 20, Han received top prizes at Beethoven Competitions respectively in Vienna and Bonn, and Schubert Competition in Dortmund. Earlier achievements also include 1st prize and Audience Award at International Kissinger KlavierOlympic Competition (Germany, 2013), 1st prize at Seoul International Music Competition (Korea, 2014), top prize at ARD International Music Competition (Germany, 2014) with additional Audience Award and Best Performance on Commissioned Work, Silver Medal at Gina Bachauer International Artists Piano Competition (USA, 2014), and 4th prize at the Queen Elisabeth International Competition (Belgium, 2016).
Solo recitals took him to prestigious halls in such major cities as Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Paris, Seoul, Shanghai, St. Petersburg, Taipei and Tokyo. He made orchestral appearances with Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, National Orchestra of Belgium, Lviv National Philharmonic, Munich Chamber Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra of Marseille, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, St. Petersburg Symphony Orchestra and Utah Symphony Orchestra, on a rich repertory covering complete Beethoven concertos, Romantic and Russian standards to contemporary commissions.
A protégé of pianist-composer György Kurtág, and a former student of Prof. Arnulf von Arnim and Prof. Arie Vardi, Han is currently Associate Professor at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.
Helen Zhibing Huang - Voice Faculty
Helen Zhibing Huang is a Chinese-born soprano recently praised as “impressive” by The New York Times for her portrayal of Pamina in The Magic Flute at The Glimmerglass Festival. In the 2025–26 season, she appears with Opera Grand Rapids as Josephine in HMS Pinafore and Ming in Stuck Elevator, returns to Knoxville Opera as Lauretta in Gianni Schicchi, and makes her Resonance Works debut reprising Juliette in Romeo & Juliette.
Recent engagements include Setsuko Kobayashi in An American Dream and Ming in Stuck Elevator with Hawaii Opera Theatre, Juliette in Romeo & Juliette with El Paso Opera, and concert appearances with the Alabama Symphony in Fauré’s Requiem, Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, and Handel’s Messiah. Additional roles include Frasquita in Carmen, Monica in The Medium, Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro, the title role in Le Rossignol, and Zerlina in Don Giovanni.
A strong advocate for new music, Huang created the role of Singa Loh in the world premiere of I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams with White Snake Projects and has participated in workshops of new operas by Paola Prestini, Julian Wachner, and Leanna Kirchoff.
She is a prizewinner in several competitions, including the Jensen Foundation Competition and the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. Huang holds degrees from the New England Conservatory, Bard College Conservatory, the Eastman School of Music, and the University of Rochester, and co-hosts the podcast Asian Angles.
Yi-Yang Chen - Piano Faculty
Dr. Yi-Yang Chen is an internationally acclaimed pianist whose career gained major momentum with top prizes at the Sussex, Washington, and Warning International Piano Competitions. Critics have praised his performances for their “flair for the unusual,” “musical and emotional intelligence,” and commanding virtuosity. His appearance as soloist in Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 5 “Egyptian” with the Worthing Symphony Orchestra was lauded for its technical brilliance and expressive depth. Judges at the Pacific International Piano Competition described his playing as “immediately compelling,” noting his natural affinity for the instrument and powerful artistic presence.
Chen has performed on five continents in major venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Melbourne Recital Centre, National Concert Hall in Taipei, Banff Music Centre, and ZK Matthews Great Hall in South Africa. He has appeared with orchestras such as the Worthing Symphony Orchestra, Eastman Philharmonic, Brevard Music Center Orchestra, National Chinese Orchestra, and Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra, and has participated in festivals including the Perlman Music Festival, Music Academy of the West, Taos School of Music, and Banff Music Centre.
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Chen began piano studies at age eight. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts and Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music, and a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School, and has worked with artists including Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, and members of leading international string quartets.
Dr. Chen is Assistant Professor of Piano at the University of Kansas and Artist Director of the Orbifold Music Festival in California. He is currently recording for Champs Hill Records, with a release scheduled for 2025.
Alan Woo - Piano Faculty
Praised by the New York Times as a pianist with “assurance and vitality,” Alan Woo made his Lincoln Center debut at Alice Tully Hall performing with the Juilliard Orchestra under the baton of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. He has since collaborated with conductors Daniel Hege, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and Tito Muñoz in solo appearances with the Houston Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra.
Woo’s recent engagements include solo recitals throughout the US, Brazil, Europe, and Asia. He has been featured on The McGraw Hill Financial Young Artists Showcase broadcasted on WQXR in New York and has performed in venues such as Carnegie’s Weill and Zankel Recital Halls. As chamber musician, he has made appearances at the New York Philharmonic Ensembles, Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta, Lake George Music Festival, Chamber Music Athens, Brooklyn Chamber Music Society, and La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest series, among others.
Born in Arlington, Virginia, Woo is a graduate of The Juilliard School and Peabody Conservatory where he completed degrees in piano performance under Robert McDonald and Yong Hi Moon. He currently teaches at the University of Georgia as an assistant professor of piano, having previously held positions at Elizabeth City State University and Peabody Institute.
housing And Travel
Housing
Students are housed in double cabins on the Midland School Campus. As the Santa Ynez Valley is a very rural area, we highly recommend that students take advantage of living on campus- even those traveling with Parents/Guardians. We can accommodate one Guardian per student under the age of 18 on campus for an additional fee, and can work with families to offer alternative housing (as detailed below). Please note that the $600 facility fee is mandatory regardless of whether you stay on campus.
- $600 for on campus living
- Shared (double) Dorm style housing
- 3 meals/day
- Access to gym and hiking
Partner Hotels:
- Santa Ynez Valley Marriott: $189-$229 per night
- Hampton Inn and Suites: $159-$229 per night
AirBnB Rentals
- We have wonderful partnerships with vacation rental companies which offer excellent rates particularly for larger groups. Please let us know of your interest and we can connect you with options.
Travel
Students who will be flying in to attend the program should arrive at Santa Barbara Airport (SBA) where our staff will pick them up to transport them to campus, or can elect to arrive at LAX in Los Angeles and take a shuttle bus or other means of transport to Santa Barbara.
Supervised flying for younger students may be available from New York City on the East Coast and Auckland, New Zealand. Other locations may be available with enough market interest. Please let us know if you are interested in these options.
PLEASE NOTE:
Students who are living on campus will be boarded among students in similar age brackets. Residential assistants will supervise housing of all boarded students to maintain a healthy and happy living environment.
Due to the all day nature of the schedule and the remote nature of the campus, students living off campus must subscribe to the on campus meal plan.
It is highly recommended that families and students who choose to live off-campus should have access to private transport although ride-sharing services are available in the Santa Ynez valley. Please note that there is no access to public transportation to the Midlands Campus and nor is it a pleasant pedestrian environment. Students are welcome to bring vehicles and other legal modes of transportation- but please note that Muffin Music does not take any responsibility for the safety of these vehicles.