Lydia G. Umlauf, 17, is a merit scholarship recipient and member of the Music Institute of Chicago’s Academy program for gifted pre-college musicians where she studies privately with Desiree Ruhstrat.  Lydia, a Senior in the Umlauf Homeschool, took violin lessons for 11 years from Tamara Ringas, Chesterton, IN prior to joining MIC.  She has also had 8 years of piano lessons. Lydia has attended Masterworks Music Festival where she was chosen to perform in their honors recital in 2007 and was a finalist in the concerto competition in 2008 where she gave a recital performance of Barber's violin concerto.  She has played in Master classes with Roger Frisch, Stephen Clapp, David & Linda Cerone, Ilya Kaler,  Ida & Ani Kavafian, Dr. William Grubb, Vivian Hagner and Mark Kaplan. Lydia is currently a member of  Lafayette Symphony Orchestra, IN where she has been a section violinist since 2007. Lydia is a 2010 Merit Award winner for YoungArts, National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.  She has won prize from the Chinese Fine Arts Society competition and Sejong Music Competition, Bob Jones University Fine Arts Festival, Nisource Children’s Competition, Northwest Indiana Youth Orchestra concerto competition, Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra,  Muncie Symphony Young Artist Competition, Lafayette Symphony Orchestra’s Keller competition, Indianapolis Symphony “Maurer Young Musician Competition”, and state level Indiana Music Teachers’ Association violin competition. Lydia was invited to give a recital performance in the Young Steinway Concert Series at the Skokie Library.
Her hobbies include photography and reading.  She is passionate about art and loves visiting museums and galleries.

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