Letitia Jap

Letitia Jap, age 16, is a junior at Bellevue High School. She has studied the violin for eleven years and is currently a student of Simon James, Second Assistant Concertmaster of the Seattle Symphony. Previous teachers include the late Erna Soter, Andrew Galos, and Kent Coleman.

Letitia has been a member of the Bellevue High School Honors Symphonic Orchestra for three years and was a member of the Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra and the All-Northwest Honor Orchestra. Letitia served as the concertmaster of the top division of the BYSO from 2005 to 2007, and the concertmaster of the advanced orchestra of the Marrowstone-in-the-City Music Festival for two summers. Last May, she performed the Prokofiev Concerto in D with the Bellevue Philharmonic Orchestra after winning its concerto competition. Prior to that, she performed Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen and the Beethoven Violin Concerto (third movement) with the BYSO. Letitia has won various competitions including the Performing Arts Festival of the Eastside, Simon-Fiset String Competition, and the Washington State Solo & Ensemble Competition. For the past four years, she has participated in the Seattle Young Artists Music Festival and was awarded the Seal of Outstanding Achievement for every class she performed, including the Concerto, Complete program and Chamber Music.

She has also been the first violinist in various chamber groups. This is her third year in the chamber music program at the Academy Music Northwest. In 2007, her quintet won first place in the Sanford Wright Chamber Music Competition, and her duo won first place in the regional and third place in the state competition of the Solo and Ensemble Festival.

Besides playing the violin, Letitia enjoys writing stories, drawing comics, and playing badminton. She would like to become a violin teacher and an industrial designer.