Congratulations to the three winners of the Spring 2026 IML Mentorship grant!
Nathanael Kumar won a grant to create American Brass Press, LLC, a low-brass publishing company. “After numerous disappointing interactions with the largest companies in the domestic low-brass publishing industry, we have decided to start our own. We will be a digital-only, low-brass-specific business valuing efficient communication, high-quality engraving, generous composer royalties, and works by composers and arrangers of underrepresented backgrounds. We will direct a portion of our revenue into commissions and annual consortia to facilitate the creation of new repertoire by these composers and arrangers, diversifying the canons of the trombone, tuba, and euphonium.”
Nathanael Kumar has been creating for as long as he can remember. As a full-time music student, he leads a double life as a euphonist and composer. As a soloist, Nathanael champions new and unusual euphonium repertoire, and has a penchant for transcriptions. As a composer of new music, he strives to balance technical innovation with accessibility for listeners. In addition to his academic studies, Nathanael is working towards a certificate in arts leadership, and he recently won a “AMP Up” grant to organize a Scandinavian recital project in the community. Nathanael currently studies with Justin Benavidez and Elizabeth Ogonek at the Eastman School of Music.
Joyce Tseng won a grant to create a first-of-its-kind pedagogical book concerning viola technique. “While violin technique literature is extensive, comparable resources for the viola are limited. As a result, advanced violists and educators often rely on violin-based materials, even though the viola presents distinct physical demands related to size, string tension, response, and ergonomics. Most existing viola methods present technique through a single approach and are written as linear method books, making it difficult for players and early-career teachers to quickly identify and address specific technical issues. This project proposes the creation of a first-of-its-kind diagnostic guide for advanced viola technique. Instead of promoting a single technical system, the book will be organized around 77 common technical symptoms experienced by violists. Each entry will describe the problem, identify underlying causes, and present multiple solutions drawn from eight established schools of string pedagogy (including Auer, Flesch, Galamian, Rolland, Delay, Fischer, Primrose, Tuttle).”
Joyce Tseng is an experienced performer in a diverse range of musical styles and ensembles, having appeared with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Aspen Festival Orchestra. As a chamber musician, Joyce studied at the Ashkenasi/Kirshbaum Chamber Music Seminar at the Heifetz International Music Institute. She has delivered solo recitals at American Viola Society Festivals and Eastman School of Music, and her concerto highlights include the Hoffmeister Viola Concerto with the Macao Orchestra. Joyce is a two-time recipient of the Robert L. Oppelt Viola Prize, awarded annually to an outstanding violist at Eastman.
A dedicated educator, Joyce served as Teaching Assistant in Professor George Taylor’s viola studio and Secondary Viola Instructor at Eastman. She is currently a chamber ensemble coach at the University of Rochester. Currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in Viola Performance and Literature under Phillip Ying, Joyce holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Eastman.
Aaron Seo won a grant for to create Overtone, a mobile app designed to help musicians practice more efficiently. “The purpose of Overtone is to help musicians who struggle to break pieces into manageable sections, track what they practiced, and stay consistent/organized. Oftentimes, musicians are overwhelmed by the sheer volume of repertoire they have to work through. This can lead to feelings of anxiety, reduced confidence and ultimately poor practicing. At the core of Overtone, its unique selling point is the ability for users to draw on their uploaded sheet music in order to create smaller sections. This currently does not exist within any other app on the market. This feature allows Overtone to offer various different practice strategies. The strategies that will be utilized come directly from neuroscientist and NEC professor, Molly Gebrian. The three main forms of practicing offered will be manual, interleaved and random practicing.”
The IML Mentorship grant supports independent creative projects led by matriculated Eastman students beyond the scope of their degree. Please stay tuned to the IML website for future information on fall 2026 funding opportunities.