Jorge Laboy-Bulancea, 15, has always enjoyed listening and playing music. Starting at the age of 3, he took private lessons for the classical guitar under Roger Taylor and in 4th grade he discovered the cello at school. The next year, in 5th grade, he entered The Capitol Symphonic Youth Orchestra, this is also when he started taking lessons with John Kaboff. In the spring of  2021 he won 1st place in the Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association (NVMTA) Achievement Awards Competition’s lower string elementary division and in the spring of 2022  he won 1st place in the NVMTA Strings Achievement Awards Competition’s lower string intermediate division. In 2023 he got honorable mentions at the Tennessee Cello Workshop’s competition in the Junior division and placed 2nd in the NVMTA Achievement Awards Competition’s lower string senior division as an 8th grader. Since the start of this school year, Jorge has performed in the District 12 Senior District Orchestra and attained an honorable mention at the Asian American Music Societies (AAMS) Piano, String, Voice, & Woodwind Competition senior division.