19-year-old Baltimore native Runa Matsushita will also be attending the Heifetz Institute for the third time in 2025, and joining the  Heifetz Chamber Music Seminar on full scholarship. Runa started playing the violin when she was three years old, and by the age of seven, she joined the Baltimore Symphony Youth Orchestra. She won First Place in the BSYO concerto competition each year that she has competed. She has soloed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra numerous times, most recently the Season Opening Gala with Music Director Jonathon Heyward.  She has also performed with the Amadeus Chamber Orchestra and the National Chamber Ensemble. Runa is also a National YoungArts winner, and has won prizes in many other competitions,and was an alternate for the Stulberg International String Competition. This fall, Runa will enter Harvard College as freshman after her graduation from Towson, MD High School.