We feature four graduating seniors from CYSO’s flagship orchestra on viola, horn, tuba and violin. Chloe Cohen, Elyse Schlesinger, Kevin Harte and Clara Frantzen at their final Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestras concert, May 18, 2025. (Photos: Ed Spinelli.) Chloe Cohen is a 17-year-old violist from Chicago and a senior at Lincoln Park High School. They began playing the viola at age six and currently study with Danny Lai of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Professor Helen Callus of Northwestern University. Chloe serves as principal violist of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra’s flagship Symphony Orchestra and Classical Orchestral Repertory Ensemble, and is joining the ensemble on tour in Spain this June and at Lollapalooza later this summer. In addition to their work as a performer, Chloe is passionate about community leadership, musical and otherwise. They tutor beginning orchestra students at their school and are the founder and president of Lincoln Park’s Trans Advocacy Club, creating space for LGBTQ+ voices and visibility. A committed student, Chloe is also an Illinois State Scholar. This fall, they will begin a dual degree at Northwestern University in Political Science and Viola Performance.