Our Story
Crystal Coast Chamber Music was founded in 2026 with a mission to bring intimate and exciting classical chamber music to the Crystal Coast community. Director and clarinetist Chadwick Thomas, an Eastern North Carolina native, looks forward to sharing his passion for chamber music with local neighbors and friends, connecting new audiences to classical music, and inviting musicians from around the U.S. to perform in Carteret County.
Yujin Lee, piano
Dr. Chadwick Thomas is a clarinetist and conductor who has appeared at Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center and performs with orchestras including the Greater Bridgeport, Hartford, and Ridgefield Symphonies, Symphony in C, and Wa Sinfonietta. As an avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with artists including Vadim Gluzman, Donald Palma, James VanDemark, and appears regularly as a recitalist with pianist Yujin Lee. Thomas is the clarinietist of the Ecor Quartet and a core musician of the Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival in Alabama. A prizewinner of the Paranov Concerto Competition, in 2023 he performed the Clarinet Concerto by Jean Françaix with the Hartt Orchestra. As a conductor, Thomas has led the Foot in the Door Ensemble, Hartt Orchestra, and Atlantic Music Festival Contemporary Ensemble, and he served as assistant conductor for a performance of Neely Bruce's The Bill of Rights: Ten Amendments in Eight Motets at Wesleyan University in fall 2025. Thomas serves as adjunct faculty at The Hartt School, teaching orchestral repertoire for woodwinds. Additionally, he is instructor of clarinet at Hartt Community Division, Cheshire Academy, and Wesleyan University, and has taught at Interlochen Arts Camp. A native of Eastern North Carolina, he holds degrees from the Peabody Institute, the University of Michigan, and The Hartt School. Visit his website, www.chadwickthomas.com.
Musicians
Chadwick Thomas, director and clarinet
Yujin Lee is a pianist based in Hartford, Connecticut. A native of Korea, she holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Seoul National University, where she was a student of Soo-Hee Auh and Aviram Reichert. In 2013, she moved to the United States to continue her studies and gain international performance experience. She earned an Artist Diploma (AD) in Piano Performance and a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from the Hartt School, studying under David Westfall. During her time at Hartt, she won the Chopin International Piano Competition in Hartford and the Paranov Solo Concerto Competition. She has held staff pianist positions at the Hartt School and the Manhattan School of Music. She has also been a featured guest artist at festivals such as the Atlantic Music Festival and the Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival. A dedicated collaborator, she is a member of the Ecor Quartet. Additionally, she serves as a piano faculty member at The Hartt School and an adjunct instructor at the Cheshire Academy. In 2024, she was appointed as a pianist for the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to bringing high-quality classical concerts to the public, we plan to engage CCCM performers with local music students. Stay tuned for updates and reach out to us with any suggestions or connections: crystalcoastchambermusic@gmail.com.
Community Outreach
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