Cheng Peng

Cheng Peng is 17 years old and a senior at Parkway South High School. This is his first season with the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra.  

Before taking up the viola, Peng began studying piano at the age of six with the late Laura Schindler and now continues his piano studies with Helen Chiu. He was introduced to the viola at the age of nine through his school’s strings program but has never studied the instrument with any private instructor.  

For the past three years, Peng has served as principal violist of his school’s Symphonic Orchestra. In 2026, he was selected for the Missouri All-State Orchestra and served as principal violist of the 2026 St. Louis All-Suburban Orchestra. Additionally, Peng has participated in the Missouri State High School Activities Association’s Solo and Ensemble Music Festival each year, receiving gold ratings in both solo and duet performances.  

Outside of music, Peng enjoys meeting new people, distance running, and engineering. Peng is extremely grateful for this opportunity and would like to thank his family, his orchestra director Lucy Arbini, and his past orchestra teachers for their enormous support. He would also like to thank Aiden Moon and Graham Woodland for their generous guidance and aid in achieving this honor.