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Jupiter Players 2022-2023 |
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| VIOLIN | ||
| Jacqueline Audas has performed in Israel, Germany, Italy, Spain, and New Zealand. In the U.S., she has also appeared as a soloist with the Shepherd School of Music Symphony Orchestra, Boise Philharmonic, Music in the Mountains Festival Orchestra, and McCall Summerfest Orchestra. Her festival participation includes NorthShore, Aspen, Keshet Eilon Mastercourse, and Sommermusik im Oberen Nagoldtal. Jacqueline is the founder and artistic director of Classical C.A.R.M.A. (Concerts Aiming to Raise Money and Awareness). The non-profit group designs innovative benefit concerts to fundraise for those in need, bring awareness to underserved populations, and promote classical music education. Moving forward, Classical C.A.R.M.A. will collaborate with S.E.A.R.C.H. in Houston to work toward ending the cycle of homelessness. Jacqueline recently graduated with a master’s degree (under Paul Kantor) from Rice University, where she held the Duncan Concertmaster Chair. She has also studied with the late Arkady Fomin, and is currently pursuing a graduate performance diploma at Peabody, under Vadim Gluzman. ~ www.jacquelineaudas.com |  |
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| Claire Bourg, a laureate of many competitions, has been a featured soloist with several orchestras performing in such venues as Chicago’s Orchestra Hall and the Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park, as well as recently making her solo debut in Boston’s Jordan Hall. She has appeared on NPR’s From the Top and Chicago’s WFMT Introductions radio programs. An avid chamber musician, she has participated at Ravinia, where she collaborated with Kim Kashkashian and Frans Helmerson. Claire began her violin studies at age 5 in the Chicago area. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the New England Conservatory where she studied with Miriam Fried, she is currently at Curtis under the tutelage of Pamela Frank and Arnold Steinhardt. ~ www.clairebourg.com Photo by Todd Rosenberg |  |
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| Gabrielle Després, born in Canada, has won numerous competitions from a young age, most recently 1st prize at the 2020 Irving Klein Competition and 2nd prize at the 2021 Shean Strings Competition. In 2020, she was included in the CMC’s list of 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians under 30. In 2016, she was featured on Radio Canada’s nationwide television show, “Virtuose,” placing 2nd out of 24 young artists. As soloist, she has appeared with the Edmonton Symphony and the Chamber Orchestra of Edmonton. Recent performances include chamber music concerts at Music in the Vineyards and virtual recitals of the California Music Centre and Peninsula Symphony. Gabrielle currently studies with Masao Kawasaki and Joseph Lin at Juilliard, and has served as concertmaster of the Juilliard Orchestra, performing Strauss’s Ein Heldenleben. |  |
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| Isabelle Ai Durrenberger, born in Taipei of Japanese, Taiwanese, and American descent, has been praised for her vivid musicality, ability to touch audiences, and communicative strength as a chamber musician. Among her honors are the 2020 Featured Young Artist of the Western Reserve concert series and 3rd Prize at the 2018 Irving Klein String Competition. Recent and upcoming concerts include performances with Orpheus in Carnegie Hall and A Far Cry in Jordan Hall, and the Boston Chamber Music Society. In 2021, she was chosen the Artist Fellow of the Alone Together educational project led by Jennifer Koh and ARCO Collaborative. This unique introduction to composers such as Tania León, Du Yun, and Missy Mazzoli has inspired her to prioritize programming living composers, especially highlighting female and multicultural composers. Her festival participation includes the Perlman Music Program, Marlboro, and Prussia Cove. Isabelle began violin lessons at age 7, received her B.M. at the Cleveland Institute of Music (mentored by Jaime Laredo), and completed her graduate studies at the New England Conservatory under Soovin Kim and Don Weilerstein. She currently serves on the faculty at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. Isabelle performs on a Terry Borman violin generously loaned to her by Jaime Laredo. ~ www.isabelledurrenberger.com |  |
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| Njioma Grevious, described by the Chicago Classical Review as “a superb” talent, is a founding member of the Abeo Quartet that won silver and gold medals at the 2022 Chesapeake and Yellow Springs chamber music competitions, respectively. It has appeared at the Kennedy Center and Alice Tully Hall, and on the Schneider Concert Series, WQXR Midday Masterpieces, and WETA Classical Radio. In 2018, Njioma won first prizes for Performance and Interpretation in the Prix Ravel chamber music competition in France, followed by a Music Academy of The West fellowship to study with the London Symphony Orchestra in 2022. Her festival participation includes Music@Menlo, Montreal International String Quartet Academy, Perlman Chamber Music Workshop, Norfolk, Meadowmount, and Tanglewood Institute. A graduate of Juilliard, Njioma was a student of Ronald Copes. With Abeo, she is currently completing a Graduate String Quartet in Residence Fellowship at the University of Delaware under the tutelage of the Calidore String Quartet. Among her many treasured memories was the opportunity to perform in a quartet during a White House State Dinner hosted by President and Mrs. Obama. ~ www.njiomagrevious.com |  |
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| Ariel Horowitz, hailed by the Washington Post as “Sweetly Lyrical,” has performed as a soloist with orchestras such as the Baltimore Symphony, Kammerphilharmonie Hamburg, and Santa Fe ProMusica; and in recitals across the U.S., Europe, Israel, and South America. She has also premiered her original pieces for violin and voice at Carnegie’s Weill Hall and the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater. An avid teacher, she serves on the faculty of Mount Holyoke College and is the founder and director of Heartbeat Music Project, a tuition-free program that provides instruments, music, and Navajo (Diné) cultural knowledge for K–12 in the Navajo Nation. At home in a variety of musical genres and disciplines including improvisation, Ariel has performed a work for violin, bass, and spoken word in Auschwitz for Holocaust survivor Eva Kor; with artist-activists such Pete Seeger, and with the band Empire Wild in the song “Winter Wonderland.” Ariel’s numerous prizes include the 2020 Concert Artists Guild Ambassador Prize, and winnings at the Grumiaux, Stulberg, and Klein competitions, and the Salon De Virtuosi Career Grant. She is a recent graduate of Yale under Ani Kavafian. ~ www.arielhorowitz.com |  |
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| A prizewinner of the 2018 Menuhin Competition held in Geneva, Violin Channel’s “Rising Star” Hina Khuong-Huu has been playing the violin since the age of three. Hina has performed as a soloist with the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Geneva, Flanders Symphony Orchestra, Mittel Europa Orchestra, and the Musica Mundi Orchestra, and she was recently a recipient of the Salon De Virtuosi Career Grant. Additional concert highlights have included a performance of Sarasate’s Navarra at the Juilliard Pre-College Division’s Centennial Gala with her sister Fiona and a performance with Maxim Vengerov at Buckingham Palace for Princess Alexandra. Throughout the spring and summer of 2021, Hina worked with violinist Jennifer Koh in her “Alone Together” series, and she has appeared on the NPR radio show From the Top. A native of New York, Hina studies under Professor Li Lin at the Juilliard Pre-College and attends the Spence School. In the summers, she has studied with artists such as Itzhak Perlman at the Perlman Music Program, Shlomo Mintz at Crans Montana Classics in Switzerland, and Ivry Gitlis and Menahem Pressler in Belgium. ~ www.hinakhuonghuu.com |  |
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| Born in New York City, fourteen-year-old violinist Fiona Khuong-Huu is a recipient of the 2022 Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund, along with the prestigious career grant award from Salon De Virtuosi. Additional accolades include first prize at the 2017 Grumiaux Competition; second prize at “Il Piccolo Violino Magico” in San Vito al Tagliamento, Italy; and third prize and best virtuoso interpretation at the 2019 Louis Spohr Competition. In 2019, Fiona and her sister Hina were invited to perform at Buckingham Palace, where they played Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins with Maestros Maxim Vengerov and Marios Papadopoulos. Fiona has also been honored to perform for Juilliard’s Pre-College Centennial Gala at Alice Tully Hall, at the Bozar Concert Hall in Brussels with the Flanders Symphony Orchestra, and as a soloist with the Oxford Philharmonic, Musica Mundi, Mitteleuropa, and Juilliard Orchestras. Fiona has appeared on the NPR show From the Top on multiple occasions. Fiona studies the violin under Professor Li Lin, Kenneth Renshaw, and Stella Chen at the Juilliard Pre-College division, and she has taken lessons and masterclasses with artists such as Menahem Pressler, Ivry Gitlis, Shlomo Mintz, Maxim Vengerov, and Vadim Gluzman, among others. Fiona is a student at the Spence School in New York. ~ fionakhuonghuu.com |  |
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| Clara Neubauer won a Silver Medal at the 2020 National YoungArts Competition, and first prize at the 2019 Symphony of Westchester and 2017 Adelphi Young Artist competitions. She also was a winner of the 2017 Young Musicians Competition at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and was recently featured on the WQXR Young Musicians Showcase. Clara made her concerto debut with the National Repertory Orchestra at the age of 10 and her Lincoln Center debut at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center’s Young Ensembles Concert in 2013. An avid chamber musician, she was a Young Performer at Music@Menlo for 5 years, and has participated at Ravinia, Taos, Perlman Music Program, Bravo! Vail, Four Seasons, Angel Fire, and La Jolla festivals. Born on 9/11/2001, Clara shared the stage with Bernadette Peters and Robert DeNiro hosting a 9/11 Memorial benefit and can be heard leading the audio tour guide “for children and families” at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, available as a free app at the App Store. She studies at Juilliard on a Kovner Fellowship under Itzhak Perlman and Li Lin. |  |
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| Keiko Tokunaga has been praised by Strings for having a sound “with probing quality that is supple and airborne” and for her “pure, pellucid bow strokes.” As a soloist and chamber musician she tours and performs globally. As a member of the Attacca Quartet between 2005 and 2019, she won numerous awards including the GRAMMY Award for Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance, and First Prize at the 7th Osaka Chamber Music Competition in 2011. In 2021, Keiko founded the online series, Jukebox Concerts, to provide a performance platform for musicians who lost engagements due to the pandemic. Later in the year, she created INTERWOVEN, a multi-cultural ensemble to eliminate discrimination against the AAAPI (Asians, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders) community by integrating the musical traditions of the East and West. Between 2008 and 2019, she taught at Juilliard Pre-College Division, and is currently on the faculty at Fordham University. Keiko plays on a J. B. Vuillaume violin from 1845, generously loaned by an anonymous donor. ~ www.keikotokunaga.com Photo by Arthur Moeller |  |
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| VIOLA | ||
| Maurycy Banaszek, from Warsaw, Poland, joined the Concert Artist Faculty at Kean University in 2011. His festival appearances include Marlboro, Kronberg, Seattle, Santa Fe, Aldeburgh, and Moritzburg, among others. Founding member of the conductorless chamber orchestra, ECCO, he has also toured with the Musicians from Marlboro, performed with the Guarneri String Quartet, and frequently appeared at Bargemusic in New York. He was recently featured as a soloist with the National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico. As violist of the Elsner String Quartet he was invited by members of the Amadeus String Quartet to perform at their 50th Anniversary Gala Concert in London’s Wigmore Hall. Maurycy is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Michael Tree. Photo by Christian Steiner |
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| Rebecca Benjamin, an engaging violinist and violist, has an active career performing on both instruments across the U.S. and abroad. As a soloist she has appeared with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Cleveland Pops Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, Rebecca is a member of the Abeo Quartet, prizewinner of the 2022 Yellow Springs and Chesapeake Chamber Music Competitions, and a recipient of the inaugural Graduate String Quartet Fellowship at the University of Delaware, studying under the Calidore String Quartet. Her festival participation includes Music@Menlo, MISQA (at McGill), Perlman Music Workshop, Aspen, Norfolk, Kneisel Hall, and St. Lawrence String Quartet Seminar. She has also collaborated with members of the Brentano, Cleveland, Emerson, Juilliard, Orion, and Pacifica String Quartets; and attended Prussia Cove in Cornwall, England. From Warsaw, Indiana, Rebecca is a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music with a B.A. (summa cum laude) and M.A.; and holds a Master of Musical Arts from Yale where she was awarded the Broadus Erle Prize. She was recently appointed to the faculty at Kneisel Hall. |  |
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| Ramón Carrero-Martínez, born in Venezuela, won the Grand Prize at the 2022 Fischoff Competition as a member of the Terra String Quartet, and has won other competitions in the U.S., Italy, and Venezuela. He has toured the U.S. with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and Branford Marsalis, performed as guest violist with the American String Quartet, and made his American debut as a soloist with the New York Classical Players in the world premiere of James Ra’s Triple Viola Concerto. Ramón has performed at Carnegie Hall, the Berlin Philharmonie, Chicago Symphony Hall, and Esterhazy Palace, among other venues. He was a member of the celebrated Venezuelan National System of Youth Orchestras “El Sistema” and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with Daniel Avshalomov. ~ ramoncarreromartinez.com |  |
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| Bethany Hargreaves has performed as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician across North America, Europe, China, and Israel. Notable performances include her solo debut on Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center and 2 concerto appearances with the Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra. A passionate chamber musician, she has collaborated in concert with musicians such as Julio Elizalde, Miriam Fried, Ani Kavafian, and Itzhak Perlman, as well as members of the Borromeo, Brentano, Cleveland, Emerson, and Orion String Quartets. Most recently, Bethany appeared on a Yale School of Music Faculty Artist Series and in 2021, at the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, she was called on 3 days’ notice to perform with the Emerson String Quartet. Her festival participation includes Aspen, Kneisel Hall, Norfolk, Olympic, Taos, Toronto, and the Perlman Music Workshop. Bethany began violin studies at age 5 and switched to viola at age 12. She holds degrees from the Cleveland Institute, Juilliard on a Kovner Fellowship, and Yale on an Adams Fellowship and Grosvenor Memorial Prize; her teachers include Misha Amory, Heidi Castleman, and Ettore Causa. ~ www.bethanyhargreaves.com |  |
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| Paul Laraia, 1st Prize winner of the 13th Lionel Tertis and 14th Sphinx competitions, is enjoying an international career as soloist and chamber musician. Acclaimed by the Strad for his “eloquent” and “vibrant” playing, he has been soloist with the orchestras of Pittsburgh, Atlanta, and Bogotá, among others. As a principal member of Sejong Soloists and violist of the Grammy Award winning Catalyst Quartet, Paul has given hundreds of performances in venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center, Seoul Arts Center, Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Hall, Lincoln Center’s Great Performers Series, and London’s Wigmore Hall. He has also been an invited artist at festivals such as Yellow Barn, Vail International Dance, Festival Del Sole, Incheon Music Hic et Nunc, Hong Kong Generation Next Arts, and Banff, collaborating with Gil Shaham, Joshua Bell, Yo-Yo Ma, Jorg Widmann, and Vadim Repin, to name a few. He studied with noted violists during his formative years in high school, then continued his studies under Kim Kashkashian at the New England Conservatory. Paul performs on a Hiroshi Iizuka viola in the “viola d’amore” style and a Belgian bow by Pierre Guillaume awarded by the Bishops Strings Shop in London. |  |
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| Natalie Loughran won First Prize at the 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition, along with the Audience Prize, as well as an award for her performance of William Grant Still’s “Mother and Child.” She was a finalist at the 2020 Young Concert Artist Auditions, and was awarded a special prize for her performance of the Bowen Viola Sonata in C minor at the Tertis Viola Competition, where she was a semifinalist. Natalie is a member of the Kila Quartet, which has appeared on WQXR’s ‘Midday Masterpieces,’ and has participated in the Perlman Music Program Chamber Workshop and Robert Mann String Quartet Institute. In the summer of 2021 she attended the Yellowbarn and Marlboro Music Festivals, and will do so again in this summer. Natalie has performed with the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra under Gábor Takács-Nagy, toured internationally with the Budapest Festival Orchestra directed by Ivan Fischer, and is a member of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for the 2021–22 Season. ~ www.natalieloughran.com |  |
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| Devin Moore, a native of Pittsburgh, is twice winner of the Manhattan School of Music’s Fuchs Chamber Music Competition and 2018 “Harold in Italy” Viola Competition. This fall, he will be competing as a finalist in the 2020 Cecil Aronowitz International Viola Competition in Birmingham, England. In 2020, Devin was the soloist in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 with the Juilliard Orchestra. Other festivals he attended include Aspen, Sarasota, the Perlman Music Program, and Kneisel Hall, performing with Augustin Hadelich, Sarah Chang, and the Pacifica String Quartet. Devin is also Cofounder and Director of Development for Opus Illuminate, an online concert series dedicated to performing and raising awareness for works by composers of underrepresented communities in order to expand the horizons of conventional programming. As an orchestral musician, Devin was Principal Violist of Juilliard’s various orchestras. A graduate Juilliard on a Kovner Fellowship, he will pursue a master’s degree under Misha Amory and Samuel Rhodes. ~ www.devinmooreviola.com |  |
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| Rosemary Nelis has performed as chamber musician and soloist across the U.S. and Europe, sharing her ebullient, imaginative playing in work that spans the great standard repertoire, historical performance, and extensive collaboration with living composers. She is known for her arresting expressivity and warmth, for the richness and depth of her sound, and for the seriousness of her vision as an artist, colleague, and teacher. Since 2022, she became a member of the Cassatt String Quartet. She is also a champion of contemporary music. Her festival participation includes Yellow Barn, Bard, and Kneisel Hall. A Brooklyn native, Rosemary received her B.M. and B.A. from Bard, where she studied with Steven Tenenbom and majored in Chinese Language and Literature. Her M.A. was earned at Juilliard on a Kovner Fellowship under Roger Tapping and Misha Amory. She is currently a Professor of Viola at Montclair State University, and plays on a viola made by Samuel Zygmuntowicz in 1991. ~ www.rosemarynelis.com |  |
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| Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt has been praised by Strad Magazine as having “lyricism that stood out...a silky tone and beautiful, supple lines.” Among her winnings are First Prize and every special award at the 2013 Banff String Quartet Competition, the Gold Medal and Grand Prize in the 2010 Fischoff Competition, First Prize at the Lionel Tertis Viola Competition and top prizes at the Tokyo and Sphinx competitions. She has appeared as soloist with the Tokyo Philharmonic, Jacksonville Symphony and Sphinx Chamber Orchestra, and performed in recitals and chamber music concerts throughout the U.S., Latin America and Europe, including an acclaimed 2011 debut recital at London’s Wigmore Hall. Her festival participation includes Marlboro, Bowdoin, Bravo and Italy’s Emilia Romagna Festival. Milena is also the founding violist of the Dover String Quartet, the resident quartet at Northwestern University. |  |
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| Tabitha Rhee, born in New York City and raised in Wisconsin, is winner of the Juilliard Concerto Competition. As a soloist, she has performed with the Skokie Valley, Madison, and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras; and the Juilliard Orchestra at Alice Tully Hall. She has also appeared on the Death of Classical Music series in collaboration with Cantori New York, and in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Wiener Musikverein, and Bela Bartok Hall in Budapest. Upcoming engagements include her performance of Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin and viola with her brother Julian and the Wisconsin Philharmonic. Recently, she took part in studio recording work for Michael Buble’s Christmas television show and the Don’t Worry Darling film, to be released in the fall of 2022. As an orchestral musician Tabitha has played with the New York Philharmonic as a substitute, served as Principal Violist of the Juilliard Orchestra, and plays with the Apex Ensemble (formerly Montclair Orchestra). Her festival participation includes Music@Menlo, Four Seasons, Verbier, Bravo! Vail, and Aspen, where she was a New Horizons Fellow. Tabitha earned her B.A. at Juilliard and is now pursuing her master’s degree there on a Kovner Fellowship, studying with Misha Amory and Roger Tapping. Other teachers include Almita and Roland Vamos at the Music Institute of Chicago Academy, and Heidi Casstleman at Juilliard. ~ www.tabitharhee.com |  |
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| Cong Wu has been appointed Assistant Principal Violist of the New York Philharmonic as of 2018. He won Third Prize in the 14th Primrose Viola Competition and a Special Prize in the 12th Tertis Competition. He performs in North America and Europe, and has collaborated with musicians such as Shmuel Ashkenasi, Christoph Eschenbach, David Finckel, Paul Neubauer, Itzhak Perlman, and Cynthia Phelps. He was Principal Violist of the Juilliard Orchestra and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra in Germany, under the batons of Christoph von Dohnányi, Christoph Eschenbach, and James Levine. His festival participation includes Marlboro, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Chamber Encounters, Music@Menlo, Perlman Music Program, and Schleswig-Holstein. Born in Jinan, China, Cong had his first violin lesson at the age of four and began his viola studies in 2004. ~ www.congwuviola.com |  |
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| Zhanbo Zheng was the first Chinese violist to win the Primrose Viola Competition in 2014. Other honors include top prizes at the Irving Klein and Washington String competitions, and the 2021 Emerging Artist Award from the Saint Botolph Club Foundation. As a soloist, Zhanbo has appeared with the Santa Barbara Chamber Orchestra, Calgary Philharmonic, and China Broadcasting Performing Arts Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, he has performed at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society as a guest artist, and collaborated with artists such as Jonathan Biss, Pamela Frank, and Donald Weilerstein. His festival participation includes Marlboro, Ravinia, Verbier, Caramoor Evnin Rising Stars, and Cleveland ChamberFest. And he has toured the U.S. several times with Ravinia and Musicians from Marlboro. In 2014, Zhanbo represented the Ministry of Culture in an exchange activity between China and Germany, hosted by China Education Association for International Exchange. He has also participated in the recording project “My Concert Hall—Classical Music Appreciation,” sponsored by Li Lanqing, the former Premier of the State Council of China. Zhanbo took his first violin lesson at the age of 5; he decided to become a violist at 11, drawn to the viola’s warm and beautiful sound. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees with Academic Honors on a Presidential Scholarship at the New England Conservatory. Currently, he is pursuing an Artist Diploma at Juilliard under Paul Neubauer. |  |
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| CELLO | ||
| Ani Aznavoorian is one of the premier cellists of her generation. Among her winnings are prizes from the Julius Stulberg, Paolo (Finland) and Bunkamura competitions, and she was also named a Presidential Scholar of the Arts. In 2001 she substituted (to critical acclaim) for Natalia Gutman on 12 hours notice in 3 performances of the first Shostakovich Cello Concerto. Her playing is indeed “breathtakingly lovely” Naples Daily News. Ani is a member of the Corinthian Trio, and she plays a cello made by her father Peter Aznavoorian. Chicago is her hometown. ~ www.aniaznavoorian.com |  |
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| Iona Batchelder is an avid chamber, solo, and orchestral musician. She has appeared as soloist playing the Dvořák and Schumann cello concertos at the Bing Theater and Zipper Hall in Los Angeles; and she has performed in master classes for notable artists including Itzhak Perlman, Jean-Guihen Queyras, Frans Helmerson, and Donald Weilerstein. Iona was a founding member of the Unison Quartet, which won an Honorary Mention award at the 2021 Bartók World Competition in Budapest, Hungary. As a chamber musician, she has participated in the Juilliard String Quartet Seminar, Perlman Music Program’s Chamber Music Workshop, and Aspen Music Festival’s Center for Advanced Quartet Studies. She has also served as principal cellist under the batons of Marin Alsop, James Conlon, and John Adams. Iona was a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at Juilliard, where she recently graduated with her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees, both under the tutelage of Darrett Adkins. She currently plays on a 1740 Carlo Antonio Testore cello. ~ www.ionabatchelder.com |  |
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| Bethany Bobbs, the youngest of 8 musical Bobbs children, has won numerous prizes, including the grand prize at the Houston Symphony of the North Young Artist competition, first prizes in the Houston MTA Concerto Competition, New Jersey MTNA Senior String Competition, and Georgia Philharmonic Concerto Competition, and an award at the National YoungArts Competition. She made her cello solo debut at the age of 9 performing with the Cleveland Institute Chamber Orchestra, and has subsequently gone on to solo with many orchestras; among them, the Houston Symphony, Georgia Philharmonic, and Delaware Symphony. Besides performing, Bethany enjoys using her musical talent to help others. Last year, Bethany and her twin sister, Susanna, put on a virtual fundraising concert—Harmony for Healing—to raise funds for the Artist Relief Project for unemployed artists during COVID-19. Bethany is currently a scholarship student at Juilliard under the tutelage of Joel Krosnick and Astrid Schween. She is also a recipient of the Arkady Fomin Scholarship Fund. ~ www.bethanybobbscello.com |  |
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| Audrey Chen, from Washington, has been praised by the Boston Musical Intelligencer for her “longevity of phrasing.” A passionate solo and chamber musician, she has appeared on NPR’s “From the Top,” concertized with the Seattle Symphony, and has been featured as a guest artist with the Boston Chamber Music Society, Silk Road Ensemble, Parker Quartet, Borromeo Quartet, and A Far Cry. As an orchestral musician, she was principal cellist of the inaugural National Youth Orchestra of the USA, New York String Orchestra Seminar, and Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival Orchestra; and has played at major venues in the U.S. and abroad. As a chamber musician, Audrey co-founded the Ravos Quartet at the New England Conservatory, and she was also the cellist of the Argus Quartet in 2020–21. Her festival appearances include Ravinia, Perlman Music Program, Tanglewood, Taos, and Sarasota. A graduate of the Harvard/NEC dual degree program, she is currently pursuing a doctorate at CUNY Graduate Center, and is on faculty at CUNY Hunter College. ~ www.audreychencello.com Photo by Rachel Rodgers Photography |  |
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| Brannon Cho won first prize at the 6th Paulo (Finland) competition and top prizes at the Queen Elisabeth, Naumburg, and Cassadó competitions. He was also honored with the 2020 Janos Starker Foundation Award, Landgraf von Hessen Prize from Kronberg Academy, 2019 Ivan Galamian Award previously held by James Ehnes, and a scholarship from the Anne-Sophie Mutter Foundation. He has performed as a soloist with several orchestras including the Helsinki Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic, Brussels Philharmonic, and Orchestre Philharmonique Royale Liège. As an avid chamber musician, Brannon has shared the stage with Anne-Sophie Mutter, Christian Tetzlaff, and Gidon Kremer, and went on a tour with Joshua Bell. His festival appearances include Verbier, Music@Menlo, Gstaad Menuhin, Rheingau, Prussia Cove, and Musikakademie Liechtenstein. Born in New Jersey, Brannon received his B.A. from Northwestern University under Hans Jørgen Jensen, an Artist Diploma from New England Conservatory under Laurence Lesser, and is now in the Professional Studies program at the Kronberg Academy under the tutelage of Frans Helmerson. Brannon performs on a rare cello made by Antonio Casini in 1668 in Modena, Italy. ~ brannoncho.com Photo by Grittani Creative LTD |  |
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| Zlatomir Fung, the first American in four decades and the youngest musician ever to win First Prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, Cello Division—is poised to become one of the preeminent cellists of our time. Astounding audiences with his boundless virtuosity and exquisite sensitivity, he has already proven himself, at age 23, to be a star among the next generation of world-class musicians. A recipient of the 2022 Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship and a 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant, Zlatomir’s impeccable technique demonstrates mastery of the canon and exceptional insight into the depths of contemporary repertoire. This season is chock full with concerto and recital performances in all corners of the world, including tours of Europe and Asia, and appearances at Wigmore Hall and Cello Biënnale Amsterdam. Recent festival appearances include Aspen, Bravo! Vail with the New York Philharmonic, and Verbier. Zlatomir also won the 2017 Young Concert Artists and 2017 Astral Auditions, 2018 Schoenfeld, 2016 Enescu, 2015 Johansen, 2014 Stulberg, and 2014 Irving Klein competitions. He has been featured on NPR’s Performance Today and has appeared on From the Top 6 times. Of Bulgarian-Chinese heritage, Zlatomir began playing cello at age 3, and studied at Juilliard under Richard Aaron and Timothy Eddy. In addition to music, he enjoys cinema, reading, and blitz chess. ~ www.zlatomirfungcello.com Photo Matt Dine |  |
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| Oliver Herbert, who “makes his cello sing,” is winner of a top and special prizes in the 2018 Lutoslawski competition, the first and Casals prizes in the 2015 Irving Klein competition, and a top prize in the 2015 Stulberg competition. The San Franciscan with a distinct voice and individual style has performed as soloist with the Chicago Symphony, Warsaw Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony; and on the SoundBox and Dame Myra Hess series as a recitalist. He has worked with conductors such as Michael Tilson Thomas, and as a chamber musician, he has performed with Shmuel Ashkenasi and Pamela Frank, among others. His festival participation includes Caramoor, ChamberFest Cleveland, Krzyzowa Music, Prussia Cove, Ravinia, and Verbier. He has also performed on a tour with violinist Miriam Fried, Ravinia’s director; and at the 2017 Verbier festival he was awarded the Prix Jean-Nicolas Firmenich. Oliver plays on a 1769 Guadagnini cello that belonged to Antonio Janigro, on generous loan from the Janigro family. ~ www.oliverherbertcello.com |  |
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| Colombian-American cellist Christine Lamprea is a dynamic artist—a firebrand with a “commitment to the highest standards” (Palm Beach Daily News); the Boston Musical Intelligencer also noted her “supreme panache.” She won the 2013 Astral Artists’ Auditions, First Prize at the 2013 Sphinx and Schadt competitions, [and is a recipient of an award from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts]. As soloist, she has appeared with the Detroit, Houston, and San Antonio Symphonies, among others. An avid chamber musician, she has performed in the U.S., Canada, and Europe, in such venues as Tully Hall, Beethovenhaus, the Kennedy Center, and Metropolitan Museum; and has participated at the Kneisel Hall, Banff Centre, and Yellow Barn festivals, performing with such artists as Itzhak Perlman and Carol Wincenc. Recent highlights include a recital (and premiere) of her own arrangements of Colombian music for Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and the Colombian Ambassador to the U.S; a performance of the Schumann concerto at Carnegie Hall; and replacing Lynn Harrell at the last minute for a performance with Symphony Silicon Valley. Christine also strives to expand her musical boundaries: she has played with members of the Baroque group Les Arts Florissants, studied sonatas on fortepiano with Audrey Axinn, premiered several new pieces, and worked with jazz musician Anthony Coleman on John Zorn’s game piece Cobra for musical improvisers and prompter. A passionate teacher, she has worked with Ecuadorian youth in Quito and Guayaquil, as part of a program between Juilliard and “Sinfonia Por La Vida.” Christine studied with Bonnie Hampton at Juilliard and holds an M.A. from the New England Conservatory, under Natasha Brofsky. ~ www.christinelamprea.com Photo by Kate L Photography |  |
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| Cellist Christine Lee, born in South Korea, is winner of the Isang Yun competition as well as a laureate of the Queen Elizabeth first cello competition in 2017. She aims to cross cultural boundaries and connect people around the world through music as a soloist and chamber musician. Her appearances include playing with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Brussels Philharmonic, National Orchestra of Belgium, and Berlin Philharmonie lunch series in venues such as Tully Hall, Carnegie Hall, Musée du Louvre, and Victoria Hall. Her festival participation includes La Musica, Music@Menlo, La Jolla Summerfest, Caramoor, Angelfire, and Marlboro. She has also worked with contemporary ensembles like eighth blackbird and Juilliard AXIOM. And she enjoys playing Baroque music, especially the Bach Cantatas. In addition, she is an original member of “CelloPointe,” a group that combines ballet and music in intimate settings, from the Baroque to the contemporary. Christine began playing the cello at age 7, making her debut with the Seoul Philharmonic 2 years later. At age 10, she continued her studies at Curtis under the tutelage of Orlando Cole, Peter Wiley, and Carter Brey; then at Juilliard where she earned her M.A. under Joel Krosnick. She is an artist-in-residence at Chapelle Musicale Reine Elisabeth, working with Gary Hoffman and Jeroen Reuling, and she is also pursuing an Advanced Performance Diploma with Christoph Richter at the Royal Academy of Music in London. Charitable and philanthropic causes are also in her realm of work—for refugee children and the homeless in Brussels. Christine plays on a Francesco Stradivarius on generous loan from an anonymous sponsor. ~ www.christine-j-lee.com |  |
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| Mihai Marica, winner of the Irving Klein, Vina del Mar, and Salon de Virtuosi competitions, made his debut recitals at Weill and Zankel Halls with Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations. He has performed as soloist with orchestras, in recitals, and at festivals; and is a member of the award-winning Amphion String Quartet. He began his cello studies at the age of seven at the Music High School in Cluj, Romania. Upon winning the Klein competition, its director Mitchell Sardou Klein exclaimed, “We just witnessed a future superstar. Mihai is a brilliant cellist and interpreter of music. His playing is spellbinding.” ~ www.mihaimarica.com |  |
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| Thomas Mesa is one of the most charismatic and versatile performers of his generation. The Cuban-American is a winner of the 2017 Astral Artists Auditions, the 2016 Sphinx Competition, 2013 Thaviu Competition, and the 2006 Alhambra Orchestra Concerto Competition. As a soloist he has performed with such orchestras as the Cleveland Orchestra and Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. As a recitalist he has appeared at Mainly Mozart, Bargemusic, the Dame Myra Hess series, and Nantucket Musical Arts Society, among others. An enthusiastic interpreter of music for choir and cello, Thomas was a featured instrumentalist with the Crossing Choir’s American premiere of Wolfgang Rihm’s Astralis and its 2017 Grammy-nominated album, Bonhoeffer. He has also appeared with them at the Metropolitan Museum, Longwood Gardens, and the Winter Garden (broadcast on WNYC). As a chamber musician, he has toured with Itzhak Perlman, both nationally and internationally, and is a member of the St. Petersburg Piano Quartet. Thomas plays on a Richard Tobin cello made in 1820. ~ www.thomasmesacello.com |  |
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| Timotheos Petrin, a Russian-Greek native of Thessaloniki, Greece, is winner of the 2015 Astral Artists Auditions and a top prize winner at the Paulo competition in Finland, where he was praised for “a great and passionate soloist style: expressive, vibrant singing lines, sparkling rhythm...an interesting, original personality” Helsingin Sanomat. He has performed as soloist, chamber, and orchestral musician throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. In 2016 he made his debut performance with the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra, Robert Spano conducting. He has also performed with the Athens and Thessaloniki state orchestras, among others. In 2014 he appeared in Asia and Europe with Curtis on Tour; and has been heard regularly on WHYY and ERT TV. A graduate of Curtis, Timotheos is currently studying at the New England Conservatory. ~ www.timotheospetrin.com |  |
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| Sara Scanlon, age 22, made her solo debut in 2016, performing the Elgar Cello Concerto with the Charleston Symphony as a Grand Finalist of the National YoungArts Competition. She has been featured as a soloist on NPR’s “From the Top” and her many prize winnings include concerto competitions of the Chappaqua Orchestra, Hamden Symphony, and Adelphi Orchestra. As a chamber musician she has participated in the Aspen, Kneisel, and Toronto festivals; appeared frequently with the McDuffie Center for Strings faculty and guest artists on the Fabian Concert series; and performed with Lawrence Dutton for the opening night of the Rome Chamber Music Festival in Italy. She was the principal cellist for “A Night of Georgia Music,” a concert featuring violinist Robert McDuffie and Chuck Leavell (the Rolling Stones keyboardist). Sara earned her B.A. on full scholarship at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings; and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Juilliard, studying with Richard Aaron and Joel Krosnick. ~ www.sarascanlonmusic.com |  |
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| DOUBLE BASS | ||
| Nina Bernat won first prize at the 2019 International Society of Bassists Solo Competition and the first and grand prize at the 2022 Minnesota Orchestra Young Artist Competition. At the age of 19, she performed as guest principal of the Israel Philharmonic and the New York Philharmonic. As a recipient of the 2019 Keston MAX Fellowship, she performed with the London Symphony Orchestra on a subscription series concert at the Barbican Centre and in a chamber music concert for LSO Discovery Day. As winner of the Juilliard Double Bass Competition, Nina performed Mozart’s “Per Questa Bella Mano” with the Juilliard Chamber Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall. Her festival participation includes Verbier, Marlboro, and Yellowbarn, among others. A recent project was co-directing the Grace Note Farm Chamber Music Festival. Nina’s first bass teacher was her father—former member of the Israel Philharmonic, Mark Bernat; she continued her studies at Juilliard on a Kovner Fellowship. ~ www.ninabernat.com |  |
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| Kebra-Seyoun Charles, from Miami, is winner of the coveted Robert Smith Prize at the 2022 Sphinx Competition, winner of NAACP’s ACT-SO and twice winner of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s concerto competitions. The child of an African drummer and dancer, Kebra-Seyoun was exposed to jazz, gospel, and traditional African music from infancy. This led him to study classical music passionately and draw inspiration from contrasting genres and musicians. This early influence also affected his giving prominence to dance qualities in all forms of music. His versatility opened the way to playing alongside the esteemed improviser and composer Tyshawn Sorey in the Slugs’ Saloon installation at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston, created by the important jazz pianist-composer Jason Moran. Kebra has been featured on Performance Today, Young Arts, and From the Top; and he has performed with A Far Cry, the Boston Philharmonic, and Cape Cod Symphony. He earned his B.A. from the New England Conservatory and M.A. from Juilliard on the Jerome Greene and Morse fellowships. ~ www.kscharles.com |  |
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| Marguerite Cox, a graduate of Rice University, is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Curtis under Hal Robinson and Edgar Meyer. The Ohioan has appeared as soloist on Illuminate Women’s Music, New Music Festival, Bass Players for Black Composers, and Sound Off: Music for Bail. As guest principal bass, she has played with the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and Charleston Symphony. Her festival participation includes Spoleto USA as a fellow, Aspen, Tanglewood, Music Academy of the West, Domaine Forget in Quebec, and Avaloch Farms, where she recorded a new work by Ted Babcock. While at Rice, Marguerite earned a minor in Poverty, Justice, and Human Capabilities and organized a series of benefits called Artists for Action, bringing together musicians of all genres and backgrounds for musical and community engagement. As a cofounder of PAGE (Project for All Gender Equity) she led the first ever panel discussion on gender and double bass at the 2018 Bassists Society convention at Indiana University. |  |
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| Ha Young Jung is captivating audiences and critics alike with dynamic and engaging performances. The Daily Telegraph of London called her a “Disarming prodigy who achieved the rare distinction of making her instrument seem worthy of solo status.” Her numerous wins include First Prizes at the 2013 Koussevitzky and 2007 International Double Bass competitions, the Silver Medal in the 2007 Koussevitzky, and Grand-Prix in the 2006 International String Competition in Moscow. As a soloist Ha Young has appeared with the Royal Philharmonic, Moscow Virtuosi, Southbank Sinfonia, and Novosibirsk Symphony, among others. Her festival participation includes Bergen, Eilat in Israel, Hardanger in Norway, and Wimbledon. Her performances have also been broadcast on WQXR, BBC Radio 3, “Kol Hamusica” in Israel, and Kultura Channel in Russia. ~ www.hayoungjung.com |  |
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| Double bassist Dominic Law from Hong Kong has played with the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Baltimore Symphony. And he was principal bassist in a collaboration concert at the 2019 BBC Proms between the Juilliard Orchestra and Royal Academy of Music. As a soloist, he seeks to incorporate elements of Chinese folk music and Western historical performance into his practice, and to expand the double bass repertoire by transcribing pieces written for other instruments. Baroque bass lessons with Doug Balliett and viola da gamba lessons with Sarah Cunningham led to his love affair with historical performance. Dominic recently performed his own transcription of The Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto, as well as a recital of works by Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms in different period tuning systems. Dominic is a C.V. Starr Doctoral Fellow at Juilliard, where he earned his B.A. and M.A.; his teachers include Joseph Conyers, Timothy Cobb, and Harold Robinson. ~ www.dominiclaw.com Photo by Carlin Ma |  |
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| Gabriel Polinsky, Associate Principal Bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 23, won the 2019 Philadelphia Orchestra Allen Greenfield Competition, and took fourth prize at the Irving Klein Competition. He recently made his New York debut for the Soloists of New England showcase at Carnegie’s Weill Hall; spent two defining years at the Tanglewood Music Center and New York String Orchestra Seminar; and has participated in the Pacific and Aspen Festivals. In addition to the double bass and classical music, Gabe plays the piano and delves into different genres. From Lynbrook, New York, Gabe got his start on the bass at age 8, and is currently at Curtis, working with Edgar Meyer and Hal Robinson; he previously studied at Juilliard under Tim Cobb. |  |
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| FLUTE | ||
| Sooyun Kim, winner of the Georg Solti Foundation Career Grant and a top prize at the ARD flute competition, has been praised for her “vivid tone colors” by the Oregonian and as a “rare virtuoso of the flute” by Libération. Since her concerto debut with the Seoul Philharmonic at age ten, she has performed with the Bavarian Radio, Munich Philharmonic, and Boston Pops, among other orchestras. As a recitalist she has played at Kennedy Center, Budapest’s Liszt Hall, Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy, Kobe’s Bunka Hall, with Sejong in Seoul, and at the Louvre (streamed live on medici.tv). An avid chamber musician, she is an Artist member of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and a member of Third Sound. Her festival appearances include Music@Menlo, Spoleto USA, Yellow Barn, Newport, Chamber Music Northwest, and Havana (Cuba). ~ www.sooyunkim.com |  |
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| Anthony Trionfo has been praised for his “spellbinding” performances with “authoritative intellect” by the Santa Barbara Voice. He has performed concertos with the Las Vegas Philharmonic (his hometown orchestra), the “President’s Own” Marine Band, and the Music Academy of the West Festival Orchestra, among others. Anthony was a recipient of the 2012 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award, a first prize winner of the 2013 Alexander & Buono competition, a winner of the National YoungArts Foundation competition, and a winner of the Young Concert Artists 2016 Auditions. He is also the first YCA artist to win the inaugural LP Classics Debut Recording Prize, granting him a commercial recording. At age 21, he will make his YCA recital debuts at the Kennedy Center and at Merkin Hall. Anthony has also appeared on From the Top, and was Principal Flute of the American Youth Symphony for its 2015-2016 season. ~ trionfoflute.com Photo by Matt Dine |  |
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| OBOE | ||
| Israeli oboist Roni Gal-Ed has been described as an “Expressive, wonderful player” by the German SZ Magazine and “Outstanding” by the New York Times. She won first prize at the Lauschmann Oboe Competition in Mannheim, and is a recipient of grants from the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. Roni has worked with such conductors as Zubin Mehta, Valery Gergiev, and Christian Thielemann, and as a chamber musician she has collaborated with Daniel Barenboim and the Jerusalem String Quartet, among others. She has also recorded premieres of new works as well as the Hindemith Oboe Sonata and Serenade for Hessischer Rundfunk in Frankfurt, celebrating the composer’s 100th birthday. Her festival participation includes the Jerusalem, PRO Festival Rolandseck in Germany, Verbier, Edinburgh, and Crested Butte in Colorado. As an orchestral musician, she was a member of the Munich Philharmonic under James Levine; she was Principal Oboe with the Bavarian Chamber Orchestra and Israeli Opera; and she was guest Principal Oboe with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Ivan Fischer for 8 years. Since 2009 Roni plays with Orpheus and the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra. In 2018, she performed the U.S. premiere of Matthew Greenbaum’s oboe concerto, “the jig is up,” at Lincoln Center. ~ www.ronigaled.com |  |
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| CLARINET | ||
| Clarinetist Vadim Lando has been praised by the New York Times for his “consistently distinguished” and “vibrant, precise, virtuosic playing.” He won a Gold Medal at the National Festival of Music Competition in Canada, as well as prizes at the Yale and Stony Brook competitions. As soloist, he has performed with numerous orchestras in the U.S., Europe, and Canada. His recitals and chamber music concerts include performances at the Tel Aviv Museum’s Chamber Music Series, Talalyan Brothers Festival in Yerevan, Armenia; Martha’s Vineyard Summer Festival; Forte Music Fest in Almaty, Kazakhstan; Music Festival of the Hamptons directed by Lucas Foss; and on the Dame Myra Hess Series in Chicago. His concerts are often broadcast on radio stations such as WQXR, WFMT Chicago, and National Public Radio. Vadim received his master’s degree at Yale and a doctorate at Stony Brook University; he was a student of Charles Neidich. He also runs his own school, the Great Neck Music Center. Vadim was principal clarinet of the Jupiter Symphony. ~ www.greatneckmusicconservatory.com |  |
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| Yoonah Kim, an artist of uncommon musical depth and versatility, has been hailed by the New York Times for her “inexhaustible virtuosity.” She is a winner of the 2016 Concert Artists Guild Competition and first prizewinner of the Vandoren Emerging Artist Competition. Active as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician, she recently performed Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto with the Maui Chamber Orchestra, a world premiere of a concerto by Eric Nathan for Violin and Clarinet with Stefan Jackiw and the New York Classical Players, Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time (again with Jackiw), and debut recitals at Weill Hall and Chicago’s Dame Myra Hess series. Her festival participation includes Marlboro, Chautauqua, and Banff. She also tours with Founders and Frisson, and is an alumna of Ensemble Connect. Born in Seoul and raised in British Columbia, Yoonah is a graduate of Juilliard and Mannes, where she studied with Charles Neidich. ~ www.yoonahkim.com |  |
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| BASSOON | ||
| Joshua Butcher is an active freelance chamber and orchestral bassoonist in the New York City area. Currently, he is the acting Assistant Principal with the Albany Symphony, a position he has held since January 2021. Other groups he has played with include the Atlanta Symphony, Ureuk Symphony, and the Exponential Ensemble. He has also performed as a soloist. Joshua received his Master’s in Music Performance from New York University after attending Curtis and CUNY Brooklyn College. Notable teachers include Leonard Hindell, Daniel Matsukawa, and Adrien Morejon. |  |
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| Gina Cuffari, praised by the Palm Beach Daily News for her “sound that is by turns sensuous, lyric, and fast moving,” is an active orchestral and chamber musician in the New York City area. Co-principal bassoonist of Orpheus, she is also a member of the Riverside Symphony, and often performs with the Knights, American Composers Orchestra, and Orchestra of St. Luke’s. In addition, she is the bassoonist of Sylvan Winds, performs and records with Alarm Will Sound, and appears with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Gina is on the faculty of New York University. ~ www.scarboroughtrio.com |  |
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| Eleni Katz, winner of the 2022 Concert Artist Guild and Yale Philharmonia’s 2019 Concerto Competitions, has been hailed for her virtuosity and vibrant musical spirit. She is currently a member of the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas. In her most recent performance as principal of Sibelius 2 under Susanna Mälkki, the “excellent bassoons were standouts.” Her festival appearances include the Music Academy of the West, Spoleto USA, and Lake George as a guest artist for the past 4 summers. Eleni, a cofounder of the Marea Duo, presented “In Natural Element” at Miami’s New World Center—a multimedia recital that featured commissioned works from underrepresented living composers. From Iowa City, Eleni earned her B.M. at the University of Wisconsin and M.M. at Yale, where she won the Nyfenger Prize. ~ www.elenikatzbassoon.com |  |
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| Yen-Chen Wu from Taiwan won second prize in the Asian Double Reed Association International Solo Competition, and in 2015, she became the first bassoonist since 1983 to win the Koussevitzky Young Artist Award for woodwinds and brass instruments. As a concerto soloist, she performed with the University of Taipei and Taipei Wind Orchestra. She was a member of Ensemble Connect from 2018 to 2020 and is currently a member of ConnectFive. Yen-Chen earned her B.M at the University of Taipei, M.M at Yale, and doctorate at Stony Brook under Frank Morelli. |  |
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| HORN | ||
| Karl Kramer, from Norway, was principal horn of the Jupiter Symphony. His winnings include top prizes from the American Horn and Nordic Horn competitions. He is a member of the Dorian Quintet, a founding member of Concerts in the Heights, and a faculty member at Rowan University in New Jersey. He also performs as artist-member and guest artist at festivals. ~ www.karlkramerjohansen.com |  |
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Please also read about our Guest Artists. |
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