Faculty

Violin:
 Haroutune Bedelian (USA)
 Susan Freier (USA)
Renata Artman Knific (Poland/USA)
Routa Kroumovitch (Latvia/USA)
Cármelo de los Santos (Brazil/USA)
Maureen Yuen (Canada/USA)

Viola:
Alvaro Gomez (Chile/USA)
Hisaopei Lee (Taiwan/USA)
Ilan Schneider (Lithuania/Luxembourg)

Violoncello:
 Stephen Harrison (USA)
Moises Molina (USA)
Gabriella Strümpel (Germany/Belgium)

Piano:
Anna Balakerskaya (Russia/USA)
Richard Cionco (USA)
Natsuko Fukasawa(Japan/USA)
 Lorna Griffitt (USA)
Irina Krivonos (Russia/USA)
James Nalley (USA)  & Collaborative Piano Course
Michael Rickman (USA)

Voice :
 Sheila Allen (USA)
Wanda Brister (USA)

Conducting:
Alvaro Gomez

Guest Artists
Andrei Diev (Russia), piano
Martin-Beatus Meier (Switzerland/USA), vocal coach, conductor, composer
Dmitry Vdovin (Russia), voice

In previous years, the following artists were guest faculty at the Schlern International Music Festival: Ewa Izykowska (mezzo soprano), Misha Maisky (cello), Natalia Gutman (cello), Zakhar Bron (violin), Vladimir Krainev (piano), Alexei Lubimov (piano), Alexander Rudin (cello).

Artists-in-Residence

SHEILA ALLEN, mezzo-soprano
(USA)

Professor, Chair of Vocal Studies, Texas Christian University at Fort Worth, formerly of Washington State University, Pullman, and the New York State University College, Fredonia. Appeared as a recitalist and soloist in operatic, orchestral and chamber music repertoire across the United States and in Germany. A champion of contemporary music, premiered Stephen Albert's To Wake the Dead in Alice Tully Hall and recorded it for CRI. Appeared as soloist with conductors including Semyon Bychkov, Christopher Keene, Helmut Rilling, and Lucas Foss. The New York Times hailed her Carnegie Hall recital as "...a first rate evening of music making," and American Gramophone called her recording of the Albert "superb." Many of the chamber works performed have been Dr. Allen's editions of arrangements by Dutch/German violist Rudolf Nel or of manuscripts found in his collection. In 1997 the Allen-Herman-Yeomans trio premiered a commissioned work by Martin-Beatus Meier at the Music Teachers National Association Convention in Dallas, Texas. More recently, the Allen-Yeomans duo has presented a program of music and drama dedicated to the Czech romantic composer Zdenik Fibich. These concerts, presented in the United States and England, included performances of Sheila Allen's English language adaptation of Fibich's monodrama Vodník. Dr. Allen holds the Mus. B. from the Oberlin Conservatory, the M.M., D.M.A. and Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, and studied in Stuttgart, Germany as a Fulbright Scholar, where she also performed with the Gächinger Kantorei. A pupil of Kammersängerin Lore Fischer, Helen Boatwright, and Helen Hodam, she was a national finalist in both the Metropolitan Opera Auditions and the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards. She also spent a summer as a Boston Symphony Vocal Fellow at Tanglewood and was selected for an U.S. National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Seminar in Music and Literature at Dartmouth College. Judge in numerous competitions, including the Canadian National Music Competitions, San Diego Musical Merit Competition, Metropolitan Opera Regional auditions, NATS, and MTNA.

ANNA BALAKERSKAIA, piano
(RUSSIA/USA)

Professor of Piano, George Mason University, Virginia, Levine School of Music in Washington, DC, formerly of the Moscow State Conservatory and St. Petersburg State Conservatory.  Collaborated with such noted artists as Kirill Kondrashin, Victor Tretyakov, Daniel Shafran, Dmitri Tziganov, Vladimir Landsman, and Michael Ganvarg.  Concertized in Germany, Switzerland, Holland, France, Belgium, Italy, Finland, United States, Canada, and Argentina, having performed in some of the greatest halls including Carnegie Hall, Salle Gaveau of Paris, The Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, Teatro Colon in Buenos-Aires, Palais des Arts in Montreal, the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Corcoran Gallery, National Gallery of Arts, and Library of Congress. Founding member of “Ensemble da Camera” of Washington and its active performer.  Studied at the St. Petersburg State Conservatory piano with the renowned pianist and master teacher Nadeszda Golubovskaia and chamber music with world famous chamber musician Prof. Tamara Fidler.  Awarded many prizes, among them three times the “Best Accompaniment Diploma” of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.  Conducts numerous master classes throughout the Unites States and Europe, teaches at the International Summer Music Festivals in Holland, Germany, and Russia. Her students have been winners of multiple competitions, both in the USA and Europe.

HAROUTUNE BEDELIAN, violin
(USA)

Professor, University of California at Irvine, enjoys a varied career as a performer, teacher and lecturer. Mr. Bedelian won a scholarship at age fifteen to attend London¹s Royal Academy of Music where he studied with David Martin and Manoug Parikian. With the help of Yehudi Menuhin and scholarships from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, his studies continued with Ivan Galamian and with Nathan Milstein. At twenty he won first prize in the BBC Violin Competition and appeared with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Bedelian has performed, broadcast and televised to outstanding critical acclaim throughout the world. An avid supporter of new music, Mr. Bedelian performed the world premiere of Aroutiunian¹s Violin Sonata in Paris, gave the Dutch premiere of Schnitke¹s Preludium in Memory of Dmitri Shostakovich for violin and tape, the first British performance of the Alan Hovhaness Second Violin Concerto at the Oxford Music Festival, and the New York premiere of Thea Musgrave¹s Coloque.

WANDA BRISTER, mezzo-soprano
(USA)

Professor of Voice, Florida State University, formerly of the University of Arizona and Baylor University.Performed in forty of the United States and in eleven European countries more than forty operatic roles with opera companies such as Opera Orchestra of New York, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Baltimore Opera, New Orleans Opera, Opera Theater of Saint Louis, New York Opera Ensemble, Annapolis Opera, Pittsburgh Opera Theater, Connecticut Grand Opera, Jefferson Performing Arts Society, Lyric Opera of Waco, Shreveport Opera, Performing Arts Society of Acadiana, and the New England Lyric Operetta; soloist with orchestras in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Louisiana, Florida, Arizona, West Virginia, and has sung under the batons of such conductors as Krzysztof Penderecki, Michael Tilson Thomas, John Rutter, John Nelson, Philippe Entremont, Arthur Fagen, Chris Nance and Leopold Hager. She served as an apprentice with the New Orleans Opera before enrolling at the Academy of Vocal Arts , Philadelphia , then worked as an apprentice with the Opera Company of Philadelphia . Studied with such operatic luminaries as Nell Rankin, Beverly Wolf, and Enrico Di Giuseppe, completed a Doctor of Musical Arts at University of Nevada , Las Vegas , under the direction of Vocal Literature scholar, Carol Kimball. Performed at some of the great halls in the United States, including a solo recital on the main stage of Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and the Kennedy Center to name a few. Avid promoter of art song literature, specializing in research on English composer, Madeleine Dring as well as French and Polish vocal literature. Performed hundreds of concerts with the New York Vocal Arts Ensemble, a solo quartet, from 1986 until 1996 in numerous venues, including festivals in Bulgaria , Germany , Poland and a tour of the former Soviet Union as well as a cruise for Cunard Cruise Lines through the North Atlantic . Featured on a recording of Arabesque label with this group ( Strauss Waltzes for Singing) , recorded a CD to be released on Cambria label of French Mélodies (Chausson, Fauré, Debussy, Poulenc, Satie), entitled “ Le premier matin du monde. ”

RICHARD CIONCO, piano
(USA)

Professor of piano, University of California – Sacramento, formerly Assistant to David Dubal at the Juilliard School.  First performed as soloist with orchestra at age nine, and has since performed with many orchestras including the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, the Oakland Civic Symphony, and with the Seijo Symphony of Tokyo.  In Europe, performed concerti with the Czech State Chamber Orchestra and with the North Bohemian Philharmonia as a winner in the Prague Spring International Music Competition.  Recently, he performed Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3 seven times on tour in Japan and Taiwan with the California Youth Symphony; the performance in Osaka was broadcast on Japan Television and has been released as a live and unedited CD recording.  Also performed in recital and given master classes at the Kolding Kommune Musikskolen in Denmark.  Played in major concert halls such as New York's Carnegie Recital Hall, Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, Merkin Concert Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, and Steinway Hall, as well as the Chicago Cultural Center and The Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C.  His recent recordings for Innova Records and Cantilena Records have been heard on National Public Radio.  While living in New York, he appeared frequently on the well-known WQXR live radio show "...from the listening room."  An International Steinway Artist, Mr. Cionco is a graduate of the University of Maryland and The Juilliard School, and studied with Rudolf Firkusny, Thomas Schumacher, and Audrey Bart Brown.  A recipient of a Solo Recitalists Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and a career grant from the Bagby Foundation for the Musical Arts in New York City, he is also winner of many competitions.  An enthusiastic promoter of new music, he performs annually at the Festival of New American Music in Sacramento, with several premieres to his credit. As chamber musician, his many appearances include Lincoln Center's FOCUS! Festival, and two performances at the Mozart Bicentennial Celebration at Lincoln Center.  As recitalist, he has been a guest artist of the Washington Chamber Society, and at the American Liszt Society Festival, as well as at numerous universities, including New York University, San Francisco State University, and Memphis State University.

CÁRMELO DE LOS SANTOS, violin
(BRAZIL/USA)

Professor, University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, first prize winner of the IV “Júlio Cardona” International Competition in Covilhã, Portugal, in 2003 and recipient of the special prize for the best interpretation of the required Portuguese work. Came into prominence in 1993 when he won Brazil’s most prestigious music competition, the “VII Eldorado Prize,” São Paulo. Since then appeared as a soloist with major orchestras in Brazil and South America in the most important halls. Other prizes include the second prize in the “VII Young Artist International Competition” (1991), Argentina, and first prize in the “I Young Talents of MEC Radio Competition” (1996), in Rio de Janeiro. Recordings include many programs for radio and television in Brazil. In 1994 Santos made a CD under the Eldorado Radio label which featured Brazilian and other composers of the twentieth century. In 2002 performed at the prestigious Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall with the ARCO Chamber Orchestra, both as a soloist and conductor. First prize winner at the Music Teachers National Association Collegiate Artist Competition in Cincinnati, Ohio. Began his violin studies at the age of nine, graduated from Rio Grande do Sul Federal University, Brazil, where he worked with Fredi Gerling and Marcello Guerchfeld. In U. S. studied with Sylvia Rosenberg at the Manhattan School of Music with Sylvia Rosenberg and with Levon Ambartsumian for the doctoral degree at the University of Georgia.

SUSAN FREIER, violin
(USA)

Professor, Stanford University. Member of the Stanford String Quartet. A.B., B.S., M.A., Stanford University, M.M., Eastman School of Music. Member, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. Graduate work at Stanford and the Eastman School where she was a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. While at Eastman she joined the Chester String Quartet, which went on to win the Cleveland Quartet Competition and later to serve as resident ensemble at the Indiana University of South Bend. During her tenure with the Quartet, the Chester won top honors at the Portsmouth (England), Munich and Chicago Discovery Competitions, and recorded on the Stolat, Pantheon and CRI labels. A frequent participant in the Aspen, Grand Teton, Telluride, Newport Music Festivals, the San Francisco Symphony’s "Sacred and Profane" Festival and Chamber Music West, she has performed on NPR, the BBC and German State Radio. Recorded for Newport Classics as a member of the San Francisco Contemporary Music Players and has been on the artist faculty of the Rocky Ridge Music Center, the Pacific Music Festival, and Music in the Mountains at Steamboat Springs. She is violinist with the Ives Quartet (formerly the Stanford String Quartet), with whom she has toured internationally and recorded on the Music and Arts and Laurel labels.

NATSUKI FUKASAWA, piano
(JAPAN/USA)

Professor, California State University Sacramento. Active performer around the world in the role of both, soloist and chamber musician, throughout the U.S., Japan, Australia, Europe, and in Israel, including such venues as Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall in New York, the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., and the Chicago Cultural Center. Performances have been broadcast throughout the U.S., including National Public Radio, WQXR and WNYC in New York, and Yomiuri Television in Japan, Czech National Radio, ABC Radio in Australia, and “Good Morning Denmark” (Television). Critics have called her playing “powerful and convincing” (Washington Post), and “with an unusually organic breadth” (Berlingske Tidende, Copenhagen). Founding member of the award-winning Jalina Trio, winner of numerous international prizes, highest critical acclaim including a January 2006 rave review in Fanfare magazine. Regular collaborator with many fine chamber musicians in Northern California includeing pianist Pascal Rogé, cellists Jean-Michelle Fonteneau, Stephen Harrison, and Susan Lamb, saxophonist Keith Bohm. Frequent guest soloist of the Sacramento Chamber Music Society. Her recent appearances include a tour of Italy performing Gershwin’s Concerto in F with Maestro Leo Eylar and the California Youth Symphony, concerto performances of Beethoven’s Triple Concerto, Liszt’s Totentanz, and Saint-Säens’ Carnival of the Animals with her husband Richard Cionco, concerto performances with Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra and Maestro Michael Morgan (Beethoven Third), CSUS Orchestra and Maestro Leo Eylar (Rachmaninov Second), duo concerts with U.C. Davis Artist-in-Residence violinist Ben Kreith and with violinist Ben Dominitz in Riverside, as well as performances as a guest artist for the Chamber Music Alive! series in Sacramento and Rocklin. Distinguished piano teacher with a growing waiting list of students. A recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, a graduate of The Juilliard School, the Prague Academy of Music, and recently earned her doctorate from the University of Maryland. Early studies with her mother and later with pianists Mark Richman, Martin Canin, Ferenc Rados, Anne Koscielny, Jan Panenka, Fumiko Ishikawa, and violist Tim Fredericksen. Her trio studied intensively at the Isaac Stern Carnegie Hall Chamber Music Workshop as well as at the Jerusalem Music Encounters.

ALVARO GOMEZ, viola, violin
(CHILE/USA)

Director of Orchestral Activities, String Specialist (Violin-Viola) at Austin Peay State University (www.apsu.edu). Also Professor, University of Florida and Rollins College, formerly of the University of Chile-Santiago, Stetson University and University at Little Rock-Arkansas. Also . Performed as soloist with orchestras, chamber music and master classes throughout the world, including Europe, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Israel, Canada, and USA. Served as Concertmaster of the Chilean Philharmonic, Graunke Orchestra (Germany), Chilean National Symphony, Arkansas Symphony, Brevard Symphony, and Orlando Symphony. Teachers: David Oistrakh, Viktor Pikaisen, and Galina Barinova (Moscow Conservatory). Awards: First prize, Jeunesse Musical Competition of Latin America (1970) and the Japan Foundation Prize (1982). Regular guest artist in festivals, including Grand Tetons in Wyoming, Florida International Festival, International Music Academy (Siena, Italy), Symphonic Workshop in Czech Republic, Frutillar in Chile, and Summer Fine Arts Camp in Fairbanks, Alaska.

LORNA GRIFFITT, piano
(USA)

Professor, University of California at Irvine, D. M., began her performing career at age sixteen as a soloist with the Louisville Orchestra under the direction of Robert Whitney in a performance of the Grieg Piano Concerto in A Minor. Her teachers include Doris Owen (Bickel), Tong Il Han, Gyorgy Sebok, and Maria Curcio. She received her doctorate degree with distinction in piano performance from Indiana University under the tutelage of Menahem Pressler. Ms. Griffitt is active as a soloist and chamber musician. Her performances include appearances in New York at Carnegie "Weill Recital Hall" and a live broadcast on NPR's "Performance Today" from Washington D.C. She began her teaching career in 1974 at DePauw University in Indiana and joined the faculty at UC Irvine in 1993.

STEPHEN HARRISON, violoncello
(USA)

Professor, Stanford University. B.M., Oberlin Conservatory; M.M., (with Distinction), Boston University. Studied with George Neikrug, Andor Toth, Jr., Margaret Rowell, Eugene Lehner. Member, Ives String Quartet. Cellist, Stanford String Quartet (1983-1997). Solo cellist, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players. Former principal, the Chamber Symphony of San Francisco, New England Chamber Orchestra, The Opera Company of Boston. Faculty member the Rocky Ridge Music Center and the San Diego Chamber Music Workshop Centrum/Port Townsend Chamber Music Workshop. Recordings for CRI, Laurel Records, New Albion, AIX Entertainment, Delos, Centaur, and Music and Arts Recordings of America.

RENATA ARTMAN KNIFIC, violin

(POLAND/USA)

Professor, Chair of the String Area, Western Michigan University.  International career began in London when she joined the English Chamber Orchestra at the age of 21. Tours of Europe, North and South America, and Asia followed, with artists such as Herman Bauman, Barry Tuckwell, Jean-Pierre Rampal, Maurice Andre, Pinchas Zuckerman, Itzhak Perlman, Isaac Stern, Vladimir Ashkenazy, and Murray Perahia. She worked closely with conductors Daniel Barenboim, Simon Rattle, Edo De Waart, and Christoph Eschenbach, and recorded dozens of records for the EMI, Decca, and CBS labels.  As violinist of the Merling Trio, Knific performs 20 to 40 concerts annually throughout the world, including appearances at Merkin Hall, Carnegie Hall, St. John's, London, and the Banff Center for the Arts.  Released three CDs with the trio and premiered many works written for the group. The Merling Trio was a finalist for the Naumburg Foundation Chamber Music Award in 1994.  Numerous appearences in chamber music festivals and as a soloist throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada.  Summer engagements include the Encore School for Strings, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Interlochen Arts Academy, and the Lancut Festival in Poland.  Former students perform in the Cavani, Pro Arte, and Cypress quartets and in orchestras throughout the world including the Cleveland, Houston, Honolulu, and Sao Paulo, Brazil symphonies.  Founding member of the contemporary ensemble, OPUS 21, and has premiered nearly two dozen works by many leading composers in recent years.  In 2003, released "West of Everywhere," a crossover recording featuring her with a variety of jazz greats including Gene Bertoncini, Sir Roland Hanna, John Abercrombie, Jamey Haddad, and Billy Hart.  Leonarda Records released her premiere recording of Marga Richter's concerto for piano, violin, cello, and orchestra entitled "Variations and Interludes on Themes from Monteverdi and Bach" in 2004 to critical acclaim.  Recent recordings include works for violin and piano by William Bolcom, at the composer's request, for MSR Classics Records.

IRINA KRIVONOS, piano
(RUSSIA/USA)

Professor, Special Music School of America, Lucy Moses School of Music at the Kaufmann Cultural Center, New York City. Native of St. Petersburg, Russia, studied at Kharkov Conservatory, Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory. Presented master classes at numerous festivals in United States and Europe, including Colmar (France), Freiburg in (Germany), Rome.  Students awarded top prized at international competitions, appeared with various orchestras of Ukraine and Russia, performed in Vatican for Pope, participated in the United Nations' Soviet Cultural Foundation concert and at the Grand Hall of the Moscow Conservatory.

ROUTA KROUMOVITCH, violin
(LATVIA/USA)

Professor, Stetson University's School of Music, Florida. Participated in numerous concert tours and recorded on radio and television throughout the former USSR, United States, Canada, and Europe. Studied with Galina Barinova, Leonid Kogan, and David Oistrakh at the Moscow Conservatory. Soloist with the following conductors: V. Tevah (Chile), J.C. Santos (Peru), W. Torkanowsky (USA), S. Bedford (England), L. Halaz (USA), R. Henderson (USA), M. Benzecry (Argentina), U. Mayer (Canada), T. Sleeper (USA), Tovi Lifsics (Latvia), Kypros Markus (Greece), J. Sinclaire (USA). First violin of the Santiago Chamber Orchestra, concertmaster of the Chilean Philharmonic Orchestra, and concertmaster of the Chilean Symphony Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, concertmaster of the Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Bach Festival Orchestra in Orlando. She also received the Critic's Award for the best solo performance in Santiago, Chile, and a Fulbright Award. Furthermore, during her years in Chile, the virtuoso toured all over the world as a soloist and in duo with her husband, Chilean violinist Alvaro Gomez. Master classes in Australia, China, Korea, Japan, Israel, and Europe. Judge in international violin competitions. Participated in numerous festivals including Grand Tetons, the Florida International Festival, Frutillar Music Festival in Chile, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.

HISAOPEI LEE, viola
(TAIWAN/USA)

Professor, University of Southern Mississippi, appeared as recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestra musician, spanning three continents, presented solo recitals throughout the United States and Asia and collaborated in chamber music in such cities as New York, Paris, and Tai pei. As a member of the Dayton Philharmonic, Taipei Philharmonic, and Aspen Chamber Orchestras, Dr. Lee has performed under such conductors as David Zinman, James Conlon, Robert Spano, David Robertson, Michael Stern, and Neal Gittleman. Her teaching experience in Taiwan inspired her to continue her education at Columbia University Teachers College in New York, where she received a Master's degree, followed by the Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Masao Kawasaki and Catharine Carroll. Member of the viola faculty of the Starling String Project; coached many talented violists as the long time teaching assistant to the viola studio at the University of Cincinnati. Affirming her pedagogical and performing expertise, the Aspen Music Festival awarded Dr. Lee a three-year fellowship to mentor the viola sections of the Aspen Sinfonia and Aspen Concert Orchestras. Dr. Lee has given master classes at West Virginia University, the Crane School of Music in Potsdam (N.Y.), and the Ohio State University. Forthcoming publications include her viola transcription of Beethoven's Violin Sonata op. 30, no.1, and a collaborative project with Dr. Catharine Carroll on a book of orchestral repertoire for violists.

MARTIN-BEATUS MEIER, Vocal coach, conductor, composer
(Switzerland/USA)

Dr. Martin-Beatus Meier, a native of Switzerland, received his musical training at the Berne and Paris Conservatoires and the Mozarteum in Salzburg. After several years of working as a coach and conductor at European opera houses and advanced studies in opera production at Indiana University, he assumed the directorship of the University of Texas/El Paso Opera Theater. After 1970 he served as professor of music at Washington State University, teaching predominantly in the areas of conducting, composition, chamber music and vocal repertoire. Parallel with his academic work he served as music director of the Washington-Idaho Symphony, the Spokane Connoisseurs Chamber Orchestra and the Mid-Columbia Symphony. Since 1997 he has made his home in Port Townsend on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, devoting himself more fully to composing, but remaining active as a chamber music performer, accompanist, guest conductor and clinician.

JAMES NALLEY, piano
(USA)

Professor, Florida State University College of Music. Performances to almost every state in the continental U.S, as well as Canada and Europe . Highlight performances include Latin America , England (Reading Festival), Ireland , Florence , Italy , and Spain . Winner of national and international competitions, made his New York Debut in Carnegie Hall to great acclaim. Performed for many radio and PBS broadcasts, including the Bravo Channel Broadcasts in Canada and the BBC in England/Northern Ireland. Appeared as soloist with many of the world's finest orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. Equally active in chamber music collaborations, he is a popular guest at many festivals, Artist in Residence at the Banff Festival, Taos Chamber Music Festival, New Orleans International Festival, Boyle Arts Festival/Ireland, and Managua , Nicaragua . Collaborated with some of the finest chamber groups which include the Inman Trio, the Muir String Quartet, and the Shanghai String Quartet. Summa cum laude graduate of Temple University and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Eastman School of Music. Master class clinician and adjudicator, presented in over 50 different academic programs around the world and regular juror of the International Young Artist Piano Competition in Washington , D.C. Recording Artist for Eroica Record Label, his CD of the Ives Sonata No. 1/Copland Sonata had the American Record Guide calling it “Remarkably played, the result is a revelation. This recording is a real treasure.” Latest CD of Schubert and Liszt had E-Music Magazine calling it “amenable and remarkable”. Fulbright Scholar on roster of Senior Specialists by the U.S. State Department, listed in the International Who?s Who of Professional Artists. On roster of artists represented by Lois Scott Management Inc.., New York . Recently selected as an International Steinway Artist.

MICHAEL RICKMAN, piano
(USA)

Professor, Stetson University, Florida. Pupil of the late Grace Potter Carroll, herself a former pupil of both Ferrucio Busoni and Theodore Leschetitzky. Holds degrees and the Performer’s Certificate from Mars Hill College and the University of North Texas, where he was a pupil of Richard Cass and Jack Roberts, studied further with Karen Shaw of Indiana University. Received top honors in the Theodore Leschetitzky International Competition, Carnegie Hall, New York. For two seasons was resident pianist with Petit Jean Music Festival, providing the opportunity to work with pianist Dalton Baldwin. Appeared in concert with the Audubon and Mendelssohn String Quartets, performances are regularly heard on Florida Public Radio. Achieved critical acclaim on three continents, having appeared in nine foreign countries, including the former Soviet Union. During a tour in Chile. Well known to the Central Florida community, has been a frequent performer in the “Sounds of Summer” concert series and appeared with Orlando Philharmonic’s Concertmistress, Lisa Ferrigno, in the inaugural concert of the “Serenade Series” at the Orlando Museum of Art, performed Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto, The Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini’s and Mozart’s Concerto in A Major, K. 488, with the Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, and in the fall 2002 with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and the Stetson University Orchestra performing works by Beethoven and Rachmaninoff. Recordings available on the Lakeside Records label, Romantic Realms I and Romantic Realms II. Grants from Stetson University enabled him to study the late works of Schubert and Beethoven with pianist Edward Kilenyi and works of 20th Century Dutch composers with Dutch pianist-composer Piet Stalmeier. In 1990, Dr. Rickman was the recipient of the first Homer and Dolly Hand Award for Creativity and Research, given by Stetson University and in May 1995 received the highest honor given in Stetson, the William Hugh McEniry Award for Excellence in Teaching.

ILAN SCHNEIDER, viola
(LITHUANIA/LUXEMBOURG)

Born in 1968 in Lithuania , received first musical education in his native town, Vilnius . At the age of 15 followed his family to Israel and continued his studies at the Rubin Academy of Music in Tel Aviv. In 1989 won the first prize of the Violin Competition of the Rubin Academy of Music. Later resumed studies with members of the Alban Berg Quartet at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna . Since 1997 has been a student of the virtuoso violist, Michael Kugel. In 1998 achieved a major success at the First International Viola Competition in Vienna . In 2003 graduated with highest distinction from the Royal Conservatory in Ghent . Appears regularly on the international concert stage as soloist and chamber musician. Currently principal violist of the Luxemburg Philharmonic Orchestra and a member of the „Quatuor Louvigny”. Gives regular master classes in the Netherlands , Belgium , Croatia and Lithuania and judges international competitions. Numerous recordings of solo and chamber music have been produced by the labels in Luxembourg, Germany, and France and have received distinctions from the international press, such as the "Diapason d'Or" and the "Strad Selection". Newest recital-CD was selected as the “CD of the month” by “The Strad” magazine.

GABRIELLA STRŰMPEL, cello
(GERMANY/BELGIUM) 

Member of the Brussels Philharmonic (Flemish Radio Orchestra) since 1997, formerly principal cellist of the Brussels opera orchestra “La Monnaie.”  Studied with Sándor Végh, Boris Pergamenschikow and Thomas Riebl from 1994 -1995 in Cracow Mozart Academy, with Wolfgang Boettcher and Alexandra Müller at the “Hochschule der Künste” (now “Universität der Künste”) in Berlin and in master classes with Anner Bylsma, Uzi Wiesel, Steven Isserlis, János Starker, György Kurtág, and most intensively – György Sebök.  As a chamber musician Ms. Stümpel has appeared in festivals in Berlin - Germany, Cochin - India, St.Gallen - Austria, Banff - Canada, Brussels - Belgium, Prussia Cove - England and Ernen - Switzerland, where she performed the Mendelssohn piano trio with György Sebök. Actively involve in yoga practice and instruction, founder of Musicoaching methodology and practice.  Fluent in English, German, Dutch, Hungarian and French.  Discography includes “Violino Arioso” with Ariadne Daskalakis, violin and Helene Lerch, harpsichord on Tudor Recording AG, Zürich and contemporary chamber music with Ensemble Q-O2 on Edition Wandelweiser Records.

MAUREEN YUEN, violin
(Canada/USA)

Professor, School of Music at the State University of New York at Fredonia, Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA, as well as a string adjudicator with Kiwanis Music Festivals in Canada. Received Bachelor and Master of Music Degrees in Violin Performance at the University of British Columbia in Canada at the age of 21. Primary teachers were Andrew Dawes, Nancy Di Novo and Gerald Stanick. Worked with members of the Emerson, Fine Arts, Orford, St. Lawrence, and Tokyo string quartets. As a founding member of the English Bay String Quartet, Ms. Yuen has toured North America, and has also performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Canada and Italy. Performed as soloist with amny orchestras including Victoria Symphony, Wichita Symphony and the National Academy Orchestra of Canada. Member of the Bellingham Festival Orchestra, whose recordings can often be heard on NPR's Performance Today. Her active schedule includes solo and chamber music recitals and masterclasses throughout North America.

Note: Faculty is subject to change without notice.