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Chamber Music Camp Faculty Biographies
Mihai Craioveanu is Professor of Violin and Chair of the Strings Area in the Music Department at Hope College.
Hailed by the prestigious magazine The Strad, as "stunning...brilliant", Mihai Craioveanu has concertized to great acclaim throughout the world. Two renowned musicians of our time, pianist Radu Lupu and violinist Jamie Laredo, describe him as "very impressive" and a "superb violinist". Critics described his Carnegie Hall debut concert as "fresh and distinguished with a keen appreciation of proper style." Mihai Craioveanu performed sold out concerts in legendary concert halls, such as Carnegie Hall in New York City, Palau de la Musica in Barcelona, and the Atheneum Hall in Bucharest.
The Washington Post describes Mihai Craioveanu’s playing as "...dramatic, nuanced and playful." His violin became his voice. Craioveanu ensured that it was the music, and not the musician, that came first . Mihai Craioveanu appeared at renowned international music festivals such as Edinburgh (Scotland), Banff (Canada), and Bodensee (Germany). His performances have been broadcast on major American television networks, as well as European and Australian television. He has been featured on the international radio stations Free Europe and Voice of America.
Craioveanu's interest in contemporary music lead to world-premiere performances of several works written for him by American composers. His first compact disc recording of violin masterpieces titled Introducing Violinist Mihai Craioveanu, was presented to the public during his highly acclaimed concert tour of Spain. The disc is featured on various radio stations around the globe, and is distributed worldwide at amazon.com . Mihai Craioveanu was educated at the University of Music in Bucharest, and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London, where he studied on a British Council scholarship and was a winner of the coveted international Concert Recital Diploma. Craioveanu was also awarded scholarships to study at the International Summer Music Institute at the Franz Liszt Conservatory in Weimar, Germany, and the International Youth Music Festival in Brussels, Belgium.
Laura Hourt received her Bachelor’s of Music in violin performance from Chapman College, Orange, California, where she studied with David Margetts of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. While studying for her Master’s degree at California State University, Fullerton, her teacher was Lori Ulanova of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, herself a student of Ivan Galamian.
While in California, Laura Hourt performed with several orchestras, including the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, South Coast Symphony, Irvine Symphony and the Opera Orchestra of Los Angeles. She was a regular member of the orchestras for the William Hall Chorale, John Alexander Chorale, and Orange Coast Chorale under the direction of Richard Raub. Laura Hourt also performed in numerous live concert venues such as the Irvine Bowl, Laguna Beach Amphitheater, and Knott’s Berry Farm Theater, working with such artists as Doc Severinsen, Sarah Vaughn, Julio Iglesias, Henry Mancini and Carmen Dragon. She also played for motion picture soundtracks and at individual recording studios throughout the Los Angeles Basin.
Since moving to the Midwest, Laura Hourt has played for the Peoria Symphony Orchestra, Opera Illinois and Sinfonia da Camera She is currently assistant principal for the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and Illinois Chamber Orchestra. As a member of the Woodstock Mozart Festival Orchestra, Laura Hourt has the opportunity every summer to work with world class artists and conductors under the Artistic Direction of Mark Peskanov.
Laura Hourt maintains a large private studio for violin students and also offers coaching sessions for small ensembles. She is a certified adjudicator for Junior and Senior high schools in Illinois and regularly judges contests, competitions and auditions.
Soon-Ik Lee is is currently Professor of Music at Hanyang University in Seoul, Korea. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute and attended Indiana University, studying with Jascha Brodsky, Ivan Galamian, Leonid Kogan, Nathan Milstein, and Franco Gulli. In 1983 he was a prize winner in the Nicolo Paganini Competition. He has been a member of the Houston, Pittsburgh, and Nashville Symphonies. Since returning to Korea in 1989 as concertmaster of the Korean Symphony and a member of the Kumho Asiana String Quartet, he has performed in Europe, Asia, South America, and in the United States. In recent years he has participated in numerous festivals as teacher, performer, or competition judge.
Katherine Lewis is Assistant Professor of Viola at Illinois State University as well as the Master Teacher for the ISU String Project. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, and Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music. She is in the final stages of completion of her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, where she was a Brown Foundation Scholar. Ms. Lewis has taught viola and chamber music in the preparatory departments of the Shepherd School of Music, The Cleveland Institute of Music, and Fairmount Fine Arts Center in Cleveland, OH. In addition she currently performs as principal viola in the Peoria Symphony and Peoria Bach Festival Orchestra and has held the principal viola chair with the Prairie Ensemble, Kankakee Symphony, Symphony of Southeast Texas and Orchestra X. While in Houston she played frequently with the Houston and New World Symphonies, and was a member of the River Oaks Chamber Orchestra. She has participated in many festivals including the Aspen and Sarasota Music Festivals, the American Conservatory in Fountainebleau, France, the Baroque Institute at Longy, and the International Holland Music Sessions. Her teachers include Karen Ritscher, Jeffrey Irvine, James Dunham, Matthew Michelic, and Heidi Castleman. In recent months Ms. Lewis has given master classes at Oberlin Conservatory, Bowling Green State University, and Lawrence University, and performed as soloist in the Peoria Bach Festival.
Julieta Mihai began studying the violin at the George Enescu Music School in Bucharest, Romania. She continued her studies under Agoston Andras' guidance at the Music Academy in Cluj and later at the Music Academy in Bucharest. She studied at the University of Illinois with Danwen Jiang. She received the Master of Musical Arts degree in 1996, and the Doctorate in Musical Arts, Violin Performance, in May 2003 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Mihai participated in Masterclasses with Stefan Gheorghiu and Ifrah Neaman.Mihai has performed extensively in solo concerts and recitals in the United States, Romania, Germany, Austria, and Japan. In 2002-03 she played as a soloist with the Berkeley Summer Festival Orchestra in California and with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in Springfield. In May-July 2002-03 she participated on a full scholarship at the Toho Gakuen Music Academy in Kureha-Toyama, Japan, where she performed in solo and chamber music recitals. In 2000-01 Mihai was invited to perform solo works with the Prairie Ensemble and with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in Urbana-Champaign. During the summer of 2001, she was a fellow of the Manchester Music Festival in Vermont. She was the winner of the Concerto Competition of the Summer Festival Orchestra in Urbana-Champaign In 1996 Mihai won the Paul Rolland Violin Award of the University of Illinois and participated at the Montreal Violin Competition in Canada. As a soloist, she played annually between 1985 and 1994 with the Ploiesti Philharmonic Orchestra in Romania. In 1992 she participated a the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, Austria. In 1991 she was awarded a diploma at the Yehudi Menuhin Violin Competition in Folkestone, England. In the same year she was a semifinalist at the George Enescu Competition in Bucharest. In 1987 Mihai gained mention at the Lipatti Violin Competition in Craiova, Romania., and in 1986-87 she was awarded the second prize at the Bucharest Violin Competition. During 1999-2000 Mihai performed as concertmaster of the Prairie Ensemble in Urbana-Champaign. In August 2001 she became the concertmaster of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra in Springfield. Mihai is also a member of the Julstrom String Quartet and is currently assistant professor of violin at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill.
Lisa Nelson is Instructor of Violin and Viola at Illinois Wesleyan University, coordinator of the IWU String Preparatory Department, and faculty of the IWU Chamber Music CampMs. Nelson is a member of the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the Sinfonia da Camera, directed by Ian Hobson. She has also performed with the Peoria Symphony, Opera Illinois, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and as principal violist of the Enescu Ensemble. As an active chamber musician, Lisa Nelson regularly appears in recitals throughout Illinois and other Midwestern states.
Lisa Nelson holds her Master of Music degree from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and a double-degree (Bachelor of Music in violin performance and Bachelor of Arts in mathematics) from St. Olaf College, Minnesota, where she graduated summa cum laude with departmental distinction in music. She has also participated in summer programs at the Aspen Music School, Madeline Island Music Festival, and Interlochen Arts Camp. Nelson's teachers have included Sherban Lupu, Charles Gray, Mihai Craioveanu, and Alan Ohmes.
Along with teaching and performing, Lisa Nelson is Executive Director of the IWU Summer Music Program (Cello Camp and Chamber Music Camp) for young talented musicians and has been on faculty of the International Music Course and Festival in Positano, Italy, and the Ameropa International Chamber Music Festival in Prague, Czech Republic, and the International Chamber Music Festival and Tour in Bulgaria.
Michael Isaac Strauss, principal violist of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra since 1994 and member of the artist faculty at Butler University, performs around the world as a soloist, chamber and symphonic musician. He made his solo debut with the Minnesota Orchestra. Formerly a member of the distinguished Fine Arts Quartet, Strauss has performed at the Schleswig-Holstein and Montpellier festivals in Europe. In North America he has performed at the LaJolla, Caramoor and Banff festivals and appears on chamber music series throughout the United States . Strauss made the debut recording of Jennifer Higdon’s Viola Sonata (I Virtuosi), and recorded David Finko’s Viola Concerto with Orchestra 2001 (CRI) and Mozart’s complete viola quintets with the Fine Arts Quartet (Lyrinx), in addition to several CDs of 20th century chamber music works with members of Orchestra 2001. In 2006 he will release a CD featuring Stamitz’s works for solo viola with orchestra.
Strauss’ work has been honored with the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts Cinnamon Award, Artist Fellowship Awards from South Carolina and Indiana, First Prize of the WAMSO Competition of the Minnesota Orchestra, and the Ealing prize at the Tertis International Viola Competition. He is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and performs on a viola made by Matteo Albani from Bolzano , Italy in 1704.
Nina Gordon is Associate Professor of Cello and Chamber music at Illinois Wesleyan University and a Principal Cellist with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Prior to coming to Illinois, Nina Gordon was Principal Cellist of the Kansas City Symphony and the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, and taught Cello and Chamber Music at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. Earlier Ms. Gordon also held positions with the Israel Chamber Orchestra under Rudolf Barshai and the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta; she was Associate Principal Cellist with the Florida Philharmonic, and Principal Cellist with the Colorado Music Festival in Bolder, Colorado.Her education includes the Moscow Conservatory (Russia), the University of Tel-Aviv (Israel), and the University of Kansas, Lawrence, where she received her DMA. Among her teachers were Natalia Shakhovskaya (Russia), Michael Haran (Israel), George Ricci and Edward Laut (USA).Nina Gordon is the Founder and Music Director of the annual IWU Summer Music Programs which include IWU Chamber Music Festival and IWU Cello Camp. She is also a faculty member at the Ameropa Chamber Music Festival in Prague, Czech Republic, and at the International Chamber Music Festival ICMC in Positano, Italy.
Dr. Adriana La Rosa Ransom is Assistant Professor of Cello and Director of String Project at Illinois State University. She received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Missouri where she studied with Nina Gordon. She earned Master and Doctorate degrees from the University of Minnesota where she studied cello with Tanya Remenikova and chamber music with Jorja Fleezanis and Lydia Artymiw. As a soloist, Ms. La Rosa Ransom is the recipient of numerous awards, including winning top prizes at the WAMSO Young Artist Competition, the Naftzger Young Artist Competition, the Schubert Club Young Artist Competition, and the Thursday Musical Society Competition. She has appeared as a guest artist on notable solo and chamber music recital series, including the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series in Chicago. She has performed with many professional orchestras and ensembles, including the Minnesota Opera Orchestra, the Kansas City Symphony, the Minnesota Orchestra, the European Musical Festival Orchestra, and New Ear Contemporary Ensemble. Ms. La Rosa Ransom has served on the faculty at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Cloud State University,and the MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, and continues to teach at the Illinois Wesleyan University Cello Camp.
Eric Lenz is assistant professor of cello at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. In addition to teaching cello, chamber music, harmony, and counterpoint at SIUC, Lenz is a member of the Illinois Symphony and Chamber Orchestra. He has performed with the Alabama, Huntsville, and Charleston Symphonies, and with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra. With the Missouri Symphony Summer Festival, he has served as assistant principal cello since 2003. Recent chamber performances include a recital at Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall and a new-music residency at the Banff Centre for Music and Sound. Lenz has performed with Spoleto Festival USA and Brevard Music Center, where he served as orchestral fellow. Chamber music coaches include the Juilliard, Emmerson, Guarnari, Cleveland, and Cavani quartets. Lenz majored in music and mathematics at St. Olaf College, where he graduated with distinction for his work in both fields and was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He holds graduate degrees from the Cleveland Institute of Music-where he studied with Stephen Geber, principal cellist of the Cleveland Orchestra-and the University of Alabama where he was awarded the Moody String Fellowship. Further studies include residencies in France at the Conservatoire National d'Angers and in the Czech Republic at the Institut Franco-Tchèque.
A native of Tennessee, Lawrence Campbell holds degrees from Northwestern University, where he graduated magna cum laude, and from Indiana University, where he was awarded the Doctor of Music degree in performance with highest distinction. Pianists with whom he has studied include Pauline Manchester Lindsey, Gyorgy Sebok, and Alfonso Montecino. Other major influences have been Maestro Carlo Zecchi in summer classes at the "Mozarteum" (Salzberg, Austria), and Sir Clifford Curzon for whom he played during several months of study in London, England.
Lawrence Campbell won the 1968 Chicago Young Artists' Competition sponsored by the Society of American Musicians (the organization which also sponsored his Chicago debut the following year). Northwestern University honored him with the Corrine Frada Pick Prize for excellence in performance, the Pi Kappa Lambda scholarship, and the Wade Fetzer Prize as most outstanding performer in his graduating class. He was selected to play in master classes with Victor Babin (1967) and Easley Blackwood (1971) and with the Northwestern Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Campbell has concertized extensively throughout the United States, Canada, and Great Britain. As a performer, he professes marked affinity for the works of Mozart, Schubert, Beethoven, and Liszt. In 1986, the centenary of Liszt's death, he presented over thirty recitals devoted exclusively to the music of that composer. In that year, he was featured artist at recitals of the Beethoven Society (Southern Illinois University, Carbondale), and at conventions of the Missouri Music Teachers' Association, and the Wisconsin Music Teachers' Association. During the current season, he is playing recitals featuring the music of Franz Schubert to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the composer's birth.
Before joining the Illinois Wesleyan University faculty in 1978, Lawrence Campbell taught at Bemidji (Minnesota) State University, the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point, and Albion College. In recent years he has become increasingly involved with teaching related activities, serving frequently as an adjudicator, guest clinician, and lecture-recitalist.
Since entering the Preparatory Division of the Peabody Conservatory at age eight under the tutelage of Julian Martin, Mark Clinton has worked extensively with some of the world's foremost pianists, among them Leon Fleisher, John Perry, Carlo Zecchi, and Tatiana Nikolayeva. This critically acclaimed pianist has garnered prizes at such prestigious international competitions as the 1987 William Kapell International Piano Competition and the 1991 Joanna Hodges Piano Competition. He has been featured frequently on national radio and television broadcasts, including National Public Radio's Performance Today and Monitor Radio. Critics have noted his "powerful performance [combined with] sublime lyricism" (Salisbury Daily Times), the "...drive and security of his pianism" (Baltimore Sun), and his "luminous, concentrated playing" (Washington Post). He has appeared throughout the United States as a soloist with numerous orchestras, including the National Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony, the United States Air Force Symphony, the San Antonio Symphony, Concert Artists of Baltimore, the Lincoln Symphony, and the Springfield (Missouri) Symphony.
For a number of years, Clinton joined with pianist Nicole Narboni to form the highly successful Clinton/Narboni Duo. They received prizes at several major international competitions, including the 1994 ProPiano New York Recital Competition, the 1995 National Federation of Music Clubs Ellis Duo Piano Competition, the 1996 Concorso Internazionale <<Carlo Soliva>> (four-hand division), and the Alvin Perlman Prize at the Fifth Murray Dranoff International Two Piano Competition.
Clinton's current concert activities reflect his commitment to a wide range of performing experiences. Highlights of his calendar include enthusiastically received recitals at the American Cathedral in Paris, Seattle's Benaroya Hall (as featured guest artist at the 2008 Seattle International Piano Festival and Competition), and the historic rotunda of Steinway Hall in New York City. Other noteworthy performances have included an appearance as guest soloist in the Shostakovich First Piano Concerto with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, recitals with Trio Nuovo (joining violinist Anton Miller and cellist Karen Becker), two performances on the 2008 Illinois Chamber Music Festival Spring Concert Series, and a recital of French vocal music on the stage of the Lied Center for the Performing Arts with mezzo-soprano Anne Donnadieu.
Mark Clinton has shared his musical insights with gifted students from around the world while serving on the faculties of Salisbury University, the Aspen Institute, Missouri Southern State University, and the Ameropa Chamber Music Festival in Prague, Czech Republic. He is currently associate professor of piano and co-chair of the piano area at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Mark Clinton is a Steinway artist.
Dr. R. Kent Cook is an Associate Professor of Piano at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. He keeps an active performing schedule as soloist and chamber musician and has appeared in many venues around the United States and abroad with performances in Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, England, and Italy. In the Midwest, he has had recent performances in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Ohio.
R. Kent Cook hails from Odessa, Texas where he began to play the piano at age six. He attended Baylor University to pursue a career in dentistry, but soon abandoned that goal to begin serious study of the piano. After finishing a Piano Performance Degree with honors under the guidance of Roger Keyes, he continued his studies at Indiana University receiving both a Masters and Doctorate in Piano Performance while working with Leonard Hokanson, Michel Block, James Tocco, and Karen Shaw. In 1992-93, he also studied with Herbert Seidel as a Fulbright Scholar at the Hochschule für Musik in Frankfurt, Germany.
Dr. Cook joined the piano faculty at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1999, has since become very active in the region as an adjudicator and has taught numerous master classes for a variety of schools and organizations throughout the Midwest. In January of 2002, Cook released his first compact disc recording on the Novitas label. It is entitled Nachtstücke and is a recording of 12 Nocturnes by 7 different composers including Chopin, Liszt, and Schumann.Before teaching at IWU, he was on the piano faculty at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. During the summer he teaches at the Illinois Wesleyan University Chamber Music Festival, and has taught at the Indiana University Piano Academy, and the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.
Clarinetist David Gresham, recipient of the 2002 Lincoln Center Martin E. Segal Award for up and coming artists, is constantly in demand as a soloist and chamber musician. His solo performances have garnered high praise. El Mercurio of Chile writes, "...[his] interpretation demonstrated such a complete command of his instrument...that he gave the impression of being able to perform incredible technical and musical feats." The New York Times describes his performances as "Impressive... Outstanding... beautifully played." Fanfare Magazine writes that he gave "a fine performance of the [Mozart] concerto...a worthy addition to the catalogue...[he is] an excellent musician, with a bright, controlled tone, a precise tongue, and quick fingers." An active concert artist, Mr. Gresham's recent appearances with orchestra include the Weber 2nd Clarinet Concert with the Sakae Philharmonic in Yokohama, Japan in July of 2004, the U.S. premiere of Yevhen Stankovich's Chamber Symphony No. 6: Secret Calls for solo clarinet and orchestra, the New York premiere of David Rakowski's Cerberus concerto, performing on both clarinet and bass clarinet, and the New York premiere of Osvaldo Golijov's Yiddish Ruakh for clarinet and orchestra. His recording of the Mozart clarinet concerto with the Camerata Orchestra of Kiev, Ukraine, is available on the TNC label at www.tncmusic.net. Mr. Gresham has given numerous recitals New York City at Lincoln Center in the Bruno Walter Auditorium and at several other venues in New York, including the 92nd Street Y in the "Meet the Virtuosi Series" and in the Great Hall at Cooper Union. As a chamber musician Mr. Gresham performs worldwide. He is clarinetist with the respected contemporary music ensemble Continuum, based in New York, with which he has recorded multiple CDs and performed across North and South America, Europe and Central Asia, in addition to giving an annual New York concert series. He has also presented chamber concerts in New York City and London, England with the British violinist Philippa Mo. Mr. Gresham holds the Doctor of Music degree from The Juilliard School and is professor of clarinet at Illinois State University.
Roger Roe is a native of Dallas and earned a B.M. degree from Southern Methodist University and an M.M. from the Cleveland Institute of Music. His major teachers have included John Mack, Eric Barr, John Ferrillo and Elaine Douvas. Roe was named Outstanding Classical Instrumentalist by Downbeat Magazine and won First Place in the Fort Worth Young Artist Competition. Before joining the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in May 1995 he played with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra (SC), the Erie Philharmonic and the Dallas Chamber Orchestra, among others.
Roe has been soloist with the ISO on oboe, oboe d’amore and English horn, has appeared as narrator and works enthusiastically in the Orchestra’s education initiatives. He is a member of the faculty at Indiana University and performs with Suzuki & Friends and the Ronen Chamber Ensemble as well as recitals in Bloomington. Away from the oboe, he spends time renovating his home and pursuing his interests in running and opera.
William West joined the Illinois Wesleyan faculty in 1982. He holds degrees in woodwind performance from West Virginia University and the University of Michigan. Mr. West teaches flute and saxophone and presents regular solo and chamber music recitals on both instruments. In addition to performances of the standard repertoire, he is very involved in the presentation of newly and recently composed music and has collaborated with numerous composers on performances of their works. Mr. West played principal flute with Opera Illinois from 1989 through 2006. Also active as a collaborating pianist, Mr. West has extensive experience with both instrumental and vocal solo literature and chamber music, again with emphasis on newly and recently composed works.
Recognized for its virtuosity, exuberant performance style, and often daring repertory choices, the Pacifica Quartet has carved out a compelling musical path. Recent career highlights include complete Beethoven quartet cycles in Chicago, New York City, California, and Wisconsin; performances in Europe and Japan; performance of Elliott Carter's complete quartet at Lincoln Center in celebration of the composer's 100th birthday; and the release of Elliott Carter: String Quartet Nos. 1 and 5 on the Naxos label, the first CD in a two-disc set of Carter's complete quartets. The pacifica's recent release and earlier recordings of Mendelssohn's complete quartets, music between the world wars, and Dvorak have been praised by critics in the U.S. and abroad.
In May 2006, the Pacifica Quartet became only the second chamber music ensemble to be awarded a prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant. Winner of three of chamber music's most prestigious international awards---Grand Prize at the 1996 Coleman Chamber Music Competition, top prize at the 1997 Concert Artists Guild Competition, and the 1998 Naumburg Chamber Music Award---the Quartet was subsequently honored in 2002 with Chamber Music America's highly esteemed Cleveland Quartet Award and appointment to The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's CMS Two program for gifted young musicians. An ardent advocate of contemporary music, the Pacifica has commissioned and premiered as many as eight new works a year, and has performed Elliott Carter's fice quartets on prestigious stages in the U.S. and Europe.
The member of the Pacifica Quartet live in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where they were appointed to the faculty of the University of Illinois in 2004 and serve as Faculty Quartet in Residence. They are also resident performing artists at the University of Chicago and the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Simin Ganatra has won wide recognition for her performances throughout the United States and abroad. She has been described by critics as an "excellent and unique violinist" and heralded for "creating a miraculous sense of flow and other worldly beauty." She has performed in such prestigious venues as Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall, the Corcoran Gallery, and Carnegie's Weill Recital Hall. Collaborations include performances with Michael Tree, Toby Hoffman, and the St. Lawrence Quartet. She is the recipient of several awards and prizes, including the Naumburg Chamber Music Award, top prizes at the Concert Artists Guild Competition and the Coleman Chamber Music Competition, and first prizes in the Union League of Chicago Competition, the Pasadena Instrumental Competition, the Minnesota Sinfonia Competition, and the Schubert Club Competition. Originally from Los Angeles, Ganatra studied with Idell Low, Robert Lipsett, and most recently Roland and Almita Vamos. She is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory, where she was concertmaster of the Oberlin Conservatory Orchestra and recipient of the Louis Kaufman Prize for outstanding performance in chamber music. She is currently on the faculty of University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana and the University of Chicago
Sibbi Bernhardsson began his violin studies at the age of five in Iceland, his native country. His teachers included Gudny Gudmundsdottir, Roland and Almita Vamos, Matias Tacke and Shmuel Ashkenasi. He has received several awards and prizes, including the Icelandic "Lindar" award, and the release of his solo CD on the Icelandic label Skref, won praise for its "beautiful tone and fantastic performance." A graduate of the Reykjavik College of Music, Mr. Bernhardsson also earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he was elected to the Honorary Society, and a Master of Music degree from Northern Illinois University. As a member of the Icelandic String Octet, he performed across Europe, the United States, Asia, South America, and Canada. His international television appearances have included the MTV awards, Saturday Night Live, and the Jay Leno show with the award-winning pop star Bjork. He has served as Visiting Professor at the Oberlin Conservatory and is currently on the faculty of University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana and the University of Chicago.
Masumi Rostad has been heralded as headed for "the big career" by New York Magazine and has distinguished himself with numerous prizes and awards. Rostad was winner of the Bronx Arts Ensemble's Young Artist Competition Grand Prize and the Lillian Fuchs Award for outstanding graduating violist at the Juilliard School, where he received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees. As a Juilliard competition winner in 1999, Mr. Rostad performed the world premiere of Michael White's Viola Concerto in Avery Fisher Hall with conductor James DePreist. Also in 1999, he gave the New York premiere of Paul Schoenfield's Viola Concerto with the Juilliard Symphony. The New York Times wrote that the work was "magnificently performed." He has performed concertos with the Mozart Players Orchestra in Alice Tully Hall and the New York Youth Symphony at Queens College's Colden Center. Rostad has performed internationally as a member of the International Sejong Soloists and the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra and has participated in the Marlboro Music Festival. He is currently on the faculty of University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana and the University of Chicago.
Brandon Vamos has performed solo and chamber music recitals both in the U.S and abroad to critical acclaim. Praised by critics as a "first rate cellist" who plays with "gutsy bravura," Vamos has appeared as soloist with several orchestras worldwide including performances with the Taipei City Symphony, the Suwon Symphony in Seoul, the Samara Symphony in Russia, and the New Philharmonia Orchestra and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra in Chicago. Heralded as a champion of new music, he has recently been featured as soloist in Krysztof Meyer's Concerto Da Camera at University of Chicago's Mandel Hall. Vamos has collaborated with many distinguished artists including Paul Katz, Michael Tree, Rachel Barton, and the St. Lawrence Quartet and has recorded for Cedille and Cacophony Records. He was awarded Performer's Certificate at the Eastman School of Music, where he earned a Bachelor of Music Degree as a student of Paul Katz. Vamos has also studied with distinguished artists such as Tanya Carey in Macomb, Illinois and Aldo Parisot at Yale University, where he earned a Master of Music Degree. He is currently on the faculty of University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana and the University of Chicago.