Soprano Hyunah Yu holds an Artist Diploma along with Masters and Bachelors degrees from the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University. She was a prize-winner in the 1999 Naumburg International Competition and a finalist in the Dutch International Vocal Competition and the Concert Artist Guild International Competition. In 2003, Hyunah won the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Award, nominated by eminent pianist Mitsuko Uchida. She is a regular at the Marlboro Music Festival, and is a frequent recitalist and soloist with such prestigious organizations as the Rotterdam Philharmonic, the Orchestra of the West Deutsche Rundfunk, Concerto Köln, Salzburg Camerata, the Aspen Music Festival, the Milwaukee Symphony, the Bournemouth Symphony, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, Vancouver Recital Society, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, and Musicians from Marlboro. During the spring and summer of 2006, Hyunah sang the title role in Mozart’s Zaide in New York, Vienna, and London with Peter Sellars and Louis Langree. She recorded two solo recitals in the United Kingdom for BBC Radio, and her EMI Debut disc of Mozart and Bach arias was released worldwide in January 2007. She also holds a molecular biology degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
Avery Fisher career grant recipient violinist Jennifer Frautschi created a sensation in recent seasons with appearances as soloist with Pierre Boulez and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Christoph Eschenbach and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival, and at Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival. Selected by Carnegie Hall for its Distinctive Debuts series, she made her New York recital debut in 2004. As part of the European Concert Hall Organization's Rising Stars series, Ms. Frautschi also made debuts that year at ten of Europe's most celebrated concert venues, including London's Wigmore Hall, Salzburg Mozarteum, Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and La Cité de la Musique in Paris. Ms. Frautschi’s 2009-10 highlights include opening night with the Utah Symphony, as well as appearances with the Honolulu, Pasadena, and Toledo Symphonies, the Buffalo and Boulder Philharmonics, and the Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie in Germany. Her growing discography includes three widely-praised CDs for Artek and several discs for Naxos She performs on a 1722 Antonio Stradivarius violin known as the "ex-Cadiz," on generous loan to her from a private American foundation.
Pianist Jeewon Park is rapidly garnering the attention of audiences for her dazzling technique, poetic lyricism and artistic versatility. She is sought after both as a recitalist and a chamber musician. Jeeown appeared as a soloist at Caramoor, Weill Recital Hall, Norfolk Music Festival, and Steinway Hall. She performed chamber music at the Spoleto USA Festival, Bridgehampton, Beethoven Festival (New York), Emilia-Romagna Festival (Italy), Taos (New Me
xico), Music Alp in Courchevel (France), and Kusatsu Summer Music Festival (Japan). In addition, Jeewon appeared in concerts at Caramoor’s Rising Stars, Bargemusic, Alice Tully Hall, 92nd Street Y, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Kravis Center (Florida), San Antonio Chamber Music Society, Rubin Museum (New York City), and the Bronxville Chamber Music Series. Jeewon holds degrees from the Juilliard School and Yale University, where she was awarded the Dean Horatio Parker Prize. Her teachers include Herbert Stessin, Claude Frank and Gilbert Kalish.
Cellist Edward Arron is recognized worldwide for his elegant musicianship, impassioned performances, and creative programming. A native of Cincin
nati, Ohio, Ed made his New York recital debut in 2000 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Earlier that year, he performed Vivaldi’s Concerto for Two Cellos with Yo-Yo Ma and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s at the Opening Night Gala of the Caramoor International Festival. Ed appears regularly as a soloist with orchestra, and as a chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. Ed is in his sixth season as the artistic coordinator of the Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert, a chamber ensemble created in 2003 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Museum’s prestigious Concerts and Lectures series. He is also the artistic director of the Caramoor Virtuosi and of the Alpenglow Chamber Music Festival in Summit County, Colorado. Ed performs regularly at Carnegie’s Weill and Zankel Halls, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully and Avery Fisher Halls, New York’s Town Hall, and the 92nd Street Y, and is a frequent performer at Bargemusic. He began his studies on the cello at age seven in Cincinnati and, at age ten, moved to New York to continue his studies. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School.
Violist Hs
in-Yun Huang, recognized as one of the leading violists of her generation, came to international prominence in 1993 when she was winner of the top prize of the ARD International Music Competition in Munich and the Bunkamura Orchard Hall Award. In 1988, Hsin-Yun was the youngest-ever Gold Medalist of the Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition on the Isle of Man. These and other honors have propelled a career as soloist and chamber musician on stages of major concert halls throughout North America, Europe, and the Far East. Solo performances have included concerto appearances with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra in Munich, the Zagreb Soloists in Paris, the Tokyo Philharmonic in Tokyo, the Berlin Radio Symphony, the Russian State Philharmonic, and the Naumburg Orchestra in New York City’s Central Park. Hsin-Yun is in constant demand in her native Taiwan, appearing with the National Symphony of Taiwan, and with the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra. She recently founded the Variation String Trio with violinist Jennifer Koh and cellist Wilhelmina Smith. Hsin-Yun came to England at the age of fourteen to study at the Yehudi Menuhin School with David Takeno. She continued her studies at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia with Michael Tree, where she earned her Bachelor of Music degree, and at the Juilliard School with Samuel Rhodes, where she earned a Master of Music degree. Currently residing in New York City, she is a dedicated teacher, serving on the faculties of The Juilliard School and the Mannes College of Music.
Cellist Alisa Weilerstein is a natural virtuoso hailed for her impassioned musicianship and expressive range. She is internationally renowned as one of the p
remiere soloists and chamber musicians of her generation. While her technical brilliance and “meltingly beautiful” sound are universally acknowledged, it is her distinctive musical presence and rare charisma that set her apart. Alisa’s recent performances include concerts with the orchestras of Baltimore, Cleveland, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and San Francisco, as well as the New York Philharmonic and the National Symphony Orchestra. An ECHO “Rising Star” and alumna of Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society II, she performs as recitalist and chamber musician in many of the world’s top concert halls and festivals. Her highly praised debut recording was released on EMI Classics in 2000. Alisa holds a B.A. in History from Columbia University.
Recognized as one of today's most gifted artists, and enjoying an active career as both pianist and conductor, Ignat Solzhenitsyn's lyrical and poignant interpretations have won him critical acclaim throughout the world. His extensive touring schedule in the United States and Europe has included concerto performances with numerous major orchestras, including those of Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Saint Louis, Los Angeles, Seattle, Baltimore, Washington, Montreal, Toronto, London, Paris, Naples, St. Petersburg, Israel, and Sydney, and collaborations with such distinguished conductors as André Previn, Herbert Blomstedt, Yuri Temirkanov, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Mstislav Rostropovich, Gerard Schwarz, Charles Dutoit, James DePreist, Krzysztof Penderecki, David Zinman, Jerzy Semkov, James Conlon, Lawrence Foster and Maxim Shostakovich. Mr. Solzhenitsyn is in his sixth season as Music Director of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia, having served as its Principal Conductor for the previous six years. He also serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Solzhenitsyn is also in demand as guest conductor, having recently led the orchestras of Baltimore, Dallas, Seattle, Indianapolis, Buffalo, North Carolina, Toledo, New Jersey, Virginia, and Nashville. A winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant, he serves on the piano faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music. He has been featured on many radio and television specials, most recently CBS Sunday Morning and ABC’s Nightline. Born in Moscow, but raised in Vermont, he resides in the United States with his wife and three children.
Clarinetist David Shifrin is in constant demand as an orchestral soloist, recitalist and chamber music collaborator. As an orchestral soloist, David appeared with the the Philadelphia and Minnesota Orchestras and the Dallas, Seattle, Houston, Milwaukee, Detroit and Denver symphonies among many others in the US, and internationally with orchestras in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. He served as principal clarinetist with the Cleveland Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra (under Stokowski), the Honolulu and Dallas symphonies and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and New York Chamber Symphony. David received critical acclaim as a recitalist, appearing at such venues as Alice Tully Hall, Weill Recital Hall and Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall and the 92nd Street Y in New York City as well as the the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. A sought after a chamber musician, he collaborates frequently with such distinguished ensembles and artists as the Guarneri, Tokyo, and Emerson String Quartets, Wynton Marsalis, and pianists Emanuel Ax and André Watts. David recently completed his eighth year as the artistic director of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
David joined the faculty at the Yale School of Music in 1987 and was appointed Artistic Director of the Chamber Music Society of Yale and Yale's annual concert series at Carnegie Hall in September 2008. He served on the faculties of the Juilliard School, University of Southern California, University of Michigan, Cleveland Institute of Music and the University of Hawaii. In 2007 he was awarded an honorary professorship at China's Central Conservatory in Beijing. Mr. Shifrin's recordings on Delos, DGG, Angel/EMI, Arabesque, BMG, SONY, and CRI consistently garner praise and awards. David continues to broaden the repertoire for clarinet and orchestra by commissioning and championing the works of 20th and 21st century American composers including, among others, John Adams and Joan Tower. He resides in Connecticut with his wife and four children.
C
omposer David Ludwig’s music is performed by today’s leading musicians in some of the world's most prestigious venues. His music has been called “wonderfully satisfying,” and that it “promises to speak for the sorrows of this generation,” by the Philadelphia Inquirer. The New York Times recognizes it for its “expressive directness” and the Baltimore Sun notes its “yearning, poetic quality.” His works have been performed in such venues in the United States as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Library of Congress, and have been heard on PBS and NPR's Weekend Edition.
Ludwig has received commissions from many prominent artists and ensembles, including groups like the Grammy Award-winning “eighth blackbird” ensemble, soloists like violinist Soovin Kim and pianist Jonathan Biss, and orchestras including the Minnesota, Vermont, and Richmond Symphony. Ludwig has won numerous awards and participated in many residencies with orchestras, summer music festivals, and artist colonies. He holds degrees from Oberlin, The Manhattan School, The Curtis Institute, Juilliard and a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. Ludwig joined the faculty of Curtis in 2002 where he serves on the composition faculty, as the acting chair of musical studies, and as the artistic director of the 20/21 Contemporary Music Ensemble.
Violinist Soovin Kim is the founder and Artistic Director of the Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival. He is increasingly sought after for the character, nuance, and excitement of his performances as concerto soloist, chamber musician and recitalist, both in the U.S. and abroad. Particularly known for his breadth of repertoire, Soovin typically takes on everything from solo Bach and Paganini to the big romantic concertos to new commissions. Highlights of the 2008-09 season were his Russia debut with the Moscow Symphony conducted by Ignat Solzhenitsyn, an octet tour with his own Johannes Quartet and the Guarneri Quartet performing newly-commisioned works by Esa-Pekka Salonen, Derek Bermel, and William Bolcom, and a tour of Europe with pianist Mitsuko Uchida.
Soovin released his second recording with Azica Records in the summer of 2008, a French album of Fauré and Chausson with Jeremy Denk and the Jupiter Quartet. His first CD with Azica Records, Niccolò Paganini's demanding 24 Caprices for solo violin, was released in February 2006 and was named Classic FM magazine’s Instrumental Disc of the Month.
Soovin grew up for much of his childhood in the Champlain Valley in Plattsburgh, NY. He joined the Vermont Youth Orchestra as its then-youngest member at age 10, and later served as its concertmaster for three years. He is often heard in the Champlain Valley through his performances with the VYO, the Vermont Symphony, on the Lane Series at the University of Vermont, at Middlebury College, and on Vermont Public Radio. He plays the 1709 ex-Kempner Stradivarius.