iPalpiti Artists 2005

Featured Artist                                              

Cameron Carpenter, Organ
Cameron Carpenter has been called “America's Young Organ Virtuoso” (Fly Magazine), an “enfant terrible” (Charleston Daily Mail) and “...the Jewel of Juilliard” (El Paso Times). His belief in highly individualized style and his outspokenness have made him a controversial performer unique among organists. After performing both books of J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier from memory at age 11, he joined the American Boychoir School as a boy soprano and played his European debut for 3,000 at Riga's Dome Cathedral at age 13. At 18 he embraced secular aesthetic exploration and virtuosity over the traditions of organ performance, and since 2001 has averaged 40 concerts per year while a student at The Juilliard School. CNN, ABC, NBC, BBC, BBC Radio, RadioSuisse, RadioFrance, and MPR's Pipedreams have broadcast his playing. Cameron received his bachelor's degree from The Juilliard School in 2004, where his undergraduate studies were with Dr. Gerre Hancock (two years), Dr. John Weaver (one year), and Paul Jacobs (one year). He remains at Juilliard as a graduate student of Paul Jacobs.

Cameron is active as a composer of primarily orchestral and some organ music; and as a print and runway model, in which capacity he has been photographed for W Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Time Out New York, HX Magazine, and others. Cameron's latest CD recording cameron carpenter / notes from the underground, writings on musical issues, and other information, is available online at www.cameron-carpenter.com.

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Dmitri Demiashkin, Mordovia-Switzerland
Dmitri Demiashkin is an artist rare to find, especially in one so young, where virtuosity and poetry combine effortlessly. Indeed, Dmitri Demiashkin has won the enthusiastic praise of both the public and his peers for just that: his elegant musicianship, incomparable technique and lyrical sensibility. Critics have likened him to Gilels for the delicate subtlety of his phrasing and crystalline tone, while also noting the remarkable maturity of his interpretive powers. He was only 10 years old when he claimed victory at the International Piano Competition in Czechoslovakia, following with first prizes at the prestigious Concertino Prague Competition and in both the Virtuosi per Musika di Pianoforte and the Bravo-Bravissimo competitions in Italy. Since 1997, when he was awarded a generous grant from the New Names Foundation, Mr. Demiashkin has performed in recital in music festivals throughout Europe, including concerts in Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Sweden, Holland, Poland, Czech Republic, Lithuania, Spain and Ukraine. He has soloed with the Moscow State Symphony Orchestra, the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, and the Prague Symphony, among others.

Dmitri is a graduate of the Central Music School of the famed Tchaikovsky Moscow Conservatory. After receiving first prize in the International Competition Recontres Musicales de la Venoge in Lausanne, at the invitation and with the support of the Stiftung Lyra Foundation, he moved to Zurich in 1999 to pursue his studies at the Hochschule fur Musik, where he now studies with Homero Francesch. In May 2002, Dmitri won the Gold Medal over some 55 other competitors from all over the world at the Third International Russian Music Competition in San Jose, California. He made his North American debut in December 2002, playing the Prokofiev 3rd Piano Concerto with the Nova Vista Symphony in San Jose under the baton of Navrosh Mehta. He was re-invited to perform again in December 2003, with continuing engagements in California in 2004-05 seasons.  www.concertartist.info/IMCA/demiashkin.html

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Amanda von Goetz, USA
Amanda has been making her mark on the musical world since 1996, when she debuted with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra as the youngest first prize winner in the history of the NJSO’s Young Artists Auditions.  She returned to the stage with the New Jersey Symphony numerous times in subsequent seasons.

Only two years later, Ms. von Goetz made her Carnegie Hall debut in the Isaac Stern Auditorium performing the Grieg Piano Concerto, and received a standing ovation.  Subsequently, Ms. von Goetz has been invited to perform with Yuri Bashmet & the Moscow Soloists, the State Symphony Orchestra of St. Petersburg (Russia), the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Long Island Philharmonic Orchestra, the New York Pops, and the I Palpiti orchestra, amongst others.

In addition, Ms. von Goetz has recorded television broadcasts for the Classic Arts Showcase, RTR (Russia), WNYE, WLIW, WNJN, and The Disney Channel.  She has been showcased on Classical NJFM, WQXR and in 2004, her solo recital at the Bing Theater in Los Angeles was broadcast live on K-Mozart – Sundays Live!  She has performed at Alice Tully Hall, Carnegie Weill Recital Hall, and Steinway Hall in New York City.  Other recent performances have taken her through The Republic of Georgia, Russia, Sweden, Germany, to the United Kingdom and across her home country of the United States, in venues including the Gordon-Bennett Hall at Ravinia, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, and the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts in California.
 
Highlights of Ms. von Goetz’s 2004-05 Season will include her debut at Philharmonic Hall, St. Petersburg (Russia), Bled Festival (Slovenia), as well as recital tours across South America and Spain. Ms. von Goetz has appeared at the prestigious Verbier Festival, the Van Cliburn Institute, Le Musicale de Tours in France and the Morris International Festival of the Arts, where she received the top award of “Young Artist of the Year.”  After her appearances in concerts at the Young Artists International Laureates Festival 2004, she was honored with an award by the Beverly Hills Outlook publication in the “Soloist of the Year” category.  An avid chamber musician, she has collaborated with some of the finest young musicians of her generation.

Since the age of 16, Ms. von Goetz has given public speeches and interactive discussions to children ages K-12 in school assembly programs, which she believes is crucial to the development and endorsement of the Arts.  In 2003, she assumed the role of Managing Director for a project entitled Life Between the Keys – an innovative concert event presented by the Juilliard School graduating piano class of 2004, exclusively showcasing the music of American composers.  Additionally, Ms. von Goetz was recently appointed Personnel Director of the American Classics January 2005 recording project with NAXOS, due out for release later this year.

Amanda completed her undergraduate training at The Juilliard School with Yoheved Kaplinsky.  She has also taken masterclasses with Claude Frank, Vladimir Feltsman, Christopher Elton, Steven Kovacevich, and Gary Graffman. She has been coached by her mentor, distinguished pianist Alexander Slobodyanik, since the age of 12.

During her spare time, Amanda enjoys studying the art of linguistics.  Fluent in Russian, she is now working towards proficiency in German.  In her native English, Amanda also enjoys creative writing and has done so professionally.  Building a published portfolio through freelance journalism, Amanda is the youngest writer ever welcomed to the staff of both The Classical New Jersey Society Journal and The New Music Connoisseur in New York City.

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Catharina Chen, Norway
Born in Oslo, Norway in 1985, Catharina started playing violin at age of five with her father. She continued her studies with Alf Richard Kraggerud, and since 1997, with Stephan Barratt-Due.

A soloist since 8 years old, she soloed with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra, The Oslo Philharmonic, Bergen Philhamonic, Tromso Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Camerata, the ZKO-Zurcher Chamber Orchestra and in 2004 with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.

A Grand Prize-Winner of the 3^rd International Gnessin Violin Competition in Moscow, Russia, Catharina is a recipient of numerous awards in Norway such as: “Prize of Honour” by the Norwegian Music Publisher Union in 2002 and “Karoline Prize” in 2003; National violin competitions in Norway 1996- 2002, and Sparre Olsen competitions in 1997, 1998 & 2002.  Musical celebrity in Norway, Catharina is also known to Norwegians through the television and radio broadcasting. Among the TV programs that she has appeared are Penguin (1995), Bravo Bravissimo from Italy (1996), NRK’s Big Stage with The Norwegian Radio Orchestra (1998),  Arve Tellefsen as soloist (1999),  Young Musicians (2001), Eurovision with Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (2002) and at the Norwegian Prime Ministers New Year Speech (2003).

Catharina participates in different international arts festivals in Norway and internationally. She gave several solo and chamber concerts in Norway (e.g.: North Festival, Stavanger International Music festival, Oslo Chamber Festival, Bergen International Festival etc), as well as in Italy, China, Malaysia, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, France and South Africa. During this season she performed Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and is invited back to solo with Beethoven Concerto in the next season. Currently she works with Professor Eduard Schmieder in Artist Certificate Program at the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas. In her 2^nd year as I Palpiti member, during the Laureates Festival in Los Angeles, Catharina is also invited to be a soloist with Beverly Hills Symphony Orchestra.

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Nora Hapca, Romania
Nora is the winner 20 national and international competitions . As a 2^nd Grand Prize winner at the Remember Enescu International Competition in 2003, Nora is a recipient of the Special Artist prize from Young Artists International in 2004 and 2005.

Born in Romania in 1986, she attended The Music High School in Baia Mare from 1992-2000 where she studied under Professor Ludovic Gebe. Currently she studies at the George Enescu Music High School in Bucharest under Professor Mihaela Tomescu.
Nora played concerts and recitals in Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy and Romania and had a concert tour with the Lyceum Strings Chamber Orchestra in France. She was invited to play in Master Classes for Liviu Ghitea 1997 and 1998 (Romania), Sherban Lupu 2001(USA), Sekion Yaroshevich 2002 and 2003 (Israel) and for Alexandru Tomescu 2004 (Romania).

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Robert Kowalski, Poland
Robert Kowalski was born in Gdansk, Poland in 1985. He began his music education at the age of seven studying violin at the Feliks Nowowiejski Academy of Music. In 2003, he graduated from the Academy, where he studied under the guidance of Maria Kalinowska, Jerzy Hazuk, and Professor Krystyna Jurecka. In the fall of 2003, he began his studies with Professor Waleri Gradow at the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts.

Mr. Kowalski has performed in numerous regional and national competitions as a soloist and chamber musician, winning a number of awards and scholarships. In 2004, he received an honorary diploma at the Alexander Tansman International Competition in Lodz, Poland. He was also the first winner of the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage’s Young Artist and Scientist Award, presented to him by the president of the city of Danzig. Throughout the years, Mr. Kowalski has received support from the government-sponsored National Foundation for Gifted Children.

He has participated in master’s courses under the direction of renowned violin instructors Waleri Gradow, Konstanty Kulka, Wanda Willkomirska, Marina Jaschwili, Krzysztof Wegrzyn, and Petru Monteanu. At home and abroad he gives recitals and has performed with orchestras such as the Capella Gedaniensis and the Baltic States Opera House. Mr. Kowalski has also appeared at music festivals in Switzerland and Italy, and has made numerous recordings for television and radio.

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Isabelle Lambelet, Switzerland
Born in Lausanne in 1981, Isabelle Lambelet began her first violin lessons at the age of four. In 1994, she was accepted in Tibor Varga’s class in the Ecole Supérieure de Musique de Sion. In 1999, she received her Teaching Diploma at the Swiss Music Pedagogy Society. From October of 2000, she studied with Prof. Kolja Blacher in the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater, Hamburg.

Miss Lambelet has won several prizes and competitions, such as the First prize at the Swiss Youth Competition in 1996, a scholarship from the Migros Cultural Foundation and the special prize at the 1999 Concour des Jeunes Interprètes in Wattrelos, France. She was a finalist of the ‘Grand Prix Eurovision’ 2000.

Isabelle is very involved in chamber music. She has been invited by festivals in Davos (Young Artists in Concert), Divonne, and by the Festival Tibor Varga. In 1999, she created the Trio l’Académie Varga, a trio that gave numerous concerts after receiving prize at the 1999 Chamber Music Competition of the Migro Cultural Foundation. Since 2001 she is a violinist in the Trio Zéphyr which is supported by the Yehudi Menuhin Foundation. The trio received a scholarship from the Masefield foundation in 2002 and won the first prize at the 2003 Charles Hennen International Music Competition in Heerlen, Holland.

As a soloist, Miss Lambelet has performed with many orchestras, including the Budapest Chamber Orchestra, the Sir Georg Solti Chamber Orchestra, the Sinfonietta Lausanne and the Neues Orchester Basel. She created the world premiere of Laurent Mettraux’s 2^nd concerto, which was dedicated to her. She has participated in master classes with professors such as Yehudi Menuhin, Herman Krebbers and Thomas Brandis and has made many television- and radio broadcastings as well. Different tours have lead her through several European countries, including Hungary, France, Germany and Italy. Selected by Young Artists International as I Palpiti soloist in 2004, Isabelle was featured in solo and chamber ensembles, and as member of the I Palpiti at the Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

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Maria Machowska, Poland
Maria Machowska was born in 1987 in Warsaw, Poland. A daughter of famous Polish actor Ignacy Machowski, she began playing a violin at the age of 6. A graduate of Brzewski Music School in Warsaw  in a class of Professor Miroslaw Lawrynowicz, she continues her studies at the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music

As an eight-year-old girl Maria gave a concert in the Vatican, playing for the Pope John Paul II. A photographer took a picture of a little girl with a violin embracing the Holy Father. It became recognizable round the world, and this event initiated numerous engagements. Maria has played in famous halls in Japan, Canada, Switzerland, France, Austria, Sweden, Germany, Yugoslavia, Russia and Poland.

Maria has made many recordings for the Polish Radio and Television, as well as for German and Swiss Televisions. A First Prize winner of numerous national violin competitions in Poland, she is also the laureate of international competitions and festivals, including the Henrik Wieniawski International Young Violinists Competition and Karol Lipiński International Competition in Lublin, where, being the youngest contestant, she took the third prize in the age group up to 25, named best Polish violinist.

Maria is a grant holder of The National Fund for Children and The Talent Promoting Foundation of Ewa Czeszejko-Sochacka, and scholarship recipient of the Ministry of Culture and Art.  She has performed in recitals and with orchestras almost in all the countries in Europe as well as in Japan, Canada and USA.  Among special performances are the solo with the Russian State Orchestra (Moscow, 2001), a concert in Vienna in celebrations of the Polish Year in Austria (2002) and recital in Kanazawa in Japan on a personal invitation by the rector of Hokuriku University. In the summer of 2003 she participated in the international music course Morningside Music Bridge in Calgary, where her performance of Karol Szymanowski’s “Roxana’s song” was awarded a prize and as a result  placed on the seventh CD of the Conservatory of Mount Royal College. On the occasion of the International Day of Music in 2003 she played in a duo with Vadim Brodski in a concert broadcast alive on the Polish State TV, which took place on the stage of the National Concert Hall in Warsaw with the Mexican Symphony Orchestra under Enrique Batiz. In the same season she played two more times in this famous hall, performing with the National Philharmonic Orchestra under Michał Dworzyński. She participated in the Eurovision 2004 playing the Wieniawski’  Polonaise in D- Major with the Polish Radio Orchestra. She was selected to participate in Laureates Festival 2004 of Young Artists International in Los Angeles where she performed solo recital and as the member of I Palpiti Orchestral Ensemble of International Laureates.

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David Marks, USA
A native of Chicago, David Marks began violin lessons at the age of three. By the time he had completed high school in 2002, David had already acquired numerous regional and national accolades of recognition, including prizes at the Midwest Young Artist's Concerto Competitions, and the Society of American Musicians' Concerto Competitions.

Mr. Marks has been guided under the tutelage of esteemed Professors Mark Zinger, Cyrus Forough and Gerard Ribeiro. On the international front, Mr. Marks has performed in numerous master classes with renowned pedagogues and violin masters such as Zakhar Bron, Vadim Repin, Maxim Vengerov, Frank Almond and Eduard Wulfson.

David is a former member of the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra and since, has been offered positions in the Harper College Orchestra, the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and the Park Ridge Symphony Orchestra, working under conductors such as James DePriest, Otto-Werner Muller, among others. Performances at summer music festivals have brought him to the Idyllwild Arts Festival, California, and the Chateau de Champs Master Classes in Paris, France.

Upon his acceptance to The Juilliard School in 2002, David joined the studio of Professor Masao Kawasaki, and that same year was named the recipient of the prestigious Union League Club Scholarship. He has also been coached by Professor Andre Emilianoff and Rohan DeSilva.

Mr. Marks is particularly interested in performing orchestral and chamber repertoire. His collaborations have brought him to Symphony Center (previously known as Orchestra Hall) in Chicago, Paul Hall, Morse Hall, the Juilliard Theater and Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center. In July 2005, the Naxos American Classics record label will release his first commercial CD, featuring chamber works and a world-premiere work by Sean Hickey.

During his spare time, David enjoys a variety of sports, including weightlifting and long-distance running. He also works towards proficiency in Russian, and is making plans to further his linguistic repertoire to encompass several additional languages.  David shares in the gift of improvisation and sight-reading with his colleagues on a regular basis, and has become known for his experimentations in the genres of jazz and hard rock.

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Peter Rainer, Germany (Concertmaster)
A concertmaster of the Kammerakademie Potsdam since 2000, Rainer has developed an active career as a chamber musician, soloist and teacher in his native Germany. He is the founder and leader of the popular Persius Ensemble, focusing mainly on repertoire written for the classical nonett.  They have already released two CDs.  With this group of mixed string and wind players he is touring throughout Europe.

As a concertmaster and soloist he has also appeared with the Ensemble Oriol Berlin, the Deutsches Kammerorchester, the Kurpfälzisches Kammerorchester Mannheim and the Berlin Chamber Orchestra.

His musical interests are very broad.  He enjoys not only experimenting together with specialists of period music, but also premiering new works.  Last year he performed „La Beauté“, a violin concerto written for him by Gerhard Rosenfeld, and a baroque concerto by Franz Benda with the Kammerakademie Potsdam.

Peter studied violin in the United States at the Meadows School of the Arts with Professor Eduard Schmieder, where he received the Artist Certificate in 1994 and Master of Violin Performance in 1995. Upon return to Germany he was concertmaster of the Brandenburgische Philharmonie in Potsdam from 1996 until 2000. Peter has been a member and leader of I PALPITI since 1994. He is on faculty at the Universitat Potsdam since 1997 and worked as assistant to Professor Schmieder at the Holland Music Sessions, and at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

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Yulia Sakharova, Moldova
Ms. Sakharova, born in Zheleznovodsk, presented her first public performance at the age of 8, as soloist with the Moldavian Symphony Orchestra.  In 1995 she won first prize at the International Competition for Music of Eastern and Central Europe. She subsequently performed with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, and has represented the Vladimir Spivakov International Charity Foundation in concerts throughout Russia, Austria, Germany, France, Italy, Switzerland, and Japan.

Aleksandr Snytkin, Lithuania
Lithuanian violinist Aleksandr Snytkin began his musical education at the age of seven, studying violin at the Dvarionas music school, and went on to receive his Bachelor and Master degrees from the Lithuanian Academy of Music in 1999 and 2001 respectively.

Mr. Snytkin came to the United States in 2001 to pursue a doctoral degree at the University of Kansas, where he is a student of Professor Ben Sayevich.  In April 2003, he made his American orchestral solo debut, performing the Brahms Violin Concerto with the Springfield (Missouri) Symphony Orchestra, as a result of his winning the Springfield Symphony Concerto Competition.  He has been a soloist with several chamber orchestras in his native Lithuania, as well as being an active chamber musician, performing at festivals and participating in competitions in Lithuania, France, Holland, Italy, the Czech Republic, and the United States.  In November 2002, he was a guest artist with Quartet Accorda in Kansas City, and was soloist with the Lawrence (Kansas) Chamber Orchestra in Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.3.  In February 2004, he was again guest artist with Quartet Accorda, and with Van Cliburn Competition gold medal winner, Stanislav Ioudenitch, performed the Franck Piano Quintet.

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Jan Syrovatka, Czech Republic
Jan Syrovatka, born in 1979, started studying the violin at the Music School in Ceske Budejovice (1986-1993) and continuing there at the Conservatory (1993-2001).  From 2000-2002 he studied at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava (Slovak Republic) and continued at the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts.

A Laureate of the Kocian International Violin Competition (1991 & 1993), he was a semifinalist in the International Violin Competition of Karol Lipinsky and Henryk Wieniaswski in Lublin (1997). In 2002, Jan received a 3^rd prize in The International Beethoven Competition (2002).  Jan Syrovatka participated in international master classes and violin courses.  Among them are: 1997-98-99 Summer Violin Courses of Vaclac and Bo Hudecek and Bohumil Kotmel, 2000-01 Summer Master Courses of Pavel Sporcl ( an I PALPITI alumnus) Roznov pod Radhostem, and in 2002, The International Holland Music Sessions with Eduard Schmieder.  Currently, Jan continues to work with Professor Schmieder in Artist Certificate Program at the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas. This is his second year with I Palpiti.

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Vadim Teifikov, Russia
Vadim Teifikov's education started in Volgograd, where he studied in the class of the concertmaster of the Volgograd Symphony Orchestra, Nikolay Kadashnikov. In 1991-93 he won several regional competitions, and in 1994 was awarded the First Prize of the 1^st International “Simphonia" Competition in Volgograd. In 1996 he was accepted into the Special Central School for Gifted Children of the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, in class of Professor Maia Glezarova's  with whom he also continued his studies at the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory.

Sini Virtanen, Finland
Sini Virtanen (b.1984) started her violin studies at the age of five in the Käpylä Music Institute (Helsinki, Finland) with Mrs. Marja Olamaa. In 1999 she entered into the Sibelius Academy youth department to study with Professor Päivyt Meller. Since year 2004 she has been studying in the master degree program in Sibelius Academy continuing with Päivyt Meller.

Sini Virtanen was awarded the third prize in Jyväskylä violin competition (Finland) in the spring 2003 and in the same year she received a Second Prize in the International Violin Competiton in Bled, Slovenia. In January 2005 she received the Fourth Prize in the violin competition in Kuopio, Finland.

Sini Virtanen has been the concertmaster of The Helsinki Strings and performed several times as the soloist with the orchestra. In addition she has played as a soloist with the Kauniainen Symphony, Kuopio and Jyväskylä Philharmonia.

Violists                                                                

Cornelia Demian, Romania
Ms. Demian received her high school diploma and artist diploma from the "Ion Vidu" High School of Music in Timisoara, Romania. She then went on to receive her Bachelor of Music degree in 1999, from the West University of Timisoara, Romania, graduating with distinction. In 1996-1997 she received a scholarship to the Academie Royale de Bruxelles in Brussels, Belgium, and in 1998 was a scholarship recipient to the L’Isola San Giulio Chamber Music Program in L’Isola San Giulio, Italy. Currently, she is in the master’s program in violin performance at the Meadows School of the Arts (Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas) with Professor Vesselin Demirev.

Juan-Miguel Hernandez, Canada
Juan-Miguel Hernandez was born in Canada in 1985.  He began to study violin at the age of seven and changed to viola at twelve. Currently, he studies with Paul Coletti at the Colburn School. 

Juan-Miguel has been invited to play in master classes for Pinchas Zukermann, Roberto Diaz, Paul Neubauer, Steven Dann, James Dunham, and Andre Roy.  He has participated in prestigious summer programs in Canada such as the Banff Centre for the Performing Arts (Alberta) and Domaine Forget (Quebec).

Recipient of many scholarships and prizes, Juan-Miguel was a First prize winner at the Provincial level, and Second Prize winner in the National 2002 Canadian Music Competition.  Among numerous solo recitals and as a soloist with orchestras, he was invited to play in the two Gala concerts at Pollack Hall. In March 2004 he gave a recital that will be broadcasted by Radio-Canada.

An avid chamber musician, Juan-Miguel studied with Lorand Fenyes, Laurence Lesser, and as the Trio Lamoureux- Hernandez-Pelletier won First Prize in the Canadian Music Competition, Sillery Music Competition, and the Clermont-Pepin Competition.  In January 2005, Juan-Miguel began his professional discography with Naxos, and recorded a disc of chamber and ensemble world-premieres by Sean Hickey, to be released on the Naxos American Classics Series in July 2005.  This is Miguel’s second season with I Palpiti.

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Aroa Sorin, Romania
Born in Romania, Aroa Sorin began her musical studies on the violin at the George Enescu Music High School, and at the Conservatorium Ciprian Porumbescu with Professors A. Carpen and M. Iftinchi.

In 1995, she won a scholarship to the International Menuhin Music Academy in Gstaad, Switzerland, where she studied for three years on both violin and viola with Maestro Alberto Lysy and J. Eskaer.   In 1998, she won another scholarship to the Escuela Superior di musica Reina Sofia in Madrid, Spain, this time concentrating only on viola with Prof. Gerard Causse.  She continued her studies at the Conservatoire National de Paris and the Hochschule fur Musik in Hamburg.

Ms. Sorin has won first prize in the International Chamber Music Competition in Romania (1995), first prize in the Maurice Vieux International Viola Competition, Paris (2000), first prize in the Elise Meyer Competition, Hamburg (2001), and first prize in the Public Preis at Ville d’Avray International Viola Competition, Paris (2004).

Thomas Weilbach, Germany
Thomas Weilbach, born in 1972 in Munich, received his first violin lesson in 1979. He began his viola studies in 1989 with Professor Urs Stiehler, and from 1991 continued to play both violin and viola under professorship of Dorothea Ebert and Urs Stiehler at the Richard Strauss Conservatory in Munich, which he graduated in 2002. In 2003 he studied with Professor Renata Koeckert. He also received Diploma of Arts of the Munich College of Music and university degree of “Diplommusiker”. Expanding his performance and repertoire, Thomas participated in numerous master classes as soloist and chamber musician with Professor Eduard Schmieder, USA; Sandor Devich, Budapest; Madeleine Mitchell, London; and M.A. Rhode, Munich. Thomas pursues his career as chamber & orchestral musician, as well as a violin & viola teacher at the Erdling School of Music.

Cellists                                                               

Kristaps Berg, Latvia
Born in Riga, Latvia, Kristaps Berg studied cello at the E. Darzins Music School in Latvia from 1995 to 2002 with Diana Ozolina and Ligita Zemberga.  He is currently studying with Professor Eleonora Testelec.  In addition, Kristaps has participated in master classes with eminent cellists as  Mstislav Rostropovich, David Geringas, A. Noras, and S. Roldugin, among others.

Abraham Feder, USA
Currently, Mr. Feder attends the Curtis Institute of Music studying with both Peter Wiley and David Soyer.  A graduate of the University Of Chicago Laboratory Schools, he studied cello with Richard Hirschl of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra  and has performed in master classes with The Ahn Trio, Yehuda Hanani, Eleanore Schoenfeld, Wolfgang Laufer, and Janos Starker.
  
In December 2003, Abraham was chosen to serve as principal cellist of the New York String Orchestra Seminar under Jamie Laredo at Carnegie Hall. Abraham received the Merit Award in cello from the National Foundation for the Advancement in Arts. 

As a chamber musician he performed with the Jupiter Piano trio, piano quartet Octobre and with the Praxis piano quartet at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition. The Praxis piano quartet recently was a second-prize winner in the Rembrandt Chamber Music Competition and was featured on WFMT’s “Impromptu” program. Abraham has been featured on “From the Top,” the NPR Classical Music Program and has been presented in recital with “Music in the Loft.”  In 2003, he joined cellists of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, in a live performance of all six Bach Suites for Unaccompanied Cello at the Barnett Foundation.  During this season, Abraham was invited to perform in the Laguna Beach Chamber Music Festival with pianist Christopher O’Riley, and was selected to participate in  chamber ensembles at the Cliburn Piano Institute in conjunction with the 12^th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

This is Cellist Abraham Feder's 2nd season with I Palpiti.

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Georgiy Lomakov, Ukraine (Principal)
Born in 1984 in Odessa, Georgiy began to play cello in 1990 with Prof. Rymachewskaja-Balon at the Piotr Stoljarski Music School. Georgiy is the First Prize Winner of the International Antonio Janigro Competition in Zagreb, Croatia (1996), the All Union Youth Competition in Urgentch, Usbekistan (1992) and in Belorussia (1993).  In 1997 Georgiy moved to Germany to study in Nuernberg with Reiner Faupel, First Cellist of Nuernberg Philharmonic Orchestra. In the following years he won a First Prize at the All-German Youth Competition Jugend musiziert, became a winner of the International Heran Cello Competition in Usti nad Orlici (Czech Republic) and a finalist at Young Concert Artists in Leipzig. From September 2001 to July 2003 he continued to study with Prof. Siegmund von Hausegger at Hochschule fuer Musik Nuernberg-Augsburg, which he graduated with the ‘Künstlerisches Diplom’.   In 2002, Georgiy attended masterclasses with Lynn Harrell and Gary Hoffman at the Verbier Festival in Switzerland where he was awarded Prix Jean Nicolas Firmenich for the most prominent young cellist. In the same year, he also was selected for a course with Bernard Greenhouse at the Kronberg Academy who recommended further studies in USA. Since September 2003, Georgiy has been studying as a Graduate Student with Laurence Lesser at NEC Boston.  Georgiy has performed in numerous recitals in Germany, Poland and Austria, soloed with orchestras such as Nuernberg Philharmony and Nuernberg Symphony, Philharmony of South Westfalia, as well as broadcasts at Bavarian and Polish Radio.  In his native Ukraine he performed and recorded with Odessa Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony. In February 2004, he had his solo debut in the USA with Richardson Symphony under Maestro Anshel Brusilow.

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Eldar Saparayev, Switzerland
Winner of only first prizes in every competition he entered, beginning with 1996 Grand Prix des Republikwettbewerbes Kazakhstan fur Junge Musiker, Eldar received 1^st Prize in the International Competition  Schabyt in Kazakhstan (2000), 1^st Prize in International Anthonio Janigro Competition (Croatia), 1^st prize in Alpi-Adria Competition (Italy), and others.  Eldar performed solo concertos in Zagreb in the “Lisinski Hall”, in the “Tonhalle’ in Zurich and in Venice in “Theatro Velice’.

Double Bassists                                              

Danielle Jones, Australia
“…An amazing left hand…a true artist!”  - Itzhak Perlman, violinist

Danielle Jones is one of Australia’s finest young musicians.  Twice a top prize winner in the International Society of Double Bassists Solo Competition (2001 and 2003), she has won numerous awards in Australia and the United States. As a winner of Australian National Academy Concerto Competition in 2003, she has been featured as a soloist with the State Orchestra Victoria. She also recorded with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and broadcasted with Queensland Symphony Orchestra.  Among the many performances featuring Ms. Jones, her appearance on the nationally televised Australian morning show “Good Morning Australia” was the first time a solo Double Bass player had ever been presented in the history of that program.  A recipient of Sir John Hopkins Scholarship for Musical Excellence, she graduated Victorian College of the Arts and Australian National Academy of Music (2003) in Advanced Performance program. Currently she continues her studies at the Colburn School of the Arts in Los Angeles with Paul Ellison and David Allan Moore.  A virtuoso bassist, Danielle makes her own transcriptions from violin repertoire including Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso by Camille Saint-Saëns. Danielle represented her country in the Perlman Music Program on Shelter Island, New York and was subsequently invited in February of 2005 to play with Mr. Itzhak Perlman in a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall.

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Kristoffer Saebo, USA/Australia
Kris Saebo is currently in the Masters of Music Program at The Juilliard School, where he is student of Homer Mensch.  He is a graduate of The Juilliard School, 2004, and of the Interlochen Center for the Arts, 2000.  His interests are in classical and folk genres.  An active soloist, chamber musician, orchestral member, and bass guitarist, he performs with various folk and chamber ensembles in New York City.  During the 2002-2003 Lincoln Center concert season, he performed in Chamberfest at Alice Tully Hall, coached by Itzhak Perlman and Yoheved Kaplinsky.  He returned in April 2003 and November 2004, together with harpsichord performer and mentor, Lionel Party, where they performed works of Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel.  At the 2003 Pre-Grammy Awards Ceremony, Mr. Saebo revisited his roots when he performed with the Alaskan Native Band Pamuya in Times Square Studios.  Mr. Saebo also took part in the 46^th and 47^th Festival dei due Mondi in Spoleto, Italy with the Juilliard Orchestra.  His most recent performance collaborations have been with Grammy Award Winner, Paul Halley.

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Kristina Gee, USA
Kristina Gee, born and raised in Barstow, CA, began studying percussion at the age of 9. She entered UCLA in the fall of 1997, where she began studying with world-renowned percussionist and timpanist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mitch Peters. In 2001, she received her Bachelor of Arts in Percussion, and in 2003, a Masters Degree in Music. While at UCLA, Ms. Gee was the winner of the 2003 Kent-Atwater Concerto Competition, performing Ney Rosauro's Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra.

Kristina has been principal timpanist of both American Youth Symphony and Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra. In April 2005, the American Youth Symphony, under the direction of Maestro Alexander Treger, debuted at Carnegie Hall. She has attended Idyllwild Arts Summer Music Festival, Music Academy of the West as substitute percussionist, and was a scholarship recipient for the Aspen Music Festival.

For the past two years, Ms. Gee has been an instrumental music teacher at Paul Revere Middle School in Brentwood, CA. In addition, Kristina continues to freelance in the Los Angeles area. Among the groups she has performed with are: The Getty Center Concert Series Group, USC Thornton Symphony, Los Angeles Chinese Association Culture Group, Los Angeles Chamber Singers, Santa Monica College Orchestra, Santa Monica Opera Nova, Pacific Palisades Symphony, Topanga Symphony, Pepperdine University Orchestra, Ventura College Opera, and San Juan Capistrano Valley Symphony.

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Timur Bekbosunov, Russia
Timur Bekbosunov, a Russian tenor and actor from Kazakhstan, is currently a student at USC pursuing a Graduate Certificate, studying voice with Gary Glaze. He received his Master’s degree in Boston, at the New England Conservatory, under the instruction of Patricia Craig and John Moriarty, and his Bachelor’s degree at WSU, under Dr. Dorothy Crum.

He has appeared with many opera and theatre companies including ARTiSHOCK, the post-modern mime theatre in Kazakhstan (Cabaret-Moralitè, OPERA BOSTON (Nixon and China), Harvard University’s LOWELL OPERA (Eugene Onegin) and BSO (Fidelio). He has premiered the tenor part composed by Evan Ziporyn (Bang on a Can All-Stars), at the American Repertory Theatre production of Oedipus, directed by Robert Woodruff and premiered the revised version of Jeffrey Brody’s Jabberwocky (Salem Philharmonic). Most recently he portrayed a role of Tom Rakewell in USC Thornton Opera production of Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress, directed by Ken Cazan. He has received a full tuition scholarship to attend a Hawaii Performance Arts Festival this upcoming summer.

A founder and a president of The Chamber Opera of USC, a student organization, dedicated to bring contemporary works of opera to the university community, he also serves as a creative consultant to the Art of Opera foundation, and a production assistant to Ken Cazan. A recipient of many prizes, he was awarded a USC Arts Grant for his upcoming multimedia presentation of The Szymanowski Project (September 2005). Also, he was chosen to open a season of Beverly Hills Public Library Series of Sunday at Two concerts (August 2005) with a recital of Russian Romances. In his spare time he arranges songs of the punk-cabaret band The Dresden Dolls and translates the plays of Velimir Hlebnikoff, a Russian avant-garde writer of the early 20th century. Most recently, he collaborated on a theme-song for an independent feature film Mostly Unfabulous Life of Ethan Allan.

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