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Musician biographies

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Musician Biographies

Julie Albers - cello

American cellist Julie Albers has performed with the orchestras of Indianapolis, Seattle, Ann Arbor, Annapolis, San Antonio, and Syracuse, among others. She regularly participates in chamber music festivals around the world and is a member of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two. Her recent engagements include a tour of Korea with the Munich Chamber Orchestra, and performances with the Colorado Symphony, the Hartford Symphony, the Orlando Philharmonic, the Louisville Symphony. She also recently toured New York state as soloist with Daniel Hege and the Syracuse Symphony. She is currently active with the Albers String Trio and the cello quartet, CELLO. Miss Albers is also on the faculty of Kean University as a member of the Concert Artist program. Her recordings available on Artek Label.

Visit Julie Albers's website.

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Joanna Bassett - flute

Joanna Bassett, flutist, is a member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. She has been a member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic and an active chamber musician in the Rochester area. She has participated in the Fortissimo! Summer Chamber Music series, Chamber Music Rochester, and was a consultant and founding Board member of the Canandaigua Lake Chamber Music Festival. Joanna is a graduate of Northwestern University and the Eastman School of Music, and has been on the faculties of Houghton College and the Chinese University of Hong Kong. In 1995, she was the founding president of the Rochester Flute Association, a position she held for 8 years. In her newest endeavor, Joanna is Program Coordinator of Hochstein at Canandaigua, opening in September 2007, which is an extension program of Rochesters Hochstein School of Music & Dance. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the National Flute Association, the NFA Long-Range Planning Committee and has been Coordinator of the NFA Orchestral Audition and Masterclass Competition for the past three years, as a way of helping aspiring young flutists to enter the orchestral world.

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Peter Bay - conductor

Peter Bay is Music Director of the Austin Symphony Orchestra and the Britt Festival Orchestra in Jacksonville, Oregon. Guest appearances include Baltimore, Colorado, Dallas, Honolulu, Houston, North Carolina, New Jersey, National, St. Loius, San Antonio, Syracuse, Alabama, and Carinthian (Austria) symphonies, the Buffalo, Louisiana, Rhode Island, Rochester, and Bochum (Germany) philharmonics, Algarve Orchestra (Portugal), Ballet Austin, and Austin Lyric Opera (A Streetcar Named Desire, La Traviata, Turandot, The Marriage of Figaro). Summer appearances include the Aspen, Breckenridge, Grant Park, Ravinia, Round Top, and Skaneateles festivals. Mr. Bay is a native of Washington, D.C. and received degrees from the University of Maryland and Peabody Institute of Music.

Visit Peter Bay's website.

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James E. Bobb - harpsichord

James E. Bobb is Adjunct Professor of Organ at Nazareth College and Instructor in Sacred Music at the Eastman School of Music, both in Rochester, New York. At the harpsichord, Bobb has performed Bachs Goldberg Variations in Rochester, Boston, and Baltimore. He has appeared as soloist, conductor, and continuo player with The Publick Musick and Rochester Bach Festival.
He hold a Masters degree in Organ Performance and Literature, and Performers Certificates in organ and harpsichord from the Eastman School of Music, where he will soon complete doctoral studies.

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Brian Chen - viola

Taiwanese violist Brian Chen (also known as "Che-Yen Chen") is principal violist of the San Diego Symphony. He captured the first prize of the 2003 William Primrose Viola Competition and "Yuri Bashmet prize" of the 2003 Lionel Tertis Viola Competition and has performed throughout United States and abroad. An advocate of chamber music, Mr. Chen is a founding member of the Formosa Quartet, was a member of Chamber Music Society Two at Lincoln Center, a Jupiter Chamber Player, and took part in Musicians from Marlboro and Musician from Ravinia tours. His festival appearances include Chamber Music International, Marlboro, Primrose, and Ravinia festivals, La Jolla SummerFest, and Mainly Mozart. A four-time winner of the National Viola Competition in Taiwan, he came to the United States and studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School.

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Melvin Chen - piano

A native of Tennessee, pianist Melvin Chen has performed as a soloist and chamber musician at many major venues, including Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, Weill Recital Hall, Kennedy Center, and Boston's Jordan Hall, in addition to other appearances throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia. He is an alumnus of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Two, and has performed in numerous festivals, including Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival, Music Mountain, Chautauqua, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Chamber Music Northwest and Bard Music Festival. Mr. Chen has collaborated with Ida Kavafian, David Shifrin; the Shanghai, Tokyo, Miami, Borromeo, and Miro quartets; and the Da Capo Chamber Players and The St. Luke's Chamber Ensemble. Mr. Chen completed a doctorate in chemistry from Harvard University, and also holds a double master's degree from The Juilliard School in piano and violin. Previously, he attended Yale University, receiving a bachelor of science degree in chemistry and physics. Mr. Chen is on the piano faculty of the Bard College Conservatory of Music, where he is associate director, and has previously served on the piano faculty at the Yale School of Music.

Visit Melvin Chen's website.

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Joel Fan - piano

Pianist Joel Fan began his performing career with the New York Philharmonic at age 11, as a winner of the Philharmonics Young Peoples Concert Auditions, and has since appeared in recital and with orchestras throughout the world. Fan has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Santa Fe Pro Musica, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Singapore Symphony and made his BBC Proms Debut at Royal Albert Hall with London Sinfonietta in Bright Shengs Song and Dance of Tears. In May 2006, Fan performed the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the New York Philharmonic and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, under the baton of conductor David Zinman. A member of Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Ensemble, he has appeared at venues such as Carnegie Hall, Symphony Center in Chicago, and the Kennedy Center, as well as on Good Morning America and David Letterman.

Visit Joel Fan's website.

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Mark Fewer - violin

Violinist Mark Fewer switches easily from duties as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral leader, jazz musician, and artistic programmer. He is currently concertmaster of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, as well as the artistic director of the Scotia Festival of Music in Halifax and the SweetWater Music Weekend in Owen Sound, Ontario. He is also a founding member of the Duke Trio and a member of the SuperNova String Quartet. Recent projects include the jazz-hybrid show Lotusland, The Dharma at Big Sur for six-string electric violin and orchestra by John Adams which he premiered in Vancouver and performances of the complete cycle of Bach sonatas and partitas.

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Elinor Freer - piano

Pianist Elinor Freer has built a versatile career as chamber musician and soloist, performing across the United States, Europe, and China. Highlights include performances at The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, the Valery Gergiev Festival in Rotterdam, the International Musicians Seminar in Prussia Cove, England, and at the Akademie Muizicky Chumeni in Prague. She has also made successive recordings for Dutch radio and performed at the Gnessin Institute in Moscow. Ms. Freer is also one of two American pianists selected to perform extensively throughout China in tours designed to promote cultural relations. A featured soloist with numerous orchestras, Ms. Freer also frequently performs at festivals such as Summer Music in Harrisburg, PA, the Festival de Música de Cámera in Mexico, Music in the Vineyards, and the Bowdoin Music Festival.

Ms. Freer has been a prizewinner and laureate in many competitions such as the Joanna Hodges and the American Pianists Association, and she has held fellowships at the Steans Institute/Ravinia Festival and the Tanglewood Music Center. She is currently on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music and the Bowdoin International Music Festival. Committed to bringing classical music to new audiences, she continues to present a multitude of educational and community performances across the country in settings ranging from inner city schools to psychiatric hospitals.

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Alexis Pia Gerlach - cello

Cellist Alexis Pia Gerlach has performed all over the world as both a chamber musician and soloist with appearances at France's Evian Festival, Avery Fisher Hall, and the Caramoor Festival. Recent performances include recitals at the La Jolla Chamber Music Society, the Caramoor Festival and New York's Steinway Hall, concerto appearances with the Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Charleston and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestras, and performances at New York's City Center as solo cellist with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, and a collaboration playing solo Bach with NYC Ballet Principal Dancer Damian Woetzel. Ms. Gerlach is a founding member of Trio Solisti together with violinist Maria Bachmann and pianist Jon Klibonoff.

Visit Alexis Pia Gerlach's website.

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Sari Gruber - soprano

Hailed as "nothing short of sensational" by Opera magazine, soprano Sari Gruber has won praise for her "shining soprano and vibrant presence" (Opera News). Recent performances include, her return to Boston Baroque for Haydn's Creation; Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with the North Carolina Symphony and Juliette in Roméo et Juliette with Opera Carolina; and a solo recital at the Krannert Center. In addition, Ms. Gruber has appeared with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, in recital at Alice Tully Hall, and performed as soloist with the Handel & Haydn Society and the Houston Symphony in Messiah. Operatic highlights include performances of Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro with New York City Opera, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Boston Lyric Opera, Opera Pacific, Kentucky Opera, Austin Lyric Opera, and Opera Columbus; her debut with Pittsburgh Opera as Despina in Così fan tutte; Gilda in Rigoletto with Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Connecticut Opera and Toledo Opera; Norina in Don Pasquale with Opera Company of Philadelphia and Boston Lyric Opera; and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte with Opera Columbus and Berkshire Opera. She was awarded the first prize of the 2005 Naumburg Competition.

Visit Sari Gruber's website.

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Marka Gustavsson - viola

Violist Marka Gustavsson is a member of the Colorado Quartet. She has appeared on the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society's "Meet the Music" series, in Avery Fisher Hall and Boston's Symphony Hall with the Brandenburg Ensemble, and as a member of the featured string quartet in the ABC documentary "Passion to Play." Internationally, she has performed in the Festival Presence de Ligeti in Paris, for the Queen of the Netherlands in Holland, and at Toru Takemitsu's memorial concert at Oji Hall in Tokyo. Marka received her training at Indiana University and the Mannes College of Music, and also holds a doctoral degree from the City University of New York. She has taught at Hofstra University and at the Kinhaven Music Festival.

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David Higgs - organ

The New York Times calls David Higgs, "one of the brightest, most promising young concert organists to have appeared on the American music scene in years." Mr. Higgs is Chair of the Organ Department at the Eastman School of Music. He has inaugurated many important new instruments including St. Stephan's Cathedral, Vienna; the Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas; and the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in New York City. His performances with ensembles have included the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Chanticleer, the Orpheus Ensemble, and the Empire Brass. In 1987, he made his debut with the San Francisco Symphony, and for twelve years played annual Christmas recitals to capacity audiences at San Francisco's Davies Symphony Hall. Mr. Higgs appears frequently at major national and international organ festivals. He is a frequent lecturer and master-teacher for conferences, workshops, and festivals on both sides of the Atlantic. Mr. Higgs has recorded for Delos International, Pro Organo, and Gothic records.

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Maureen Hurd - clarinet

Clarinetist Maureen Hurd has appeared as a soloist, orchestra and chamber musician throughout Europe, Asia and North America, including recent performances at New Yorks Merkin Hall, the Norfolk Chamber Music Festival and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in Alice Tully Hall. She earned her degrees from the Yale School of Music where she studied with David Shifrin and Charles Neidich and is currently assistant professor of clarinet in the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. At Yale, she examined materials in the Benny Goodman Archive to produce award-winning research on Goodmans classical commissions that was recognized by the International Clarinet Association in competition in 2001.

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Imani Winds -

Since 1997, the Grammy nominated Imani Winds has been enriching the traditional wind quintet repertoire with European, American, African and Latin American traditions. As their Swahili name Imani ("faith") denotes, the five unabashedly adventurous musicians have followed their mission closely, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world with their dynamic playing, culturally poignant programming, and inspirational outreach programs. Their extensive touring schedule has taken them from the Ravinia Festival and Carnegie Halls Weill Recital Hall and the Kennedy Center. Imani Winds have been featured on NPR's All Things Considered, Performance Today and News and Notes with Ed Gordon, the Bob Edwards Show on XM Satellite Radio, BBC The World, as well as frequent coverage in major music magazines and newspapers.

Visit Imani Winds's website.

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Hugh Keelan - conductor

Born in London, England, Hugh Keelan is currently in his fifth season as the Music Director of the Erie Philharmonic. In recent seasons Mr. Keelan has guest conducted the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Netherlands Radio Philharmonic, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra, the Vermont Symphony, the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Herfordshire Chamber Orchestra, the Czech National Orchestra, and the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Orchestra. He was guest conductor at the Festival during the 2000 season.

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Michael Larco - viola

Violist Michael Larco has performed at the Aspen Music Festival, Spoleto Festival (Italy), Yellow Barn, and Tanglewood Music Center, and has served as principal violist of the Juilliard Orchestra and Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra under Seiji Ozawa, James Conlon, and Kurt Masur. He joined the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in 2005 and is also a member of New York City's Fountain Ensemble. Mr. Larco earned his bachelor's and master's degrees from The Juilliard School, and teaches at the School for Strings, Diller-Quaile School of Music and St. David's School, all in New York City.

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Joanna Manring - narrator

Soprano Joanna Manring enjoys singing music from the Baroque to the Contemporary, both on the stage and in the concert hall. She has made solo appearances with Syracuse Opera, Oswego Opera, Boston's Winsor Music, Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, and the New York Chorale at Weill Recital Hall. She has been engaged by Music Journeys', Civic Morning Musicals, and Peabody Conservatory's Thursday Noon concert series. Ms. Manring is currently pursuing a performance degree in the Doctor of Musical Arts program at Peabody Conservatory and directs the vocal program at Le Moyne College in Syracuse. Joanna grew up immersed in the music of the Skaneateles Festival, which her grandparents (David and Louise Robinson) helped to found.

Visit Joanna Manring's website.

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Miró Quartet -

The dynamic Miró Quartet has risen to the top of the international chamber music scene in only a decade. Founded in 1995 at the Oberlin Conservatory, the quartet met with immediate success, winning first prize at the Coleman Chamber Music Competition in April 1996, and taking both the first and grand prizes at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition two months later. Other prizes include the 1998 Banff International String Quartet Competition and the Naumburg Chamber Music Award in 2000. In 2005, the Quartet was the first ensemble to be awarded the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant, and received the Cleveland Quartet Award that year as well.
The Miró Quartet has been Faculty String Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Texas at Austin for three years.

Visit Miró Quartet's website.

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Robert Moody - conductor

Robert Moody is thrilled to hold three permanent conducting positions: Music Director for the Winston-Salem Symphony in North Carolina, Music Director Designate for the Portland Symphony in Maine, and Artistic Director for Arizona MusicFest in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona. He is also a frequent guest conductor with orchestras across the United States, including the symphonies of Seattle, Memphis, Tucson, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Ft. Worth, Anchorage, and Annapolis. Last summer he served as Conductor-in-Residence for the famed Eastern Music Festival. Moody completed his Masters Degree in Conducting at the Eastman School of Music.

Visit Robert Moody's website.

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Tai Murray - violin

Violinist Tai Murray, now 23, is a rising young star within the world of classical music. Tai burst on the scene with an energy and artistry that spans rarely-heard concerti to a broad array of chamber music. Recent seasons have included appearances with the orchestras of Chicago, Atlanta, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Dallas, Charlotte, Oakland, Sacramento and others throughout North America. She was invited to perform the Dvorák Violin Concerto with the Juilliard Orchestra in August 2005 in Berlin. She has toured three times with the Musicians from Marlboro, is in her second year as a member of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center II and performs regularly with the Ritz Chamber Players. Known for her beautiful, mature phrasing and graceful bow work, Murray has received critical acclaim from coast to coast. She has also drawn attention as one of the few African-American musicians involved in classical music.

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Adam Neiman - piano

American pianist Adam Neiman, a respected soloist as well as an avid chamber musician, became a member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center II in 2004. Recent engagements include performances with the Santa Cruz Symphony and the Mainly Mozart Festival Orchestra, and noteworthy chamber festival appearances in Los Angeles, Manchester, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Seattle, and Tokyo. In addition to his career as a concert pianist, Adam Neiman devotes time to composition; his Trio for Violin, Cello, and Piano was premiered at the Seattle Chamber Music Festival.

Visit Adam Neiman's website.

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Gregory Quick - bassoon

An honors graduate from the University of Michigan, Mr. Quick joined the Syracuse Symphony as its principal bassoonist in 1977. A frequent performer with the Skaneateles Festival, he has also performed with the Summer Music Festival of Arkansas, Rochester Philharmonic, Orchestra Symphonique de Montreal and the Toledo Zoo Band.

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Harumi Rhodes - violin

Violinist Harumi Rhodes recently joined the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center II. She has been a participant of the Marlboro Music Festival and has toured with "Musicians from Marlboro," and has performed with the Boston Chamber Music Society, Seattle Chamber Music Society, Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Mainly Mozart Festival, and Bargemusic. As a guest artist, she has performed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Borromeo String Quartet, Walden Chamber Players, and the North Country Chamber Players. Ms. Rhodes received her Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory and her Bachelor of Music from the Juilliard School.

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Randall Scarlata - baritone

Baritone Randall Scarlata won First Prize at the 1999 Young Concert Artists International Auditions, as well as The Diallo Prize, The Lindemann Vocal Chair and The Walker Fund Prize. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the Eastman School of Music, studied in Vienna on a Fulbright Grant and received his master’s degree at The Juilliard School. Scarlata has appeared as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the California Symphony. He has given recitals at Alice Tully Hall, Gardner Museum in Boston, Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall, and his chamber performances include the Ravinia, Seattle Chamber, and Marlboro Music Festivals. He has also given recitals abroad, in Vienna, Salzburg, Hamburg, Nice and Caracas.

Visit Randall Scarlata's website.

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Ittai Shapira - violin

Israeli violinist Ittai Shapira's recent appearances have included solo performances with the Orchestra of St. Luke's at Carnegie Hall, the BBC Concert Orchestra, London Philharmonia, Detroit Symphony, Russian Philharmonic and Shanghai Symphony. He has appeared at the Aspen, Banff and Ravinia Festivals. Along with his colleague Hagai Shaham, Mr. Shapira is the co-founder of the Ilona Feher Foundation for the nurturing and promotion of young Israeli violinists. Special projects include "The Runaway Bunny" a concerto for violin, narrator and orchestra by Glen Roven, narrated by Brooke Shields (Sony/BMG).

Visit Ittai Shapira's website.

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Cameron Stowe - piano

American pianist Cameron Stowe joined the Faculty of Music at University of Toronto in 2004 to develop a new program in collaborative piano. Mr. Stowe has numerous awards for his specialized commitment to the study and performance of song recital repertoire and is currently the only pianist to hold a doctorate from The Juilliard School with a focused major in song and vocal chamber music. Mr. Stowe maintains an active performance schedule as a collaborative artist, having performed recently at the Kennedy Center, Ravinia Music Festival, Weill Recital Hall, La Jolla Chamber Music Society, Alice Tully Hall, and New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art. Prior to his studies at Juilliard, Mr. Stowe earned a Masters degree from The Peabody Conservatory and a Bachelors degree from Oberlin College Conservatory.

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Turtle Island Quartet -

This two time Grammy Award winning quartet has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. Yo-Yo Ma has proclaimed Turtle Island to be "a unified voice that truly breaks new ground - authentic and passionate - a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today." Turtle Island fuses classical with contemporary American musical styles, and in doing so honors both. Since its inception in 1985, Turtle Island has made forays into many styles of music and has collaborated with famed artists such as clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, The Manhattan Transfer, pianists Billy Taylor and Kenny Barron, the Parsons Dance Company and the Ying Quartet. Other work includes over a dozen recordings, soundtracks for major motion pictures, TV and radio credits such as the Today Show, All Things Considered, and Prairie Home Companion, and feature articles in People and Newsweek magazines.

Visit Turtle Island Quartet's website.

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David Ying - cello

In addition to his role as the cellist of the Ying Quartet, David Ying performs frequently as solo cellist. He has appeared with such orchestras as the Oakland East-Bay Symphony, the Chicago Civic Orchestra, the String Orchestra of the Rockies, and the Rochester Chamber Orchestra. He has won numerous awards as a solo cellist, including prizes in the Naumburg International Cello Competition, the Washington International Competition, and a diploma at the Tchaikovsky International Cello Competition. A dedicated and active teacher, Mr, Ying has taught at Interlochen, the Brevard Music Center, and Northwestern University. He is currently on the chamber music and cello faculty of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY.

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Phillip Ying - viola

Phillip Ying, as violist of the Ying Quartet, performs regularly across the United States, Europe and Asia. Recent appearances include engagements in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Houston, and Washington, DC, Australia, France, Mexico, and Taiwan. During summers, he has performed at the Marlboro, Tanglewood, Caramoor, Norfolk, Aspen, Colorado, Bowdoin and Steamboat Springs music festivals. He is a recipient of the Naumburg Award for chamber music. Mr. Ying has also been presented numerous times in recital and as a soloist with orchestras such as the Chicago Symphony and the Aspen Festival Chamber Orchestra.

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Photos

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The following images do not have .tif versions available.
Artistic Directors Elinor Freer & David Ying	Artistic Directors Elinor Freer & David Ying	Elinor Freer
David Ying	Elinor Freer & David Ying at Brook Farm	Concert at Brook Farm 2
Concert at Brook Farm 3	Concert at Brook Farm 4	Rehearsal at Brook Farm 1
Rehearsal at Brook Farm 2	Concert at church 1	Concert at church 2
Concert at church 3	Brook Farm	Julie Albers
Julie Albers	Peter Bay, conductor	Melvin Chen
Melvin Chen	Melvin Chen	Joel Fan
Mark Fewer	Mark Fewer	Alexis Pia Gerlach
Alexis Pia Gerlach	Sari Gruber	Sari Gruber
Marka Gustavsson	Imani Winds	Imani Winds
Imani Winds	Imani Winds	Imani Winds
Joanna Manring	Miró Quartet	Miró Quartet
Miró Quartet	Robert Moody	Robert Moody
Adam Neiman	Adam Neiman	Adam Neiman
Adam Neiman	Adam Neiman	Adam Neiman
Adam Neiman	Randall Scarlata	Randall Scarlata
Randall Scarlata	Ittai Shapira	Tai Murray
Tai Murray	Tai Murray	Tai Murray
Turtle Island Quartet	Turtle Island Quartet	Turtle Island Quartet
Turtle Island Quartet

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