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Kaleigh Acord, 16, is attending her second year of QP, playing both violin and viola. She studies strings with James Batts and composition with Aniko Debreceny. She has won awards and competitions on both of her instruments, and performs frequently as a soloist and an ensemble musician. Most recently, she performed as a soloist with the Landon Symphonette of Bethesda, MD, and will appear with their chamber ensemble next year. As a composer, Kaleigh won first place three times in the annual State Composition Competition of the Virginia Music Teachers Association, and top-three placement for three years in the annual Southern U.S. Region Composition Competition of the Music Teachers National Association. Her works have been performed by the Mendelssohn Piano Trio, the McLean Symphony of Virginia, and the I Cantori choir of Kensington, MD. When she is not busy with music, Kaleigh can usually be found talking, indulging in girly pink things, or marveling those around her with her uncanny ability to injure herself in obscure ways.
Georgia Broughton began playing the violin in her school's music program when she was 10—and no one misses that little headache-inducing ¼-size violin. She currently studies with Tamara Chernyak of the L.A. Philharmonic, and for the past five years, she has been a member of the American Youth Symphony conducted by Alexander Treger (L.A. Phil Concertmaster): highlight concerts include the orchestra's request debut at Carnegie Hall with soloist Yundi Li, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with Andrè Watts, and this past March with John Williams at an Honors Gala featuring the composer's most memorable film scores. She has also performed in an absolute plethora of chamber music programs: ensembles of distinction include the Greichenbeisel Quartet, the Westminster Chimes Quartet, Charlie's Baroque Angels, and the Mulholland Flute Quartet. Aside from these musical endeavors, Georgia exercises to Bollywood music, practices yoga at sunrise, sings bel canto arias while shampooing her hair, clicks her heels to flamenco guitar, and fences like Inigo Montoya. She also dares you to think of a Disney song whose lyrics she doesn't know upside down and backwards. She has kissed the stage of Carnegie Hall (twice), impersonates Bugs Bunny conducting "The Barber of Seville", and bellows Wagner's Valkyrie "Hojotos" with her fellow Aesirian Gods - Freyr, Freyja, and Thor. This Fall she will attend UCLA, triple majoring in Geography, Ethnomusicology, and World Arts & Cultures, and if they'll let her, she'll also be minoring in Theatre. She would like to thank her coaches for their wisdom, guidance, and compassion during this third, glorious summer at QP and her violin students for inspiring her to always try and to always love what she does. To her fellow Aesir Quartet members, she is truly unable to adequately express in words her thanks for their “courage and fortitude to follow orders and stay true in the face of danger and almost certain death”—and for the unforgettably “foolish” laughs they have shared. Therefore, she's playing like it's the last time.
Kathleen Crabtree , 19, started her musical studies at the age of ten on the violin. Coming from a family of musicians, she realized her deep love of music would only be satisfied by pursuing a classical music career. Her musical mentor and teacher Basil Vendryes, principal violist of the Colorado Symphony, compelled her to switch to the viola in her junior year of high school. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in viola performance at the Eastman School of Music, studying with George Taylor. Passionate about expanding music to the local community, she is involved in Eastman's student-run outreach orchestra (NEO) and Sigma Alpha Iota, a women's professional music fraternity. She has also appeared on television in a local news special about the influence of Colorado Symphony members on the Denver metro area, in addition to being interviewed and performing on Colorado's classical music radio station for a weekly series on young musicians. She has played with the Colorado Young Sinfonia, Front Range Youth Symphony, and the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, which toured to Argentina in the summer of 2007. This tour inspired her to learn more about different musical styles, which prompted a continuing collaboration with Extasis, a Colorado Symphony member-based tango band. Besides QP, Kathleen has also attended Rocky Ridge Music Center, Kinhaven Music School, Colorado Youth Symphony Quartet Camp, and the Las Vegas Music Festival.
Caitlin Cribbs, bodacious violist extraordinaire, will soon commence her third year of study at the Univ. of North Texas where she attempts to assimilate everything inculcated by her esteemed mentor and professor of viola Dr. Susan Dubois. She began violin lessons at the jejune age of four. However, the inchoate years of her musical life were quite inconsequential as she had not picked up a viola until the ripened yet malleable age of eleven. Since then, her irreproachable fastidiousness (not only in her study of music, but in life) has gotten her where she is today, somehow (should her scrupulousness slip) narrowly evading an impending threat of completely extirpating the beautiful music put before her at every concert. Caitlin luxuriates in a multitudinous array of entertainments and undertakings, some of which involve board games, calisthenics, baking, shopping, and (naturally) music. She considers herself particularly loquacious with an insatiable appetite for Goldfish and M&Ms. Caitlin is absolutely enjoying of her third year here at QP and wants to thank her quartet for such a tremendous three weeks filled with the sweet sounds of Dr. Beat, Scandinavian music, Baba Yaga, and some Sophisticated Ladies. Caitlin believes that chamber music is intrinsic not only to students and aficionados of music, but irrefutably imperative for anyone yearning to ameliorate an uneventful or colorless life. She also takes considerable pleasure in the English language, which brings you this unusually euphuistic biography.
Laura de St. Croix graduated from Texas Tech Univ. this year with a Bachelor's in Music, cum laude. This does not necessarily make her a Bachelor. Upon not receiving her MRS degree, she obtained her Bachelorette Degree. She has joined the teaching lineage of QP alums by studying with Renée Skerik, and she will continue with her Master’s (not Mistresses) at University of Minnepop (MN) with Korey Konkle, where classes will include information on playing quarter-tones where there aren't any, advanced polyrhythms in Telemann, Stamitz, and Hoffmeister, and how not to sound like a clarinet while stealing their music. Laura is 22 and starting to wrinkle as one of the old ladies in her 3rd year at QP.
Born to Romanian parents, Christina Giuca began studying piano at the age of three. In high school, she took lessons with Emilio del Rosario at the Music Institute of Chicago. She will be a senior at the Oberlin Conservatory, completing her BM in Piano Performance as a student of Monique Duphil. She has performed in concerts in New York City, Philadelphia and San Diego with Oberlin's Contemporary Music Ensemble. She has received numerous awards—most recently the Kaufman Prize, awarded by Oberlin to the pianist showing the most progress in chamber music, as well as the Virginia Allison Collaborative Award by the National Federation of Music Clubs. Christina has performed in masterclasses for the Takács Quartet, Yoheved Kaplinsky, Richard Aaron, Jonathan Biss and Wu Han. Last summer, she studied at the Aspen Music Festival with Anton Nel and John O'Conor. In her free time, Christina enjoys people watching, playing badminton, and eating marzipan.
Alex Glaubitz is 16 years old and attends JEB Stuart High School in Fairfax County, VA. He has studied the cello since 5th grade, currently with the principal cellist of the National Symphony, David Hardy. Alex is the principal cellist of the JEB Stuart H.S. Symphony Orchestra and the American Youth Philharmonic. Among his various achievements, Alex placed in the Fader Competition in 2006, and in both the Feuer Memorial String Competition and Asian American Competition this year. When not playing the cello, Alex enjoys playing lacrosse, soccer, and snowboarding.
Alex Gonzales , age 17, has studied violin for seven years, and is currently a student of Shakeh Ghoukasian at the Nevada School of the Arts. Alex was the first place winner of the MTNA Competition for the state of the Nevada's Senior Division in 2006. Alex has given solo performances with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra and Las Vegas Philharmonic as winner of their concerto competitions. In 2008, Alex was a member of the American String Teachers Association's National High School Honors Orchestra. Alex has played in lessons and masterclasses with musicians such as Brian Lewis, William Preucil, Charles Castleman, Nick Kendall, Jorja Flezanis, Jennifer Frautschi, Lara St. John, and Merry Peckham. Summer studies include: Las Vegas Music Festival, Sound Encounters String Camp, Interlochen Arts Camp, and The Quartet Program. At Interlochen, he was an Emerson Scholarship recipient as well as a concertmaster of the World Youth Symphony. Alex has just graduated from the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts and will be attending the Eastman School of Music in the fall as a student of Oleh Krysa.
Miranda Henne , 19, is a cellist from Gettysburg, PA. She is a sophomore at Mercer Univ. where she studies music, great books, and the art of becoming a better person. In addition to music, Miranda enjoys getting four hugs a day, roaming the countryside on foot, blue skies and sunshine, live performances, hilarious stories, and people. In the past few months, Miranda has come to realize that what she really wants to do in her life is to work towards a more harmonious world (pun intended)--a world where people care more about each other, and where fewer people suffer and more people are able to experience beauty. Miranda believes that music is beautiful and can help people to heal and grow and is therefore a great medium for affecting positive change. She hopes to get involved in outreach projects such as the Harmony Project (which Georgia Broughton recently called to her attention) which provides (at no cost) instruments, teaching, and performance opportunities to underprivileged children in the Los Angeles area. Along with the Harmony project, she has been inspired by the success stories of the Chester (PA) Children's Choir, and the Holy Trinity Music School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which provide similar opportunities to kids. Miranda loves hearing about new music projects and is open for suggestions.
Mary Ashton Inglis (20) hails from Travelers Rest, SC. She began her musical adventures on the piano, mainly because her teacher had a pool in the backyard where she could swim while her four siblings took turns at the piano bench. Mary Ashton picked up viola at age 12 and is now majoring in music at Duke University. In her two years at Duke, she has started a student-run chamber orchestra, the Duke Chamber Players, led violin-tutoring programs at local elementary schools, and served as the undergraduate representative to Duke’s Council for the Arts. She hopes to attend a conservatory for graduate studies. However, these plans might be delayed if she finally realizes her life-long dream of taking a road trip through Central America in a VW Bus.
WANTED: Anton G. Jakovcic. Crime: Exaggerated Expression of Viola; Playing quarter tones in tune, while playing normal tones out of tune; Playing Walton Viola Concerto while in the scordatura tuning of Bach's 5th suite at his Northwestern freshman jury. Alias: The Japacroenchman. Date of Birth: 8/9/1988. Height: 5' 11". Eye Color: Dark Brown. Hair Color: Brown. Descriptors: White Male; Awkward walk/facial expression; May be seen playing a Troszczynski Viola (1993) which he calls "Emma". Education: Northwestern University, University of Iowa (current). Known accomplices/mentors: Elizabeth Oakes, Roland Vamos, Kenji Bunch, who are also wanted for exaggerated expression of viola. Last seen: Escaping the Iowa City floods on a double-bass raft, using violins as oars and a cello as a sail. Post Date: 6/15/2008 1:39:59 AM. Reward: The Troszczynski Viola as well as a monetary reward of 50x the value of the instrument (approximately 25 USD). If you have seen him, do not approach! Call the Police Department immediately at 319-555-0710. Give the dispatcher the location you saw him and any other information that may help locate him (clothing description, vehicle description or license number). You will remain anonymous when you call.
SuJung Jang is a graduate of Daejeon Art High School and Seoul National University, majoring in Piano Performance. She has won the Silver Prize at the Piano Society of Korea competition and 3rd Prize at the Korea Senior Symphony Orchestra Concerto competition. SuJung has been an accompanist for a string summer camp in Korea, and this is her first summer at QP. After graduating from Seoul National University, she changed her area of interest to Accompanying, since she enjoys interacting with other musicians and performing a variety of genres. SuJung will began a Master’s degree in Accompanying at the Manhattan School of Music this September.
SeHee Kim was born in 1987 in South Korea. SeHee started piano at the age of 6 but couldn’t take her mind off the cello, and she finally began cello studies at age 10. She moved to Canada in 2003; in 2004 & 2005, she was the Rose Bowl Winner at Brandon Music Festival. SeHee has also won the MRMTA scholarship competition, the BU Orchestra Concerto Competition, and the 2005 Brandon Festival of the Arts President’s Scholarship for Brandon University. SeHee has been studying with Professor Mark Rudoff for 5 years and prior to that she studied for 3 years with Hye-Jin Wang, the principal cellist of Euro-Asian Philharmonic Orchestra and a student of Heidi Litschauer. An avid and accomplished chamber musician, she attended QP in Fredonia in 2006. Her group, the Chiarina Trio, was a finalist in the 2006 National Music Festival, in which SeHee also participated as a soloist. In the summer of 2007, SeHee performed at the C.O.S.I. program in Sulmona, Italy, and also studied with Lawrence Lesser at the Orford Arts Centre. She has played in many masterclasses for such well-known artists as James Ehnes, Denise Djokic, Edward Laurel, Charles Castleman, Lawrence Lesser and the Made In Canada piano quartet. This is her second time at QP; later this summer, SeHee will be returning to the Orford Arts Centre to study with Louis Claret and Lawrence Lesser.
Shana Kim was born in San Francisco and moved to the Las Vegas valley in 2002. Shana started playing the piano at the age of seven and cello at the age of nine. She still loves to play the piano but when asked to choose between the two instruments last year, she decided upon the cello. Shana is an active member of Philharmonic Las Vegas Youth Orchestra. Last summer, Shana was chosen to attend the Interlochen Music Camp in Michigan. She has been a member of Las Vegas Youth Orchestra, Nevada All State Orchestra, and the Green Valley Chamber Music. She held first chair in the Las Vegas Youth Orchestra from 2003-07. In 2008 Shana was selected a young artist soloist for Henderson Symphony Orchestra and performed Saint-Saëns Concerto with the orchestra. Also in 2008, she was a finalist for command performance for the State of Nevada. She placed second in strings division of the 2007 & 2008 Bolognini Scholarship Competition, first place in 2006 Silver State Classical Solo Strings and honorable mention in classical solo piano. In 2005, Shana won first place in both the Silver State Classical and Social Piano. She currently studies cello under Professor Andrew Smith of UNLV. Shana loves Chemistry and Mathematics and just finished her sophomore year at The Meadows School. She is also an avid archer, swimmer, and enjoys tennis.
Rachel Koblyakov , 17, has been studying violin since age 7. She has soloed with the Danville Symphony Orchestra and the East Illinois Youth Orchestra as a winner of the concerto competitions. She was broadcast on the WILL-FM Illinois radio station as a winner of the Baroque Young Artists Competition at age 14. She has participated in masterclasses given by Rachel Barton and the Time for 3 trio. Last summer she attended Madeline Island Quartet Program, directed by Vartan Manoogian, and the New England Music Festival, where she was concertmaster and soloist under Leon Gregorian. Following QP she plans to attend the Montecito Summer Music Festival, where she will study with Ruggeiro Ricci and Abram Shtern. She currently is a student of Sibbi Bernhardsson of the Pacifica Quartet.
Hannah Linz , 16, began playing violin at age 4 with John Dewey through the Suzuki Program. She has taken lessons with Charles Avsharian and Dmitri Berlinsky, but has studied continuously with Sunny Cirlin since she was in the 6th grade. Hannah has participated in master classes with such artists as Tai Murray, Augustin Hadelich, Norman Fischer, and Bayla Keyes. Next year she will make her solo debut with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra as the 2008 winner of their youth concerto competition. An avid chamber musician, Hannah has been a member of the Presto Quartet for five years, which receives direction from Patricia Smith. Earlier this year, the quartet was selected out of the state of Michigan to perform at the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. She has received chamber music coaching from the Enso, Muir, and Carpe Diem string quartets. The summer programs she has attended include Luzerne Music Center, Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, The Quartet Program, and Summit Music Festival.
Mitchell Lyon , a cellist from just outside Philadelphia, is glad to be back for his fourth summer at The Quartet Program. In these four years he has played quartets ranging from Haydn to Ives, met many incredible people, and had a wonderful time. He studies with Jeffrey Solow, Chair of Instrumental Studies at Temple University, Boyer School of Music. Next year Mitchell is looking forward to beginning studies with Bonnie Hampton as a freshman at the Julliard School. When not with his cello, Mitch can usually be found reading, biking or listening to music.
Douglas Machiz is a senior at Boston University where he studies with Mike Reynolds of the Muir Quartet. He has studied the cello for 7 years. He also plays piano, guitar, and bass guitar, and enjoys improvising. Doug has attended the Bowdoin Music Festival, Zephyr Chamber Music Festival in Italy, Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival in Newfoundland, and Eastern Music Festival. When not playing music, he enjoys learning about the weather, biking, sailing, Scuba Diving, and swimming.
Charles Morey (b. 1989) is from Fayetteville, WV and began his violin studies when he was two years old. In Dec. 2005, he played his own set of variations on the Appalachian tune “Wondrous Love” with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Grant Cooper. He has performed with the WVSO four times, including one appearance as conductor as a result of the Andrew and Amy Vaughan Student Symphonic Fellowship. During the 06-07 year, Charles was co-concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra and performed at Severance Hall five times. This fall he will be a junior at the Cleveland Institute of Music where he studies with William Preucil. Charles’ Christian faith plays a major role in his life and music. He and his mother just released a CD entitled “Extempore” which consists of improvised hymns for violin and piano as well as two selections with his sister on the harp.
Kurt Munstedt , 17, started playing the violin at age 5 and has studied with Michael Rosenbloom for the past three years. He performed with the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras from 2004-2006, and Longy Chamber Music in 2006-08, touring with the chamber group to Mexico in 2007. A first-place winner in the MMTA senior division contest in 2007, Kurt also won a place in the 2007-08 District and Massachusetts All-State orchestras, and represented Massachusetts in the Music Teachers National Association Eastern Divisions at Penn State in 2008. When not playing violin, Kurt enjoys playing the double bass, guitar, and mandolin. He has been a member of his high school swim team and loves to mountain bike and snowboard.
Nora Murphy , 18, has been playing viola since the age of 8, when her brother threatened to beat her up in the event that she should take up the violin. She has since had multiple occasions to thank him for being such an intimidating presence in her early childhood. This is Nora's first year at the Quartet Program. She has previously attended the Boston University Tanglewood Institute and the ENCORE School for Strings, where she studied with Jeffrey Irvine. During the school year, Nora was a student at the Juilliard Pre-College Program, where she studied with Heidi Castleman, Rebecca Albers, and Laura Seay. She was also the principal violist of the Pre-College Orchestra and a member of a pilot string quartet coached by Masao Kawasaki. Nora just graduated from Fairfield Warde High School in Fairfield, CT, where she was a National Merit finalist, a CAS Governor's Scholar, and valedictorian. She will commence studying at Harvard University in the fall, though she intends to continue inflicting fellow citizens with her viola playing for as long as they allow her to.
Nancy Nehring started out as a piano major at the Univ. of Kansas but ended up with a Bachelor’s in Viola, and a Master’s in Viola from the Univ. of Michigan. (She has the distinction of having accompanied a fair bit of the viola repertoire well before she played it on viola.) Her viola teachers have included Mary Tuven Hoag, Karel Blaas, Michael Kimber, Frank Bundra, Nathan Gordon, and Wayne Crouse. A member of the Oklahoma Symphony for six years and Chamber Orchestra of Oklahoma City for five, she was asst. principal and principal of the Modesto & California Symphonies, a substitute with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, and a member of the Sacramento and Santa Cruz Symphonies, the Women's Philharmonic, and the Saskatoon Symphony. Nancy participated in such summer festivals as the Grand Teton Festival, Aspen, the Colorado Philharmonic (now the NRO), the Peter Britt Festival, and the Orquesta de la Minería. She was Principal Viola of the Brandon (MB) Chamber Players from 1999-2006 and Administrative Officer of the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition from 2003-07. As a member of the Jarvis Quintet, she performed all 6 viola quintets for Mozart’s 250 th birthday. Nancy has been teaching viola and accompanying students at Brandon University for the past 8 years, during which time she has also been a QP Dean along with her husband, cellist Mark Rudoff. They will embark on a new adventure as they move from Manitoba, Canada to Columbus, OH at the beginning of August, when Mark begins an appointment as Cello Prof. at Ohio State. Nancy has no idea what she’ll be doing, but is pretty sure she’ll come up with something…
Scott Ness , 20, is cellist from Albert Lea, MN. Next fall he will be entering the Oberlin Conservatory as a sophomore. His past teachers include Peter Howard, David Carter, and Thomas Rosenberg. In previous summers he has been to festivals such as Rocky Mountain Summer Conservatory, Stringwood and Bowdoin. He has made appearances as a chamber musician with the St. Olaf Choir and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Most recently he has held jobs in the New York Philharmonic Archives and the Metropolitan Opera's Press Department.
Varinia Oyola-Rebaza was born in Lima, Peru in July 1987. When Varinia went to the orchestra to pick an instrument at age 9, the only person who let her hold an instrument was the violist, so she decided to play the viola. She studied in her native city until age 14 with Roberto Gonzalez. She then entered the preparatory division at the Turku Konservatorio in Turku, Finland, where she studied with Harri Sippel. After attending the Interlochen Arts Camp for three summers she finished her high school education at the Interlochen Arts Academy with David Holland. Varinia currently attends The Juilliard School where she studies with Heidi Castleman and Steven Tenenbom. This is Varinia's first year at Quartet Program. The last few summers she attended Yellow Barn Young Artists Program and Kent Blossom Music Center.
Alexa Pilon , 22, is originally from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Also an accomplished bassoonist, she just completed her 4th year at Brandon University in Manitoba, studying cello with Mark Rudoff for a Bachelor’s in Performance. In addition to winning scholarships and awards at Music Festivals and Brandon Univ., she holds an ARCT degree from the Royal Conservatory of Canada. Alexa received the top prize for strings, the Rose Bowl, at the 2006 Brandon Music Festival. She was a member of the Isabelle Mills Ensemble, a sextet which included QP faculty/deans Mark Rudoff & Nancy Nehring, and QP alum Kerry DuWors (2002). Last October Alexa played for Kanye West’s Winnipeg concert, and in February she performed a solo with the BU Orchestra. Although blessed (?!) with a penchant for pink, you can also ask her for help if your house needs rewiring. Alexa will also be at QP West in Boulder this summer.
Lila Pollack , 19, is from Brooklyn, NY. She attended the Manhattan School of Music Prep Division for 8 years, and is now a violin major at the Eastman School of Music, where she studies with Mikhail Kopelman. Lila was Asst. Concertmaster of InterSchool Orchestra’s Philharmonic Orchestra for 2 years and played with them when they performed in Alcala, Spain. She has also performed at Symphony Space, Alice Tully Hall, and Carnegie Hall. Lila played violin in the movie Music of the Heart (1999). When she was 13, she was asked to play an arranged version of the Star Spangled Banner for solo violin by Alan Arnold on “The Intrepid” in NYC for an event that honored brave teachers on 9/11; she and violin soloist Cho-Liang Lin are the only people in the world who have performed this arrangement. Lila attended Aspen Music Festival, Soesterberg Music Festival in Holland, Point Counterpoint Chamber Festival, School of Orchestral Studies (Principal Second), and Luzerne Music Center (Concertmistress). A finalist in Greenwich Village orchestra 1st Annual Young Artist Competition in 2004, she was runner-up in 2005. She has been in masterclasses with Julia Fischer, Charles Castleman, Judith Ingolffson, and with William DePasquale and Kimberly Fischer of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She is the niece of QP alum Paul Arnold, a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Bob Raymond : QP (13 4ts, 8 yr.), pers.: (22 y.o., VA), educ.: (vln, BM ESM, pends MM NW, (vla), ((pno)), cc, py, a + r v).
B: The second letter of the Roman alphabet, ancient and modern, corresponding, in position and power, to the Greek Beta, and Phœnician and Hebrew Beth, whence also its form is derived; representing the sonant labial mute, or lip-voice stop consonant. Bob Raymond likes the letter B, not least because it is the start of his name. It also gets off to a ruddy good start such incredibly useful items as Bicycles, Bows, Barns, Barrows, Broughams, Bungalows, Buggies, Birdbaths, Baths of a more normal sort, and other such items as may have crossed Bob's path. Bringing back Bob's biography B‑ward, blest Bob be by Beethoven, Brahms, Bach, Bartok, Buxtehude, Bellini, Berio, Berg, Bloch, Borodin, Bruckner, Bruch, Byrd blithely. It is also close in proximity to the letter 'C' which he likes since doubled it is the initials of his teacher for the last 4 years and 8 summers. In Baroque music, C becomes B brilliantly, and it is the bold dominant of his E minor boiling pot of Beethovenian bodaciousness.
Sarah Rogers was born in Wiesbaden, Germany in 1991. Sarah began playing the violin at the age of nine under the instruction of Lucie Fink. As a member of the A.R.M.E.S. (Arts Reaching Middle and Elementary Schools) program, she participated in small chamber groups, coached by advanced student instructors. Today, she is one of those instructors. In addition to coaching, Sarah studies chamber music at the Fine Arts Center of Greenville, SC with QP alumnus John Ravnan, as well as music theory and history with Dr. Jon Grier. Sarah received second place as a member of the Kahlo Quartet in the Carolinas Chamber Music Competition at Converse College in the spring of 2008. Sarah’s past summer programs incude the Suzuki Institute and the Indiana University Summer String Academy with Mimi Zweig. Sarah’s other talents include turning the sides of her mouth down to the likeness of a fish, being Kaleigh’s “dorm mommy”, and nearly fainting in rehearsal due to odd rhythm practicing techniques. She loves salsa and ice cream, but not together, and almost always carries Orbit gum. Sarah currently studies with Deirdre Hutton. This is her first year at QP.
A native of Minnesota and an avid lover of all things Twilight (written by Stephenie Meyer), Nora Scheller has been playing violin since the age of four, when she began her studies with Patti Tryhus of the Mankato Suzuki School of Music. Several years later, Nora switched to Marilyn Bos, with whom she studied for five years. Currently, Nora studies with Peter McGuire of the Minnesota Orchestra. In addition, she has had lessons with such instrumentalists as Aaron Janse, Vali Phillips, and Ken Freed, all of the Minnesota Orchestra. Nora is also an active member in the Symphony Orchestra of the Minnesota Youth Symphonies, under the direction of Manny Laureano. Besides her musical studies, Nora is a fond lover of fictional literature and enjoys writing, or at least making the attempt. She enjoys nature, finds sunny days ideal for practicing, and is vegetarian. In addition, she is very much looking forward to frolicking in her flowery back yard with her sweet pup, Ginny.
Ryan Shannon is a 16 year old violinist from Boulder, CO. Throughout his ventures in music, he has placed 1st in the Stars of Tomorrow Kiwanis Competition, held the place of 3rd chair in the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, as well as traveled to Argentina, France, and Italy. At home in Boulder, he studies with Basil Vendryes, Viola Professor at Lamont School of Music at Denver University, Principal Violist of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, and Music Director of the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Colorado Young Sinfonia. However, Ryan will be leaving his home town of Boulder in the fall to attend Walnut Hill, a music-prep, boarding school based in Natick, MA. Ryan's future goals in life are completely based in music; after Walnut Hill, he hopes to attend the New England Conservatory of Music, or the Julliard School, and then move on to the greater musical world.
Hope Shepherd , originally from Mesa, AZ, has been playing the cello for twelve years. She recently completed her Bachelor's Degree in Cello Performance at Arizona State University and will begin her Master's Degree at Rice University in the Fall. Hope has played in masterclasses for Bernard Greenhouse, Laurence Lesser, Joel Krosnick, and Norman Fischer. In October of 2007 she won the Tucson Symphony Concerto Competition and was a soloist with the Tucson Symphony in May. This is Hope's first year at Quartet Program.
Annabeth Shirley , age 19, hails from Salem, OR where she began playing the cello at age nine. Thus far, perhaps her most inspiring musical experience was her participation in the Portland Youth Philharmonic from 2005-07 under the direction of Dr. Mei-ann Chen. Last summer, she toured with PYP to Taiwan and South Korea, where they collaborated with the Nowon and Gwacheon Youth Orchestras and were privileged enough to perform in the Taipei National Concert Hall. This fall, Annabeth will enter her sophomore year at the Univ. of Michigan, where she is pursuing a dual degree in Cello Performance (under the guidance of Prof. Anthony Elliott) and Environmental Science. Later this summer she will be traveling with Prof. Elliott to Hinterzarten, Germany to participate in the Interharmony Music Festival. Annabeth is also an active ballet dancer (she has danced for even longer than she has played the cello!), enjoys camping, hiking, and geocaching with her family, and loves fresh summer fruit. This is her first year at QP.
Sebastien Simek has been playing viola since he was nine years old. He currently lives in Portland, OR, and studies with Brian Quincey. He is heading into his senior year in high school, and debating whether to pursue a music major.
Caeli Smith is 16 years old and lives in Philadelphia. She has appeared as a guest soloist with the Philadelphia Classical Symphony, the Ocean City Pops, the Philadelphia Bach Festival Orchestra, the Ambler Symphony, the Bucks County Symphony, and other orchestras. She has been featured several times as a violin soloist on NPR’s From The Top, as well its TV series, Live From Carnegie Hall. She is also a cast member on the radio show, where she does skits and interviews with prominent musicians and pedagogues, such as Paul Kantor, Almita Vamos, and Mark O’Connor. In addition to violin, Caeli enjoys journalism, singing, and acting. She had a starring role as a street musician in Robert Downey Sr.'s 2005 documentary Rittenhouse Square and a role in his upcoming feature documentary on the composer Kurt Weill. Caeli is a violin student of Joey Corpus, an independent teacher in Manhattan, and of Catherine Cho at the Juilliard pre-college program.
Michelle Suh , age 16, has been playing the violin for ten years and is currently studying with Jennifer Bourianoff, assistant concertmaster of the Austin (TX) Symphony. Michelle was a member of the Texas All-State 2007 Philharmonic Orchestra and 2008 Symphony Orchestra. She attended Bravo! in 2006 and 2007 and studied with Sally O'Reilly. She has also performed with the Austin Symphony as a winner of their concerto competition. Outside of music, Michelle is the Westlake Student Council Vice President, Sports Editor of the Westlake Yearbook, and member of the varsity golf team. Her hobbies include Facebooking, making cream puffs, and watching "Heroes". Michelle has had an amazing time at Quartet Program, and will always remember the great music, friends, and undercookies!
Sabrina Tabby is 17 years old and lives in Merion Station, PA, near Philadelphia. She studies violin in the private studios of Estelle Kerner and Xiao Fu Zhou in Elkins Park, PA and piano with Anna Kopansky in Havertown, PA. Sabrina is a senior at Lower Merion High School where she is concertmistress for their orchestra. She is concertmistress for the Main Line Youth Chamber Orchestra for which she has soloed many times on piano and violin. Sabrina plays first violin in the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra. In 2008, she won the Old York Road Symphony Orchestra competition and the Allentown Symphony Orchestra Scholarship competition. Sabrina made the semifinals of the 2008 Fischoff National Competition in South Bend, IN with the Ivory String Quartet. She won the Ambler Symphony Orchestra competition in 2007. Her performance at Carnegie Hall with the Seraphina Quartet aired on PBS TV’s From the Top in 2006. Sabrina will attend the Recontres Musicales Internationales des Graves in Gradignan, France and the Mercer McDuffie program in Macon, GA later this summer.
Genevieve Tabby is 17 years old and lives in Merion Station, PA, near Philadelphia. She studies cello in the private studio of Gloria DePasquale in Penn Valley, PA and piano with Anna Kopansky in Havertown, PA. Genevieve is a senior at Lower Merion High School where she is principal cellist for their orchestra, and she is principal cellist for the Main Line Youth Chamber Orchestra for which she has soloed many times on piano and cello. A member of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra (PYO), Genevieve won the Allentown Symphony Orchestra Scholarship competition in 2008 and the Union League of Philadelphia Foundation/PYO Good Citizenship award. Genevieve made the semifinals of the 2008 Fischoff National Competition with the Ivory String Quartet, and won the Ambler Symphony Orchestra competition in 2007. Her performance at Carnegie Hall with the Seraphina Quartet aired on PBS TV’s From the Top in 2006. Genevieve will attend the Recontres Musicales Internationales des Graves in Gradignan, France and the Mercer McDuffie program in Macon, GA later this summer.
PuiLing Pauline Tang began violin studies at the age of six. She obtained Grade 8 and Advanced Certificates from the Royal School of Music in 1996 and 1999 respectively, and has performed in recitals and concerts. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in engineering in 2004 and 2007. Determined to take music as her lifelong partner, she entered Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2006. She studied with William Davidson and Patrick Sze from the Hong Kong Philharmonic. Currently, she studies with Elizabeth Lo, Former Concertmaster of Hong Kong Sinfonietta. She will graduate with Diploma of Performing Arts (Music), majoring in violin in 2008. Pauline has been the concertmaster of Hong Kong Youth Strings and a first violin player in Hong Kong Youth Symphony. She currently serves as the concertmaster in Hong Kong Scout Association Orchestra and principal second violin in Hong Kong Medial Association Orchestra. As a chamber musician, she founded the Allegro Quartet to promote classical music for festive occasions.
Laura Thompson grew up in Milwaukee, WI, but knows very little about cows. She can, however, speak with elegance and grace (or at least a hearty show of enthusiasm) about other topics of the natural world due to an inspiring ecology course she took at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is also interested in languages, literature, history, and politics, and is studying an eclectic combination of these subjects at Northwestern University, where she is pursuing a double degree from the School of Music and the College of Liberal Arts. She will be a senior in the fall in the violin studio of Gerardo Ribeiro. She has spent previous summers at Meadowmount, Tanglewood (BUTI), Musicorda Chamber Music Institute, and Interlochen Arts Camp. Laura was also an Irish dancer for many years, and was involved in many theatre projects in Milwaukee. Influential violin teachers and chamber coaches include Jeanyi Kim, Hal Grossman, Ravenna Helson, Glenn Asch, Li-Kuo Chang, and of course, Gerardo Ribeiro. Thank you to everyone at QP this summer!
Kevin Tompkins , 17, is a rising senior at Wade Hampton High School and the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, SC. He studies privately with Dr. Eun-Sun Lee of Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC, and his chamber coach is John Ravnan, a QP alumnus. Kevin is attending QP for the first time, and is enjoying every part of it, right down to the slightly temperamental weather and the delicious (albeit slightly undercooked) cookies from the cafeteria. Apart from music, his other interests include baseball, environmentalism, trying to write coherent yet slightly witty biographies at 12:30 a.m., and an intense but somewhat procrastinated-upon desire to be multilingual. After high school, Kevin hopes to pursue a degree in violin performance.
Erica Tursi , 17, is a violinist from Medford, NJ. She is currently a junior at Shawnee High School and is a student of Hirono Oka of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She is a member of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, and holds an Advanced Study Scholarship at Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. Erica has appeared as a guest soloist with the Manalapan Battleground Symphony, the Old York Symphony, the Delaware County Symphony Orchestra, the Ocean City Pops, and the Philharmonic of Southern New Jersey.
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