SpringFest! 2025 Musicians | Four Seasons Chamber Music Festival

Ara Gregorian

Violinist/violist ARA GREGORIAN made his debut as soloist with the Boston Pops Orchestra in Symphony Hall and has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall and the Kennedy Center, and in cities throughout the world including Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Vancouver, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Ulaanbaatar, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Helsinki. Gregorian is the founder and artistic director of Four Seasons and has appeared at the SpringLight (Finland), Storioni (Holland), Casals (Puerto Rico), Intimacy of Creativity (Hong Kong), Voice of Music (Israel), Vail, Taos and Sante Fe festivals. He has performed extensively as a member of the Cooperstown and Daedalus quartets and the chamber music ensemble Concertante. Gregorian has served on the violin/viola/chamber music faculty at East Carolina University since 1998 and is the Chair of String and Piano Chamber Music at New England Conservatory.

Leah Amory

LEAH AMORY is a violinist and musician currently studying at the Curtis Institute of Music. She prefers not to dwell on past achievements, but rather to strive for a future in honoring classical music with urgency. Her passion for playing is enriched by her passion for visual art, crossword puzzles, and sonnets; she aims to share her truest voice within the conflux of these creative genres, relating a unique interpretation of Self and Music to her audiences. Leah is grateful to those who have supported her lifelong search. Such mentors include Catherine Cho, Pamela Frank, Erin Keefe, Itzhak Perlman, and David Takeno.

Lucas Amory

Pianist LUCAS AMORY is currently pursuing his Masters in Piano Performance at the Juilliard School in the studio of Julian Martin, having previously studied in the Harvard-New England Conservatory dual degree program under Hae-Sun Paik. The first prize winner of the PianoArts 2024 North American Competition and 2022 Harvard Concerto Competition, Lucas has also collaborated with many esteemed artists including Matt Aucoin, Bruce Adolphe, Nico Muhly, and Claire Chase. An avid chamber musician, he has participated in Taos, Ravinia, and Prussia Cove, among other festivals. Lucas is also a conductor and baritone, as a former Music Director of Harvard’s Bach Society Orchestra, and having been employed as a Ferris Fellow in the Harvard University Choir.

Colin Carr

COLIN CARR appears throughout the world as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, and teacher. He has played with major orchestras worldwide, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, The Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, BBC Symphony, the orchestras of Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, Philadelphia, Montréal and all the major orchestras of Australia and New Zealand. Conductors with whom he has worked include Rattle, Gergiev, Dutoit, Elder, Skrowasczewski and Marriner. Chamber music plays an important role in his musical life. He is a frequent visitor to international festivals and has appeared often as a guest with the Guarneri and Emerson string quartets and with New York’s Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. He has held teaching positions at the New England Conservatory and the Royal Academy of Music. St John’s College, Oxford created the post of “Musician in Residence” for him. Since 2002 he been a professor at Stony Brook University in New York.

Andrew Jun Chen

Inspired by the depth of relationships developed through collaboration, pianist ANDREW JUN CHEN has always been drawn to the ways in which chamber music closely mirrors human life. He began studying the piano at age 8 with Frederick Kuok and has performed at festivals including the Chautauqua Institution, Perlman Music Program, IMS Prussia Cove and the Young Artist Seminar at Kinhaven Music School. Andrew has been fortunate enough to collaborate with esteemed artists including Pei-Shan Lee and Itzhak Perlman. He has participated in masterclasses with renowned pedagogues including Peter Frankl, Gary Graffman, Boris Slutsky, Jon Nakamatsu, and Natalya Antonova. Andrew graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Piano Performance from the Eastman School of Music, where he studied under Alexander Kobrin. He holds a master’s degree from New England Conservatory, and is the pianist of Trio Eris under the guidance of Vivian Weilerstein and HaeSun Paik.

Catherine Cho

CATHERINE CHO draws upon her experiences as a soloist, chamber musician, pedagogue, and artistic director to support and mentor artists in their quests to engage and enrich their high values as future leaders. She is devoted to fostering the next generation of performers and teachers through the development of artistic excellence, inspired curiosity, and clarity of vision through a holistic view of the whole person. Her work as a teacher in the Juilliard Community Engagement Seminar highlights her passion for connection through art and communication. Cho has served on the Violin and Chamber Music Faculty of the Juilliard School since 1994. When away from her teaching and performing, you may find her tending her Zen garden, practicing yoga, or catching up with the Times. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband, Todd Phillips, and son, Brandon.

Martina Consonni

Italian pianist MARTINA CONSONNI has established herself as one of the most promising young musicians of this generation. Her performances have graced prestigious venues worldwide, including the Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall in London, Alte Oper in Frankfurt, Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, Tonhalle Zürich. She has collaborated with conductors such as Louis Langrè, Anna Rakitina, Holly Choe, Ovidiu Balan, Marco Boni and with institutions such as Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Dresden Philarmonic, Bochum Symphoniker, Tonhalle Orchestra Zürich. Martina has received numerous accolades, including over 55 grand prizes in international competitions. Born in Como, Italy, Martina’s musical journey began early. Her work culminated in her graduation with honors in piano at the age of fourteen. She pursued advanced studies under luminaries such as Enrico Pace, Arie Vardi and Andreas Schiff, earning multiple Master’s degrees and an Artist Diploma from prestigious institutions.

Solomon Ge

SOLOMON GE is a pianist and composer who currently studies at the New England Conservatory of Music with Haesun Paik and Alessio Bax. He has performed extensively across the United States and in Europe, collaborating with orchestras such as the South Carolina Philharmonic, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and Richardson Symphony Orchestra. An avid chamber musician, he has performed at the Ravinia and Marlboro Music Festivals, and has further been invited to perform in the Musicians from Marlboro concert series in 2026. These formative experiences have allowed him to work with and perform alongside musicians such as Lucy Fitz-Gibbon, Judith Serkin, and Alice Neary. He regularly performs his own compositions in recitals, and has recorded his solo piano work, Threnody, for the Pinna Records label, with all proceeds from the release being donated to the Jed Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting the mental well-being of teenagers.

Nick Hammel

Violinist NICK HAMMEL is currently pursuing his Master of Musical Arts in Violin Performance at the Yale School of Music under Ani Kavafian. He has also earned degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and the New England Conservatory, studying with Sandy Yamamoto and Don Weilerstein. He has soloed with orchestras such as the Richardson Symphony and the University of Texas Symphony Orchestra. Most recently, Nick won first prize in the 2025 Eastern Connecticut Symphony Instrumental Competition. Nick is also an active chamber music performer. His recently formed piano trio, Trio Sponte, won the grand prize at the 2024 Coltman Chamber Music Competition. His former group, Trio En, won Silver Medal in the Senior Strings Division of the 2020 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Joan Herget

Canadian cellist JOAN HERGET currently studies at the Curtis Institute of Music with Peter Wiley and Gary Hoffman. She obtained a bachelor’s degree as a Presidential Distinction Award student of Laurence Lesser at the New England Conservatory. In 2022, she was awarded first place in NEC’s Lower Strings Concerto Competition and performed the Barber Cello Concerto as soloist with the NEC Philharmonia. Joan is also the winner of the CDA Young Artist Competition, Frank Simpson Concerto Competition, and two-time winner of the Rotary Calgary Concerto Competition. She has been privileged to receive guidance from the Emerson, Brentano, Belcea, Juilliard, Borromeo, and Dover quartets, as well as from Itzhak Perlman, Shmuel Ashkenasi, and Hsin-Yun Huang. Joan has attended the Schiermonnikoog Festival in the Netherlands, YellowBarn Festival, Norfolk Chamber Music Festival, Perlman Music Program, and Heifetz Institute: Ashkenasi/Kirshbaum Chamber Music Seminar.

Annie SeEun Hyung

Korean-American cellist ANNIE SEEUN HYUNG is grateful to have discovered a sense of home through music, despite a youth spent moving across countries and continents. A fascination with the intimacies of the small ensemble has led her to festivals including IMS Prussia Cove, Yellowbarn, Kronberg Academy’s Chamber Music Connects the World, the Perlman Music Program, and the Taos School of Music. Season appearances include A Far Cry, Boston Chamber Music Society, the Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series, Rockport Music, and Olympic Music Festival. Annie’s primary teachers include Larry Lesser, Hans Jorgen Jensen, Michel Strauss and Sarah Koo Freeman. She performs on a cello made by David Tecchler in 1711 and is recipient of the Abraham Skernick Presidential Scholarship as a graduate student at New England Conservatory.

Sarah Jégou-Sageman

SARAH JÉGOU-SAGEMAN studied in Paris and Berlin with Boris Garlitsky, Philippe Graffin, and Mihaela Martin, and is now a student of Kronberg Academy. She has won prizes in international competitions, and has received teaching from musicians such as Daniel Barenboim, Leonidas Kavakos, Janine Jansen, and András Schiff. She plays around Europe as a soloist and chamber musician, alongside regular partners such as pianists Rodolphe Menguy, Martina Consonni, and Jeein You—with whom she recorded a CD for Warner in 2023. As first violin of the Sonoro Quartet, she has played in venues such as the Musikverein in Vienna, Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw as part of the ECHO rising stars series. She has recently performed at Wigmore Hall in London, in Dresden with Gautier Capuçon and Martina Consonni, and with the Dresden Philarmonic. She plays on a violin by Jean-Baptiste Vuillaume on loan from the Stretton Society.

Michael Kannen

Cellist MICHAEL KANNEN was a founding member of the Brentano String Quartet and for seven years performed with that group on stages around the world. During those years, the Quartet was awarded the Cleveland Quartet Award, the Naumburg Award, and the Segal Award from Lincoln Center, and appeared in venues such as Alice Tully Hall, the Library of Congress, Wigmore Hall, the Concertgebouw, and the Sydney Opera House. Kannen has been a member of the Apollo Trio and the Meliora and Cooperstown string quartets, has appeared at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and has performed at Spoleto in Charleston, Italy, and Australia. Kannen has been faculty at Yellow Barn and Taos School of Music. For 22 years he was Director of Chamber Music at the Peabody Conservatory, where he still teaches, and in 2019 received the Johns Hopkins Excellence in Teaching Award.

Ani Kavafian

Violinist ANI KAVAFIAN has performed as soloist with virtually all of America’s leading orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Cleveland, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco and Seattle symphony orchestras. She has appeared at the White House on three separate occasions for three different presidents. Kavafian has performed with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 1979, performs frequently with her sister, Ida Kavafian, and has appeared in solo recitals at New York’s Carnegie and Alice Tully halls. She has appeared at the Four Seasons, Music from Angel Fire, Bravo! Vail and Bridgehampton festivals, and recorded the Mozart violin concerti with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra. Kavafian has held teaching positions at Mannes College, Manhattan School of Music, McGill University in Montreal and Stony Brook University. She is currently full professor at the Yale University School of Music.

Ida Kavafian

The versatile violinist/violist IDA KAVAFIAN recently completed her 35th year and final year as Artistic Director of Music from Angel Fire. She is co-founder of Tashi, OPUS ONE, Trio Valtorna and Bravo! Vail Valley Music Festival (running it for ten years), frequent artist at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, former violinist of the Beaux Arts Trio and faculty member of The Curtis Institute (where she holds the Nina von Maltzahn Violin Chair). She has premiered numerous new works including concerti by Toru Takemitsu and Michael Daugherty, toured and recorded with jazz greats Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis and Fiddler/Composer Mark O’Connor, appeared with the Guarneri, Orion, Shanghai and American String Quartets (as violist), and has had a solo feature on CBS Sunday Morning. A graduate of Juilliard studying with Oscar Shumsky, she made her NY debut under Young Concert Artists with the pianist Peter Serkin. Together with her husband, violist Steven Tenenbom, she breeds, trains and shows prize-winning Vizsla dogs, which presently include a Gold Grand Champion as well as a Master Hunter.

Hannah Chaewon Kim

Born in Seoul, South Korea, violinist HANNAH CHAEWON KIM recently graduated from the Graduate Diploma program at the New England Conservatory, where she also earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Studying with Soovin Kim and Donald Weilerstein, she received the Presidential Distinction Award Scholarship. Kim was selected for the Honors Ensembles in the 2021-2022 season, performing as part of the Tavola Quartet at Jordan Hall. She also appeared in chamber music performances such as the “Connections” series and the Chamber Music Gala. As a soloist, Kim performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Seoul Arts Center, and served as concertmaster of the NEC Philharmonia. Her competition awards include first prizes in the Manhattan International Music Competition and East Coast International Competition. Kim has also performed at prominent music festivals such as the Lake Champlain Music Festival, Music@Menlo and the Perlman Music Program.

Hye-Jin Kim

Violinist HYE-JIN KIM was awarded first prize at the Yehudi Menuhin International Competition and the Concert Artists Guild Competition. She has performed as soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Seoul Philharmonic, and has been presented at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall and the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. Kim has appeared at the Four Seasons, Marlboro, Ravinia, Music from Angel Fire, Prussia Cove and Music@Menlo festivals and was a member of the Cooperstown Quartet. She has toured as a member of Musicians from Marlboro and recently founded “Lullaby Dreams,” an initiative that brings beauty and humanity to babies and families in NICUs and children’s hospitals through music. Kim is associate professor of violin at East Carolina University.

Yeesun Kim

Cellist YEESUN KIM has performed throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia as a founding member of the Borromeo String Quartet, in duo with violinist Nicholas Kitchen, and as a soloist, including engagements at the Philharmonie in Berlin, the Opera Bastille in Paris, Wigmore Hall in London, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Sejong Cultural Center in Seoul, Carnegie Hall in New York, Jordan Hall in Boston, and the Library of Congress and Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Kim has recorded and performed for NPR’s Performance Today and NHK Radio and Television in Japan, and appeared on Live from Lincoln Center. She currently serves on the faculty of the New England Conservatory in the cello and chamber music departments and teaches each summer at the Taos School of Music and at the Heifetz Institute.

Nicholas Kitchen

NICHOLAS KITCHEN has performed throughout the world both as soloist and chamber musician and as founding first violinist of the Borromeo String Quartet. He has done extensive projects with the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Library of Congress, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. He has performed in some of the world’s great concert halls such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Wigmore Hall in London, the Opera Bastille in Paris, Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, Suntory Hall in Tokyo, the Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai and the Seoul Arts Center in Korea. He is the Artistic Director of the Heifetz International Music Institute and Faculty member at the New England Conservatory of Music. Nicholas is winner of the Arion Award from the Cambridge Society for Early Music, the Evian International Quartet Competition, the Cleveland Quartet Award, the Martin E. Segal Award and the Avery Fisher Career Grant.

Yeh-Chun Lin

Taiwanese violist YEH-CHUN LIN is establishing herself as a passionate chamber musician and soloist on the international stage. She has performed across the United States, Europe, Canada, and Taiwan, and is a prizewinner of the Les Violons du Roy Concerto Competition, the Borromeo Quartet Guest Artist Award, and the A Far Cry x NEC Collaborative Competition. She has appeared at festivals such as Yellow Barn, Domaine Forget, and the Perlman Music Program Chamber Music Workshop, working closely with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Donald Weilerstein, Joel Krosnick, Molly Carr, and Merry Peckham. Yeh-Chun has also performed in concert series including First Monday, Harvard’s Signet Society, A Far Cry, and Phoenix Chamber Orchestra. She is currently completing her Master of Music at the New England Conservatory, where she also earned her Bachelor’s degree. She studies with Mai Motobuchi and Beth Guterman Chu and is a recipient of the NEC Dean’s Scholarship.

Ravani Loushy Kay

RAVANI LOUSHY KAY, a sophomore at New England Conservatory under Prof. Miriam Fried. Recipient of excellency grants from AICF since 2017, AICF Study Abroad grant, Young Academy of BMSM, Ronen Foundation, Jerusalem Music Centre, and Zeist Music Days Festival. Ravani won 1st prize in the Israel National Strings Competition 2022, and 2nd prize strings, 1st prize violin section, Buchmann Mehta Strings competition 2023. Played as a soloist with Israel Philharmonic 2022, Raanana Symphonie and more. Performed recitals in main halls in Israel, both as a soloist and as the 1st violinist of the Stern Quartet 2018-23. Was concertmaster of NEC Symphony and the Young Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Lahav Shani, Christof Korzalsky and others. Alumnus of Taos School of Music, Jerusalem Music Centre, International Huberman Program, Young CEME, Heifetz Institute, and the Genesis Perlman program. Ravani plays on a 1799 Lupot loaned to him by Yehuda Zisapel.

Khanh Nhi Luong

Vietnamese pianist KHANH NHI LUONG, Third Prize & Lady Roslyn Lyons Bronze Medalist at the 2024 Leeds International Piano Competition, has captivated audiences worldwide. Highlights include performing with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra at Hill Auditorium. She is indebted to the Imogen Cooper Music Trust, of which she is a 2025 scholar. Upcoming engagements feature recitals in Hanoi, Singapore, France, London, and a debut at Sommerliche Musiktage Hitzacker (Germany). Co-founder of the Lunar New Year Piano Concert Series, Khanh Nhi champions music by Asian composers and cultural diversity, with a 2025 tour spanning the U.S. and Canada. Educated at Yong Siew Toh Conservatory (Singapore) and the University of Michigan, where she is pursuing a DMA, her mentors include Thomas Hecht and Christopher Harding.

Tianyou Ma

Chinese-Australian violinist TIANYOU MA is currently pursuing his Master’s degree at Juilliard under the tutalage of Catherine Cho. Tianyou has studied in Australia, the UK, and the US. He began at the Elder Conservatorium of Music in Adelaide before continuing at The Yehudi Menuhin School and Curtis Institute of Music, where he won the 2023 Milka Violin Artist Prize and gave the commencement speech. Tianyou has won top prizes in competitions such as the Singapore, Sendai, and Menuhin International Violin Competitions, where he also received Bach Prizes. He has performed with orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic, Sendai Philharmonic, and Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, as well as in festivals like Verbier and Gstaad.

Robert McDonald

ROBERT MCDONALD has toured extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America. He has performed with major orchestras in the United States and was the recital partner for many years to Isaac Stern and other distinguished instrumentalists. He has participated in the Marlboro, Casals, and Luzerne Festivals, the Chamber Music Society at Lincoln Center, and has broadcasted for BBC Television worldwide. He has appeared with the Takács, Vermeer, Juilliard, Brentano, Borromeo, American, Shanghai, and St. Lawrence string quartets as well as with Musicians from Marlboro. His discography includes recordings for Sony Classical, Bridge, Vox, Musical Heritage Society, ASV, and CRI. Mr. McDonald’s prizes include the Gold Medal at the Busoni International Piano Competition and the Deutsche Schallplatten Critics Award. A member of the piano faculty at the Juilliard School since 1999, Mr. McDonald joined the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music in 2007, where he holds the Penelope P. Watkins Chair in Piano Studies. During the summer, he is the artistic director of the Taos School of Music and Chamber Music Festival in New Mexico.

KJ McDonald

KENNETH JOSHUA “KJ” MCDONALD is a gifted violinist and musician from California. Inspired by a childhood of listening to the violin recordings of Itzhak Perlman and rock-n-roll albums, he pursued his passion for music in New York City, where he studied under Perlman and Catherine Cho at the Juilliard School, receiving a scholarship as a Kovner fellow. His love for chamber music blossomed on the East Coast, where he formed quartets and worked with the Juilliard String Quartet and Cleveland Quartet. KJ has been privileged to perform in renowned venues around the world, including the Royal Albert Hall, Alice Tully Hall, and Jordan Hall. He recently gave his premier performance of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto with the Miami Symphony as a part of its season finale. In his free time, KJ enjoys reading classic literature and attending distinguished music festivals.

Dilshod Narzillaev

Cellist DILSHOD NARZILLAEV has captivated audiences worldwide with his solo performances alongside prestigious ensembles, including the Boston Pops Orchestra at Symphony Hall, the National and State orchestras of Uzbekistan, the Kansas City Chamber Orchestra, and the Croatian Radio-Television Symphony Orchestra as part of the Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition prize. An accomplished chamber musician, Dilshod has performed with esteemed artists at festivals such as the Perlman Music Program, Music@Menlo, Kronberg Academy, iPalpiti International Festival, and Heifetz Music Institute. This summer, he will join the Marlboro Festival in Vermont and commence his role as an Artist in Residence at the Queen Elisabeth Chapel in Waterloo in the fall. Dilshod Narzillaev is a native Uzbek where he started cello at the Glier Specialized Music school at the age of teen. After he graduated from Park University and The New England Conservatory, where he studied under distinguished mentors Daniel Veis and Laurence Lesser.

Oliver Neubauer

Violinist OLIVER NEUBAUER, a YCA Jacobs Fellow and winner of the 2023 YCA Auditions, has been hailed as “bright, clean, and characterful” (The Strad) and “glistening and grippingly precise” (San Francisco Classical Voice). As soloist, he has performed with orchestras such as the Delaware Symphony, Springfield Symphony, and National Repertory Orchestra, earning top prizes in the Hellam, Arsclassica, and National YoungArts Competitions. A student of Mihaela Martin at the Kronberg Academy, Oliver is a Juilliard graduate and former Kovner Fellow, having studied with Li Lin, Itzhak Perlman, and Donald Weilerstein. His festival appearances include the Verbier Academy, Music@Menlo, and Marlboro Festival. This season, he debuts at Wigmore Hall, the Kennedy Center, and Merkin Hall, making his Weill recital debut at Carnegie Hall in October. He plays the 1727 “Milstein” Guarneri Del Gesù violin, generously loaned by the Ryuji Ueno Foundation and Rare Violins in Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative.

Bobby Boogyeom Park

BOBBY BOOGYEOM PARK is a freshman at the Juilliard School studying with Itzhak Perlman and Catherine Cho under the Kovner Fellowship. In the past, Bobby has also studied with Li Lin. Before going to college, he was a student of the Juilliard Pre-College Division where he studied with Catherine Cho and Donald Weilerstein for 7 years. During his summers, he attended the Perlman Music Program from 2022 to 2024. He was a 1st prize winner at the International Russian Rotary Music Competition in Moscow and the 2019 Juilliard Pre-College Concerto Competition. In 2021, Bobby was the bronze medalist at the Stulberg International String Competition. In 2022, Bobby performed with Maxim Vengerov and the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. In December of 2023, Bobby performed at the reception event of the Itzhak Perlman and the Juilliard String Quartet concert taking place in Alice Tully Hall.

Cara Pogossian

Armenian-American violist CARA POGOSSIAN is an avid chamber musician having performed at numerous summer festivals, including the Marlboro Festival, Ravinia Steans Music Institute, Tippet Rise, and Taos School of Music. Cara has performed at several high-profile concerts as an AGBU (Armenian General Benevolent Union) Scholarship recipient, and is a 2024 recipient of the St. Botolph Club Foundation Emerging Artist Award. She has taken part in several tours with the Curtis Institute and Musicians from Marlboro, and was the winner of the 2024 NEC Concerto Competition, culminating in a performance of Bartók’s Viola Concerto with the NEC Philharmonia. Cara recently completed her graduate studies with Kim Kashkashian at the New England Conservatory of Music, as the recipient of the Abraham Skernick Memorial Presidential Scholarship. She had previously studied with Hsin-Yun Huang and Misha Amory at the Curtis Institute of Music.

Andres Sanchez

Born in Allentown, PA, cellist ANDRES SANCHEZ-LINARES began his cello studies at the age of eight years old with former Puerto Rico Symphony principal cellist Miguel Rojas. He continued his studies with Jesus Morales of the Dali Quartet and former principal of the Puerto Rico Symphony. At 10 years of age, Andres made his solo debuts in the Midwest Clinic of Chicago and the Ocean City Pops orchestra. Three years later, he made his Carnegie Hall solo debut with the ArCoNet Chamber Orchestra. At 16, Andres was accepted to the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with cellists Peter Wiley and Carter Brey. He currently studies at the New England Conservatory under the guidance of Paul Katz. Andres has made solo appearances with the Kennet Square Symphony, the Central Jersey Symphony, the Summit Symphony, Pennsylvania Sinfonia, and the Gabrieli Ensemble. As cellist of the AYA Trio, he has performed across the country, including at Concerts International in Memphis, TN, the Schneider Concert series at the Mannes School of Music, the Brevard Music Center, and New York City’s Merkin Concert Hall.

Joseph Skerik

JOSEPH SKERIK is violist of the Vega String Quartet, in residence at the Emory Chamber Music Society of Atlanta. He additionally serves as artist-affiliate viola faculty at Emory University. Recent quartet appearances include Washington DC, New York, Charlotte, Raleigh, Atlanta and San Miguel, with recent collaborations including the Juilliard Quartet, Zuill Bailey, Mark and Maggie O’Connor, Ettore Causa, Amy Schwartz-Moretti and Ransom Wilson. 2025 – 2026 commissions include works by Paul Coletti, Joel Thompson and composers Emily Koh and David Gardner for PBS. Joseph performs in the Heifetz Institute’s Tours and Residencies and is a prize-winner of the 2022 Nedbal Competition in Prague. 2025 summer activities include teaching and performing at the Montecito Festival, Atlanta Festival Academy, Tallgrass, Sitka, Highlands-Cashiers and Viridian Festivals and as a fellowship artist at the La Jolla Music Society SummerFest. Joseph also co-directs the summer music series Viridian Strings.

Whitney Takata

WHITNEY TAKATA, 23, started violin when she was 4 years old and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the Juilliard School studying with Ms.Catherine Cho. She has won numerous awards, including gold medal award in Japan Wind, Strings, and Percussion Solo Competition, 1st Prize in Junior Classical Music Competition Japan, 1st Prize in International Junior Music Competition (Chiba), and the Best Interpretation of a Work by Krzysztof Penderecki in Kosciuszko Foundation Wieniawski Violin Competition. Her festival engagements include Aspen Music Festival, Miyazaki Music Festival, Kneisel Hall, Heifetz Music Institute, and Music Academy of the West, performing in various masterclasses. Her previous teachers include Mr.Joseph Lin, Mr.Tsugio Tokunaga, and Ms. Chiyoko Noguchi.

Jakob Giovanni Taylor

JAKOB TAYLOR has recently completed his Masters of Musical Arts degree at the Yale School of Music under the tutelage of Paul Watkins. Born in New York City, Jakob began playing the cello at the age of three. His career as a soloist and chamber musician has taken him to venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Casalsforum, Bargemusic and Jordan Hall. Jakob has collaborated with artists such as Wu Han, Matthew Lipman, Ettore Causa, Ani Kavafian, Steven Tenenbom, and Hye-Jin Kim. To this end, he has spent his summers performing in programs such as Music@Menlo’s International Program, Four Seasons Spring Workshop, the Taos School of Music, Music Academy of the West, among others. Jakob received his Masters of Music at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music studying with Desmond Hoebig. He has also received diplomas from the New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School.

Steven Tenenbom

STEVEN TENENBOM is the violist of the Orion String Quartet, which has served as the quartet-in-residence of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Aspen Music Festival, the Mannes College of Music, and the Santa Fe Music Festival. He has appeared with the Guarneri and Emerson string quartets, the Kalichstein-Loredo-Robinson and Beaux Arts trios, TASHI, and as soloist with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Brandenburg Ensemble. Tenenbom has had a long association with the Marlboro Music Festival, including many tours across the United States, Japan, and France, and has appeared at the June Music, La Jolla Mostly Mozart, Chamber Music Northwest, Four Seasons, Music from Angel Fire, and Bravo! Colorado festivals. He is co-founder of Opus One and is on the faculties of the Curtis Institute, The Juilliard School, and the Bard College Conservatory of Music.

Yi-I Stephanie Yang

A Boston-based Taiwanese cellist, YI-I STEPHANIE YANG has demonstrated her artistic talent through great sensitivity in her cello playing. She received the Grand Prize in the Hsinchu City Cello Competition, as well as the Taiwan National Chamber Music competition, and was also selected as the most outstanding cellist by the Taipei Symphony Orchestra in 2018. As a chamber musician, Stephanie is currently the cellist of Trio Sponte, which won the Grand Prize in the Senior Division of the 2024 Coltman Chamber Music Competition. Trio Sponte has performed at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall and Rockport Shalinliu Performance Center. Stephanie has studied with Itzhak Perlman, Merry Peckham, Vivian Weilerstein, Kim Kashkashian, Robert McDonald, members of the Brentano Quartet, Borromeo Quartet, Cooperstown Quartet, Shanghai Quartet, and Mai Motobuchi. She has attended the Perlman Music Program, Carl Flesch Academy, Lac Leman Masterclass, Taos Chamber Music Festival, and Kneisel Chamber Music Festival.