Sunkiss'd Mozart Summerfest 2025
Sunkiss'd Mozart Summerfest 2025
Artist Biographies
Artist Biographies
Main Stage Musicians
Main Stage Musicians
Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, Artistic Director and Violin
Praised by the Seattle Times as “Simply marvelous” and Taiwan’s Liberty Times for “astonishingly capturing the spirit of the music,” violinist Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia.
Spotlighted as the cover story of Monterey County Weekly in September of 2023 and Marie Claire Taiwan’s 2004 September issue “Young Power”, Cindy has been featured as a soloist with orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. Renowned artists with whom she has collaborated in concerts include Yefim Bronfman, James Ehnes, Gary Graffman, Lynn Harrell, Leila Josefowicz, Kim Kashkashian, Ani and Ida Kavafian, Cho-Liang Lin, Anthony Marwood, Midori, Thomas Quasthoff, Yuja Wang, and members of the Alban Berg, Brentano, Cleveland, Emerson, Guarneri, Miró, and Tokyo string quartets. She frequently performs at the world’s most prominent venues such as the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Deutsches Theater München, the National Concert Hall of Taiwan, and festivals such as Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Summerfest, Mainly Mozart, the Marlboro Music Festival, Music@Menlo, and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. She has also collaborated as a guest violist with Dover, Formosa, Johannes, Orion, and Shanghai quartets.
Cindy is a recipient of many awards including the Milka Violin Artist Prize from the Curtis Institute of Music, and third prize at the International Violin Competition of David Oistrakh. She taught violin, chamber music, and string pedagogy at the Thornton School of Music of the University of Southern California, and has been on faculty at the Encore School for Strings, the Curtis Institute of Music’s Young Artist Summer Program and Yale School of Music’s Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. Passionate about programming, Cindy is the Music Director of New Asia Chamber Music Society, Director of Chamber Music at the Hidden Valley Music Seminars, founder of Sunkiss’d Mozart, and she has curated programs for the Da Camera Society in Los Angeles as the Artistic Partner and Artist in Residence.
Outside of the classical style, Cindy also explores collaborations with artists of other genres and innovative visions. Some of which include album, “Bach in Los Angeles” with German electric bassist Jacques Bono, performance with contemporary American musicians Jeremy Kittel and singer Aoife O’Donovan, and multiple recording projects for Spanish film composer Arturo Cardelús.
Cindy’s teachers include Dorothy DeLay, Victor Danchenko, Midori Goto, Hyo Kang, Ida Kavafian, and Steven Tenenbom. She plays on a 1734 Domenico Montagnana violin, 1918 Stefano Scarampella violin, 2021 Samuel Zygmuntowicz violin, and a 2015 Stanley Kiernoziak viola.
Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu, Artistic Director and Violin
Praised by the Seattle Times as “Simply marvelous” and Taiwan’s Liberty Times for “astonishingly capturing the spirit of the music,” violinist Tien-Hsin Cindy Wu enjoys a versatile career as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator throughout North and South America, Europe and Asia.
Spotlighted as the cover story of Monterey County Weekly in September of 2023 and Marie Claire Taiwan’s 2004 September issue “Young Power”, Cindy has been featured as a soloist with orchestras such as the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Russian State Symphony Orchestra. Renowned artists with whom she has collaborated in concerts include Yefim Bronfman, James Ehnes, Gary Graffman, Lynn Harrell, Leila Josefowicz, Kim Kashkashian, Ani and Ida Kavafian, Cho-Liang Lin, Anthony Marwood, Midori, Thomas Quasthoff, Yuja Wang, and members of the Alban Berg, Brentano, Cleveland, Emerson, Guarneri, Miró, and Tokyo string quartets. She frequently performs at the world’s most prominent venues such as the Kennedy Center, Library of Congress, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Deutsches Theater München, the National Concert Hall of Taiwan, and festivals such as Bridgehampton Chamber Music Festival, Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival, La Jolla Summerfest, Mainly Mozart, the Marlboro Music Festival, Music@Menlo, and Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. She has also collaborated as a guest violist with Dover, Formosa, Johannes, Orion, and Shanghai quartets.
Cindy is a recipient of many awards including the Milka Violin Artist Prize from the Curtis Institute of Music, and third prize at the International Violin Competition of David Oistrakh. She taught violin, chamber music, and string pedagogy at the Thornton School of Music of the University of Southern California, and has been on faculty at the Encore School for Strings, the Curtis Institute of Music’s Young Artist Summer Program and Yale School of Music’s Norfolk Chamber Music Festival. Passionate about programming, Cindy is the Music Director of New Asia Chamber Music Society, Director of Chamber Music at the Hidden Valley Music Seminars, founder of Sunkiss’d Mozart, and she has curated programs for the Da Camera Society in Los Angeles as the Artistic Partner and Artist in Residence.
Outside of the classical style, Cindy also explores collaborations with artists of other genres and innovative visions. Some of which include album, “Bach in Los Angeles” with German electric bassist Jacques Bono, performance with contemporary American musicians Jeremy Kittel and singer Aoife O’Donovan, and multiple recording projects for Spanish film composer Arturo Cardelús.
Cindy’s teachers include Dorothy DeLay, Victor Danchenko, Midori Goto, Hyo Kang, Ida Kavafian, and Steven Tenenbom. She plays on a 1734 Domenico Montagnana violin, 1918 Stefano Scarampella violin, 2021 Samuel Zygmuntowicz violin, and a 2015 Stanley Kiernoziak viola.
Yuri Cho, Violin
Recently relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2021, Canadian violinist, Yuri Cho, has had the privilege of performing on 4 continents as a chamber, orchestral and solo musician. Notable performance venues include Wigmore Hall, Esterházy Palace, the Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall.
Yuri received her Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, as well as an Artist Certificate in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
As a founding member of the Afiara String Quartet, Yuri has won 2nd prize and the Székely prize for the best performance of Beethoven at the Banff International String Quartet Competition and 2nd prize at the Munich ARD String Quartet Competition. The quartet has also won Concert Artists Guild, was the first ensemble to win the Young Canadian Musicians Award, and has recorded works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Bartók and Beethoven.
Yuri enjoys teaching and this season, she has had the pleasure of traveling to Kenya to teach and perform at the Kenya International Chamber Music Festival. She has also served as faculty at University of Auckland School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory Preparatory and Extension Divisions, and as visiting faculty at the University of Alberta, Stanford University and the Glenn Gould School. During the summers, she has taught at Indiana University's Summer String Academy, Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute and has performed at Ravinia Festival, The Banff Centre, Montreal Chamber Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Festival of the Sound and Ottawa Chamberfest.
Until 2021, Yuri was based in Auckland, New Zealand, where she was a member of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and taught at the University of Auckland. In the years prior, she was based in Scandinavia, spending a season with Ensemble MidtVest in Herning, Denmark and a season with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Stavanger, Norway. Yuri enjoys a variety of non-musical activities that include, but are not limited to, eating, knitting, running, swimming, and exploring the local burrito and craft beer scene.
Yuri Cho, Violin
Recently relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2021, Canadian violinist, Yuri Cho, has had the privilege of performing on 4 continents as a chamber, orchestral and solo musician. Notable performance venues include Wigmore Hall, Esterházy Palace, the Kennedy Center, and Carnegie Hall.
Yuri received her Bachelor of Music, Master of Music, and Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, as well as an Artist Certificate in Chamber Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
As a founding member of the Afiara String Quartet, Yuri has won 2nd prize and the Székely prize for the best performance of Beethoven at the Banff International String Quartet Competition and 2nd prize at the Munich ARD String Quartet Competition. The quartet has also won Concert Artists Guild, was the first ensemble to win the Young Canadian Musicians Award, and has recorded works by Mendelssohn, Schubert, Bartók and Beethoven.
Yuri enjoys teaching and this season, she has had the pleasure of traveling to Kenya to teach and perform at the Kenya International Chamber Music Festival. She has also served as faculty at University of Auckland School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory Preparatory and Extension Divisions, and as visiting faculty at the University of Alberta, Stanford University and the Glenn Gould School. During the summers, she has taught at Indiana University's Summer String Academy, Southern Ontario Chamber Music Institute and has performed at Ravinia Festival, The Banff Centre, Montreal Chamber Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Festival of the Sound and Ottawa Chamberfest.
Until 2021, Yuri was based in Auckland, New Zealand, where she was a member of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and taught at the University of Auckland. In the years prior, she was based in Scandinavia, spending a season with Ensemble MidtVest in Herning, Denmark and a season with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Stavanger, Norway. Yuri enjoys a variety of non-musical activities that include, but are not limited to, eating, knitting, running, swimming, and exploring the local burrito and craft beer scene.
David Samuel, Viola
Violist David Samuel’s musical life spans continents and prestigious ensembles, cementing his reputation as a versatile and accomplished musician. Joining the esteemed Alexander String Quartet in 2021 marked a return home to North America after many years living abroad. Before relocating to San Francisco with his wife, Yuri, and their cat, Milo, Mr. Samuel flourished in Auckland, New Zealand, serving as the Associate Principal Viola of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra while concurrently shaping young talents as the Convenor of Classical Performance at the University of Auckland.
Mr. Samuel’s international musical journey began as the founding violist of the Afiara Quartet, where his eight-year tenure witnessed more than 400 concerts worldwide, featuring hundreds of works for string quartet spanning the gamut of the repertoire. Their artistry garnered accolades, including being the inaugural recipients of the Young Canadian Musicians Award, and top prize triumphs at the prestigious ARD International Music Competition in Munich, the Banff International String Quartet Competition, and the Concert Artists Guild Competition.
Mr. Samuel has firmly established himself as a chamber musician. Apart from his string quartet endeavors, he was formerly a member of the groundbreaking Ensemble MidtVest in Denmark, and has collaborated with esteemed musicians including Sergio Azzolini, James Campbell, Colin Carr, Robert Mann, Michael Tree, Jörg Widmann, Pinchas Zukerman, and members of the Emerson and Juilliard string quartets. His chamber music performances have graced renowned venues worldwide, from Wigmore Hall and the Esterházy Palace, to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Library of Congress. Notably, his performances have transcended traditional settings, reaching diverse audiences, including appearances at the headquarters of industry giants LinkedIn and Facebook, and on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” His discography on CPO, Delos, Dacapo, Etcetera, Foghorn Classics, and Naxos reflects his ongoing dedication to artistic excellence.
Beyond his performing career, Mr. Samuel is deeply committed to education. Currently teaching at San Francisco State University, he has also held teaching positions at the University of Stavanger in Norway, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College. He has presented countless educational concerts and workshops globally and is now enjoying pivotal work with a newly founded nonprofit, ASQ Chamber Music Projects, which brings chamber music education to schools and community organizations.
Dedicated to ongoing solo and chamber music collaborations with living composers, Mr. Samuel celebrates this work by presenting world premieres through live performances and recordings. His commitment extends to his role as a faculty member at the Emerging Composers Intensive in Carmel Valley, CA each summer, where he actively nurtures the next generation of musical innovators, imparting invaluable insights and exploring the vital relationship between composer and performer.
Mr. Samuel attended The Juilliard School, where he earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees, as well as an Artist Diploma. He further honed his chamber music expertise at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, acquiring an Artist Certificate. His principal teachers were Paul Hersh, Henry Janzen, Michael Tree, and Karen Tuttle.
David Samuel, Viola
Violist David Samuel’s musical life spans continents and prestigious ensembles, cementing his reputation as a versatile and accomplished musician. Joining the esteemed Alexander String Quartet in 2021 marked a return home to North America after many years living abroad. Before relocating to San Francisco with his wife, Yuri, and their cat, Milo, Mr. Samuel flourished in Auckland, New Zealand, serving as the Associate Principal Viola of the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra while concurrently shaping young talents as the Convenor of Classical Performance at the University of Auckland.
Mr. Samuel’s international musical journey began as the founding violist of the Afiara Quartet, where his eight-year tenure witnessed more than 400 concerts worldwide, featuring hundreds of works for string quartet spanning the gamut of the repertoire. Their artistry garnered accolades, including being the inaugural recipients of the Young Canadian Musicians Award, and top prize triumphs at the prestigious ARD International Music Competition in Munich, the Banff International String Quartet Competition, and the Concert Artists Guild Competition.
Mr. Samuel has firmly established himself as a chamber musician. Apart from his string quartet endeavors, he was formerly a member of the groundbreaking Ensemble MidtVest in Denmark, and has collaborated with esteemed musicians including Sergio Azzolini, James Campbell, Colin Carr, Robert Mann, Michael Tree, Jörg Widmann, Pinchas Zukerman, and members of the Emerson and Juilliard string quartets. His chamber music performances have graced renowned venues worldwide, from Wigmore Hall and the Esterházy Palace, to Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, and the Library of Congress. Notably, his performances have transcended traditional settings, reaching diverse audiences, including appearances at the headquarters of industry giants LinkedIn and Facebook, and on “The Late Show with David Letterman.” His discography on CPO, Delos, Dacapo, Etcetera, Foghorn Classics, and Naxos reflects his ongoing dedication to artistic excellence.
Beyond his performing career, Mr. Samuel is deeply committed to education. Currently teaching at San Francisco State University, he has also held teaching positions at the University of Stavanger in Norway, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College. He has presented countless educational concerts and workshops globally and is now enjoying pivotal work with a newly founded nonprofit, ASQ Chamber Music Projects, which brings chamber music education to schools and community organizations.
Dedicated to ongoing solo and chamber music collaborations with living composers, Mr. Samuel celebrates this work by presenting world premieres through live performances and recordings. His commitment extends to his role as a faculty member at the Emerging Composers Intensive in Carmel Valley, CA each summer, where he actively nurtures the next generation of musical innovators, imparting invaluable insights and exploring the vital relationship between composer and performer.
Mr. Samuel attended The Juilliard School, where he earned his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees, as well as an Artist Diploma. He further honed his chamber music expertise at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, acquiring an Artist Certificate. His principal teachers were Paul Hersh, Henry Janzen, Michael Tree, and Karen Tuttle.
Dmitri Atapine, Cello
Described as "splendid, elegant cellist, with a gorgeous sound" (MundoClasico), DMITRI ATAPINE has been hailed as a performer with “brilliant technical chops” (Gramophone), whose playing is “highly impressive throughout” (The Strad). As an avid soloist and recitalist, he has appeared on some of the world’s foremost stages, including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, the Zankel and Weill halls at Carnegie Hall, the National Auditorium of Spain, to cite but a few. His performances have been broadcast on radio and TV in the USA, Spain, Mexico, and South Korea.
Highly in demand as a chamber musician, Mr. Atapine regularly performs with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and is an alum of The Bowers Program (formerly CMS Two). His multiple festival festival appearances have included Music@Menlo (California), Chamber Music Northwest (Oregon), La Musica Festival (Florida), Nevada Chamber Music Festival, Cactus Pear Music Festival (Texas), Banff (Canada), Great Mountains Music Festival (South Korea), Malaga Clasica (Spain), Miguel Bernal Jimenez Festival (Mexico), the French Academy in Rome (Italy), Aldeburgh (England), Aix-en-Provence (France), and Pacific Music Festival (Japan). He collaborated with such eminent artists as the Emerson String Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, St. Lawrence String Quartet, Wu Han, Ani and Ida Kavafian, David Finckel, David Shifrin, Cho-Liang Lin, Paul Neubauer, Bruno Giuranna and Peter Wiley, among many others.
As a soloist Mr. Atapine has performed as a soloist with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Asturias Symphony Orchestra, the Leon Symphony Orchestra, the Gijon Chamber Orchestra, the 'Arche' Chamber Orchestra, the Yale Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as with Michigan State University Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras.
Mr. Atapine's many prizes and awards include the First Prize at the Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition and the Second Prize at the Vittorio Gui Chamber Music Competition. Other accolades include Top Prize and Yamaha Special Prize at the Florian Ocampo Spanish National Cello Competition, First and Second Prizes at the 2008 New England International Chamber Competition, the Grand Prize at the 2007 Plowman Competition, the 2005 Presser Foundation Award, the First Prize and Asturias Symphony Special Prize at the 2003 Llanes International String Competition (Spain), the Yale Woolsey Hall Competition, and the First Prize at the Sahagun International Music Competition at age 13.
Mr. Atapine's keen interest in contemporary music produced fruitful collaborations with several distinguished composers, among them Ezra Laderman, Jennifer Higdon, and Martin Bresnick. In collaboration with pianist Hyeyeon Park Mr. Atapine recently released a critically acclaimed world-premiere recording of Lowell Liebermann’s complete works for cello and piano on BlueGriffin label, leading to their presentation in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Other recordings can be found on Naxos, Albany, Urtext Digital, and Music@Menlo LIVE labels.
Born into a family of musicians, Mr. Atapine began his musical education with his parents at the age of five and soon thereafter entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory School of Music. After his family moved to Spain, Mr. Atapine graduated with honors from the Asturias Conservatory under Alexander Fedortchenko. He came to the US and after receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees with high honors from Michigan State University under the tutelage of Suren Bagratuni, Mr. Atapine continued his studies with the legendary cellist Aldo Parisot at Yale University School of Music, where he completed the Master of Musical Arts degree, obtained the Artist Diploma, and since 2010 holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree.
Currently Mr. Atapine is the cello professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. Since 2007 he serves as the Artistic Director of Ribadesella International Music Festival (Spain), since 2010 he is the founder and Artistic Co-Director of Apex Concerts, and in 2022 he was appointed as Artistic Co-Director of Friends of Chamber Music Kansas City.
Dmitri Atapine, Cello
Described as "splendid, elegant cellist, with a gorgeous sound" (MundoClasico), DMITRI ATAPINE has been hailed as a performer with “brilliant technical chops” (Gramophone), whose playing is “highly impressive throughout” (The Strad). As an avid soloist and recitalist, he has appeared on some of the world’s foremost stages, including Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, the Zankel and Weill halls at Carnegie Hall, the National Auditorium of Spain, to cite but a few. His performances have been broadcast on radio and TV in the USA, Spain, Mexico, and South Korea.
Highly in demand as a chamber musician, Mr. Atapine regularly performs with The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and is an alum of The Bowers Program (formerly CMS Two). His multiple festival festival appearances have included Music@Menlo (California), Chamber Music Northwest (Oregon), La Musica Festival (Florida), Nevada Chamber Music Festival, Cactus Pear Music Festival (Texas), Banff (Canada), Great Mountains Music Festival (South Korea), Malaga Clasica (Spain), Miguel Bernal Jimenez Festival (Mexico), the French Academy in Rome (Italy), Aldeburgh (England), Aix-en-Provence (France), and Pacific Music Festival (Japan). He collaborated with such eminent artists as the Emerson String Quartet, Tokyo String Quartet, St. Lawrence String Quartet, Wu Han, Ani and Ida Kavafian, David Finckel, David Shifrin, Cho-Liang Lin, Paul Neubauer, Bruno Giuranna and Peter Wiley, among many others.
As a soloist Mr. Atapine has performed as a soloist with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Asturias Symphony Orchestra, the Leon Symphony Orchestra, the Gijon Chamber Orchestra, the 'Arche' Chamber Orchestra, the Yale Philharmonia Orchestra, as well as with Michigan State University Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras.
Mr. Atapine's many prizes and awards include the First Prize at the Carlos Prieto International Cello Competition and the Second Prize at the Vittorio Gui Chamber Music Competition. Other accolades include Top Prize and Yamaha Special Prize at the Florian Ocampo Spanish National Cello Competition, First and Second Prizes at the 2008 New England International Chamber Competition, the Grand Prize at the 2007 Plowman Competition, the 2005 Presser Foundation Award, the First Prize and Asturias Symphony Special Prize at the 2003 Llanes International String Competition (Spain), the Yale Woolsey Hall Competition, and the First Prize at the Sahagun International Music Competition at age 13.
Mr. Atapine's keen interest in contemporary music produced fruitful collaborations with several distinguished composers, among them Ezra Laderman, Jennifer Higdon, and Martin Bresnick. In collaboration with pianist Hyeyeon Park Mr. Atapine recently released a critically acclaimed world-premiere recording of Lowell Liebermann’s complete works for cello and piano on BlueGriffin label, leading to their presentation in Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall. Other recordings can be found on Naxos, Albany, Urtext Digital, and Music@Menlo LIVE labels.
Born into a family of musicians, Mr. Atapine began his musical education with his parents at the age of five and soon thereafter entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory School of Music. After his family moved to Spain, Mr. Atapine graduated with honors from the Asturias Conservatory under Alexander Fedortchenko. He came to the US and after receiving his bachelor's and master's degrees with high honors from Michigan State University under the tutelage of Suren Bagratuni, Mr. Atapine continued his studies with the legendary cellist Aldo Parisot at Yale University School of Music, where he completed the Master of Musical Arts degree, obtained the Artist Diploma, and since 2010 holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree.
Currently Mr. Atapine is the cello professor at the University of Nevada, Reno. Since 2007 he serves as the Artistic Director of Ribadesella International Music Festival (Spain), since 2010 he is the founder and Artistic Co-Director of Apex Concerts, and in 2022 he was appointed as Artistic Co-Director of Friends of Chamber Music Kansas City.
Tanya Tomkins, Cello
Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Valley of the Moon Music Festival, cellist Tanya Tomkins is equally at home on Baroque and modern instruments. She has performed on many chamber music series to critical acclaim, including the Frick Collection, “Great Performances” at Lincoln Center, the 92nd Street Y, San Francisco Performances, and the Concertgebouw Kleine Zaal.
She is renowned in particular for her interpretation of the Bach Cello Suites, having recorded them for the Avie label and performed them many times at venues such as New York’s Le Poisson Rouge, Seattle Early Music Guild, Vancouver Early Music Society, and The Library of Congress.
Tanya is one of the principal cellists in San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Portland Baroque Orchestra. She is also a member of several groups including Voices of Music and the Benvenue Fortepiano Trio (with Monica Huggett and Eric Zivian). On modern cello, she is a long-time participant at the Moab Music Festival in Utah, Music in the Vineyards in Napa, and a member of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. As an educator, Tanya has given master classes at Yale, Juilliard, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and is devoted to mentoring the next generation of chamber musicians through the Apprenticeship Program at the Valley of the Moon Music Festival.
Tanya Tomkins, Cello
Artistic Director and Co-Founder of the Valley of the Moon Music Festival, cellist Tanya Tomkins is equally at home on Baroque and modern instruments. She has performed on many chamber music series to critical acclaim, including the Frick Collection, “Great Performances” at Lincoln Center, the 92nd Street Y, San Francisco Performances, and the Concertgebouw Kleine Zaal.
She is renowned in particular for her interpretation of the Bach Cello Suites, having recorded them for the Avie label and performed them many times at venues such as New York’s Le Poisson Rouge, Seattle Early Music Guild, Vancouver Early Music Society, and The Library of Congress.
Tanya is one of the principal cellists in San Francisco’s Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Portland Baroque Orchestra. She is also a member of several groups including Voices of Music and the Benvenue Fortepiano Trio (with Monica Huggett and Eric Zivian). On modern cello, she is a long-time participant at the Moab Music Festival in Utah, Music in the Vineyards in Napa, and a member of the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble. As an educator, Tanya has given master classes at Yale, Juilliard, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and is devoted to mentoring the next generation of chamber musicians through the Apprenticeship Program at the Valley of the Moon Music Festival.
SKMozart Rising Stars
SKMozart Rising Stars
Rubén Rengel, Violin
Described as an “excellent soloist” of “great virtuosity” (NY Concert Review), delivering “thrilling” performances (Boston Globe), Venezuelan violinist Rubén Rengel is quickly gaining recognition as a remarkably gifted artist. Rubén was the winner of the Robert F. Smith Prize at the 2018 Sphinx Competition, the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition (2014), recipient of the Sallie Shepherd Perkins Prize (2019) and the Anna Y. Tringas Award (2013), and winner of the Juan Bautista Plaza National Violin Competition of Venezuela (2011).
He has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Venezuela Symphony, among others. As an avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with Joseph Silverstein, Pamela Frank, Peter Wiley, David Shifrin, Joel Krosnick, Timothy Eddy, and Gilbert Kalish. Rubén is a former member of the Autana Trio, prize winners at the 2015 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
Rubén has attended music festivals such as Music@Menlo, Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, the Perlman Music Program, the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Meadowmount School of Music, and the New York String Orchestra Seminar.
In addition to classical music, Rubén has extensive experience performing Venezuelan folk music and Jazz. This has allowed him to develop important abilities in the area of improvisation, and he has recorded and toured with distinguished Venezuelan ensembles. He also has a strong interest in conducting and enjoys performing as a violist.
Community engagement and education are important components in Rubén’s activities. He has participated in programs with Street Symphony, the Sphinx Organization, the Cleveland School of the Arts, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Shepherd School of Music, Music@Menlo, and the Perlman Music Program. Rubén has taught master classes at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Longy School of Music of Bard College, and was teaching assistant of Jan Mark Sloman, Patricia McCarty, and Kathryn Lucktenberg at the Meadowmount School of Music.
Rubén is currently an Ensemble Connect Fellow at Carnegie Hall. Rubén earned a PS at the Manhattan School of Music as a student of Mark Steinberg, a MM at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University as a student of Paul Kantor, and a BM at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of Jaime Laredo. Rubén’s previous education was centered at the Emil Friedman Conservatory and School in Caracas, where he studied with Iván Pérez Núñez. Rubén is a Kun Shoulder Rest Featured Artist.
Rubén Rengel, Violin
Described as an “excellent soloist” of “great virtuosity” (NY Concert Review), delivering “thrilling” performances (Boston Globe), Venezuelan violinist Rubén Rengel is quickly gaining recognition as a remarkably gifted artist. Rubén was the winner of the Robert F. Smith Prize at the 2018 Sphinx Competition, the Cleveland Institute of Music Concerto Competition (2014), recipient of the Sallie Shepherd Perkins Prize (2019) and the Anna Y. Tringas Award (2013), and winner of the Juan Bautista Plaza National Violin Competition of Venezuela (2011).
He has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Houston Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Vermont Symphony, Venezuela Symphony, among others. As an avid chamber musician, he has collaborated with Joseph Silverstein, Pamela Frank, Peter Wiley, David Shifrin, Joel Krosnick, Timothy Eddy, and Gilbert Kalish. Rubén is a former member of the Autana Trio, prize winners at the 2015 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
Rubén has attended music festivals such as Music@Menlo, Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute, the Perlman Music Program, the Aspen Music Festival and School, the Meadowmount School of Music, and the New York String Orchestra Seminar.
In addition to classical music, Rubén has extensive experience performing Venezuelan folk music and Jazz. This has allowed him to develop important abilities in the area of improvisation, and he has recorded and toured with distinguished Venezuelan ensembles. He also has a strong interest in conducting and enjoys performing as a violist.
Community engagement and education are important components in Rubén’s activities. He has participated in programs with Street Symphony, the Sphinx Organization, the Cleveland School of the Arts, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the Shepherd School of Music, Music@Menlo, and the Perlman Music Program. Rubén has taught master classes at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the North Carolina School of the Arts, the Longy School of Music of Bard College, and was teaching assistant of Jan Mark Sloman, Patricia McCarty, and Kathryn Lucktenberg at the Meadowmount School of Music.
Rubén is currently an Ensemble Connect Fellow at Carnegie Hall. Rubén earned a PS at the Manhattan School of Music as a student of Mark Steinberg, a MM at the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University as a student of Paul Kantor, and a BM at the Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of Jaime Laredo. Rubén’s previous education was centered at the Emil Friedman Conservatory and School in Caracas, where he studied with Iván Pérez Núñez. Rubén is a Kun Shoulder Rest Featured Artist.
Laura Liu, Viola
Laura Liu, a native of Miami, Florida, currently lives in New York City and studies with Cynthia Phelps and Misha Amory at The Juilliard School. For her recent performance at the Olympic Music Festival, Liu was hailed by Classical Voice America as a “standout” with “sound deep, warm, and consistently musical.” Liu’s ardent love of musical collaboration and conversation has led her to pursue a rich life in chamber music. This past summer in addition to the Olympic Music Festival, Liu participated in Music@Menlo as an International Performer, and the Perlman Music Program as a participant in the Chamber Music Workshop. She is excited to return to Music@Menlo this February as part of their Winter Residency and to perform in their 2024 Season Announcement Concert. Previously, she has attended the Taos School of Music, Taos on Tour, Kneisel Hall, Music Academy of the West, and the Heifetz International Music Institute. During the year, Liu remains an active chamber musician. Highlights from this past season include performing with her quartet, Quatuor Cael, in Alice Tully Hall and Peter Jay Sharp as a member of The Juilliard Honors Chamber Music program, collaborating alongside the Frisson Ensemble, appearing at Santa Fe ProMusica, and making her Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center debut in their “Meet the Music!” series.
As a soloist known for her performance flair and personality, Liu has recently made her Casals Forum debut, performing Brahms Viola Sonata in E-flat Major in recital at the Kronberg Festival: Violin & Viola Masterclasses. She will return to Europe this spring as a masterclass participant at the 2024 Schiermonnikoog Festival and a Junior Artist in Kronberg’s “Chamber Music Connects the World Festival.” She will also be a soloist at Verbier Festival’s Academy this coming summer. Previously, she received an Honorary Mention and the Pirastro Prize for outstanding young talent at the 3rd Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition. She has also competed in the 74th International Prague Spring Competition, the 5th Tokyo International Viola Competition, and as a finalist in The Juilliard School Viola Competition. She recently earned her Bachelor of Music, and is now pursuing her Master’s as a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School.
Laura Liu, Viola
Laura Liu, a native of Miami, Florida, currently lives in New York City and studies with Cynthia Phelps and Misha Amory at The Juilliard School. For her recent performance at the Olympic Music Festival, Liu was hailed by Classical Voice America as a “standout” with “sound deep, warm, and consistently musical.” Liu’s ardent love of musical collaboration and conversation has led her to pursue a rich life in chamber music. This past summer in addition to the Olympic Music Festival, Liu participated in Music@Menlo as an International Performer, and the Perlman Music Program as a participant in the Chamber Music Workshop. She is excited to return to Music@Menlo this February as part of their Winter Residency and to perform in their 2024 Season Announcement Concert. Previously, she has attended the Taos School of Music, Taos on Tour, Kneisel Hall, Music Academy of the West, and the Heifetz International Music Institute. During the year, Liu remains an active chamber musician. Highlights from this past season include performing with her quartet, Quatuor Cael, in Alice Tully Hall and Peter Jay Sharp as a member of The Juilliard Honors Chamber Music program, collaborating alongside the Frisson Ensemble, appearing at Santa Fe ProMusica, and making her Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center debut in their “Meet the Music!” series.
As a soloist known for her performance flair and personality, Liu has recently made her Casals Forum debut, performing Brahms Viola Sonata in E-flat Major in recital at the Kronberg Festival: Violin & Viola Masterclasses. She will return to Europe this spring as a masterclass participant at the 2024 Schiermonnikoog Festival and a Junior Artist in Kronberg’s “Chamber Music Connects the World Festival.” She will also be a soloist at Verbier Festival’s Academy this coming summer. Previously, she received an Honorary Mention and the Pirastro Prize for outstanding young talent at the 3rd Oskar Nedbal International Viola Competition. She has also competed in the 74th International Prague Spring Competition, the 5th Tokyo International Viola Competition, and as a finalist in The Juilliard School Viola Competition. She recently earned her Bachelor of Music, and is now pursuing her Master’s as a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at The Juilliard School.
Elena Ariza, Cello
Cellist Elena Ariza is rapidly establishing herself as one of today’s most creative, cutting-edge and community-driven cellists.
Already a highly-decorated performer, Elena won first prize at the 2022 Gustav Mahler Prize Cello Competition and the 2022 Philharmonic Society of Arlington Young Artist Competition, and was a finalist in both the 2021 and 2019 Juilliard Concerto Competition, as well as the 2019 Mondavi Young Artists Competition. She has performed with luminaries such as Itzhak Perlman, Vivian Weilerstein, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Christopher O’Riley.
Elena has performed on NPR’s national radio show From the Top, and was a featured cellist in Yo-Yo Ma’s groundbreaking Music Art Life project. She is fiercely committed to community activism, having organized fundraiser events for the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, the 2021 Haitian earthquake, and most recently, for those affected by the Russian war in Ukraine.
An incoming doctoral student at The Juilliard School, Elena is currently studying under the tutelage of Astrid Schween and Joel Krosnick. She previously received an Artist Diploma from Juilliard and attended the Columbia-Juilliard Exchange Program, majoring in computer science. She remains active as a coder in her free time.
Elena Ariza, Cello
Cellist Elena Ariza is rapidly establishing herself as one of today’s most creative, cutting-edge and community-driven cellists.
Already a highly-decorated performer, Elena won first prize at the 2022 Gustav Mahler Prize Cello Competition and the 2022 Philharmonic Society of Arlington Young Artist Competition, and was a finalist in both the 2021 and 2019 Juilliard Concerto Competition, as well as the 2019 Mondavi Young Artists Competition. She has performed with luminaries such as Itzhak Perlman, Vivian Weilerstein, Michael Tilson Thomas, and Christopher O’Riley.
Elena has performed on NPR’s national radio show From the Top, and was a featured cellist in Yo-Yo Ma’s groundbreaking Music Art Life project. She is fiercely committed to community activism, having organized fundraiser events for the 2011 Tōhoku tsunami, the 2021 Haitian earthquake, and most recently, for those affected by the Russian war in Ukraine.
An incoming doctoral student at The Juilliard School, Elena is currently studying under the tutelage of Astrid Schween and Joel Krosnick. She previously received an Artist Diploma from Juilliard and attended the Columbia-Juilliard Exchange Program, majoring in computer science. She remains active as a coder in her free time.
Composer In Residence
Composer In Residence
Daix Ai, Composer
Daixuan Ai is a Chinese-American composer, performer, teacher, and interdisciplinary artist known for her innovative fusion of traditional and modern, Eastern and Western musical styles. Born in Hunan, China, DAIX started her music journey at the age of three when her parents put her in front of a piano for the first time. Somehow she knew then that she would devote her life to music.
At the age of 10, she became one of the selected few young pianists in the country to attend the Wuhan Conservatory of Music. DAIX came to the US as an exchange student at the age of 14 and found that music offered a sense of home and belonging, helping her adapt to the new language, cultural, and social environment of suburban Cleveland, Ohio.
DAIX’s compositions have been performed by prestigious ensembles such as the Chicago Symphony Civic Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Albany Symphony Orchestra, Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra, Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, and Indiana University New Music Ensemble. DAIX's works often explore themes of identity, violence, healing, and social justice, and she has been recognized for her efforts to raise awareness about racial injustice and promote racial equity.
DAIX has been invited to attend many classical music festivals as a composition fellow, including the Aspen Music Festival, Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, National Orchestral Music Institute and Festival, American Composer’s Orchestra Earshot, International Trumpet Guild Conference, Red Note New Music Festival, Source Song Festival, and Fresh Inc Festival. DAIX was also a long-term student of the European American Musical Alliance Institute, where she was trained in keyboard harmony, counterpoint, and score analysis in the lineage of legendary French music pedagogue Nadia Boulanger.
DAIX’s teaching journey started when she was 15. After her first year of studying abroad, she went back to China and taught English and American Cultures at summer camps. There, she discovered the joy of sharing her experiences through teaching and helping others better understand themselves and the world. DAIX was a music tutor and piano summer camp teacher at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory. She served as assistant instructor for music theory, and taught post-tonal aural theory at Indiana University. She also taught composition lessons for Jacobs Composition Academy and Laurel Springs Online School. DAIX is also dedicated to educating and connecting with music lovers through social media (@daix.music), where she fields inquiries from aspiring composers all around the world.
As an interdisciplinary artist and entrepreneur, DAIX was the organizer of Hope Not Hate–an interdisciplinary concert in response to hate crimes against Asian Americans. This project was in collaboration with renowned author, activist, and founder of Vincent Chin Institute, Helen Zia, and organizations throughout Bloomington, Indiana. She recently received a community impact grant to create Ceremony For Our Land–a sonic meditation project in collaboration with the IU First Nation Center and Artists for Climate Awareness.
DAIX is currently a doctoral candidate in music composition and theory at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studies composition with Han Lash and Aaron Travers, and jazz piano with Juke Gillespie. She had previously earned a master’s degree in composition at IU and studied with David Dzubay, Don Freund, Katherine Balch, Emile Naoumoff and Anne Epperson. DAIX’s undergraduate time at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory, where she earned a Bachelors of Music degree, was split equally between composition and classical piano performance. Her two mentors there, Clint Needham and Sungeun Kim, made her the skilled and daring, yet sensitive and caring musician she is today.
Featured Speaker
Featured Speaker
Alka Joshi, Author
Alka Joshi is the internationally bestselling author of the Jaipur Trilogy: The Henna Artist, The Secret Keeper of Jaipur and The Perfumist of Paris. Six Days in Bombay is her fourth novel. Her debut novel, The Henna Artist, immediately became a New York Times Bestseller, a Reese Witherspoon Bookclub Pick, an LA Times Bestseller, a Toronto Star and Globe & Mail Bestseller, an Indie Bookstores Bestseller, a Cosmopolitan Best Audiobook, and an Amazon and Goodreads favorite. It was Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, has been translated into 29 languages and optioned as an episodic series.
Since its release during the pandemic of 2020, Alka has spoken to over 1000 libraries, bookclubs, bookstores, literary festivals, podcasters, universities and colleges and corporations about persistence, patience and passion and her ten-your journey to overnight success. Because she started her writing career at the age of 62, Forbes selected Alka as one of 50 Women Over 50 who are shattering age and gender norms.
Alka was born in India and came to the U.S. with her family at the age of nine. She has a BA from Stanford University and an MFA from California College of Arts.
Visual Artist
Visual Artist
Claire Lerner, Artist
Claire Lerner was born and raised in New York, New York. She received her MFA and BFA in Fine Art from both the State University of New York at Buffalo and the State University College at Buffalo. After graduate school, Claire moved to California where she was a member of the faculty at Monterey Peninsula College, Monterey, California for ten years. In 2000 she began teaching in the Visual Arts Department at the Santa Catalina School in Monterey, California where she served as the Chair.
She has conducted many workshops on various visual arts processes including, Cabrillo Arts Summer
Extension Classes, and Spoleto Study Abroad, Spoleto, Italy.
Claire was one of three teachers selected nationwide to receive a Golden Educators Residency for the summer of 2015. She was a recipient of the First Place Award for her work in the Exemplary Contemporary exhibition, at the Eloise Pickard Smith Gallery, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA. She also received the Award of Distinction from the Steinbeck Center, Salinas, CA. In 2008 her work was selected for a solo exhibition at the Smith Gallery, UCSC, California. Her work has been collected by a broad range of private and public institutions, including the Monterey Museum of Art, Visa Corporation, Redwood City, CA, Cowell College, UCSC, PMI, Corporate Headquarters, Walnut Creek, CA, Kaiser Permanente, and the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Monterey, CA.