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.
Felix Fan, Cello
Felix Fan's versatility has made him one of the most sought after cellists of his generation. As a chamber musician, he has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham and Janos Starker, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Musikverein and Royal Festival Hall. Fan's recent solo engagements include the San Diego and Pacific Symphonies, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Macau Symphony Orchestra and the Munich Chamber Orchestra. In 2006, Fan and violinist Cho-Liang Lin recorded Gordon Chin's Double Concerto with Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony (Naxos).
Fan's interest in contemporary music has led to collaborations with today's leading composers including George Crumb, Tan Dun, Hans Werner Henze, Oliver Knussen, Kaija Saariaho and Charles Wuorinen. Appearances with the Bang on a Can All-Stars has allowed Fan to work with artists as diverse as Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Terry Riley and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. In 2008, Fan joined the Flux Quartet.
In 1998, Fan founded Muzik3, a performance series and commissioning foundation dedicated to the advancement of modern music with an emphasis on integrating theater, dance and video. Muzik3 led to the formation of Real Quiet, a trio consisting of Fan, David Cossin (percussion) and Andrew Russo (piano). Since its inception in 2004, Real Quiet has premiered over 20 works and recorded music by Marc Mellits (Endeavour Records) and David Lang (Naxos). In 2005, Fan performed a series of radio plays written by acclaimed screenwriters Charlie Kaufman and the Coen Brothers, starring actors Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Fan has also worked with innovative choreographers Karole Armitage, Shen Wei and Christopher Wheeldon.
Fan studied cello with Eleanore Schoenfeld (University of Southern California), Janos Starker (Indiana University), Aldo Parisot (Yale University) and Boris Pergamenschikow (Hochschule fur Musik, Cologne, Germany). In 1994, he was honored by Bill Clinton as a Presidential Scholar. Fan plays the 'Haussman' Stradivarius of 1724.
Felix Fan, Cello
Felix Fan's versatility has made him one of the most sought after cellists of his generation. As a chamber musician, he has performed with Yo-Yo Ma, Gil Shaham and Janos Starker, in venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Musikverein and Royal Festival Hall. Fan's recent solo engagements include the San Diego and Pacific Symphonies, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Macau Symphony Orchestra and the Munich Chamber Orchestra. In 2006, Fan and violinist Cho-Liang Lin recorded Gordon Chin's Double Concerto with Michael Stern and the Kansas City Symphony (Naxos).
Fan's interest in contemporary music has led to collaborations with today's leading composers including George Crumb, Tan Dun, Hans Werner Henze, Oliver Knussen, Kaija Saariaho and Charles Wuorinen. Appearances with the Bang on a Can All-Stars has allowed Fan to work with artists as diverse as Philip Glass, Meredith Monk, Terry Riley and Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth. In 2008, Fan joined the Flux Quartet.
In 1998, Fan founded Muzik3, a performance series and commissioning foundation dedicated to the advancement of modern music with an emphasis on integrating theater, dance and video. Muzik3 led to the formation of Real Quiet, a trio consisting of Fan, David Cossin (percussion) and Andrew Russo (piano). Since its inception in 2004, Real Quiet has premiered over 20 works and recorded music by Marc Mellits (Endeavour Records) and David Lang (Naxos). In 2005, Fan performed a series of radio plays written by acclaimed screenwriters Charlie Kaufman and the Coen Brothers, starring actors Steve Buscemi, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Meryl Streep. Fan has also worked with innovative choreographers Karole Armitage, Shen Wei and Christopher Wheeldon.
Fan studied cello with Eleanore Schoenfeld (University of Southern California), Janos Starker (Indiana University), Aldo Parisot (Yale University) and Boris Pergamenschikow (Hochschule fur Musik, Cologne, Germany). In 1994, he was honored by Bill Clinton as a Presidential Scholar. Fan plays the 'Haussman' Stradivarius of 1724.
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
Kian Ravaei
Composer Kian Ravaei (b. 1999) takes tone painting to a new level, synthesizing diverse inspirations into evocative musical portraits. Whether he is composing piano preludes inspired by mythical creatures, flute melodies that mimic the songs of endangered birds, or a string quartet that draws from the Iranian music of his ancestral heritage, he takes listeners on a spellbinding tour of humanity’s most deeply felt emotions.
Ravaei has collaborated with sought-after artists such as violinist Tessa Lark, guitarist Eliot Fisk, and mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron. Chamber musicians have championed his works, leading to commissions from Chamber Music Northwest — where he served as a Protégé Project Composer-in-Residence — as well as Seattle Chamber Music Society and Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Audiences across the country have heard Ravaei’s pieces at such festivals as Music in the Vineyards, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, and Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, performed by acclaimed ensembles such as Viano Quartet, Abeo Quartet, and Momenta Quartet.
Just days into the COVID-19 lockdown, Ravaei began a daily ritual of playing a Bach chorale at the piano and composing an original chorale in response. What started as a way to ground himself during a period of emotional turbulence blossomed into an artistic reawakening. Over the course of one year and three hundred sixty-five chorales, Ravaei cultivated a deeply personal musical language rooted in a centuries-long tradition.
Notable honors include a Copland House CULTIVATE Fellowship — during which he participated in an emerging composers institute at Aaron Copland’s National Historic Landmark home — as well as a New Music USA Creator Fund Award and a Barlow Endowment Commission. Ravaei’s rapidly expanding catalog has earned him first prize awards in the New York Youth Symphony First Music Chamber Music Competition, the Metropolitan Orchestra of New York Emerging Composers Competition, and the Zodiac International Music Competition.
Born to Iranian immigrants, Ravaei maintains close ties to the Iranian community in his hometown of Los Angeles. Many of his works combine the ornamented melodies of Iranian classical music with the colorful harmonies of Western classical music. DJs know Ravaei as the go-to person for creating orchestral versions of dance songs. His orchestration of Wooli & Codeko's "Crazy (feat. Casey Cook)" has garnered over one hundred thousand plays across streaming platforms. It is no coincidence that many of Ravaei’s concert works contain a rhythmic vitality that evokes the energy of the dance floor.
Inspired by the generosity of his own teachers — celebrated composers such as Richard Danielpour, Tarik O’Regan, and Derek Bermel — Ravaei pays forward his musical training by empowering youth to embrace their creativity. As a Composer Teaching Artist Fellow for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, he taught historically underserved students about the diverse and growing repertoire of orchestral music. With Ravaei’s guidance, the students co-composed a piece that was performed by professional musicians, empowering the students to have confidence in their creative voices.
Ravaei studied music composition at UCLA and the Curtis Institute of Music Young Artist Summer Program.
Kian Ravaei
Composer Kian Ravaei (b. 1999) takes tone painting to a new level, synthesizing diverse inspirations into evocative musical portraits. Whether he is composing piano preludes inspired by mythical creatures, flute melodies that mimic the songs of endangered birds, or a string quartet that draws from the Iranian music of his ancestral heritage, he takes listeners on a spellbinding tour of humanity’s most deeply felt emotions.
Ravaei has collaborated with sought-after artists such as violinist Tessa Lark, guitarist Eliot Fisk, and mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron. Chamber musicians have championed his works, leading to commissions from Chamber Music Northwest — where he served as a Protégé Project Composer-in-Residence — as well as Seattle Chamber Music Society and Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival. Audiences across the country have heard Ravaei’s pieces at such festivals as Music in the Vineyards, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, and Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, performed by acclaimed ensembles such as Viano Quartet, Abeo Quartet, and Momenta Quartet.
Just days into the COVID-19 lockdown, Ravaei began a daily ritual of playing a Bach chorale at the piano and composing an original chorale in response. What started as a way to ground himself during a period of emotional turbulence blossomed into an artistic reawakening. Over the course of one year and three hundred sixty-five chorales, Ravaei cultivated a deeply personal musical language rooted in a centuries-long tradition.
Notable honors include a Copland House CULTIVATE Fellowship — during which he participated in an emerging composers institute at Aaron Copland’s National Historic Landmark home — as well as a New Music USA Creator Fund Award and a Barlow Endowment Commission. Ravaei’s rapidly expanding catalog has earned him first prize awards in the New York Youth Symphony First Music Chamber Music Competition, the Metropolitan Orchestra of New York Emerging Composers Competition, and the Zodiac International Music Competition.
Born to Iranian immigrants, Ravaei maintains close ties to the Iranian community in his hometown of Los Angeles. Many of his works combine the ornamented melodies of Iranian classical music with the colorful harmonies of Western classical music. DJs know Ravaei as the go-to person for creating orchestral versions of dance songs. His orchestration of Wooli & Codeko's "Crazy (feat. Casey Cook)" has garnered over one hundred thousand plays across streaming platforms. It is no coincidence that many of Ravaei’s concert works contain a rhythmic vitality that evokes the energy of the dance floor.
Inspired by the generosity of his own teachers — celebrated composers such as Richard Danielpour, Tarik O’Regan, and Derek Bermel — Ravaei pays forward his musical training by empowering youth to embrace their creativity. As a Composer Teaching Artist Fellow for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, he taught historically underserved students about the diverse and growing repertoire of orchestral music. With Ravaei’s guidance, the students co-composed a piece that was performed by professional musicians, empowering the students to have confidence in their creative voices.
Ravaei studied music composition at UCLA and the Curtis Institute of Music Young Artist Summer Program.
Visual Artist
Visual Artist
Tracey Adams
A 2016 recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award, Tracey Adams has been an exhibiting artist for over 35 years. She has participated in over 175 solo and group exhibitions in the United States and internationally, including solo exhibitions at the Monterey Museum of Art, Fresno Art Museum and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. Adams’ paintings are included in the permanent collections of the Bakersfield Museum of Art, Crocker Museum, Hunterdon Art Museum, Monterey Museum of Art, Fresno Art Museum, Tucson Art Museum and Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Her work has been featured in Encaustic Art: the complete guide to creating fine art with wax, Lissa Rankin, Watson-Gupthill, 2010, and Paper + Wax, Techniques in Handmade Paper and Encaustic, Michelle Belto, North Light Books, 2012. She has also received an Artist’s Grant from the Ministry of Culture, Slovak Republic, an Artist’s Grant from the U.S. Department of State and an Artist’s Grant from the Community Foundation of the Monterey Peninsula. Her immersive Installation, Primordial Soup, was exhibited recently at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art.
Tracey Adams
A 2016 recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Award, Tracey Adams has been an exhibiting artist for over 35 years. She has participated in over 175 solo and group exhibitions in the United States and internationally, including solo exhibitions at the Monterey Museum of Art, Fresno Art Museum and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History. Adams’ paintings are included in the permanent collections of the Bakersfield Museum of Art, Crocker Museum, Hunterdon Art Museum, Monterey Museum of Art, Fresno Art Museum, Tucson Art Museum and Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Her work has been featured in Encaustic Art: the complete guide to creating fine art with wax, Lissa Rankin, Watson-Gupthill, 2010, and Paper + Wax, Techniques in Handmade Paper and Encaustic, Michelle Belto, North Light Books, 2012. She has also received an Artist’s Grant from the Ministry of Culture, Slovak Republic, an Artist’s Grant from the U.S. Department of State and an Artist’s Grant from the Community Foundation of the Monterey Peninsula. Her immersive Installation, Primordial Soup, was exhibited recently at the San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art.
