SUMMERFEST 2026 | ARTIST BIOS
DESTINED
DESTINED
Serendipity or fate? We ask the question over and over. Either way, there is a natural rhythm and arc that cannot be diverted.
“Destined” is a conversation of callings past and present, humanity’s enduring dialogue with the sacred, and the enigma of grace. Let the music and stories bring us closer inner harmony, embracing the path forward regardless of the answer.
Serendipity or fate? We ask the question over and over. Either way, there is a natural rhythm and arc that cannot be diverted.
“Destined” is a conversation of callings past and present, humanity’s enduring dialogue with the sacred, and the enigma of grace. Let the music and stories bring us closer inner harmony, embracing the path forward regardless of the answer.
SAVE THE DATE
Countdown to Summerfest June 09-14, 2026
Countdown to Summerfest June 09-14, 2026
SUMMERFEST 2026 | ARTIST BIOS
TIEN-HSIN CINDY WU, VIOLIN
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF SUNKISS'D MOZART
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, VIOLIN
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF SUNKISS'D MOZART
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.
OWEN DALBY, VIOLIN
Praised as "dazzling" (The New York Times), "expert and versatile" (The New Yorker), and "a fearless and inquisitive violinist" (San Francisco Classical Voice), Owen Dalby leads a rich musical life as a chamber musician, soloist, new and early music expert, orchestral concertmaster, and educator. Owen is regularly invited to perform as a soloist and chamber musician at festivals from Hamburg to Honolulu, and from Iceland to Mumbai. As the newest member of the St Lawrence String Quartet, Owen made his debut at the 2015 Spoleto USA Festival. Owen is a co-founder of Decoda, the first-ever Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall, and also the concertmaster of Novus NY, the acclaimed contemporary music orchestra of Trinity Wall Street in NYC. He made his solo Lincoln Center debut in 2010, and for the past decade Owen has appeared frequently with leading groups in and around New York City such as the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble ACJW, Argento Chamber Ensemble, Metropolis Ensemble, the Orchestra of St Luke's, and the Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble. Owen received early training with Anne Crowden at the Crowden School in Berkeley, California and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale.
OWEN DALBY, VIOLIN
Praised as "dazzling" (The New York Times), "expert and versatile" (The New Yorker), and "a fearless and inquisitive violinist" (San Francisco Classical Voice), Owen Dalby leads a rich musical life as a chamber musician, soloist, new and early music expert, orchestral concertmaster, and educator. Owen is regularly invited to perform as a soloist and chamber musician at festivals from Hamburg to Honolulu, and from Iceland to Mumbai. As the newest member of the St Lawrence String Quartet, Owen made his debut at the 2015 Spoleto USA Festival. Owen is a co-founder of Decoda, the first-ever Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall, and also the concertmaster of Novus NY, the acclaimed contemporary music orchestra of Trinity Wall Street in NYC. He made his solo Lincoln Center debut in 2010, and for the past decade Owen has appeared frequently with leading groups in and around New York City such as the East Coast Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble ACJW, Argento Chamber Ensemble, Metropolis Ensemble, the Orchestra of St Luke's, and the Mark Morris Dance Group Music Ensemble. Owen received early training with Anne Crowden at the Crowden School in Berkeley, California and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Yale.
SAMUEL ROSENTHAL, VIOLA
Internationally acclaimed for his generous musical spirit, violist Samuel Rosenthal delights in sharing music with audiences of all ages and collaborating with some of today’s preeminent artists. His performances are recognized for their “intimate, personal approach” (Journal of the American Viola Society) and communicative style “clearly conveying the range of human emotions” (ClevelandClassical.com).
First Prize winner at the 2025 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, Sam was also recipient of the silver medal at the 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition. Other awards and recognitions include major prizes at the Johansen International Competition and, as a member of the Razumovsky String Quartet, at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
Sam began his musical studies in Cleveland, and continued his viola studies with Jeffrey Irvine as a member of the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music. His passion for chamber music was ignited by formative work with the Cavani String Quartet and Cleveland Quartet violinist Peter Salaff. Since 2016, he has been a member of the Perlman Music Program community as a student at both the Summer Music School and the Chamber Music Workshop. His time at PMP involved transformative travel residencies to Sarasota, Palm Beach, and Tel Aviv, Israel.
Chamber music plays a central part in Sam’s musical life. Since 2023, he has attended the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, where he had the opportunity to perform and collaborate with its legendary roster of extraordinary artists. Sam has been invited to perform at a variety of celebrated chamber music festivals across the United States and abroad including Chamberfest Cleveland, Musique de Chambre en Normandie, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, Music from Angel Fire, and Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute. In March 2024, he performed at the Schiermonnikoog Festival in the Netherlands, where he received the Audience Prize. He is grateful to have performed with some of the preeminent artists of our time including Itzhak Perlman, Miriam Fried, Joseph Lin, and Anthony McGill.
Sam is a graduate of the Juilliard School where he had the honor of studying with Heidi Castleman, Misha Amory, and Hsin-Yun Huang and was a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship. He is currently studying at the Kronberg Academy under the tutelage of Nobuko Imai. These studies are funded by the Annika and Wolfgang Fink Patronage. His studies of viola and chamber music have also included work with esteemed artists such as Tabea Zimmermann, Kim Kashkashian, Donald Weilerstein, Roger Tapping, Yura Lee, Merry Peckham, and Joel Krosnick.
SAMUEL ROSENTHAL, VIOLA
Internationally acclaimed for his generous musical spirit, violist Samuel Rosenthal delights in sharing music with audiences of all ages and collaborating with some of today’s preeminent artists. His performances are recognized for their “intimate, personal approach” (Journal of the American Viola Society) and communicative style “clearly conveying the range of human emotions” (ClevelandClassical.com).
First Prize winner at the 2025 Lionel Tertis International Viola Competition, Sam was also recipient of the silver medal at the 2021 Primrose International Viola Competition. Other awards and recognitions include major prizes at the Johansen International Competition and, as a member of the Razumovsky String Quartet, at the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
Sam began his musical studies in Cleveland, and continued his viola studies with Jeffrey Irvine as a member of the Young Artist Program at the Cleveland Institute of Music. His passion for chamber music was ignited by formative work with the Cavani String Quartet and Cleveland Quartet violinist Peter Salaff. Since 2016, he has been a member of the Perlman Music Program community as a student at both the Summer Music School and the Chamber Music Workshop. His time at PMP involved transformative travel residencies to Sarasota, Palm Beach, and Tel Aviv, Israel.
Chamber music plays a central part in Sam’s musical life. Since 2023, he has attended the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont, where he had the opportunity to perform and collaborate with its legendary roster of extraordinary artists. Sam has been invited to perform at a variety of celebrated chamber music festivals across the United States and abroad including Chamberfest Cleveland, Musique de Chambre en Normandie, Lake Champlain Chamber Music Festival, Music from Angel Fire, and Ravinia’s Steans Music Institute. In March 2024, he performed at the Schiermonnikoog Festival in the Netherlands, where he received the Audience Prize. He is grateful to have performed with some of the preeminent artists of our time including Itzhak Perlman, Miriam Fried, Joseph Lin, and Anthony McGill.
Sam is a graduate of the Juilliard School where he had the honor of studying with Heidi Castleman, Misha Amory, and Hsin-Yun Huang and was a proud recipient of a Kovner Fellowship. He is currently studying at the Kronberg Academy under the tutelage of Nobuko Imai. These studies are funded by the Annika and Wolfgang Fink Patronage. His studies of viola and chamber music have also included work with esteemed artists such as Tabea Zimmermann, Kim Kashkashian, Donald Weilerstein, Roger Tapping, Yura Lee, Merry Peckham, and Joel Krosnick.
LAURA LIU, VIOLA
The US-American violist Laura Liu recently earned her Bachelor of Music and continues her studies as a recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at the Juilliard School with Cynthia Phelps and Misha Amory.
She participated in the 74th International Prague Spring Competition, the 5th International Viola Competition in Tokyo, and as a finalist in the Juilliard School Viola Competition, receiving an honorable mention and the Pirastro Prize for outstanding young talent at the 3rd International Oskar Nedbal Viola Competition.
As a passionate chamber musician, Laura Liu participated in events such as the Olympic Music Festival, Music@Menlo as an International Performer, and the Perlman Music Program as a participant in the Chamber Music Workshop. Alongside her own quartet, she collaborated with ensembles such as the Quatuor Cael and the Frisson Ensemble. Performances have taken her to venues including Alice Tully Hall, Santa Fe ProMusica, and the "Meet the Music!" series of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Laura Liu was a participant in the Violin and Viola Masterclasses at the Kronberg Academy in 2023. This year, she will participate in the masterclasses of the Schiermonnikoog Festival and perform as a soloist in the Academy of the Verbier Festival.
LAURA LIU, VIOLA
The US-American violist Laura Liu recently earned her Bachelor of Music and continues her studies as a recipient of a Kovner Fellowship at the Juilliard School with Cynthia Phelps and Misha Amory.
She participated in the 74th International Prague Spring Competition, the 5th International Viola Competition in Tokyo, and as a finalist in the Juilliard School Viola Competition, receiving an honorable mention and the Pirastro Prize for outstanding young talent at the 3rd International Oskar Nedbal Viola Competition.
As a passionate chamber musician, Laura Liu participated in events such as the Olympic Music Festival, Music@Menlo as an International Performer, and the Perlman Music Program as a participant in the Chamber Music Workshop. Alongside her own quartet, she collaborated with ensembles such as the Quatuor Cael and the Frisson Ensemble. Performances have taken her to venues including Alice Tully Hall, Santa Fe ProMusica, and the "Meet the Music!" series of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
Laura Liu was a participant in the Violin and Viola Masterclasses at the Kronberg Academy in 2023. This year, she will participate in the masterclasses of the Schiermonnikoog Festival and perform as a soloist in the Academy of the Verbier Festival.
JACQUES FORESTIER, VIOLIN
Winner of the 2024 Joseph Joachim International Competition, 20-year-old VC Artist and Violinist Jacques Forestier began playing the violin at the age of two and has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia. Hailed by CBC Music as one of the “Top 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30,” Jacques has performed with the Edmonton Symphony, NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Western Michigan Symphony, among others, and looks forward to appearing in the coming seasons with the Dresden, Bremen, and Duisburg philharmonics, the Potsdam & Württembergisches chamber orchestras, the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, reappearing with the NDR Radiophilharmonie, as well as performing at chamber music and concert venues across Europe such as the Cologne Philharmonie among others.
Jacques made his début at the age of 11 with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the Winspear Centre and has since been re-invited regularly as a soloist.
In addition to winning the 1st Prize, laureate prize, and audience prize at the 2024 Joseph Joachim International Competition in Hannover, Germany, the Warner Classics Label will be working with Jacques to produce and promote his début album.
JACQUES FORESTIER, VIOLIN
Winner of the 2024 Joseph Joachim International Competition, 20-year-old VC Artist and Violinist Jacques Forestier began playing the violin at the age of two and has performed across North America, Europe, and Asia. Hailed by CBC Music as one of the “Top 30 Hot Canadian Classical Musicians Under 30,” Jacques has performed with the Edmonton Symphony, NDR Radiophilharmonie, the Munich Chamber Orchestra, the Western Michigan Symphony, among others, and looks forward to appearing in the coming seasons with the Dresden, Bremen, and Duisburg philharmonics, the Potsdam & Württembergisches chamber orchestras, the NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra, Staatskapelle Karlsruhe, reappearing with the NDR Radiophilharmonie, as well as performing at chamber music and concert venues across Europe such as the Cologne Philharmonie among others.
Jacques made his début at the age of 11 with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra at the Winspear Centre and has since been re-invited regularly as a soloist.
In addition to winning the 1st Prize, laureate prize, and audience prize at the 2024 Joseph Joachim International Competition in Hannover, Germany, the Warner Classics Label will be working with Jacques to produce and promote his début album.
ANDRES SANCHEZ, CELLIST
Honduran-Venezuelan cellist Andres Sanchez, born in Allentown, PA, began his cello studies at the age of eight under the wing of current Puerto Rico symphony cello principle Miguel Rojas. After two years, he moved his studies to the cello studio of Jesus Morales, cellist of the Dali Quartet and past principle of the Puerto Rico Symphony. At age 10, Andres made his first solo debuts with the Midwest Clinic of Chicago and the Ocean City Pops Orchestra, which was followed by his Carnegie Hall debut alongside the Arconet Chamber Orchestra three years later. Andres has also appeared as a soloist with the Kutztown Univeristy Chamber Orchestra, Kennet Square Symphony, Central Jersey Symphony, and the Summit Symphony. This year Andres will appear as a soloist with the PA Sinfonia and with the Waterbury Symphony as part of the AYA Trio Beethoven Triple Concerto. Andres is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with cellist Peter Wiley and Carter Brey.
Andres served as the associate principal cellist of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and as principle of the Curtis Opera Orchestra during the 2016-17 season, and during Curtis on Tour, Andres played at Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Helsinki’s Musiikkitalo, Dresdner Philarmonie, and Weiner Concert Hall.
Also an avid chamber musician, Andres has performed in over 30 chamber music concerts in the Curtis Student Recital Series. As cellist of the AYA trio, he will be performing chamber across the country in locations such as Memphis, TN; New York, NY; Waterbury, CT; and Washington, DC. The trio recently performed in Concerts International Series and Schneider Concert Series. In April they attended the the Chesapeake chamber music competition. The AYA trio is represented by Jean Schreiber Deutsch of Jean Schreiber Management.
Andres has appeared in Curtis master classes with cellists Marcy Rosen, Colin Carr, Timothy Eddy. At the 2015 Banff Center Master Class Program, he studied with Andres Díaz, Raphael Walfisch, and Denis Brott, and at the 2016 Music From Angel Fire Festival he performed alongside Ida Kavafian, Peter Wiley, Steven Tenenbom, and Ani Kavafian. In 2018 Andres attended the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival where he played with and was coached by the esteemed artists of the Emerson Quartet including Philip Setzer and Paul Watkins. Andres has also participated in the Hefietz Institute, where he took part in master classes with cellists Franz Helmerson and Yeesun Kim.
Andres has participated in several competitions including Fischoff, M-Prize, Hudson Valley, Greenfield, and the Carlos Prieto International Cello competition. In 2018, the AYA piano trio won 1st prize in the WDAV competition, and the trio also won joint first prize in the 2020 Yellow Springs Competition.
ANDRES SANCHEZ, CELLIST
Honduran-Venezuelan cellist Andres Sanchez, born in Allentown, PA, began his cello studies at the age of eight under the wing of current Puerto Rico symphony cello principle Miguel Rojas. After two years, he moved his studies to the cello studio of Jesus Morales, cellist of the Dali Quartet and past principle of the Puerto Rico Symphony. At age 10, Andres made his first solo debuts with the Midwest Clinic of Chicago and the Ocean City Pops Orchestra, which was followed by his Carnegie Hall debut alongside the Arconet Chamber Orchestra three years later. Andres has also appeared as a soloist with the Kutztown Univeristy Chamber Orchestra, Kennet Square Symphony, Central Jersey Symphony, and the Summit Symphony. This year Andres will appear as a soloist with the PA Sinfonia and with the Waterbury Symphony as part of the AYA Trio Beethoven Triple Concerto. Andres is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music where he studied with cellist Peter Wiley and Carter Brey.
Andres served as the associate principal cellist of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra and as principle of the Curtis Opera Orchestra during the 2016-17 season, and during Curtis on Tour, Andres played at Berlin’s Konzerthaus, Helsinki’s Musiikkitalo, Dresdner Philarmonie, and Weiner Concert Hall.
Also an avid chamber musician, Andres has performed in over 30 chamber music concerts in the Curtis Student Recital Series. As cellist of the AYA trio, he will be performing chamber across the country in locations such as Memphis, TN; New York, NY; Waterbury, CT; and Washington, DC. The trio recently performed in Concerts International Series and Schneider Concert Series. In April they attended the the Chesapeake chamber music competition. The AYA trio is represented by Jean Schreiber Deutsch of Jean Schreiber Management.
Andres has appeared in Curtis master classes with cellists Marcy Rosen, Colin Carr, Timothy Eddy. At the 2015 Banff Center Master Class Program, he studied with Andres Díaz, Raphael Walfisch, and Denis Brott, and at the 2016 Music From Angel Fire Festival he performed alongside Ida Kavafian, Peter Wiley, Steven Tenenbom, and Ani Kavafian. In 2018 Andres attended the Great Lakes Chamber Music Festival where he played with and was coached by the esteemed artists of the Emerson Quartet including Philip Setzer and Paul Watkins. Andres has also participated in the Hefietz Institute, where he took part in master classes with cellists Franz Helmerson and Yeesun Kim.
Andres has participated in several competitions including Fischoff, M-Prize, Hudson Valley, Greenfield, and the Carlos Prieto International Cello competition. In 2018, the AYA piano trio won 1st prize in the WDAV competition, and the trio also won joint first prize in the 2020 Yellow Springs Competition.
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.
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.
MIHAI MARICA, CELLO
Romanian-born cellist Mihai Marica is a first-prize winner of the Dr. Luis Sigall International Competition in Viña del Mar, Chile, as well as the Irving M. Klein International Competition, and is a recipient of Charlotte White’s Salon de Virtuosi Fellowship Grant. He has performed with orchestras such as the Symphony Orchestra of Chile, Xalapa Symphony in Mexico, the Hermitage State Orchestra of St. Petersburg in Russia, the Jardins Musicaux Festival Orchestra in Switzerland, the Louisville Orchestra, and the Santa Cruz Symphony in the US. He has also appeared in recital performances in Austria, Hungary, Germany, Spain, Holland, South Korea, Japan, Chile, the United States, and Canada. A dedicated chamber musician, he has performed at the Chamber Music Northwest, Norfolk, and Aspen music festivals where he has collaborated with such artists as Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian, David Shifrin, André Watts, and Edgar Meyer. He is a founding member of the award-winning Amphion String Quartet. A recent collaboration with dancer Lil Buck brought forth new pieces for solo cello written by Yevgeniy Sharlat and Patrick Castillo. He recently joined the acclaimed Apollo Trio. Marica studied with Gabriela Todor in his native Romania and with Aldo Parisot at the Yale School of Music, where he was awarded master's and artist diploma degrees. He is an alum of CMS's Bowers Program.
MIHAI MARICA, CELLO
Romanian-born cellist Mihai Marica is a first-prize winner of the Dr. Luis Sigall International Competition in Viña del Mar, Chile, as well as the Irving M. Klein International Competition, and is a recipient of Charlotte White’s Salon de Virtuosi Fellowship Grant. He has performed with orchestras such as the Symphony Orchestra of Chile, Xalapa Symphony in Mexico, the Hermitage State Orchestra of St. Petersburg in Russia, the Jardins Musicaux Festival Orchestra in Switzerland, the Louisville Orchestra, and the Santa Cruz Symphony in the US. He has also appeared in recital performances in Austria, Hungary, Germany, Spain, Holland, South Korea, Japan, Chile, the United States, and Canada. A dedicated chamber musician, he has performed at the Chamber Music Northwest, Norfolk, and Aspen music festivals where he has collaborated with such artists as Ani Kavafian, Ida Kavafian, David Shifrin, André Watts, and Edgar Meyer. He is a founding member of the award-winning Amphion String Quartet. A recent collaboration with dancer Lil Buck brought forth new pieces for solo cello written by Yevgeniy Sharlat and Patrick Castillo. He recently joined the acclaimed Apollo Trio. Marica studied with Gabriela Todor in his native Romania and with Aldo Parisot at the Yale School of Music, where he was awarded master's and artist diploma degrees. He is an alum of CMS's Bowers Program.
