iPalpiti 2010 Artists

Julius Berger's WebsiteOne of the eminent European cellists, Julius Berger is the Artistic Director of the international Leopold Mozart competition in Augsburg, and is also the Artistic Director of “Eckelshausen Music Days” and the “Asiago-Festival” in Italy. Since 1989 Julius Berger has been a member of the musical faculty of the Guardini-foundation in Berlin. Born in Augsburg (birthplace of Leopold Mozart), Julius Berger studied at the Musikhochschule of Munich and at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, under Antonio Janigro (whose assistant he became from 1979 to 1982), at the University of Cincinnati under Zara Nelsova and in a mastercourse with Mstislav Rostropovich. At 28, Julius Berger was appointed to the Musikhochschule Wuerzburg, one of the youngest professors in Germany. Teaching later in Saarbruecken and Mainz, and since 2000 in Augsburg, he has been dedicated to promoting the top new talents. Since 1992 he has led a class at the international summer academy at the Mozarteum Salzburg. Julius Berger served as a juror at international competitions in Salzburg (Mozart), Kronberg (Casals), Markneukirchen, Munich, Warsaw and many more. He devotes a large part of his international concertizing and recording to the rediscovery of Luigi Boccherini’s complete works. Known for his commitment to contemporary compositions, he released a remarkable CD featuring John Cage, Toshio Hosokawa and Sofia Gubaidulina. Tours and concerts have brought him together — in music and in friendship — with people like Leonard Bernstein, Gidon Kremer, and Olivier Messiaen. Since 1997 Mr. Berger has been an elected member of the central committee of German Catholics. Mr. Berger plays one of the oldest celli in the world, the Violoncello Andrea Amati of the year 1566 – “King Charles IX.”

Hailed as “a virtuoso of fantastic brilliance” and “poetic artist” (Suddeutsche Zeitung) by the international press, Luiza held a scholarship of the Chopin Society Hannover to complete her studies at the Hannover Music Academy, graduating both in Hannover and Bucharest with highest degrees. Luiza Borac performs extensively in Europe and USA where her concerts are broadcast by major radio/TV stations. Luiza caused a critical stir as she was called on short notice to replace the indisposed Sviatoslav Richter during the 1991 Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival. That same year she was a prizewinner of the Enescu International Piano Festival and was awarded the Romanian Critics Prize “Young Artist of the Year.” Since, she has won over 30 top prizes and distinctions, including Silver Medal at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition, Prix d’Oslo and Audience Prize of Grieg International Piano Competition Oslo, as well as the East & West International Prize for a New York Debut Recital at Carnegie Hall. In 2007, Luiza received the BBC Music Magazine Award for the best solo CD recording of the year, with jury comments like, “Luiza Borac illuminates some extraordinary, richly inventive piano music with subtle but absolute mastery.” As a soloist she has appeared with such orchestras as Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Bucharest and Cologne Radio Orchestras, Utah Symphony Orchestra, and has worked with artists like Vladimir Jurowski, Murray Perahia and Radu Lupu among others. Luiza has released 13 CDs (on Avie records since 2003) to phenomenal reviews and featured covers on Gramophone and Fanfare Magazines. “Borac’s overall mastery is impressive…a pianist of enviable professionalism” — Bryce Morrison, Gramophone. “The pianist makes a cogent argument for the work [Liszt’s Petrarch Sonnet 123] and surpasses many of her colleagues in sustaining interest for all of its 17 minutes.” — American Record Guide.

Her recently released Album of 24 Etudes and Polish Songs by Chopin received a 4 star review in the Times for the “subtlety of touch and phrasing…recording of caressing depth.” Committed to charity, Luiza often performs in concerts for homeless and orphaned children in Romania. She participated in the 1991 UK Tour for Romanian Relief featuring concerts in the Barbican Centre and Coventry Cathedral as well as the 2001 charity event of the German-Lutheran Church Melanchton, both of which directly aided those in her homeland, Romania. This May, Luiza’s new Album FRÜHLINGSGLAUBE (Spring Faith) was released, featuring Piano Transcriptions by Franz Liszt and Sergei Rachmaninoff, works by Mozart, Schubert, Kreisler and Tárrega. Continuing her commitment to charity, the new album is dedicated to the Charity Romanian Project, which supports orphans and street children of Romania. Luiza has strong ties to iPalpiti. Selected as an iPalpiti Soloist in 1999 (when iPalpiti was named Young Artists International), she has continued her relationship with iPalpiti over the years: from iPalpiti performances in France and Switzerland to collaboration with Maestro Schmieder at the Mozarteum, Salzburg.

A concertmaster and founder of the Kammerakademie Potsdam since 2000, Peter Rainer has developed an active career as a chamber musician, soloist, and teacher in his native Germany. He was the founder and leader of the popular Persius Ensemble, focusing mainly on a repertoire written for the classical nonet, and has released three CDs. The latest CD with nonets by Spohr, Clementi and Mozart was chosen by Berlin-Brandenburg Radio (RBB) as one of the best in 2007. In 2008 he founded the Merlino String Quartet, which is touring throughout Germany.
Since 2007 he has been on the faculty of the “Universitat der Kunste” in Berlin and of the “Stern Institute” for young talented students and is assistant to Prof. Uwe-Martin Haiberg.
Music-loving children know Peter Rainer through the many interactive concerts he developed for them in the past 10 years. His upcoming children project is a new concert-version of “Ferdinand the Bull” commissioned by the Kammerakademie Potsdam. This year he will appear at the “Musikfest Schloss Wonfurt” together with “iPalpiti” alumni Tibi Cziger, Caroline v. Bismarck and Eliah E. Sakakushev.
Peter studied violin in the U.S. with Professor Eduard Schmieder at the Meadows School of the Arts, where he received his Artist Certificate in 1994 and his Master of Violin Performance degree in 1995. Upon his return to Germany, he was concertmaster of the Brandenburgische Philharmonie in Potsdam from 1996 to 2000. He has been a faculty member at the University of Potsdam since 1997 and has worked as the assistant to Professor Schmieder at the Holland Music Sessions and at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
Peter has been a member and leader of iPalpiti since 1994. In 2005 he received a commendation from the City of Los Angeles for his leadership of iPalpiti and his contributions to culture. During recent seasons Peter led iPalpiti in a special concert at the Nestle Center in Vevey, Switzerland, on its US East coast tour at the Kimmel Center and Carnegie Hall, and to the Bay Area in Northern California.

Catharina Chen's Website Born in Oslo, Norway in 1985, Catharina began studying violin at the age of 5 with her father. Since the age of eight she has soloed with all major orchestras in Norway, including the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, and Trondheim Symphony Orchestra. Well known to Norwegians through television and radio broadcast programs*, Catharina is the recipient of numerous awards, and the youngest musician in Norway ever to be awarded the highly respected and prestigious Oslo City Culture Prize.
A winner of numerous international competitions, Catharina holds a status as one of Norway’s most promising young classical musicians ( a 1st prize winner in consecutive national violin competitions in Norway in 1996-2002), earning major awards including The Norwegian Music Publishers’ Union “Prize of Honour” and the “Karoline Prize” for high achievement by in culture (2003). She has given solo and chamber concerts in Norway, Italy, China, Malaysia, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, France, and South Africa. Her solo appearances with orchestras include Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Beverly Hills Symphony Orchestra and Dallas Symphony orchestra in the USA, and in 2007, she toured as a soloist with Qingdao Symphony Orchestra.
A Graduate of Barratt Due Institute of Music in Oslo, a leading institution in Norway, where she studied with Arve Tellefsen and Henning Kraggerud, she continued her music education in the USA with the renowned Professor Eduard Schmieder, earning an Artist Diploma from Temple University in Philadelphia.
An iPalpiti artist since 2004, she has performed on the stages of Mozarteum Grosse Hall Salzburg, Carnegie Hall in New York, and was a featured soloist at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles in 2008. A popular artist in California, Catharina is invited as solo recitalist to numerous concert series, including THE PREVIEWS in Manhattan Beach, Sundays Live! Broadcast series in the Bing Theatre of the Los Angeles County Art Museum, and Music in the Mansion in Beverly Hills.
In her native Norway, Catharina continues to be an attraction for the important musical and government occasions: in May 2008, she was the only artist invited to perform at the opening of the prestigious Bergen International Arts Festival, with King and Queen of Norway in attendance.
In 2009, Catharina won the prestigious “Intro Classic” prize from State Concert Norway. During 2009-2010 seasons she gave solo recitals in New York, Washington, Milan, “Live Classical, Catharina with friends” in Tønsberg, and at Eurovision in Oslo. She has also toured with The Norwegian Chamber Orchestra” and Oslo Camerata in Spain and Brazil. Upcoming engagements include recital in Summit Music Festival (NY), three recitals in Holland Music Sessions, four weeks of touring across Norway, and world premiere of “the Moon” by Martin Romberg to be performed during Expo in Shanghai and a tour across China.

Born in Ukraine, Irina began her violin studies at the age of six. Between 1996 and 2009 she became First and top-prizes winner in eleven international and national competitions, including Grand-prix at the International violin competition “Forte-Maestro.” In 2007 her name was chronicled in the State book of Ukraine “The Pride of Nation.”  She entered the Music College of the famed Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory in 1998, and in 2007 she graduated from the Conservatory cum laude, where she currently is a postgraduate student, working with Professors Ivanov (violin) and Bonduryansky (chamber music)). As a member of chamber music ensemble  in duo with pianist Elena Kuznetzova, she won First prizes at the 16^th International Chamber Music Competition in Thesaloniki, Greece, International Competition of Slavonic Music in Moscow, Russia (2006), and The 2^nd International Chamber Music Competition named after T. Gaydamovich in Magnitogorsk (2009). Irina participates and performs in Russian and international music festivals. In 2006 she worked with composer Giya Kancheli and premiered his “Twilight” composition at the international music festival “Russian premieres” (Rostov-on-Don, Russia).  As a member of "Young Russian  Talents" program she is engaged in touring Russia as a recitalist and giving  master-classes to gifted children. Irina performs as a soloist, duo and chamber music ensemblist in major halls throughout Russia including the Big and Small Halls of the Moscow Conservatory, Rachmaninov Hall, Glinka Hall, St. Petersburg Philharmony, Organ Hall in Perm, the Sagatov Hall in Kazan, and others. She has appeared as soloist with such renown orchestras as Russian National Orchestra and Moscow Chamber Orchestra (under Maestros Pletnev and Nikolaev), and in October 2010 will debut with Moscow Philharmonic. Irina has received full scholarships and participated in summer festivals such as Holland Music Sessions, “Zeist music days”, in International Master-classes in Weimar, with Jerusalem and Ysaye Quartets, and eminent violin professors. She is a grant- recipient of the  “Russian Performing Art” Foundation  and the music foundation by Elina Bistrizkaya.

Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, violinist Conrad Chow is establishing himself as an exciting young artist. A review in the Halifax Chronicle-Herald praised “the full, sweet, seductive intensity of Chow’s sound”, and his performance alongside Ani Kavafian with the Columbia Festival Orchestra was hailed as “ornate and satisfying” by the Albany Times Union. He is a prize-winner of the 2006 International Stepping Stone Competition in Quebec, was a featured performer at the New Brunswick Summer Music Festival, the Guest Artist for the American Suzuki Institute at the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, and the David G. Whitcomb Foundation’s Young Artist for 2003. An active chamber musician, he studied with the Grammy Award-winning Emerson String Quartet and is appearing in chamber music performances with Paul Biss, Christina Dahl, David Finckel, and Miriam Fried. In 2001, his string quartet was winner of the Indiana University Kuttner String Quartet Competition, granting the group the honor of performing as the quartet-inresidence for the 2001-2002 seasons.  His recent appearances as soloist have included performances with the Brampton Symphony, Columbia Festival Orchestra, and the CAST Philomusica Orchestra. He has performed in such venues as the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Qingdao Music Hall in China, New York's Carnegie Zankel Hall and Staller Center for the Arts; Disney Hall in LA, Philadelphia's Kimmel Center, and Toronto's Glenn Gould Studio and George Weston Recital Hall. Recent recitals have included performances in the St. Cecilia Concert Series, and the University of Toronto’s Hart House Sunday Concert Series, broadcast on CBC Radio. In 2010, he made his Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall debut. He has also appeared as a member of the prestigious iPalpiti Chamber Orchestra since 2008. In August of 2010, he will be a performer and member of the faculty at the Summit Summer Music Festival in New York.  Dr. Chow began his violin studies at the age of three at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. His Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees are from Indiana University’s School of Music, studying with Miriam Fried. Conrad completed his DMA from the State University of New York, Stony Brook, under noted violinists Pamela Frank, Ani Kavafian, and Philip Setzer, and later pursued further post-doctoral work with Eduard Schmieder at Temple University in Philadelphia. He was a Visiting Assistant Professor of Violin at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia for the 2006-2007 seasons.  Dr. Chow has served as jury member and adjudicator of various Canadian competitions and is a frequent presenter of master classes in Canada, the United States, and Asia. As the teacher of one of the leading precollege private violin studiosin Canada, his students have won many important national and provincial competitions, and are sought out as performers in recitals and galas throughout Ontario. Students of his current class include members of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra and National Youth Orchestra of Canada, and have made solo debuts with Canadian orchestras.

Azer Damirov began his musical studies at the age of eight. At 14, he was accepted in the Musical College of the Tchaikovsky Moscow State Conservatory in the class of Professor Maria Keselman from which he graduated in 2007 at the age of 20 with an equivalent of a Bachelor Degree Diploma. Azer participated in master classes and festivals in Dortmund in Germany, Britten-Pearce Orchestra in Great Britain, and Volga Regional Young Symphony festival. Recipient of the Ministry of Culture Russian Federation’s Stipend, Azer is a Laureate of numerous national competitions. In 2007 Azer received a Diploma at the 14th Andrea Postacchini International Violin Competition in Fermo, Italy, and a special iPalpiti prize for participation in the iPalpiti Festival of International Laureates in Los Angeles. In the fall 2008, Azer was accepted into the Artist Diploma Program at Boyer College at Temple University in the class of Professor Schmieder. He was a member of iPalpiti in its winter East Coast residency and concerts at the Kimmel Center and Carnegie Hall, and its Northern California tour.

Aisha Dossumova was born in 1980 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. She started studying violin in 1987 at K. Baiseitova under Professor Alma Abatova, and from 1998 to 2002 she continued at the Kazakh National Academy of Music from which she graduated under Professor Aiman Mussakhodjayeva. In the USA, Aisha continues her studies in the class of Professor Eduard Schmieder; in 2006 she received an Artist Diploma from the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, and currently is in the Master Degree Program at Temple University in Philadelphia. In 2002 Aisha won second prize in the Michelangelo Abbado International Violin Competition in Italy, first prize in the Shabyt International Competition in Kazakhstan, and a diploma in the W. A. Mozart International Competition (Austria). From 1998 until 1999 she was a Concertmaster of the Kazakh National Symphony Orchestra and the Kazakh Chamber Orchestra Academy of Soloists from 2000 to 2002. She soloed with the Kazakh National Symphony Orchestra, and with the Academy of Soloists, conducted by Robert Canetti (Israel). Aisha is an avid chamber musician and has also participated in summer festivals at the Mozarteum Summer Academy Salzburg, the Ost-West Musikfest (Austria), Musica in Laguna (Italy), and the International Laureates Festival in Taos, New Mexico and Los Angeles. A member of iPalpiti since 2004, she has performed in Disney Hall in Los Angeles and Carnegie Hall in New York. As a soloist with orchestras and as a recitalist she has performed in Austria, Italy, France, England, Russia and Kazakhstan.

Vladimir Dyo has won awards in numerous competitions, including First Prize in the Michelangelo Abbado International Competition in Milan, Grand Prize in the International Violin Competition in Astana, Kazakhstan, and Second Prize in the International Yampolsky Competition in Russia.

Born in Almaty, Kazakhstan, he began studying violin at the age of 7 at the State’s Special Music School for gifted children. At 12, he had his first solo appearance with the Kazakh State Orchestra and since, has performed regularly with major orchestras of Kazakhstan, frequently touring the countries of the former Soviet Union. Vladimir won first prize in the National Competition of Kazakhstan (being the youngest participant at 14), and was a recipient of a President’s stipend awarded by the State Secretary of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Other awards include the New Names International Program (Moscow, Russia) and Dubna’s Foundation of Arts for “sincere and artistic” performance, the International Charitable Foundation “Meerim”, and the Tuesday Musical Club in San Antonio, Texas. He has participated in various international music festivals as a soloist and, chamber musician, including the Graduates of the Moscow Conservatory, the Ost-West Musikfest, Prague-Wienna-Budapest, the Mozarteum, the Cliburn Institute, the iPalpiti International Laureates Festival in Los Angeles, and has been invited to give master classes and perform in the International Music Festival in Seoul, Korea.

As a soloist and the concertmaster of the Kazakh State Chamber Orchestra “Academy of Soloists” Vladimir has toured and performed in many countries including Austria, Italy, France, England, Japan, South Korea, Poland, Russia and the U.S.A. After graduation from Kazakh National Academy of Music in Astana, Kazakhstan, Vladimir continued his education in the US in the class of Professor Eduard Schmieder, receiving an Artist Certificate Diploma in 2004 and a Masters degree in 2006 from the Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas. Currently Vladimir pursues a Doctoral degree at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he is also a faculty member in the string department.

Nora Hapca has won awards in 20 national and international competitions, including second Grand Prize at the "Remember Enescu" International Competition in 2003 and the Special Artist Prize from Young Artists International in 2004 and 2005. As a soloist, Nora has soloed with numerous Romanian orchestras, and has given concerts and recitals in Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy, and Romania, and in France. In May 2006, she was invited to represent her country in the "National Music Students Festival" in Kyoto, Japan. Born in Romania in 1986, she began playing violin at the age of 6, at the Music High School in Baia Mare, under Prof. Ludovic Gebe. From 2000 to 2004 she continued at the "George Enescu" Music High School in Bucharest, with Prof. Mihaela Tomescu. Currently in the last year of her studies at the National Music University in Bucharest, Nora was "Erasmus" award recipient for the academic year of 2006 – 2007 at the Musikhochschule Koeln with Prof. Mihaela Martin. Nora took part in master classes of Liviu Ghitea, Sherban Lupu, Semion Yaroshevich and Alexandru Tomescu. As an iPalpiti member with iPalpiti Artists International since 2004, Nora toured the USA, Slovenia, Austria and Israel, performing in prestigious concert halls of Mozarteum in Salzburg, YMCA in Jerusalem, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and Carnegie Hall in New York.

Ellen Jung's Website Ellen is a member of the Jung Trio — sisters Jennie, Ellen, and Julie — "a spectacular group with wonderful musicality at their fingertips," one of the notable rising young ensembles of today. The trio has appeared in concerts all across North America as well as around the world. Winners of the Grand Prize at the 2002 Yellow Springs Chamber Music Competition and the Bronze Medal at the 2002 Fischoff Competition, the Jung Trio has been featured in The Strad, Strings, and Auditorium (Korea) magazines, in broadcasts and on television. Born and raised in Toronto, they received their early music training at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Highlights from the past seasons include performances of the Beethoven Triple Concerto with the State Symphony Orchestra of Tatarstan in Kazan, Russia, in Los Angeles with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, and in Toronto with the Korean-Canadian Symphony Orchestra, engagements in Korea, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, and Toronto. The Jung Trio has appeared at numerous festivals and was a Trio-in-Residence at the Banff Centre for the Arts in 1998. In the summer of 2007, the Jung Trio was selected and featured as iPalpiti Debut Artists in its annual Festival of International Laureates in Los Angeles. As a soloist, Ellen has been featured with the Korean-Canadian Symphony, North York Symphony, and University of Toronto Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, to name a few. A frequent performer of new music, Ellen premiered a work of Canadian composer Lusiana Lukman "A" for Solo Violin, which was written for her in 1998; and the world premiere of the Trio for Horn, Piano, and Violin by Norwegian composer Trygve Madsen at the International Horn Summit in Banff. Ellen received Bachelor of Music at University of Toronto (under Lorand Fenyves and David Zafer) and Master of Music and Artist Diploma from Yale School of Music. In 2000, she was the recipient of a Chalmers Award from the Ontario Arts Council. She has taught at the Classical Conservatory of Music in Toronto, Yale School of Music, and currently teaches both privately and at Opus 119 – The School of Music in Irvine, CA.

Kaija Lukas was born in Estonia and began her violin studies at the Rapla Music School in 1993, and continued at the Tallinn Music High School with Prof. Tiiu Peaske. Since 2006 she has been studying at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London with Prof. Jacqueline Ross. Kaija has taken part in national and international competitions, including the “Remember Enescu” 2004 in Romania where she received 3rd Prize, and First Prize winner in the National Competitions of Estonia 2005 and 2007.  Kaija has given solo recitals and concerts with orchestras throughout Estonia, and has also been a member of the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and the Tallinn Youth Orchestra, which she led in 2005. She has also taken part in City of London Chamber Orchestra projects and for this season she has been accepted to the London Philharmonic Orchestra Foyle Future Firsts student program. In 2005-2006 she was a member of the European Union Youth Orchestra.  Kaija has taken part in master courses in the USA (Bowdoin International Music Festival), France (Recontres Musicales de Figeac), Salzburg and Weimar with professors E. Schmieder, I. Ozim, J. Ross, P. Munteanu and A. Fischer. As a chamber musician she has had coaching with the Belcea Quartet and the Takacs Quartet. In 2008-09 Kaija took part in the Erasmus exchange program and studied at Mozarteum University, Salzburg, with Prof. P. Roczek; and during 2009-10 with Professor Eduard Schmieder in Philadelphia. Kaija has received scholarships from different foundations in Estonia and will complete her education at the Guildhall School with the kind support of the City of London Corporation and the Music Students’ Hostel Trust. She was selected to join iPalpiti in 2009.

Born in Russia, Evgeny started playing the violin in 1998 in Ulyanovsk at the Children’s Music School, graduating from Togliatti College of Music as violinist and violist, and entering Kazan State Conservatoire as a violist in 2008. Winning local competitions in violin solo and chamber music, in 2007 he received First and Special Prizes in the Solo Viola Competition, Togliatti, Russia.

From 2003, Evgeny held professional positions in numerous orchestras as violinist and violist, including Principal Viola in the Togliatti State Symphony Orchestra (2006-07) and Assistant Principal Viola at the Kazan State Symphony Orchestra (2007-08). Broad musical interests brought him to the Togliatti College Chamber Orchestra as assistant conductor in 2004, and as a conductor from 2005-2007. Evgeny also taught from 2006 in the Togliatti Music School and later in the Kazan State Conservatory Preparatory School.

As a violist of the “Da Brachio” Quartet and the “New Music” ensemble, Evgeny toured France, Germany and Poland, and participated in the International Festival in Kiev, Ukraine (2007). In 2008 Evgeny moved to Lansing, MI where he is an Assistant principal viola of the Chamber orchestra “Ad Libitum” (Yuri Gandelsman conductor), and violist in the Lansing Symphony and Midland Symphony Orchestras.

Joseph Kauffman was born in Oakland, California in 1986, and began studying the violin when he was five. He studied with Dejin Sun, and later with Yayoi Numazawa of the Philadelphia Orchestra. During the summers, Joseph participated in international music festivals such as Interlochen, Luzerne, Music in the Mountains, Kinhaven, and Recontres Musicales International des Graves where he worked with many of the finest musicians and teachers.

     Joseph graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2008 with a BM in Violin Performance, and was honored to receive the Creative Achievement Award given out to one exceptional student. He studied there with James Lyon and Max Zorin on a music scholarship, and was awarded Jury Recognition in his first year. Joseph was a winner of the Beene, Kroulik, and Brewster competitions in Pennsylvania, and in 2008, received first prize in the PSU Philharmonic Concerto Competition where he performed the Sibelius Violin Concerto. He returns to Penn State every summer for the Penn’s Woods Music Festival under the direction of Maestro Gerardo Edelstein. Joseph founded "Valens” Piano Quartet which earned 2st Prize in the MTNA Chamber Music Competition.

     Kauffman was accepted into the class of Professor Eduard Schmieder in 2008 where he began his studies in the master’s degree program at Temple University. He served as concertmaster for Temple’s performances of Puccini’s La Boheme, Janacek’s The Cunning Little Vixen, as well as several other performances by the Temple Orchestra. This summer Kauffman will solo with the Wayne Pennsylvania Chamber Orchestra, and his newly formed piano trio will premiere a new work for violin, piano, and horn commissioned for his trio.

Alfiya Latypova was born in 1988 in Sochi. She started to play the violin at the age of 5 in the Children’s Music School (Prof. A. Lukiyanenko). At the age of 15, Alfiya moved to Kazan for studying in the Secondary Special Music College (Prof. Vadim Afanasiev). First Prize winner in the 2007 International Music Competition in Bulgaria “Hopes, Talents, Masters,” Alfiya also received top prizes in the Bach Music Competiton 2006 (2nd prize) and the All-Russian Khalida Akhtyamova Competition 2008 (3rd prize).

In 2007 Alfiya became a student of the Kazan State Conservatory where she was a concertmistress of the Kazan Chamber Student Orchestra with its own season series at the Big Concert Hall in Kazan, and toured throughout Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg. An active performer in the Republic of Tatarstan and recognized for her talent, Alfiya took part in the Mozarteum Summer Academy in Salzburg, and beginning in the fall of 2009 she will enter the Boyer College of Music at Temple University in the international class of Professor Eduard Schmieder.

She was selected to participate in the 12^th annual iPalpiti Festival of International Laureates in Los Angeles in 2009 and in San Francisco February 2010. In the fall of 2009 she entered the Boyer College of Music at Temple University in the international class of Professor Eduard Schmieder.  During this season she has performed numerous outreach performances in Philadelphia.

A graduate of the Kazan State Conservatoire, Adelya Shagidullina is a First Prize winner of the International Music Competition in Toglliatty, Russia (2007), winner of the second prize at the All Russian Music Competition (2005), and a First Prize winner and special prize at the international J.S. Bach competition (2003), among others.

Named Fellow of the Art Department of Russia (2003-2006), and Fellow of Russian Performing Art (2007-2008), Adelya has performed in Moscow, Paris, and extensively throughout her native Tatarstan, and its capital, Kazan. Selected as a principal violist of numerous youth international orchestras under direction of prominent conductors such as Yuri Simonov, most recently in International Youth Symphony of Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Russian and European Symphony Orchestra, Adelya has been working professionally in the Kazan State Chamber Orchestra “La Primavera” and the Kazan State Symphony Orchestra. Adelya was selected by iPalpiti for its east coast residency in 2009, and performed in concerts at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and Carnegie Hall in New York.

Yves Dharamraj's Website Regarded as "a strikingly mature and gifted musician" (Edmonton Sun), the young Franco-American cellist enjoys a career that takes him to major venues across the United States and abroad. Since his professional concerto debut at 16, performing Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations with the Florida Orchestra, Yves has performed with many orchestras, and for the Juilliard School's Centennial Celebration, he was invited to perform William Schuman's A Song of Orpheus at Avery Fisher Hall with James DePriest and the Juilliard Orchestra. Mr. Dharamraj's festival appearances include La Jolla's Summerfest, iPalpiti, Music@Menlo, Canada's National Arts Centre, Ravinia, Banff, Sarasota, and the Museum of Modern Art's Summergarden. He made his radio broadcast solo debut on WFMT 98.7 FM Chicago on the Dame Myra Hess Series. Chosen to attend the Perlman Music Program's inaugural season he recently had the honor of collaborating with the world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. A founding member of the Moet Trio, in chamber music he has collaborated with members of the Orion, Cleveland, Guarneri and Tokyo Quartets and has performed at the Kennedy Center, 92nd St Y, and Carnegie's Weill and Zankel Halls. He performs regularly in France, recently toured Japan, and had the diplomatic honor of performing and teaching in Thailand in celebration of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana's seventh cycle birthday. Winner of top prizes in the Ima Hogg, Klein, and Juilliard Competitions, Yves participated in master classes. Yves began his cello studies at age four and performed in public soon afterward. A Cum laude graduate from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History, a Master of Music degree, and an Artist Diploma under the guidance of the renowned pedagogue Aldo Parisot, he has participated in master classes with Yo-Yo Ma, Bernard Greenhouse, William Pleeth, Frans Helmerson, Christoph Eschenbach, Gilbert Kalish, Claude Frank and Pinchas Zukerman, the Beaux Arts Trio, and the Tokyo and Juilliard String Quartets. He further studied at the Juilliard School as the recipient of the 2004 Victor Herbert Scholarship and the prestigious 2005 C.V. Starr Doctorate of Musical Arts Fellowship. While at Juilliard, Yves played a 1719 Stradivari cello, the "Duke of Marlborough," a generous gift to The Juilliard School from Daniel Saidenberg, lent to him from the Juilliard Rare Instrument Collection. He now teaches cello at Juilliard as assistant to Mr. Krosnick.

Julie Jung's Website

Born in Toronto, Korean-Canadian cellist Julie Jung has performed throughout the world, both as a soloist and as a member of the award-winning Jung Trio with her two sisters Jennie and Ellen. A prizewinner in the 2000 Eckhardt-Gramattee Competition, she has been presented in recitals by the Debut-Young Concert Artist Series in Montreal and the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC Radio) across Canada and has also performed as soloist with the Toronto Symphony, Canadian Chamber Academy, State Symphony of Tatarstan, Korean Philharmonic, Taejon Philharmonic, University of Toronto Symphony, Korean-Canadian Symphony and East York Symphony Orchestras. She has also performed in Germany, Malaysia and Japan and has participated in festivals including the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Norfolk and Great Lakes Chamber Music Festivals, the Manchester Cello Festival (England), New York String Seminar and the Verbier Academy (Switzerland). Ms.Jung has performed with iPalpiti in the International Laureates Festival in Los Angeles since 2007 and appeared with the ensemble in Carnegie Hall, Disney Hall and the Kimmel Center. The Jung Trio, selected as iPalpiti Debut Artists in 2007, recently made their European debut with concerts in Germany and Austria. They regularly perform throughout the Los Angeles area and have also performed internationally in Russia, South Korea, Kenya, Mauritius and Canada. The trio completed studies in the Artist Diploma program at Yale and recently recorded their first album on the Groovenote Label that was released in July 2009. They are currently Trio-in-Residence and Head of Chamber Music at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa, CA. Julie received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Toronto where she studied with Shauna Rolston. She received her Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where she studied with Laurence Lesser and most recently completed studies at the Yale School of Music with Aldo Parisot in the Artist Diploma Program. Ms. Jung currently resides in Los Angeles and is on faculty at Vanguard University.

Kian Soltani's Website First prize winner of the First prize winner of the international Karl Davidof Cello competition in Latvia and the National Austrian Competition “Prima la Musica,” he has received numerous awards, including 2nd prize at the international Dotzauer Cello Competition in Dresden, Germany. Born in 1992, Kian had his first cello lesson at the age of four. Currently he is studying at the Musikakademie Basel with Professor Ivan Monighetti. Kian Soltani took part at masterclasses with Wolfgang Boettcher, Gerhard Mantel, Valter Despalj and Frans Helmerson. Since 2006 he has been part of the foundation “Musik & Jugend” at Liechtenstein. Kian has performed in concerts in Mexico, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Croatia, and Latvia. His most recent solo appearances with orchestras were with the Georgian Chamber Orchestra under Ivan Monighetti, Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra, the Zagreb Soloists and the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra, under David Geringas. He was invited to the Cellofestival 2007 in Kronberg where he worked with Bernard Greenhouse and took part in the Remembrance concert for Mstislav Rostropovich. Kian first joined the acclaimed iPalpiti orchestra ensemble of international laureates in December 2008, when he was selected to perform on its tour of Switzerland. Most recently he was the soloist in the Haydn C Major Concerto with the The Zagreb Soloists in Croatia and Switzerland.

Ecuadorian-Spanish cellist Francisco Vila has performed extensively in the United States, Canada, South America and Europe. Vila’s curiosity for new music has paired him in collaboration with Grammy-Award winning composer Osvaldo Golijov, and Grammy-nominated composer/classical guitarist Apostolos Paraskevas. He has received instruction from cellists Aldo Parisot and Gary Hoffman at the Banff Centre and Mozarteum Sommerakademie festivals, respectively. Recent concert activities include such venues as Carnegie Hall as a member of the New York String Orchestra directed by Jaime Laredo, Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center and Disney Hall in Los Angeles with iPalpiti Artists International, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall with Apostolos Paraskevas in a performance of the composer/guitarist’s modern works, Dudley House at Harvard University, and Boston’s Seully Hall in recitals with pianist Sergey Schepkin. Vila has been the recipient of several honors including the Presidential Scholarship at The Boston Conservatory (Boston, Massachusetts), the National Society of Arts and Letters scholarship award for Performance (Bloomington, Indiana), the Olimpia Barbera and the Eva Heinitz Fund Scholarships at Indiana University, and also a prize in the Latin American Music Competition for a unique performance of Latin American and Spanish repertoire for solo cello. He studied chamber music with Menahem Pressler and the cello with Professors Janos Starker and Sharon Robinson at Indiana University where he was also the first-prize winner of the ’09-‘10 cello concerto competition. He was recently selected to be a part of Gary Hoffman’s new class in Manchester, England at the Royal Northern College of Music. Vila’s instrument is a 1770 Benjamin Banks cello crafted in Salisbury, England.

“Cziger’s playing this evening was truly magical and hypnotic. It was the kind of playing that was so involving it seemed to cause time to stand still” (Peninsula Reviews). “Cziger gave a beautifully paced and colorful performance…” (Washington Post). “Full of Taste and Musicality” (Ha’aretz), he is described as “an exciting soloist” by the New York Times.
Israeli Clarinetist Tibi Cziger is the first woodwind player ever admitted to the prestigious Artist Diploma program at The Juilliard School, from which he graduated in 2008. He is also the artistic director and founder of the Israeli Chamber Project, ani nitiative bringing young outstanding Israeli musicians together for chamber music projects in Israel and the US. Mr. Cziger is a frequent recitalist and soloist and enjoys exploring new repertoire for the clarinet, including his own arrangements to works originally not for the clarinet. Solo appearances include concerts with the St. Petersburg Chamber Philharmonic, Tivoli Symphony Orchestra in Copenhagen, Metropolis Ensemble, and Israel Chamber Orchestra among others. Mr. Cziger has performed as guest clarinetist with the Oslo Radio Orchestra, Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra (Norway), Israel Philharmonic, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra among others, and was recently appointed as principal clarinetist of the Israel Camerata Orchestra. As a passionate chamber musician, Mr. Cziger has performed a vast amount of chamber literature for the clarinet, with various concerts in live and recorded television and radio broadcasts on channels in Israel, Europe, and the US. Recent venues include Barge Music, Zankel and Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall, The Terrace Theatre at Kennedy Center, LACMA’s Bing Theatre, Jerusalem Music Center, and the Musikverein (Vienna). He is a regular participant at Musique en Brionnais (France), and has also performed at the Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival, Tivoli Festival (Denmark), Craftsbury Chamber Players, iPalpiti Festival of International Laureates, and the West Eastern Divan Workshop under the baton of Daniel Barenboim in tours across Europe and the USA. Mr. Cziger holds an Artist Diploma from the Juilliard School, MM degree from the University of Southern California where he received a departmental outstanding student award, and a BM. degree magna cum laude from the Rubin Music
Academy in Tel Aviv. He studied clarinet with Charles Neidich, Yehuda Gilad, Richard Lesser, and Itzhak Kazzap. He is a winner of the Leni Fe Bland Foundation Scholarship, Irene Diamond Scholarship, Jerome L. Greene Scholarship, Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship, and the Irving Berlin scholarship. Tibi is a recipient of the America-Israel Cultural Foundation scholarships 1997-2003, and in 2003 he received the AICF special scholarship for studies abroad. As of summer 2010, Mr. Cziger is an international representative artist of the Selmer-Paris company. A member of iPalpiti festivals since 2006, Mr. Cziger’s instruments are on generous loan by Mr. Jonathan Steinberg (Chairman of iPalpiti Artists International).
Mr. Cziger dedicates his solo performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall in loving memory of Rose Jackson

Artem Chirkov was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. He began to study cello at the Special Music Lyceum of the St. Petersburg Conservatory and at the age of 16 started to learn Double Bass, continuing at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with Professor Shilo. Mr. Chirkov continued his postgraduate studies at the “Hochschule fur Music und Theater” in Munich, Germany with Professor  Klaus Trumpf. Artem is a First prize winner at the International competition “Virtuosi 2000" in St. Petersburg and International Competition in Toliatti (Russia), International Double Bass competition “J.M Sperger” Michaelstein (Gerrnany), International Double Bass competition in Brno (Czech Republic), and the 2^nd prize winner in International Double Bass competition of the International Society of Bass in  Richmond (USA). Holder of Principal Bass positions in numerous ensembles, including St. Petersburg Camerata under conductor S.Sondeckis, in 2004, Artem became the youngest Principal Double Bass in history of St. Petersburg Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (Evgeny Mravinsky’s famed “Leningrad Philharmonic” orchestra), a position which he continues to hold under its current Principal conductor Yuri Temirkanov. Mr.Chirkov has given master classes in conservatories and universities of  Japan (Tokyo), Taiwan (Taipei), Korea (Seoul), USA (Mannes School-New York, USC-Los Angeles, California Institute of Music San Diego), Mozambique (Maputo), Portugal (Lissbon, Porto), Germany (Osnabrück, München), and in Russia (St.Petersburg, Moskow, Irkutsk, Khanti-Mansiysk) Mr. Chirkov performed solo at “Pablo Casals” festivals in Prades (France) and Puerto-Rico, San Juan with St. Petersburg Camerata, International Double Bass week “Zmok Wojnowice”(Poland), “Yehudi Menuhin Society” in Munich, International Music Festival “Oleg Kagan” in Kreuth, Coburg Music Festival (Germany), Music Festival in Viana do Castelo (Portugal), “Maputo Music Festival” (Mozambique) and soloed with Brno Philharmonic Orchestra  and Prague Chamber Orchestra in Czech Republic, Swerin Philharmonic Orchestra (Germany), Viana do Castelo Festival Orchestra, Belgard Philharmonic Orchestra (Serbia), and with St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra. As a member of the famous "Bassiona Amorosa”   – which includes fellow iPalpiti bassists famous Roman Patkolo and Lujbinko Lazic – he was part of the iPalpiti festival in 2006 and tours internationally.

Heralded as "a remarkable talent" (Times Columnist), Daniel Nix is an American-born double bassist currently residing in British Columbia, Canada. While under the mentorship of renowned solo bassist Gary Karr, he completed a Bachelor of Music degree with distinction at the University of Victoria. Daniel has since embarked on a career as soloist and chamber musician performing throughout North America and Europe. He recently toured the Baltic as soloist with the Estonian National Male Choir and the Parnu City Orchestra performing works by Gavin Bryars. Daniel's debut album as concerto soloist, Silva Caledonia, features Bryars' Ian in the Broch (composed specifically for Daniel), and Concerto for Double Bass "Farewell to St. Petersburg." The Strad magazine featured Daniel in the 'Launch Pad' series which spotlights up-and-coming artists. In addition to developing his solo career, Daniel is in great demand as a chamber musician. He is a founding member of the Saturna Trio, which performs works for piano trio as part of Daniel's continuing commitment to expand the presence of the double bass in chamber music. Daniel's first performance with the acclaimmed iPalpiti Orchestral Ensemble of International Laureates was in 2007 at Carnegie Hall, and since then he has been a member of iPalpiti for its summer festivals in Los Angeles, and took part in the East Coast residency, with concerts at the Kimmel Center and Carnegie Hall, and toured Northern California.