The vast range of IDA KAVAFIAN's versatility has gained her a truly unique position in the music world. Internationally acclaimed as one of the few artists to excel on viola as well as violin, her musical travels have taken her from solo recitals and orchestra appearances to chamber music, duos with her sister, Ani, teaching, recording, and a highly acclaimed career as an Artistic Director and Administrator.

With a repertoire as diverse as her talents, Ms. Kavafian has electrified recital stages throughout North America, the Far East and Europe. She has appeared as soloist with leading orchestras both nationally and internationally, including the orchestras of Boston, Pittsburgh, Detroit, St. Louis, Montreal, Minnesota, New York, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Buenos Aires, and London. Her commitment to contemporary music has led to many world premieres by composers as varied as Toru Takemitsu, who wrote a concerto for her, and jazz greats, Chick Corea and Winton Marsalis. She has toured and recorded with the Guarmeri Quartet and Chamber Music Series of Lincoln Center, of which she is an artist member. Ms. Kavafian was the violinist of the legendary Beaux Arts Trio for six years. With the trio, considered the premiere ensemble of its kind in the world, she performed nearly 100 concerts a year. In addition, for 15 years, she has been the Artistic Director of the highly successful festival, Music From Angel Fire. Ms. Kavafian resides in Connecticut with her husband, violist Steven Tenenbom.

STEVEN TENENBOM's impeccable style and sumptuous tone have earned him a reputation as one of America's finest violists. In great demand as a chamber musician, Mr. Tenenbom has appeared as a guest violist with such eminent ensembles as the Guarneri and Emerson String Quartets, the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson and Beaux Arts Trios, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and Chamber Music at the "Y". Mr. Tenenbom is the violist of the Orion String Quartet, one of the most outstanding and eloquent ensembles performing today. In addition to their many performances both nationally and internationally, they are the Quartet-in-Residence of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the Aspen Music Festival, Mannes College of Music and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

A member of the prestigious group TASHI, Mr. Tenenbom has also has a long association with the Marlboro Music Festival. Other festival credits include June Music, La Jolla, Mostly Mozart, Chamber Music Northwest, Music From Angle Fire and Bravo! Colorado.

Mr. Tenenbom is on the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he is the Coordinator of String Chamber Music. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, violinist, Ida Kavafian.

Cellist PETER WILEY brings a rich background of musical experience to each performance. His many achievements have come in the wide ranging areas of concerto, recital, chamber music, orchestra and education. As a soloist, Mr. Wiley made his highly acclaimed concerto debut at Carnegie Hall with the New York String Orchestra led by Alexander Schneider. He has appeared in recital at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall.

Considered to be one of the finest chamber musicians of his generation, Mr. Wiley was the cellist of the world renowned Beaux Arts Trio from 1987 to 1998. With the trio, he appeared in over one thousand concerts worldwide. He has performed with major orchestras such as Berlin, New York, Boston and Philadelphia among others. He has collaborated with artists such as the Guarneri and Emerson String Quartets, singer Jessye Norman and clarinetist Richard Stoltzman. Highlights of the 1998-1999 season include performances with violinists Midori and Hilary Hahn, and tours with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Musicians From Marlboro. Mr. Wiley resides in Danbury, Connecticut with his wife Marcia and their two children, David and Dona Marie.

Pianist ANNE-MARIE MCDERMOTT has rapidly earned a reputation as one of the major talents of her generation. In March 1997, she was called upon to perform with the New York Philharmonic on a moment's notice. In this five-subscription concert series, she performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.9, K. 271 under the direction of conductor Christian Thielemann. The New York Times reported "an exemplary collaboration." Ms. McDermott is no stranger to high pressure situations. In May of 1993 she substituted on short notice for Maria Joao Pires with the Dallas Symphony under Eduardo Mata, and was hailed by the Dallas Morning News for her "luminous, singing pianism." A recent reviewer said of Ms. McDermott: "Each time I hear this amazing pianist, my appreciation of her phenomenal skills increases substantially. Not only does she possess a dazzling technique, but she uses it with such intelligence and sensitivity." In addition to her performances with the New York Philharmonic and Dallas Symphony, she has also been heard with the symphony orchestras of St. Louis, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Phoenix, Seattle, San Diego, New Mexico, Tucson, Rochester, Vermont, Columbus, and North Carolina. Further orchestral appearances have been with Lincoln Center's Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, Hans Graf conducting; the Kennedy Center with Gerard Schwarz; the Brandenburg Ensemble at the Kennedy Center, Alexander Schneider conducting; the Moscow Virtuosi and Vladimir Spivakov in performances in Boston's Symphony Hall and New York's Avery Fisher Hall; and the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall. Her numerous recital engagements have included New York's 92nd Street "Y" and Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center's Next Generation Series, and Washington, DC's Kennedy Center. In January 1992, Ms. McDermott stepped in at the last moment to appear as soloist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for an indisposed Murray Perahia. She performed the Mozart Concerto K. 466, which she played with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra in November 1991, when she won the Silver Medal in the First Hamamatsu Piano Competition in Japan. In the Spring of 1995 she returned to Japan where she made her debut recital tour.

The end of the 1994-1995 season brought a singular honor to Ms. McDermott when in March of 1995 she was named an Artist Member of the prestigious Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Ms. McDermott began playing the piano at age 5, and at the age of 12 performed the Mendelssohn Concerto in G minor with the National Orchestral Association at Carnegie Hall. She studied at the Manhattan School of Music as a scholarship student with Dalmo Carra, Constance Keene and John Browning and participated in master classes with such noted artists as Leon Fleischer, Menahem Pressler, Misha Dichter, Abbey Simon, Rosalyn Tureck, Michael Tilson-Thomas and Mstislav Rostropovich. She was the winner of both the 1983 Young Concert Artist Auditions and the 1987 Avery Fisher Career Development Award and is the recipient of numerous awards including the 1995 Andrew Wolf Memorial Chamber Music Award, the Joseph Kalichstein Piano Prize, the Paul A. Fish Memorial Prize, the Bruce Hungerford Memorial Prize, and the Mortimer Levitt Career Development Award for Women Artists.

TIMOTHY LEES, Concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra , is increasingly in demand for his thoughtful chamber music playing and controlled command of the orchestral literature. A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Lees graduated from the Eastman School of Music where he received the coveted Performer's Certificate and. In March 1991, Lees won third prize in the Sitson Ma International Violin Competition. He has distinguished himself both here and abroad, serving as Concertmaster for the internationally renowned Spoleto Festival Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in addition to the CSO. He is a former member of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra and the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia where he also performed as a soloist. Chamber music is one of Mr. Lees' fortes. In March 1997, he became one of the principal players of the newly formed Carolina Chamber Players. In September 1995, Lees was invited to perform as a guest artist with principal members of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra on the University of Indianapolis Faculty Artists Chamber series. Since 1994, Lees has made numerous chamber and solo appearances at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C. Mr. Lees plays on a 1748 J.B. Guadagnini violin graciously on loan to him from the collection of Mr. Charles Castelman.

Violist NARDO POY has been a member of the world-renowned Orpheus Chamber Orchestra since 1978. He can also be heard performing in a number of chamber groups and orchestras in the New York area, among them the Perspectives Ensemble, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic. He is also principal violist with the Bard Music Festival Orchestra and the New York Symphonic Arts Orchestra, which is the orchestra for L'Opera Francais de New York.

Among the positions Mr. Poy has held over the years are Artist-in-Residence at the State University of New York as a member of the Carnegie String Quartet, as well as principal violist with the Lake George Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, the Philharmonia Orchestra of Philadelphia, the Opera Company of Philadelphia and the Grand Teton Music Festival Orchestra. For many years he was a member and soloist with the Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia and has appeared as soloist with the North Carolina Symphony, the Kansas City Camerata and with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra throughout the U.S., Europe and Japan. Mr. Poy has made over fifty recordings over the years with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra for the Deutsche Grammophon and Nonesuch labels and has collaborated on a recording of chamber music with voice with Dawn Upshaw, also on the Nonesuch label. Other chamber music recordings include works by Dvorak on the Music and Arts label, music of Charles Tomlinson Griffes on the Newport Classics label with the Perspectives Ensemble, and soon-to-be released recordings of chamber music of Taneyev and music for various string instruments with piano by Piazzola, including music for viola and piano.

Cellist ERIC KIM, currently in his eighth season with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, has performed throughout the United States, Europe, South America, and the Middle and Far East as a recitalist, chamber musician and soloist with orchestra. As a chamber musician, he has performed with such artists as Emmanuel Ax, Pinchas Zuckerman and Kathleen Battle. Solo performances have included the orchestras of Chicago, Denver and San Francisco. Born in New York, Mr. Kim was raised in Illinois where he began his musical studies at age ten. At 15, he made his solo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Kim received both his bachelor and master of music degrees at the Juilliard School, where he studied under Leonard Rose and Lynn Harrell. Upon graduation, Mr. Kim was the first recipient of the William Schumann Prize for outstanding leadership and musical achievement. Mr. Kim has served as principal cellist of the Denver and San Diego Symphonies and since 1989, he has been the principal cellist of the CSO.

RICHARD HAWLEY, appointed principal clarinet of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in 1994, is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, where he studied with Donald Montanaro, principal clarinet of the Philadelphia Orchestra Before his Cincinnati appointment, Mr. Hawley was Principal Clarinet of the Charleston, South Carolina Symphony Orchestra. An active chamber musician, Mr. Hawley has performed at the Piccolo Spoleto festival in South Carolina, as well as throughout China, Japan and North America. Locally, Mr. Hawley frequently appears on the Linton Music Series. Mr. Hawley's solo career has included performances with the Cincinnati Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Eastern Music Festival Orchestra and the Santa Barbara Symphony. In 1991 he performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with the Symphony Orchestra of the Curtis Institute in a live Philadelphia radio broadcast. In 1988, Mr. Hawley was one of five musicians to receive the Presidential Scholar in the Arts medal and award from President Regan in a ceremony at the White House.

Mr. Hawley is currently on the faculty of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Originally from Los Angeles, Mr. Hawley often returns to Southern California to visit family and pursue his favorite pastime, surfing.

PHILLIP RUDER, violinist, has been performing as soloist, chamber musician and concertmaster from a very early age. He made his solo debut with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age 12. Mr. Ruder received both B.A. and Master's Degrees in Violin Performance from the Hartt College of Music at the University of Hartford. Having held the position of concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for 21 years, Mr. Ruder recently accepted a teaching post with the University of Nevada, Reno. During his tenure with the CSO, he appeared as soloist more than 20 times, performing works ranging from Bach to Berg. Prior to his arrival in Cincinnati, Mr. Ruder served as concertmaster of the New Orleans Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony, and Sante Fe Opera Orchestra. A frequent performer of chamber music, Mr. Ruder serves on the Artistic Advisory Board of the Linton Series, and has appeared with internationally acclaimed artists including Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman, Joshua Bell and John Browning. Early in his career, Mr. Ruder held residencies with the Claremont Quartet at the North Carolina School for the Arts, Peabody Institute of Music, University of Rhode Island, and Salem College. Since 1981, he has been concertmaster and frequent soloist at the Sunriver (Oregon) Music Festival, and has taught and performed regularly at the Sante Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Aspen Music Festival and the Grand Tetons Music Festival. Mr. Ruder's duties at the University of Nevada, Reno include teaching violin, conducting the University Symphony Orchestra and performing in chamber ensembles. One of his major responsibilities will be the development of a graduate string program designed to prepare musicians for orchestral careers. Phillip first appeared on the Linton Music Series in April, 1980, performing Brahms' Trio in E-flat Major for violin, horn and piano, with Robert Routch and William Doppmann. This is Phillip's 58th appearance on the Linton Music Series, making him the most prolific Linton performer, eclipsing founder Richard Waller's total of 57 concert appearances.

ALEXANDER KERR - MEMBER ARTISTIC ADVISORY BOARD

At age 26, violinist ALEXANDER KERR is quickly becoming one of the world's most accomplished orchestral violinists. In October 1996, Mr Kerr won the position of Concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, the Netherlands and assumed his new post in August, 1997.

In November, 1995, Mr. Kerr was appointed to the position of Concertmaster of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. Only the eighth concertmaster in the CSO's 102 year history, Mr. Kerr became one of the youngest concertmasters of any major orchestra in the world. Prior to joining the CSO, he served as concertmaster of the Charleston, South Carolina Symphony Orchestra for two years. Acclaimed by the press as a charismatic player, Mr. Kerr has performed throughout the United States, Europe Israel and Japan, including performances in this country with the National Symphony Orchestra, the Concerto Soloists (of Philadelphia) Chamber Orchestra, and at Merkin Hall, Constitution Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center. In Cincinnati, Mr. Kerr has already enjoyed many successes with the orchestra, including his acclaimed performances of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade in the CSO's 1995 season opening concerts with Maestro Jesus Lopez-Cobos and his performances and recording with Eric Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops of the violin solo in John William's theme from Schindler's List. Raised in Alexandria, Virginia, Mr. Kerr began his studies at age seven with members of the National Symphony Orchestra. he went on to study with Sally Thomas at the Julliard School and with Aaron Rosand at the Curtis Institute of Music where he received his Bachelor of Music degree in 1992.

NADJA SALERNO-SONNENBERG, Violinist

Universally regarded as one of the world's foremost violinists, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg has been thrilling classical music audiences with her powerful artistry, riveting sound and intensely passionate interpretations for over 15 years. A compelling performer, she has appeared with conductors such as Muti, Levine, Masur, Mehta, Eschenbach, Davis (Sir Andrew), Litton, Dutoit, Shostakovitch, Tilson Thomas, de Waart, Jarvi, Slatkin, Schwarz, Hogwood, Macal and Nagano. Performances include the orchestras of New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Minnesota, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis and Seattle, as well as the London Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra and London Philharmonic, among others. In addition to England, internationally she has performed in Germany, Japan, Austria, Holland, Switzerland, France, Monaco, Portugal, Philippines, Canada and Mexico. Festival appearances include the Mostly Mozart Festival (New York and Japan), Ravinia, Blossom, Hollywood Bowl, Meadow Brook, Great Woods, Caramoor, Aspen, Tanglewood and the Schleswig-Holstein Festival. Among her numerous recital credits are Lincoln Center's Great Performers Series, Chicago's Orchestra Hall, New York's Tisch Center for the Arts Distinguished Artists Series, California's Ambassador Auditorium, the Kennedy Center and Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

As a recording artist, Ms. Salerno-Sonnenberg is currently recording for Nonesuch and Angel/EMI. Due to be released in early 1998 is her first recording for Nonesuch entitled "Humoresque." For Angel/EMI, her most recent recordings are: "Bella Italia," a collection of works by Wolf, Tchaikovsky, Paganini and Lidstrom recorded at the Aspen Music Festival; Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor and Chausson Poeme for Violin and Orchestra with the London Symphony Orchestra, Michael Tilson Thomas conducting; and a collection of encores, "It Ain't Necessarily So." A fan of all musical genres, she has collaborated on recordings with such artists as Joe Jackson and Judy Blazer. Highlights of Miss Salerno-Sonnenberg's 1997-98 season include appearances with the Chicago Symphony, Dallas Symphony and Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and at New York's Carnegie Hall Also in New York, Miss Salerno-Sonnenberg is joined at the Tisch Center for the Arts of the 92nd St. "Y" by colleagues for her own series of three chamber music concerts throughout the season. In recital she tours the United States, with engagements that take her to Kansas, Kentucky, Florida, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Georgia and New Mexico.

BENNY KIM, winner of several prestigious awards including Young Concert Artists International Auditions in 1983, is one of the nations's most engaging violinists. He has performed with many of America's leading orchestras including the Chicago and St. Louis Symphonies. According to the the Washington Post , "Kim's technique was dazzling, but his emotional depth and musical carriage are his real drawing cards. His is a style that touches the peak of romantic violin playing." In the 1995-96 season, Benny Kim performed in recital in Colorado Springs and as soloist with the symphony orchestras of Tucson, Chattanooga, Des Moines, Amarillo, Lafayette (IN), Kenosha (WI), and the Louisiana Philharmonic. As a recitalist, Mr. Kim has performed in virtually every major city in the United States, including two critically praised engagements at New York's 92nd St. "Y", at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theater in Washington D.C., and the new Koger Center in Columbia, SC. Mr. Kim has participated in numerous festivals including the Interlochen National Music Camp, the Aspen and Marlboro Festivals, the Vancouver Chamber Music Festival, the Cape and Islands Festival (MA), the Grand Canyon Chamber Music Festival, and the Summer Chamber Music Festival at the University of Rhode Island. Internationally, he has made two appearances at the Dubrovnik Festival and has performed chamber music and recitals throughout France. Born of Korean parentage in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, Benny Kim's early studies were with Doris Preucil and Almita Vamos. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where he studied with Dorothy DeLay. He now makes his home in Kansas City, where he is currently Visiting Professor of Violin at the University of Missouri/Kansas City Conservatory of Music.

EVAN WILSON was appointed principal violist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in November of 1991, after having served as a member of the Orchestra since 1984. He is a graduate of the Julliard school of Music, where he played principal viola, and also served as principal with the National Symphony of New York. Wilson most recently served as guest principal with the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the 1994-95 and 1995-96 seasons, during which time he participated in recordings of music by Bernstein, Foss, and Ravel for Deutsche Grammophon and Philips with conductors Seiji Ozawa and Bernard Haitink. He has appeared as soloist with the Boston Symphony and with the Los Angeles Philharmonic (replacing Yuri Bashmet on one week's notice in the Bartók Viola Concerto, for which he received glowing reviews).Concurrent with his Philharmonic activities, Wilson is in great demand as teacher and chamber musicians. In the summer of 1992, he was one of several Philharmonic musicians invited to perform at the Festival Bahnhof Rolandseck in Bonn, Germany. He has also participated in the Marlboro Festival, the Newport Music Festival, and the Grand Canyon Music Festival. In 1995, Wilson appeared at the Avanti! Festival in Finland with Esa-Pekka Salonen. He also appears regularly at Philharmonic Chamber Music Society and New Music Group concerts.

He has recorded for labels including Music from Marlboro, CBS Masterworks, and Harmonia Mundi. His solo performances have been broadcast throughout the United States and Europe. Mr. Wilson has been on the UCLA faculty since 1987.