The pianist Julius Drake lives in London and enjoys an international reputation as one of the finest instrumentalists in his field, collaborating with many of the world’s leading artists, both in recital and on disc.
His passionate interest in song has led to invitations to devise song series for Wigmore Hall, London; The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam; 92nd Street Y, New York; and the Pierre Boulez Saal, Berlin. He curates an annual series of song recitals – Julius Drake and Friends – in the historic Middle Temple Hall in London. Julius holds a Professorship at Graz University in Austria for Music and the Performing Arts, where he has a class for song pianists. He is also a Professor of Collaborative Piano at the Guildhall School of Music in London. He is regularly invited to give masterclasses worldwide.
One of the most sought-after soloists and chamber music collaborators of his generation, Orion Weiss is widely regarded as a “brilliant pianist” (The New York Times) with “powerful technique and exceptional insight” (The Washington Post). With a warmth to his playing that outwardly reflects his engaging personality, Weiss has dazzled audiences with his passionate, lush sound and performed with dozens of orchestras in North America including the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic.
The Calidore String Quartet is recognized as one of the world’s foremost interpreters of a vast chamber music repertory, from the cycles of quartets by Beethoven and Mendelssohn to works of celebrated contemporary voices like György Kurtág, Jörg Widmann, and Caroline Shaw. For more than a decade, the Calidore has enjoyed performances and residencies in the world’s major venues and festivals, released multiple critically acclaimed recordings, and won numerous awards. The Los Angeles Times described the musicians as “astonishing,” their playing “shockingly deep,” approaching “the kind of sublimity other quartets spend a lifetime searching.” The New York Times noted the Quartet’s “deep reserves of virtuosity and irrepressible dramatic instinct,” and The Washington Post wrote that “four more individual musicians are unimaginable, yet these speak, breathe, think and feel as one”.
Robert Ingliss is principal oboe of the New Jersey Symphony and The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. He’s premiered solo and chamber music works by numerous composers, including Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, Marc-André Dalbavie, Henri Dutilleux, and Charles Wuorinen. He’s performed in more than 30 countries on five continents, and, as a soloist, his engagements have included the American Symphony Orchestra, Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players, League of Composers/ISCM Chamber Players, New Jersey Symphony, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Santa Fe Pro Musica, and the Washington Square Music Festival, among others. Ingliss has taught at Columbia University, Sarah Lawrence College, SUNY Purchase, and the University of Connecticut.
Todd Levy is principal clarinet of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. He’s a four-time Grammy Award winner, and he’s performed as a soloist at Carnegie Hall and the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York City, with the Israel Philharmonic, and at the White House in Washington, DC.
Argentinian-born bassoonist Julia Harguindey joined the Nashville Symphony and The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra as principal bassoon at the beginning of the 2016–17 season. She’s performed with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and as guest principal bassoon with numerous ensembles, including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and Les Violons du Roy (in Québec).
Gabriel Kovach, born in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, is active as both a chamber and orchestral musician. Mr. Kovach has been Principal Horn of the Phoenix Symphony since 2006. Previously, he has held positions as both the Principal Horn of the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia and the Opera Company of Philadelphia. During the summers he travels to Cooperstown, N.Y. as Principal Horn of the Glimmerglass Opera Festival. He has served as Principal Horn of the National Arts Center Orchestra in Ottawa Canada, under the direction of Pinchas Zukerman.
Additionally, he has toured with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, sharing duties as Principal and Second Horn. Mr. Kovach also continues to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra as an active member of their substitute pool and joined them for tours of Asia in 2005. In 2008 Gabriel Kovach was named as an Endorsing Artist for Conn-Selmer.
