Violinist Austin Hartman, of Columbia, Pennsylvania, is a 2004 graduate of The New England Conservatory where he was a student of Donald Weilerstein. His former teachers include Yumi Scott, Choong-Jin Chang, Ronda Cole, Carolyn Moyer and the late Jascha Brodsky. Mr. Hartman won the first place, Gold Medal Prize at the 1999 Julius and Esther Stulberg International String Competition in Michigan. As the winner of the Albert Greenfield Competition, Mr. Hartman had the opportunity to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. In 1996, Austin Hartman made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra as the winner of the Mann Music Center Concerto Competition. Mr. Hartman has also made solo appearances with the Kennett Symphony, the Landsdowne Symphony, the Temple University Orchestra, the Lancaster Symphony, The Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra as winner of the concerto competition and at the Atonemant Bach Festival Series.

Austin Hartman has been featured in many recitals, including a performance at a State Dinner for Governor Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania. Mr. Hartman received a first prize scholarship for outstanding musical excellence from the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts. He is currently pursuing graduate work in violin and chamber music at Yale University, where he is acting as teaching assistant to the Tokyo Quartet as a member of the Biava Quartet.

Violinist Hyunsu Ko began her violin studies at the age of four in Korea, her native country. Before she transferred to the Cleveland Institute of Music to study with Donald Weilerstein in 1999, Ms. Ko studied at the Seoul National University where she was a student of Min Kim, Dean of the College of Music at Seoul National University and Director of the Korea Chamber Ensemble. While residing in Korea, Ms. Ko won many musical awards including grand prize of the Jeju-Korea Broadcasting System Music Competition, first prize of the Chosun Newspaper Music Competition, second prize of the Ewha Kyounghyang Music Competition, as well as the Gold Medal prize of the Hankook Newspaper Music Competition. She also won grand prize at the Ahn Iktae Music Competition resulting in her debut with the Seoul City Philharmonic Orchestra in Sejong Music Hall.

Ms. Ko also has made solo appearances with the Bucheon Philharmonic Orchestra, Jeju City Symphony Orchestra (five appearances, 1999-2002), the Korea Chamber Ensemble, New Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and the Seoul Arts High School Orchestra. She earned both her bachelors and masters degree studying with Donald Weilerstein at the Cleveland Institute of Music and the New England Conservatory of Music.

Hyunsu Ko has been featured in many recitals such as the Young Musicians Festival, the Korea-Russia Young Musicians Friendship Concert in Seoul, as well as solo recitals in Cleveland and Boston. At Yale University, serving as a teaching assistant to the Tokyo Quartet, Ms. Ko is currently pursuing an Artist Diploma since the fall of 2004.

Violist, Mary Persin, from Greensburg, Pennsylvania, is a recent graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music where she was a student of Martha Katz.  Ms. Persin is the former principal violist of the Westmoreland Symphony, Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony and Chautauqua Youth Symphony Orchestra. She was the winner of the Duquesne University Concerto Competition, Westmoreland Symphony Concerto Competition, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony Concerto Competition, PADESTA Competition and Duquesne Young Artist Competition.  Ms. Persin made her solo debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in Heinz Hall in 1997. In addition, she has also made solo appearances with the Westmoreland Symphony, Pittsburgh Youth Symphony and Westmoreland Youth Symphony Orchestra. 

Ms. Persin has received numerous awards and was featured in a live radio broadcast on the Performance Pittsburgh Series as winner of the Pittsburgh Concert Society Major Auditions. She has performed solo recitals in Cleveland, Boston, Pittsburgh, as well as Chautauqua, New York as a guest artist.  Ms. Persin has participated as a scholarship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival, Chautauqua Institution as principal violist of the Chautauqua Youth Orchestra and Music Festival Orchestra, as well as the Itzhak Perlman Chamber Music Festival.  In addition, she spent four summers as a scholarship student at the Encore School for Strings, where she was twice awarded the Kay Logan Chamber Music Award for excellence in chamber music performance.  This past summer, Ms. Persin was a guest artist at the Rockport Chamber Music Festival as well as the Next Generation Festival with pianist Awadagin Pratt. 

Currently in residence at Yale University, Ms. Persin is enrolled in the Artist Diploma program as a student of Kazuhide Isomura.  In addition, she serves as a teaching assistant to the Tokyo Quartet.  She is a graduate with honors from the Cleveland Institute of Music where she was a student of Robert Vernon, Principal Violist of the Cleveland Orchestra.  Her former teachers and coaches include Thomas Dumm, James Dunham, Jeffrey Irvine, Stephanie Tretick and Hong-Guang Jia as well as members of the Emerson, Guarneri and Juilliard Quartets.

Acclaimed for his "distinctive, resonant sound," cellist Jacob Braun has established himself as a recitalist, chamber musician, soloist and teacher. He has recently performed concerti with The Ars Nova Orchestra of Buffalo, The Cleveland Institute of Music Symphony Orchestra and The Brockton Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Braun has won top prizes in The New England Conservatory Preparatory School Competition, The Indian Hill Competition, The Harry M. Dubbs Competition and The Brockton Concerto Competition. As a frequent recitalist and collaborator, he has appeared with Franklin Cohen, Paul Katz, Ning An and his mother, pianist Diane Braun.

While completing degrees at The Cleveland Institute of Music and The New England Conservatory of Music, Mr. Braun participated at The Aspen School of Music, Music Academy of The West, Musicorda, Encore School for Strings and The Banff Centre, where he performed as soloist with The Yale Cellos under Aldo Parisot. Together with cellist Amelie Fradette, he has formed The Montecito Duo, which has performed the duo cello repertoire in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo and Quebec. Upcoming performances include Boston and Baltimore.

Mr. Braun's previous teachers include Paul Katz, Richard Aaron, Mark Churchill, Andres Diaz, Suren Bagratuni, Deborah Thompson and members of The Borromeo, Cavani, Cleveland, Emerson, Juilliard and Tokyo Quartets. He is currently pursuing his Artist Diploma Degree from The Yale School of Music.

Program:

Mendelssohn Op. 80
Debussy Quartet and
Stacy Garrop

Stacy Garrop