Lena Schuman

Lena Schuman was born in Baku, Azerbaijan and began her music studies at the age of 5. Lena quickly developed into an accomplished pianist, performing with the Azerbaijan Symphony Orchestra multiple times during her teenage years.
Lena graduated from Junior Music College in Baku, before immigrating to the US in 1981 where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Music Performance and Pedagogy from SFCM. While pursuing her studies, Lena developed a love for teaching and has been raising wonderful young musicians ever since. She excels in mentoring students in solid technical preparation, and is dedicated to building a deep understanding of musical style, form and performance techniques.
Most of all, Lena loves sharing her passion for classical music with her students.

Hang Li

Hang Li — Pianist / Educator

Born and raised in a family of pianists, Hang Li naturally inherited a deep passion for music and an exceptional talent at the piano. At the age of 10, Hang Li made her solo recital debut at the Tianjin Concert Hall in China. Her early performances quickly established her as a rising pianist of remarkable promise. In 1997, Li delivered the Chinese premiere of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.2, performing with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. She graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in China at the age of 20. Her exceptional gifting and dedication earned her the prestigious position of the youngest faculty member in the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. She was also appointed as the youngest member of the judging committee for the Chinese Musicians’ Association, and her extensive adjudicating expertise is still sought frequently in international competitions today. Hang Li has performed as a soloist in renowned concert halls across Europe, China, and America, as well as at The Joaquín Achúcarro Foundation, where she is honored to serve as a Legacy Pianist. Her playing style has earned critical praise as “truly poetic and exhilarating,” evincing an “exquisite and sensitive touch.”

Since 2009, Hang Li has served on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, pre-college. Her teaching philosophy integrates technical precision, artistic expression, and a profound appreciation for classical traditions. Believing that music is a universal language, she founded an international music exchange program that enables young musicians from China and the United States to study abroad. Through masterclasses, lectures, and dedicated mentorship, she continues to inspire and shape the next generation of pianists.

Li holds degrees from the Central Conservatory of Music (B.M.), Southern Methodist University (Artist Certificate), the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (M.M.), and the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena, Italy (Artist Diploma). Her teachers include Joaquín Achúcarro, Ling Yuan, Li Qifang, and Mack McCray.

Dr. Weicong Zhang

Dr. Weicong Zhang is a collaborative pianist, chamber musician, and educator who has performed and taught extensively throughout North America and Asia. She is currently Guest Professor of Instrumental Accompanying and Chamber Music at the Tianjin Juilliard School and will join the faculty of the Manhattan School of Music in Fall 2026. She previously served as Professor of Piano Performance and Chamber Music at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music from 2007 to 2021.

She has appeared at major venues including Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, and the Shanghai Concert Hall, and has collaborated with distinguished artists such as Ning Feng, Emmanuel Pahud, Pierre Amoyal, Nobuko Imai, Teng Li, Wen-Sinn Yang, Nancy Zhou, Ian Swensen, and Pablo Taballione. Festival appearances include the Bowdoin International Music Festival, Morningside Music Bridge, Shanghai Conservatory Cello Festival, Beijing International Music Festival and Academy, Heifetz Institute, and Piatigorsky Seminar.

Dr. Zhang has given masterclasses at conservatories and universities around the world, including the Manhattan School of Music, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Auckland University School of Music, and leading conservatories throughout China. Her students have been admitted to programs at MSM, NEC, SFCM, Eastman, and Mannes, and many now hold teaching positions in China and the United States.

Her recordings include Franck & Debussy Violin Sonatas, Brahms Violin Sonatas, and Ding Shande: Complete Works. She earned her Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Collaborative Piano from the Manhattan School of Music, a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and completed her early piano studies at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.

Dr Victoria Neve

VICTORIA NEVE, Pianist: BM, Piano Performance, Illinois Wesleyan University (1972); MM, Piano Performance, University of Kansas (1974); DMA,Piano Performance, University of Kansas (1979).

Victoria Neve has distinguished herself as a piano soloist, chamber musician, duo pianist and accompanist in concerts throughout the United States. Her appearances include presentations for the College Music Society, the National Conference on Women in Music, the National Convention of the American Liszt Society, the Memphis State Music Festival, the State Conventions of the Music Teachers Association of California and the California Association of Professional Music Teachers, and the National Convention of the Music Teachers National Association. She has enjoyed giving lectures and master classes to countless meetings of various piano teachers organizations.

Dr. Neve has been heard on radio as a piano soloist on the National Public Radio series "Early American Keyboard Music" and on the San Francisco State University "University Concert Series," as well as on stations KQED in San Francisco, KPFA in Berkeley, the University of California at Santa Cruz radio station, and KMVR in Northern California. Her repertoire ranges from the music of the early Classic composers, performed on a period instrument, into the 21st Century. She has toured California with performances of George Crumb's Makrokosmos, Volumes I and II, for solo amplified piano and has now performed all of Crumb's solo piano works, as well as several of his ensemble pieces.

She is Founder and Director of the San Francisco Young Pianists Competition, which held annual competitions at San Franciso State from 1983 through 2016, and is a frequent adjudicator at numerous other piano competitions.

Dr.Neve has publshed articles in Piano Quarterly and Clavier magazine. Her DMA Document of over 200 pages is entiled Virtuosity In Mozart's Independent Piano Variations.

She recently retired from fifty years on the faculty of the School of Music at San Francisco State University, where she held the rank of Full Professor of Music. She continues to teach SFSU students on a volunteer basis and is extraordinarily proud of her students, some of whom have gone on from SFSU to earn doctoral degrees and countless numbers of whom are active teachers and performers around the world. Two even started their own school in Millbrae several years ago and are doing wonderfully, often hiring more of her younger students to serve on their faculties!

She has served on the Board of Directors of Women Musicians of San Francisco for many years and, now that her Wednesday mornings are free, has joined the Berkeley Piano Club! She most recently has been invited to join the Board of Directors of the Ross McKee Foundation.

She makes her home in Oakland with her husband Patrick and her daughter Branwyn.

Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov

Dmitry Rachmanov
Piano
Bio

Dr. Dmitry Rachmanov is Chair of Keyboard Studies at California State University, Northridge. A sought-after performer, master class clinician, adjudicator and lecturer, Dr. Rachmanov has served on the faculties of Manhattan School of Music and Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University and has been a guest artist/lecturer at The Juilliard School, New England Conservatory, Eastman School of Music, Royal Northern College of Music (UK), Shanghai and Beijing Central Conservatories.
Rachmanov has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, London's Barbican and South Bank Centres, at venues across Europe and Asia, and performed as soloist with Ukraine National Symphony, and National Orchestra of Porto, among others. He has recorded for Naxos, Parma, Vista Vera and Cambria labels.
An active member of the American Liszt Society, Dmitry Rachmanov is the president of the society’s Southern California chapter. He was the Artistic Director of the ALS 2016 Festival “Liszt and Russia,” hosted by CSUN. His summer festivals include Piano Sicily and InterHarmony in Italy, Adamant in Vermont. He is a Co-Founder of the OpusOne Festival in Los Angeles.
A proponent of Russian repertoire, Rachmanov gave the US premiere of Boris Pasternak Piano Sonata, broadcast by the NPR, and he is a founding member and President of the Scriabin Society of America. His April 2014 commemorative all-Scriabin program at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall was described as “a ‘poem of ecstasy’ in every sense: giant in conception, quantity, quality, execution, thoughtfulness, and sensitivity” by the New York Concert Review. He is in the process of recording a video anthology of Alexander Scriabin’s piano works.
Dr. Rachmanov is a recipient of numerous awards: “Jerome Richfield Memorial Scholar” at CSUN, “Outstanding CAPMT Member State Recognition Award” by California Association of Professional Music Teachers, and the Steinway & Sons Teacher Hall of Fame.
https://dmitryrachmanov.com/

Dr. Chih-Long Hu

Pianist Chih-Long Hu’s performance career was launched after receiving honors including the Taipei National Concert Hall Arising Star, the Chi-Mei Artist Award, and prizes from the Mauro Monopoli International Piano Competition in Italy, the Concurs International De Piano D'Escaldes-Engordany in Andorra, the Takamatsu International Piano Competition in Japan, and San Jose International Piano Competition in California.

Hu performs extensively as a concerto soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician. His recent performance highlights include concerto performances of Rachmaninov’s Paganini Rhapsody, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, solo and chamber recitals in China, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Ireland, France, Canada, and throughout the U.S. Hu’s performances have been broadcast in "Performance Today" through NPR stations across the U.S. His CD albums "Formosa Caprices", “Complete Rachmaninov Etudes-Tableaux”, and “Goldberg Variations” have received critical acclaim.

Recipient of the UT Chancellor’s Excellence in Teaching Award and named “Teacher of the Year” by Tennessee Music Teachers Association, Knoxville Music Teachers Associations, and Appalachian Music Teachers Association, Hu is committed and passionate in teaching. He strives to cultivate and inspire curiosity in meaningful expressions and to help his students discover their individuality through music.

Hu holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in piano performance from the University of Michigan, a Master's degree from Taipei National University of the Arts, and a Bachelor's degree in civil engineering from National Taiwan University. Hu is currently the Sandra G. Powell Endowed Professor of Piano and the Coordinator of Keyboard Studies at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.

Dr. Kerry Jennings

Kerry Jennings Bio

Dr. Kerry Jennings is Professor of Opera Studies at California State University, Fullerton. His work as a stage director has been recognized by *The American Prize* for productions of *Cendrillon* and *The Old Maid and the Thief*, and by the National Opera Association, where scenes from his productions have been named eight-time national finalists in the Collegiate Opera Scenes Competition, earning two second-place awards and one first-place award. His directorial repertoire spans works from Monteverdi through composers of the twenty-first century.

Internationally, Dr. Jennings has directed productions of *Die Zauberflöte* in Austria and Italy, as well as *Le nozze di Figaro*, *Die Fledermaus*, and *The Old Maid and the Thief* for the International Lyric Academy in Vicenza, Italy. He will return to Italy this summer to direct a production of Mozart’s *Così fan tutte*.

As a performer, Dr. Jennings has appeared in more than forty leading and supporting operatic roles in the United States and abroad, encompassing early, standard, and contemporary repertoire. As a concert soloist, he has performed works by J.S. Bach, Beethoven, Händel, Haydn, Mozart, Puccini, Saint-Saëns, Rachmaninoff, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Fonseca, Orff, Rorem, and others.

Praised for his “beautiful voice, great diction, and uncanny sense of style and phrasing,” Dr. Jennings’ recording *In My Memory: American Songs and Song Cycles* (Centaur Records) received critical acclaim and features works by Libby Larsen, Tom Cipullo, Lori Laitman, and Richard Pearson Thomas. Libby Larsen has described his recording of her cycle *My Àntonia* as “the definitive reference performance for future performances.” He is also featured on David Arbury’s CD *Alchemy* and as tenor soloist on the Houston Camerata’s recording of Fonseca’s *Missa Afro-Brasileira*. He is currently preparing his second solo album of American song cycles, which will include a newly commissioned work by Tom Cipullo. Dr. Jennings was a District Winner and Regional Finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions.

Dr. Jennings is a member of NATS, OPERA America, The Recording Academy, The College Music Society, and the National Opera Association, where he is serving his fifth cycle on the Dominick Argento Chamber Opera Competition Committee.

Edna.garabedian

Dramatic Mezzo Soprano Stage Director CEO California Opera Association
Dramatic Mezzo-Soprano Edna Garabedian has performed to critical and popular acclaim in the United States, and throughout South America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. She is best known for her numerous performances of the roles of Amneris, Carmen, Eboli, Santuzza, Azucena and Kostelnicha and Suzuki. Gian Carlo Menotti , hailed Ms. Garabedian for her presentations of Mother, Agatha, and Baba in his productions of Amahl and the Night Visitors, Mari Golovin,The Medium
Ms. Garabedian made her professional debut in the role Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana with the New York City Opera where she was also featured in Julius Caesar and Tales of Hoffman. Soon thereafter, she performed leading roles with the San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera, Seattle Opera, Houston Opera, San Diego Opera, Arizona Opera, Baltimore Opera, Kansas City Lyric Opera, Buffalo Opera, Spoletto Festival, Edmonton Opera, Virginia Opera, Florentine Opera, and Portland Opera. Abroad, Ms. Garabdeian was a frequent leading artist at Stuttgart Opera, Frankfurt Opera, Karlsruhe Opera, Nurnburg Opera, Kassel Opera , Staatsoper Bonn, and Munich Opera.
Ms. Garabedian won the first place title of several prestigious awards including Weyerhauser Awards, Sullivan Awards, Rockefeller Awards, and awards from the Metropolitan Opera and Baltimore Opera Auditions. In 1970, Ms. Garabedian was the Gold Medalist in the 4th Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russia. Most recent awards include the 2012 Fresno County Women’s Lawyers Hall of Fame, 2011 Spirit of Compassion, 2010 Horizon for Outstanding Performing Artists, Top 10 Professional Women in Business, the Roosevelt Achievement Award, among many others.
As a vocal pedagogue, Ms. Garabedian traveled extensively throughout South America concertizing and training artists at the International Music Institute of Sao Paulo, Brazil. She held the distinction of Chair of Voice and Opera for University of Connecticut, University of the Pacific, and Bowling Green State University. She has served as Professor of Voice on the Faculty of Northern Illinois University, California State University of Fresno, American University, and San Francisco State University. Her private voice students have gone on to claim top prizes in opera and perform at Teatro alla Scala and the Metropolitan Opera of New York, Broadway Touring Companies , among others. Recently, Ms. Garabedian is hailed with great success in China, training Artists for the Hangzhou Music Association. She participated in the development of Western opera for Hangzhou Opera and the opera program of Taiwan.
Ms. Garabedian was Deputy Stage Director for Raffa Productions “cast-of-a-thousand” European touring production of Aida that featured noted opera stars; Leontyne Price, Grace Bumbry, and Raina Kabaivanska. Ms. Garabedian has directed over 100 productions throughout the United States and Asia, and supports the furtherance of contemporary composers and compositions. In 1999, Ms. Garabedian founded the Fresno International Grand Opera and in 2000, the California Opera Association, a full-production, Summer Arts and Education Program for aspiring and emerging young artists based in Fresno, California. Currently, Ms. Garabedian is training artists worldwide in career development, voice lessons and therapy, stage directing, and is CEO / Artistic Director of California Opera Association. With distinction and honor, Ms. Garabedian served as an adjudicator in Montalto Uffogo, Italy for the Ruggero Leoncavallo Voice Competition, Aug, 2018, and will joined the Opera San Luis Obispo as stage director for The Magic Flute following successful productions of Madame Butterfly and Oklahoma .

Gao Manhua

Gao Manhua is an acclaimed soprano celebrated for her radiant stage presence and vocal brilliance. A graduate of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and Boston University, she has won top prizes at international vocal competitions, including the Shanghai Magnolia Award for Best Leading Role and the Wenhua Performance Award presented by China’s Ministry of Culture, etc.

She has performed leading roles in numerous operatic masterpieces (La Traviata, Madama Butterfly, Turandot, The Magic Flute, L'elisir d'amore, Turandot, Il trovatore, Lucia di Lammermoor, etc.) and originated the lead role in the world premiere of the Chinese opera Thunderstorm.

Gao has performed with prestigious institutions including San Francisco Opera, San Francisco Symphony, and Boston Symphony Orchestra, among many other leading opera companies and orchestras worldwide. Her performances at major venues such as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Vienna Musikverein have been praised as “unforgettable” and “on par with the world’s finest singers.”

Elanor Kirk

Prinicipal Harp
Praised for her "especially fine contributions" and "standout solo work",
Eleanor Kirk joined the San Francisco Opera Orchestra as Principal Harp in 2025. She previously held principal positions with the Illinois Symphony Orchestra and the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra and served as Acting Principal Harp with the Santa Fe Opera (2024), the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra (2022-2023), and the Detroit Opera (2023-2025). From 2018- 2022, she was the Principal Harp of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and regularly performs as a guest with the top orchestras in the country.
Highlights of the 2024-2025 season include guest principal appearances with the Chicago Symphony, the Vancouver Symphony, the St. Louis Symphony, and the Baltimore Symphony; chamber music performances on the Artist Series concerts of Sarasota and the Chicago Symphony's Chamber Music Series, as well as summer engagements performing Walküre with the Santa Fe Opera and with the San Miguel Chamber Music
series.
A passionate chamber musician, Eleanor recently joined the Chicago Harp Quartet and has appeared on the Rush Hour Concerts and Dame Myra Hess Memorial concerts, both broadcast on Chicago's classical music radio station, WFMT. She also participated in a world premiere at the 2024 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. As a soloist, she has performed concertos with the Bach Week Festival Orchestra and the Illinois Symphony Orchestra. Eleanor holds degrees from Columbia University and the Chicago College of
Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. She has served on the faculties of the People's Music School and the Young Artist's Harp Seminar. She is a founding member of the 5th Wave Collective, a Chicago-based ensemble devoted to performing and promoting music by women and non-binary composers.

Linda Wood Rollo

Linda Wood Rollo is a well-known teacher, composer and arranger of harp music. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Redlands and a Master of Music degree from the University of Southern California. She has taught on the harp faculties of Indiana University, The Ursuline School of Music and Drama, San Francisco State University, Dominican College and San Domenico School for Girls. She toured under the auspices of Columbia Artists both with orchestra and as a soloist for many years. Her honors and awards include the World Harp Congress Award of Recognition, American Harp Society Lifetime Achievement Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award (University of Redlands) and the Adolf Kodolfsky Performance Grant (USC).

Together with Susann McDonald, she has published over 50 volumes of music for the harp, including Harp for Today, which has been translated into five languages.

Xiaofeng Zhang

Xiaofeng Zhang is an erhu concert artist and educator based in California, and the founder of
the Jumping Buddha Ensemble. A graduate of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, she
previously performed with the China National Traditional Orchestra and has appeared in
concerts and festivals across Asia and the United States.

In the U.S., she is active as both a performer and educator, teaching at Laney College and
collaborating with ensembles such as Melody of China. Her work bridges traditional Chinese
music and cross-cultural performance, bringing the expressive voice of the erhu to diverse
audiences.

Xiaofeng Zhang has also contributed to music education through her work with Young
Audiences of California. She served as a judge for the United States International Music
Competition in 2016.

Xiaofeng Zhang
5/4/2026

Wenying Wu

A graduate of the Chinese Conservatory of Music, where she majored in the Yangqin (Chinese
hammered dulcimer) within the Department of Traditional Chinese Instruments, Wu Wenyin
served as the Principal Yangqin Player for the Traditional Chinese Orchestra of the China
Broadcasting Art Troupe following her graduation. In 2005, she published and released a
comprehensive instructional guide and accompanying recording titled *Starting from Scratch: An
Introduction to the Yangqin*. In 2008, she performed the Yangqin at the Opening Ceremony of
the Beijing Olympic Games. After relocating to the United States, she gave performances at
venues such as the Los Angeles Grand Theater and the "California White House," delivering
brilliant solo performances at both the California Grand Theater and New York’s Carnegie Hall.
In 2021, she collaborated with the renowned San Francisco Symphony Orchestra for their Lunar
New Year Celebration. That same year, she competed in the National Yangqin Championship
held in Kansas, winning both the Grand Prize in Yangqin Performance and the Original
Composition Award—making her the sole Chinese national among the award recipients. In
2022, she participated in the prestigious "Dunhuang Cup" National Instrumental and
Composition Competition in China; her original composition, *Su Qin* (Telling of Qin), won First
Place (Silver Award) among overseas contestants, while her arrangement for Yangqin duo,
*Feng Qing* (Romantic Charm), received the Grand Prize for New Composition and
Arrangement. In 2024, at the invitation of UC Davis, she presented her debut solo Yangqin
recital in the United States. In 2025, she was invited by Stanford University to serve as a judge
for a global instrumental music competition. In 2026, under the supervision and recording
expertise of the renowned American audio engineer—and master of the guitar and banjo—Dale
Barcellos, she is set to release her solo Yangqin album, *Wenying Pavilion: Spring Radiance*..

Dawn Harm

Dawn Harms' diverse career, ranges from being a chamber musician, violin soloist, and concertmaster, to being a music director and conductor. She is a first violinist in the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Associate Concertmaster for the New Century Chamber Orchestra, and Co-Concertmaster with the Oakland Symphony. She also records regularly at Skywalker Studios for movies and video games.

She teaches and coaches chamber music at Stanford University, and is the conductor of the pre-college string orchestra, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

Dawn was music director for 11 seasons, as Music Director and conductor of the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony.

Harms was chosen as a Fellow at the exclusive American Academy of Conducting at the Aspen Music Festival, where she worked with some of the top conductors of the world. She has recently conducted the San Francisco Opera orchestra 3 times in special concert events, and is often invited to be a guest conductor for high school honor orchestras around the US.

A strong advocate for music education, Dawn has designed her own family show and has performed it throughout the United States, New Zealand, and Japan. Dawn's family show performances include the Kohl Mansion Family Series, the Lincoln Symphony in Nebraska, the Oakland Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, Merced Symphony, and the Napa Valley Youth Symphony.

She has performed chamber music with Lynn Harrell, Jake Heggie, Frederica von Stadt, and Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg

Dr. Ann Miller

Celebrated violinist Dr. Ann Miller has appeared in concert halls throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. At home performing music spanning the Baroque era to the present day, Ms. Miller enjoys a varied career as a chamber musician, soloist, and educator.

​

A proponent of new music, Ms. Miller made her New York debut as a soloist with the New Juilliard Ensemble in Alice Tully Hall in the North American premiere of David Matthews' Concerto No. 2. An avid chamber musician, Ann Miller is a member of Trio 180, the piano trio-in-residence at the University of the Pacific. In addition to performing in Canada, Mexico, and many venues throughout the U.S., the trio has also presented online concerts during the pandemic. As part of its 20th anniversary in 2022, the trio commissioned and premiered works by Dorothy Chang, Cindy Cox, Andrew Conklin, Richard Einhorn, and Reinaldo Moya.

Recent solo appearances include performances of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 1with the Zion Chamber Orchestra, the Barber Violin Concerto with the Dinu Lipatti Philharmonic Orchestra in Satu Mare, Romania, and the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Mariposa Symphony in Yosemite National Park. As a recitalist, Ms. Miller frequently collaborates with pianist Sonia Leong and has appeared on Old First Concerts in San Francisco and the University of the Pacific's Resident Artist Series. Their debut album, Perspectives on Light and Shadow: Sonatas by Beaser, Ysaÿe, and Bartók was released in December of 2015.

Ms. Miller is a Professor of Violin at the Conservatory of Music of the University of the Pacific. She holds her Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the Juilliard School, and she received her Bachelor of Music, summa cum laude, from Rice University. Her teachers have included Ronald Copes and Kathleen Winkler, and her chamber music coaches have included Jerome Lowenthal, Seymour Lipkin, Robert McDonald, Norman Fischer, James Dunham, Paul Katz, and members of the Juilliard and Tokyo string quartets. In addition to her passion for music, she enjoys hiking and reading

Ian Swensen

Ian Swensen

Ian Swensen, violinist, chamber musician and teacher holds the Isaac Stern chair of violin and chamber music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. He had taught there in the college and pre-college divisions for 31 years. He is one of the few musicians to have been awarded the Walter W. Naumburg International Competition’s top prize for both solo violin and chamber music (as first violinist of the Meliora String Quartet). Ian has performed hundreds of concerts around the world and his quartet was managed by ICM and later IMG Artists managements. He has recorded on Telarc and Deutsche Gramophone as well as Music from Menlo. In 2015, he was presented in a Naumberg Foundation’s solo recital in Carnegie Recital Hall.

Chamber music has dominated his performing career. He has worked with so many wonderful artists including Robert Mann, Menahem Pressler, Leon Fleisher, Yo You Ma, Lynn Harrell, Steven Isserlis, Gil Kalish, Kim Kashkashian, members of the Cleveland Quartet, Juilliard Quartet, Concord Quartet, Emerson Quartet, Tokyo Quartet, Takacs Quartet, Berg Quartet, Beaux Arts Trio, and the exceptional performing faculty and students at SFCM. These experiences rehearsing and performing with such fine musicians have created a rich musical life for Ian.

Over the years he has been a part of many great music festivals around the world both as teacher and performer including Tanglewood, Music from Menlo, The Spoleto festival, Santa Fe chamber music, Bowdoin music festival, Orford music Academy, Domaine Forget de Charlevoix, Marlboro music festival, and Morningside music bridge. He has also played concerts and tours with the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society as well as many seasons as a part of the Smithsonian Chamber Music Society with Kenneth Slowik. He recently enjoyed being at Prussia Cove in England playing chamber music.

He was named as a 2021 US Presidential Scholar most influential teacher. His student Grace Huh (2021 US presidential Scholar) also won the Bach prize and the second prize in the 2021 Irving M. Klein International String Competition. Amaryn Olmeda, current student, (13 years old) won the first prize in the 2021 Sphinx Competition Junior Division. His former students have won positions in major orchestras. Others have formed international competition winning quartets including the Telegraph Quartet who won the Naumburg Chamber Music competition in 2016. His former students were also appointed to major teaching positions including Cornell University, San Francisco Conservatory, Sacramento State University and the Juilliard School.

Ian was born in New York of Japanese and Norwegian parents. They were both musicians, professional pianist and clarinetist. His primary teachers were Dorothy DeLay and Donald Weilerstein and the other members of the Cleveland String Quartet. In earlier years Ian’s other teachers were Shirley Givens, Christine Dethier and Jens Ellerman. Ian plays recitals these days with his partner and pianist Weicong Zhang. He is fortunate to play on a beautiful Nicolo Gagliano violin from 1761 and a Grand Adam bow from the early 1800’s. This violin was recently restored by Adam Pelzer of Florian Leonhard Fine Violins.

Megan Chartier

Cellist Megan Chartier is “unafraid to display gutsy abandon,” as described by the South Florida Classical Review. She has performed throughout North America and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral cellist. She currently holds positions as core cellist of Ensemble for These Times, principal cellist of Opera San Luis Obispo and section cello in the Vallejo Symphony. Previous notable positions include core cellist of the Astralis Chamber Ensemble, principal cellist of the Miami Symphony Orchestra, and extra cello of San Antonio Symphony. In recent seasons, she has performed with ensembles including Symphony San Jose, San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony, Stockton Symphony, Modesto Symphony, One Found Sound in San Francisco, and the Nu Deco Ensemble in Miami. In the fall of 2023, she joined the faculty as Cello Lecturer at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. In addition, she will be joining University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music for 2025-2026 as Visiting Assistant Professor of Practice in Cello.

As a soloist, Megan recently presented unaccompanied recitals as a guest artist at UC Davis and faculty artist at Cal Poly. She was named a semi-finalist in the PRISMA Concerto Competition in British Columbia, was a first-prize winner of the Ann Arbor Society of Musical Arts’ Young Artist Competition, and a winner of the Miami Music Festival Concerto Competition, conducted by Grzegorz Nowak of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

Megan is an active chamber musician and joined San Francisco's contemporary Ensemble for These Times in 2025 following several seasons as a guest artist. The ensemble will release their sixth album in 2026. This appointment follows her previous position as core cellist of the Astralis Chamber Ensemble, a dynamic ensemble with monthly tours around the United States. She was also a founding member of Miami-based string trio, the Wynwood trio. Megan’s other notable chamber collaborations have included multiple performances with the Amernet String Quartet, Andrés Cárdenes, Gary Levinson, Yuriy Bekker, and work with Frank Almond, Brian Thornton, Christopher Adkins, Yegor Dyachkov, and Yizhak Schotten. Megan has studied with renowned teacher Marion Feldman at the Intensive Quartet Program at NYU, in addition to regular study with Dr. Howard Cass, Kathryn Votapek, Andrew Jennings, Katherine Collier, and Christopher Harding.

Ms. Chartier holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Eastern Michigan University and a Master of Music in Performance from University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI. Megan enjoys supplementing her musical craft with visual art, integrating both passions through her art persona "Inkermezzo." This creative alias combines the words ink, her favored medium, and intermezzo, a short musical movement inserted between acts of a larger work. Searching for identity when performances halted in the early pandemic, Megan embraced musical artwork; she was still a cellist, even without a stage. Her illustrations and designs focus on classical music education, awareness, and activism through realistic portraiture and detailed anatomical works. Notable collaborations include Hilary Hahn, the DSCH Journal, CelloBello, the American Viola Society, and Strings of Latin America (SOLA).

Peter Gelfand

Peter Gelfand performed as the Principal Cellist with the San Jose Symphony and Symphony Silicon Valley from the 1985 season until 2017. During his first three
seasons in San Jose, he divided his time equally between the San Jose Symphony and the renowned St. Louis Symphony. From 1988 through the 1998 season, he also served as the Principal Cellist with the Monterey County Symphony. Between 1999-2015, Mr. Gelfand performed regularly with the San Francisco Symphony.
Mr. Gelfand has participated in numerous music festivals including the Banff Festival of the Arts, the Colorado Music Festival, and the Spoleto Festival of the Two Worlds wherehe performed as Principal Cellist both in Charleston, South Carolina and in Spoleto, Italy.
Mr. Gelfand received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he studied with legendary cellist Janos Starker.
In 2008, Mr. Gelfand was honored with the City of San Jose’s first ever “Champions of Arts Education” Award. He is currently developing a project called pARTners in Arts and Health, an organization that integrates all manner of the Arts into all facets of healthcare.
In 2005, he served as the Artistic Advisor for the Addison-Penzak Jewish Community Center, where his San Jose String Quartet and San Jose Chamber Players served as Artists-in-Residence.
Mr. Gelfand has served on the music faculties at Stanford University, the San Francisco Conservatory, Santa Clara University and San Jose State University since.
As a passionate advocate for the Arts and artists, Mr. Gelfand has served as a member of the Board of Trustees with Arts Council Silicon Valley (Silicon Valley Creates), as a member of the Executive Board of the San Jose Musician’s Union, A.F. of M. Local 153, and as a County Commissioner with the Santa Clara County-Province of Florence, Italy, sister County Commission.
Since 2006, Mr. Gelfand has served as a member of the Board of Directors with the California Music Center and the Irving M. Klein International String Competition.

Eric Sung

Eric Sung is Principal Cellist of the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra. He began his studies in Los Angeles with Edwin and Gretchen Geber and continued at the Cleveland Institute of Music, the University of Southern California, and the Juilliard School. His principal teachers include Stephen Geber, David Geber, Ronald Leonard, Fred Sherry, and Lynn Harrell, and he has worked in masterclasses with many distinguished cellists.

An active chamber musician, Eric has performed at numerous festivals including Taos, Aspen, Tanglewood, Sarasota, Mendocino, and San Luis Obispo’s Mozaic Festival. He has collaborated with leading artists and ensembles and has appeared as soloist with orchestras such as the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Colburn Chamber Orchestra, and several symphonies in the United States and abroad. He has also performed with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and served as Assistant Principal of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, as well as Acting/Guest Principal with the Sydney Symphony and National Arts Centre Orchestra.

A dedicated teacher, Eric serves on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College Division and maintains a private studio. His students have won numerous national and international competitions and have been accepted to leading universities and conservatories including Harvard, MIT, Yale, Juilliard, NEC, Rice, Northwestern, Columbia, and Stanford. They have participated in major festivals and appeared on the radio program From the Top.

Eric plays the ex-Feller Giovanni Tononi cello (circa 1700) and bows by Tourte, Eury, and Maline. He resides in San Francisco with his wife, violinist Wenyi Shih.

Ryan Chen

Ryan Chen holds a Master of Music Diploma in Violin Performance from the Rueil-Malmaison National
Conservatory in Paris, France. As a versatile musician, he has performed extensively as a soloist and
chamber musician, including as a member of the Raspail String Quartet.

Upon returning to Taiwan, Ryan was invited to serve as the Concertmaster of the Taipei Symphony
Orchestra. His musical career has taken him across the USA, Taiwan, Russia, China, and other
European countries, where he has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestra player.
He has also collaborated as a soloist with various orchestras as a soloist, including Ballet San Jose
Silicon Valley Orchestra, Taipei Symphony Orchestra, Taipei Chamber Orchestra, and the Chinese
Culture University Orchestra.

In addition to performing, he is a dedicated educator and the Music Director of The SoundPost Youth
Chamber Orchestra.  Through this initiative, he nurtures young musicians by providing them with
opportunities to develop their talents, engage with communities, and cultivate a spirit of generosity and
well-rounded living.

Teresa Orozco

“[An] amazing sense of ensemble, virtuosity, and understanding of style... with an inexplicable lightness in the passage of flute in the hands of Teresa Orozco...”
– Lyn Bronson, Peninsula Review

Teresa Orozco, Professor of Flute at West Valley College, is a distinguished classical and Latin American flutist whose artistry has made her a prominent figure in the Bay Area music scene. She has been a member of the Monterey Symphony since 1987, the Carmel Bach Festival since 2007, and the New San Jose Ballet 2017-2024. In addition, she served as principal flutist of the New Music Works (NMW) from 1992 to 2016 and Bay Shore Opera from 1997 to 2008.

Orozco’s extensive performance career includes tours with the San Francisco Merola Western Opera Company and the Rome Festival Orchestra in Italy, as well as solo appearances with esteemed ensembles such as the San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Alameda Orchestra, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, Ovation Chamber Orchestra,
and Bay Shore Lyric Chamber Orchestra.

In 2013, she gave the world premiere performance of La Vida Es Arte, a concerto written specifically for her by local composer Kerry Lewis, with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra. The performance garnered rave reviews, with San Francisco Classical Voice praising her "pinpoint virtuosity" and commending her “beautiful sound and technique to burn.” The review continued: "Teresa is a fully engaging soloist, presenting the piece with complete conviction and aplomb." A passionate and inspiring educator, Teresa Orozco has mentored hundreds of young musicians over her four-decade career. Her deep love for music and unwavering enthusiasm have profoundly impacted her students,
fostering not only musical excellence but also cultivating admirable character and temperament in the next generation of musicians.

“amazing sense of ensemble, virtuosity and understanding of style...with inexplicable lightness of passage of flute in the hands of Teresa Orozco..." - Lyn Bronson of the Peninsula Review
Teresa Orozco, professor of flute at West Valley College is a passionate, classical and Latin American flutist actively involved in the Bay Area performing with the Monterey Symphony since 1987, Carmel Bach Festival since 2007, New San Jose Ballet since 2017, and was principal flutist of NMW from 1992-2016 and Bay Shore Opera from 1997-2008. Teresa has toured with the San Francisco Merola Western Opera Company and the
Rome Festival Orchestra in Italy and has appeared as soloist with The San Jose Chamber Orchestra, Alameda Orchestra, Palo Alto Chamber Orchestra, Ovation Chamber Orchestra, and the Bay Shore Lyric Chamber Orchestra.
Her performance of La Vida Es Arte in 2013, a world premiere concerto written for her, by local composer Kerry Lewis with the San Jose Chamber Orchestra earned her great reviews. The San Francisco Classical Voice said:  Teresa Orozco darted in and out among the other instruments, with a great deal of pinpoint virtuosity and was intriguing to listen to... the performance was excellent… a fantastic flute soloist with a beautiful sound and technique to burn, Teresa is a fully engaging soloist and presents the piece with complete conviction and aplomb.”

A quintessential communicator and educator, Teresa has mentored hundreds of young musicians in her many teaching positions during the last three decades. She has moved so many with her passion, love and enthusiasm for music and is inspiring a whole new generation of students to be excellent in both musical skill and temperament.

Bruce Foster

A busy clarinetist in the “Freeway Philharmonic” Bruce performs regularly with ensembles throughout the Bay Area. He is a regular member of the Berkeley Symphony and the Lamplighters Musical Theater Orchestra. Currently, Bruce serves as a lecturer at the
University of California at Santa Cruz in clarinet. In addition to teaching, he regularly serves as a coach for the woodwind sections of San Jose Youth Symphony, California Youth Symphony, Peninsula Youth Orchestra, UCSC Symphony and Wind Ensemble and the Santa Cruz Counry Youth Orchestra. From 2009-2015 he lived in Beijing, China
where he served as principal clarinet with the China National Center for the Performing Arts Orchestra. Prior to that, Bruce was a member of the California Symphony, the West Bay Opera and the Citywinds Wind Quintet. He served on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College from 1999-2009 where he taught clarinet, chamber
music and musicianship.