Andrew W. Mille |
Cellist ~ Manager |
.JPG) Andrew Mille began his cello studies in the USC strings project in Columbia S.C. at the age of eight. He went on to play for both the South Carolina Youth Philharmonic Orchestra and All State Orchestra during his high school years and in 2000 was awarded the Harry Lightsey scholarship to continue his studies at the College of Charleston under the instruction of Damian Kremer. Pursuing a Bachelors degree in cello performance, Andrew went on to give performances for Piccolo Spoleto, the Monday Night Concert Series, Music Under the Oaks and for the Bishop Gadsden Community. In the summers spanning from 2001 to 2004 Andrew attended the Meadowmount School of Music in upstate New York and was under the instruction of Owen Carmen. During this time, he also served as principal cellist of the CofC chamber orchestra, and was given the opportunity to be a soloist, performing the J.C. Bach double cello concerto with orchestra. Upon completion of his bachelor’s degree in “05 Andrew went on to study with Natalia Khoma as part of the Artist Certificate program at CofC. Andrew currently performs with and manages Classical Charleston as well as Jazz Charleston. He and Tomas Jakubek formed the first professional electric string quartet in South Carolina this year, performing pop, jazz, classical pops and rock on contemporary looking yamaha electric instruments. Andrew also teaches cello and is a faculty member of the Charleston Music School.
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 Tomas Jakubek started his violin studies at the age of seven in his native country of Slovakia. He studied violin at the Conservatory in Zilina, then at the Janacek Academy of Music in Brno (Czech Republic) where he received his Masters Degree in violin performance. He has also studied at the Lithuanian Academy of Music in Vilnius under Jurgis Dvarionas, who was a student of David Oistrach. Mr. Jakubek participated in the two year Artist Certificate Program at the College of Charleston, studying under Lee-Chin Siow from the Fall of 2007 to the Spring of 2009. During this time he served as concertmaster for the College of Charleston Orchestra under the direction of Lorenzo Muti. Mr. Jakubek has recently become the violin adjunct faculty at the College beginning in the Fall of 2009. He often performs with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra as well as the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. He has played in various concerts on four continents with the following European orchestras: Junge Philharminie Wien , Europa Philharmonie Magdeburg ,Czech Chamber Orchestra Prague , Czech Philharmony of Brno. Tomas helped to create the Classical Charleston electric string quartet which performs pop music, jazz, classical pops and rock for audience all over the lowcountry.
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 Brent Price earned his Master of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of Paul Kantor in 2004. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music as a student of David Russell in 2002. Originally from Miami, Florida, Mr. Price began his formal violin studies at age nine with Susan Fink and former teachers include Felicia Moye, Sergiu Schwartz, Todor Pelev and Kathy Meng-Robinson. He has been a featured soloist with the Greater Miami Youth Symphony in 1992 and 1994, where he also served as their Concertmaster, and with the New World School of the Arts Symphony in 1998. Past music festivals attended have included Spoleto, Aspen Music Festival, Encore, Chautauqua, Interlochen, and he is an alumnus of the New York String Orchestra Seminar at Carnegie Hall. At the Aspen Music Festival he has been featured in several concerts from the festival's Young Artists concert series as well as had radio broadcasts of those performances on KJAX Aspen. In November 2003, Mr. Price was invited to perform in The Michael Tilson Thomas Workshop: Music of Aaron Copland which culminated in performances at Carnegie Hall including Carnegie's new hall Zankel Hall which opened the prior month of 2003. He has been a member of the Cleveland Opera Orchestra, Red {an orchestra} for the seasons of 2002-2004 and is a guest performer with Eos Orchestra in NYC for 2004-2005. In the summer of 2004 Mr. Price served as the Associate Concertmaster of the National Repertory Orchestra and soloed with them throughout the summer. In September of 2004 Mr. Price began a position with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra.
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 Jessica has been playing the harp for over 20 years. She earned her BA in Music, harp, from Converse College in 2001. She has provided harp music for hundreds of weddings, receptions, dinners, parties and other events, primarily in the lowcountry of South Carolina. While she has done orchestral playing, she most enjoys being able to provide beautiful music for people during some of the happiest moments in life.
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 Mayumi Nakamura began studying the violin at the age of nine. By age twelve, she was a featured soloist on a live radio broadcast with the Hiroshima Symphony Orchestra. She has performed extensively as a soloist and chamber musician throughout Japan, South Korea, and the United States. Mayumi gave her New York City recital debut in Carnegie’s Weill Recital Hall in 2002. Mayumi also has a broad range of orchestral experience, having performed with the Atlanta Symphony, Charleston Symphony, Manhattan Chamber Orchestra, Hiroshima Symphony, Hilton Head Symphony, and many others. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music before moving to America, where she earned a Masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music in 2000 and a Professional Studies Diploma from the Mannes College of Music in 2003. Her teachers included Ariana Bronne and Todd Phillips respectively.
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 Nikolai received a Master of Art Degree in Music with a concentration in Jazz Guitar from the University of Arts in Russia, and he is currently working towards his Post-Graduate Degree in Classical Guitar Performance at USC in Columbia, SC. Mr. Svishev's musical background includes both film and television soundtracks, numerous music festivals and recordings in Russia, Europe and the United States. He has performed prestigious events for President George W. Bush, and the Governor and South Carolina Speaker of The House. Nikolai currently performs both jazz and classical genres with his jazz ensemble for receptions and corporate events as well as performing as a soloist for wedding ceremonies around the Charleston area.
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 Jenny Weiss, originally from Delaware, Ohio, began studying the violin at the age of 5. She completed her Bachelors Degree and Performer Diploma at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music as a student of Federico Agostini. While living in Bloomington, Jenny was a member of the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic, Carmel Symphony, Terre Haute Symphony, and Richmond Symphony Orchestra. Jenny performs regularly with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Music Charleston, The Sound of Charleston, and also teaches violin at Ashley Hall School.
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 Michael Smith has been Acting Principal Trumpet of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra since the 2009-2010 season. He began his tenure with the CSO in 2006 as Second Trumpet. In addition to the CSO, Michael has also performed with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony, Jacksonville Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, Orchestra Sinfonica de Guanajuato, and the Hilton Head Symphony. Michael graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music in 2000 where he was a student of Robert Sullivan. Upon graduation, he received the Award for Excellence in Brass Performance. Also, in 2000, he was selected as a fellow to the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan under the musical direction of Charles Dutoit. In addition to his orchestral work, Michael is quite active as a soloist, chamber musician, and music educator. During the 2010-2011 season, he was a guest soloist and clinician with the South Carolina Trumpet Guild Trumpet Festival at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, as well as a featured soloist on the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Spotlight Series at Mepkin Abbey. Michael is on the adjunct trumpet faculty at the College of Charleston, and enjoys teaching the talented young trumpeters of Charleston privately. He spends his free time with his wife, Mayumi, and their daughter, Mion.
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 Rafe Goldman, a native of Long Island, New York began his violin studies at the age of eight. While under the tutelage of Doris Rothenberg, he had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York City for the anniversary of famed music pedagog, Shinichi Suzuki. Rafe then moved to Charleston, South Carolina at the age of thirteen and during his high school years spent summers participating in music programs in New England. He then went on to study violin with acclaimed performer, Lee Chin Siow, at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. He performs regularly with the Augusta Symphony, and also as a substitute with various orchestras, including the Charleston Symphony, Beaufort Symphony, Savannah Orchestra, and many others. He has participated in the prestigious Chatauqua Music Festival and Brevard Music Festival. In 2007, Mr. Goldman received the Mary Stewart Allen award of excellence in violin performance from the College of Charleston.
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 Terry Muir has performed as soloist, chamber musician, orchestral member, jazzer and rocker for nearly twenty-five years. As a soloist, Muir has appeared with orchestras in the concertos of Schumann, Dvorak, Haydn, Saint-Saens and Victor Herbert. As chamber musician, Terry co- founded the Hengst Studio Concerts in Seattle with visual artist Jeff Hengst, and the Idaho Chamber Music Fortnight in Boise with the Langroise Trio. As an orchestral musician, Muir has performed with the Seattle Symphony, Tampa Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boise Philharmonic, Austin Symphony, Charleston Symphony and recorded for many independent and Hollywood movies. On the road he has performed and toured with Elton John, Tears for Fears, Sarah McLaughlin, Billy Joel, Pavarotti, and Sheryl Crow, among many others. Muir is a committed teacher and was on the faculty of the Armstrong Community Music School at Austin Lyric Opera until coming to Charleston in 2011. Terry attended the Northwest School, Eastman School of Music and Northern Illinois University. His principal teachers included Raya Garbousova, Eva Heinitz and Steven Isserlis. He currently makes his home in Charleston, SC where he teaches cello, organizes concert series, and continues to perform regularly.
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 Asako Kremer (violin) attended the Kunitachi College of Music in her native Tokyo, Japan. She moved to New York City in 1996 and received her Master’s degree from the Mannes College of Music. Ms. Kremer received a full scholarship at the University of South Carolina to serve graduate assistantship in performance. She has been a member of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra since 2003.
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Jarrod Hanning |
Viola/Violin |
 Jarrod Haning is the Principal Violist for the South Carolina Philharmonic. He has performed with more than 14 professional orchestras on both viola and violin. He lives in Columbia where he operates a full time private studio. When he is not teaching you will find him playing with the Sterling Garden Chamber Players as well as performing solos for numerous churches in the area. As an entrepreneur he is the founder of the Practice Challenge and the Rockestra music camp.
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 Lisa Peters is a graduate of College of Charleston with a B.A. in Flute performance. She has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra on numerous occasions and has performed several times with the Charleston Stage Company, once in Oliver! and twice in A Christmas Carol. She has performed as a soloist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and the College of Charleston Orchestra and Flute Choir, and has performed in the United States, England, Spain and Peru.
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 Frances Hsieh, a native of Chapel Hill, began studying violin at age five under Dorothy Kitchen of the Duke University String School. She continued her studies with Eric Pritchard as an A.J. Fletcher scholar at Duke University. There, she earned degrees in Music and Biology and served as concertmaster of the Duke Symphony Orchestra for three years. Under the tutelage of Charles Castleman, Frances received her masters in 2005 for Violin Performance at the Eastman School of Music. She performed with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra through an internship with the Eastman Orchestral Studies Program. As a member of the Eastman Chamber Music Society, Frances received instruction from Mikail Kopelman, Zvi Zeitlin, George Taylor, and the Ying Quartet. Frances has attended numerous summer music festivals including Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Eastern Music Festival, Quartet Program, National Repertory Orchestra, National Orchestral Institute, AIMS music festival in Graz, Austria and has received Benenson Awards to attend Aspen Music Festival and Musicorda. She is a regular member of Chamber Music Charleston and has performed with the Eastman Quartet touring through Austria and Italy. Frances has performed with the North Carolina and Phoenix Symphonies and has won positions with the Colorado Music Festival, Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Asheville, Symphony Orchestra, Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra.
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 Damian Kremer, a native of North Carolina, has performed throughout the world as a soloist, chamber player, and orchestral musician. He has served as principal cellist for the Chautauqua Music Festival Orchestra and the Lansing Symphony, and has toured England, Scotland, and Japan with the New World Symphony. In addition, he has also been a member of the Metropolitan Orchestra in Lisbon, Portugal, the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, and the Savannah Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Kremer is currently a member of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra.
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 A native of Indiana, violist Ben Weiss attended the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. During his eight years of study there Mr. Weiss completed his Bachelor of Music degree and Performer Diploma in violin as well as a Performer Diploma in viola. While at Indiana University he was a member of the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Terre Haute Symphony, Carmel Symphony and the Columbus Indiana Philharmonic. In Charleston, Ben performs regularly with Chamber Music Charleston, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, The Sound of Charleston, and also teaches at the College of Charleston and Ashley Hall School.
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 Shannon Fitzhenry has taken violin since she was two and a half. She has studied violin for the past four years with Yuriy Bekker, the concertmaster of the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and concertmaster of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. For the past two years, Shannon has been a member of the Youth Orchestra of the Lowcountry, where she is currently co-concertmaster. She has received numerous scholarships for private lessons and summer festivals from the Charleston Symphony Orchestra League, the City of Charleston, and the Charleston Music Club. She has also received scholarships through the years from the Charleston Academy of Music. In 2006 and 2007, Shannon placed second and first, respectively, in the South Carolina MTNA Junior Performance Strings Competition. In 2009, Shannon was a finalist in the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition. She was a winner of the Youth Orchestra of the Lowcountry’s Concerto Competition in 2010, which gave her the opportunity to perform as a soloist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. Shannon was a featured soloist with the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Orchestra in the opening performance of the 2010 Piccolo Spoleto Festival. She was accepted into the 2010 Aspen Music Festival in Colorado, in which she placed 3rd chair in the Aspen Concert Orchestra.
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Esther Senft |
Recorder ~ Violin |
.JPG) Esther Senft is from Germany and began learning the recorder and violin at the age of six. Ms. Senft later went on to win two prizes in the national “Jugend Musiziert” music competition as a soloist performing the recorder as well as playing violin as a member of an early music ensemble. She has performed and traveled with various ensembles and orchestras throughout Europe and Asia and has taken lessons and participated in masterclasses under the instruction of some of Europe’s finest musicians. Ms. Senft has a degree in recorder pedagogy from the Music Conservatory of Cologne and recently taught a very successful studio of students at the Rheinische music school.
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 Since starting cello in the public school system nearly 14 years ago, music in any form has become a driving force in Diego Villena's life. He will graduate in the spring of 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Cello performance under the training of International Tchaikovsky Contest gold medalist Natalia Khoma. Earlier teachers include former Charleston Symphony Principal Cellist James Holland and fellow symphony member Damian Kremer. Diego's teaching style has drawn heavily from the eclectic methods of his various teachers. He took his first student at age 16 and has been teaching Cello along with Violin and Bass privately ever since. He started work with Viva! Violin in the fall of 2010 and is privileged to work with some of the lowcountry's most promising youth at Porter Gaud, the O'Quinn schools of Mount Pleasant and James Island, as well as Daniel Island Academy. In addition to teaching, Diego can be found playing around town with various local acts.
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.JPG) Robbie Dietrich earned his degree in music from the College of Charleston. He then went on to continue studying piano and composition at the University of New Mexico as well as the Music Conservatory in Cologne, Germany for a period spanning five years. Mr. Dietrich has ten years teaching experience including time spent abroad teaching his students in German. He has participated in master classes and arts festivals all over the world studying with world renowned teachers.
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