String-In Faculty

Faculty

The Simon String Quartet is a special group of four seasoned performers whose passion for chamber music infuses their collaboration with energy and dynamism. Led by Fiona Simon, a member of the New York Philharmonic, its members each combine careers in chamber music and orchestras, and as soloists and teachers. Although currently based in New York, where they individually perform with some of the most distinguished ensembles in the area, their performing careers have taken them to many different parts of the world. As teachers and coaches, they draw upon their individual expertise in order to make each participant’s experience as stimulating and fulfilling as possible. The Simon Quartet was the ensemble-in-residence at the Summer Conference for String Education and Chamber Music at Rowan College in New Jersey for many years prior to the start of the Summer String-In.

Violinist Fiona Vanderspar-Simon was born in London, and studied there with Szymon Goldberg. Numerous competition successes include prizes in the Carl Flesch and Jacques Thibaud competitions, and the GLAA Young Musician of the Year Award. She has performed as a member of the Academy of St. Martin’s in the fields, and the English Chamber Orchestra, as well as soloist with the Fires of London. As a recitalist, she has broadcast extensively on the BBC, and performed all over Europe. She has made concerto appearances with the Liverpool Philharmonic, The London Mozart Players, L'Orchestre de la Garde Republican, The New York Philharmonic, and most recently with the London Chamber Players on their recent tours of China, South Africa and Spain. In addition to her solo work she has made innumerable chamber music appearances, Currently, she is a member of the first violin section of the New York Philharmonic. Mrs. Simon has recorded for Argo Records, English Decca, CBS, and EMI records. “One of England's finest talents.”

Hailed as a strong violinist by The New York Times, Jorge Avila has won attention as an outstanding young violinist through numerous numerous appearances as a soloist, recitalist, concertmaster, and chamber musician. A recipient of numerous awards and honors, Jorge received his resident status in the United States under the “extraordinary talent” category. He was also awarded first prize at the 2001 Mu Phi Epsilon International Music Competition. Jorge has appeared as concertmaster with numerous groups, including The Stamford Symphony, Greenwich Symphony, Philharmonia Virtuosi, St. Patrick’s Cathedral Orchestra, Grace Church Orchestra, and Tanglewood Music Center, among many others. Jorge recently performed Beethoven's Triple Concerto with David Finckel, Wu Han and the Salem Chamber Orchestra. He has recorded for the Arabesque, TBM, and Delos International labels and has also performed live on both television and radio.

Brett Deubner, one of this generations leading violists, has thrilled audiences with his technical mastery and soulful playing. The New Jersey Star-Ledger said,” "There is a burning intensity to Deubner's playing, and a refreshing variation in the color of his viola tone." Recent engagements have included performances at the Phillips Collection in Washington D.C, Zipper Hall in L.A., the Candlelight Series in Columbia, Maryland, Kent-Blossom Festival, frequent New York City appearances including performances at the Trinity Concert Series, Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, Merkin Hall, Steinway Hall, the National Arts Club, and appearances in Juneau, Alaska, St. Louis, Columbus, Boston, Portland, Maine, Philadelphia, North Carolina and the Cape May Festival to name a few. Brett Deubner has made concerto appearances with the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, the Knoxville Symphony, the North Shore Philharmonic of Boston, the Eastman Philharmonia, as well as the Bachanalia Chamber Orchestra in New York City, the Metropolitan Orchestra of West Orange, NJ and the New Philharmonic of New Jersey. Speaking of his New Jersey Symphony debut, the Star Ledger said, "Deubner performed the cadenzas with virtuosity, hitting the center of every note no matter how many there were..." Upcoming highlights includes solo appearances with the Eastman School of Music Chorus Seraphim in the world premiere of Samuel Adler’s “5 Scherzi for Viola, Guitar and Mixed Chorus”, performances and recording with the National Orchestra of the Ukraine in Kiev Trent Johhnson’s Viola Concerto as well as concerto appearances with Orchestra 2001 in the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia and the world premiere of Frank Ezra Levy’s “To Peace with Love” for Viola, Clarinet and Double Chorus with Seraphim in New York City. This season, Albany Records will release Brett’s recording of the two viola concertos of Frank Lewin performed with the Bulgarian State Radio Orchestra conducted by Rossen Milanov. Mr. Deubner’s discography includes chamber music, solo, and concerto recordings for the Albany, Delos and Eroica labels. The Minneapolis Times said of his English Romance CD, "This disc is a must for fans of the viola or of English music!" Brett Deubner is on the faculty of the Boyer School of Music at Temple University in Philadelphia and is a Concert Artist in Viola at Kean University in Union, NJ.

Cellist David Bakamjian performs regularly as a recitalist, chamber player, recording artist and as a member of several New York area ensembles. He has performed at New York’s premiere concert halls, appeared several times on National Public Radio and WQXR (NY), and was a winner or finalist in four international chamber music competitions. While a member of the Casa Verde Trio, Dr. Bakamjian completed six critically acclaimed national tours as well as a month-long tour of China. He has appeared as soloist with the Allentown Symphony, Philharmonia Virtuosi, the Beijing Symphony, the Bachanalia Festival Orchestra, and the Lehigh University Symphony Orchestra. He performs with the American Symphony Orchestra and is principal cellist of the New York Grand Opera and the High Mountain Symphony in New Jersey. In addition, he was principal cellist for the “Miss Saigon” theater orchestra and has served as principal cellist for the Berkshire Opera, Queens Symphony, Colonial Symphony, Bachanalia and many others. Dr. Bakamjian is a founding member of Brooklyn Baroque (flute, cello and harpsichord), whose first CD “Northern Lights” was released to critical acclaim in April, 2005. He also performs on baroque cello with Concert Royal, the American Classical Orchestra, Gotham Chamber Opera and the Long Island Baroque Ensemble. He is on the faculty at Lehigh University and is in great demand as a chamber music coach, serving as faculty at Summerkeys and as faculty and director at both Princeton Play Week and the Summer String-In in New Jersey. After earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University where he studied with Aldo Parisot, he went on to attain his Master of Music and Doctoral of Musical Arts degrees at the State University of New York at Stony Brook where he studied cello with Timothy Eddy and chamber music with Bernard Greenhouse.

Born in New York City, harpsichordist Rebecca Pechefsky has degrees from Columbia University, Queens College, and the CUNY Graduate Center. A founding member of Brooklyn Baroque, she has performed at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall, the Morris-Jumel Mansion, and numerous other venues in and around New York, as well as at the Boston Early Music Festival, the Miami Bach Society, the Southern California Harpsichord Center, and in other states across the country. Ms. Pechefsky has premiered works by Frank J. Oteri, Louis Pelosi, and Mary Inwood. She has recorded the complete works of François d’Agincour, as well as a CD of music by Bach and his circle. Currently organist at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Glendale, Queens, she lives in Brooklyn with her husband, Erik Ryding, with whom she has co-authored “Bruno Walter: A World Elsewhere,” winner of the 2002 ASCAP-Deems Taylor Award.

Living in New York for the past 30 years has given cellist Joseph Kimura a very diverse musical career. After earning his bachelor and masters degrees from Juilliard, he joined the Laurentian String Quartet, in residence at the Sarah Lawrence College and Ramapo College. He was subsequently appointed principal cellist of the Stamford Symphony Orchestra. He has recorded with EOS for the E.M.I. label and with the Riverside Symphony for the New World label. He has performed on live NPR broadcasts with the Opera Orchestra of New York, at Carnegie Hall. He is a member of Solisti New York and the Westfield Symphony and has performed as soloist with the Orchestra of the State of Mexico, the Stamford Symphony, the Gloria Chamber Orchestra, the Garden State Chamber Orchestra, the Korean Symphony of New York, and the Hoboken Chamber Orchestra. He has played on numerous movie and TV commercial orchestra sound tracks and has performed for many years with Tony Award-winning Broadway shows. For the past seventeen summers, he has taught at the Greenwood Junior Camp in MA. He studied with Paul Katz, Harvey Shapiro and Channing Robbins.

Violist Kimberly Foster Wallace was the first recipient of the Georgina Lucy Grosvenor Prize. She holds degrees from the Eastman School of Music where she studied with George Taylor and from Yale University where whe worked with Jesse Levine. Ms Foster-Wallace performs actively throughout the tri-state area as an orchestral and chamber musician. Her numerous credits include the Albany Symphony, the Bridgeport and Riverside Symphonies, the Minnesota and Berkshire Operas, and NY Virtuosi, as well as the Broadway orchestras of Phantom of the Opera and Coram Boy. Ms. Foster-Wallace served as principal viola of the Allentown Symphony and has been a frequent substitute for the Minnesota Orchestra. She Teaches violin and viola at the Monmouth Conservatory of Music in Red Bank NJ, and is a faculty member of Princeton Play Week. She has appeared at many festivals, including the Tanglewood Music Center and the International Festival Institute at Round Top, and has toured Russia with the American Russian Youth Orchestra. Her chamber music performances have been heard on NPR’s Performance Today series.