Aaron Boyd, violinist enjoys a versatile career as an established chamber musician and solo artist. Since making his solo debut at the age of 17 with the Pittsburgh Symphony, Mr. Boyd has played as a member of the Metamorphosen, Prometheus and Orpheus chamber orchestras and toured internationally as a member of the Sejong Soloists. An avid chamber musician, Mr. Boyd has been heard in concert across the United States, Europe and Asia where he has collaborated with members of the Beaux Arts Trio, the Juilliard, Guarneri and Orion String Quartets, Philippe Entremont, Mitsuko Uchida, Anner Bylsma and Gerard Poulet. Previous summer festival appearances include Tanglewood, Fontainbleau, IMS Prussia Cove, Marlboro and La Jolla SummerFest. Mr. Boyd has been a prizewinner in numerous competitions including the Klein Violin Competition, the Tuesday Musical Society and the Pittsburgh Concert Society.

Mr. Boyd’s passionate interest in contemporary music has led to numerous premieres in both concert and on record. As a member of the Milton String Quartet, Mr. Boyd recorded the premier of Milton Babbitt’s 6th string quartet, Babbitt’s Clarinet Quintet with the Phoenix Ensemble in 2007 and in 2008, at the invitation of Columbia University, presented all six Babbitt Quartets in one concert. With interests ranging beyond the classical genre, Mr. Boyd has played and recorded in collaboration with Jazz legend Dick Hyman, chanteuse Badomi DeCesare, and appeared in concert on the mandolin with flutist Paula Robison.  As a recording artist, Mr. Boyd can be heard on the Tzadik, Furious Artisans, North/South, and Naxos labels. Highlights of the upcoming season include appearances with Midori on Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series, concerts with the Zukofsky Quartet (Quartet in residence at New York’s Bargemusic series), and the premiere of David Gommper’s concerto for Violin and Percussion with the Manhattan Sinfonietta.  Born in Pittsburgh, Mr. Boyd began playing the violin at age 7, and graduated from The Juilliard School where he studied with Sally Thomas and coached extensively with Harvey Shapiro. Mr. Boyd is currently on the Violin Faculty of Columbia University and plays a violin crafted in 1995 by Samuel Zygmuntowicz.

Benjamin Nisbet resides in Tucson, Arizona, a violinist who maintains a diverse performance schedule. He is currently the acting Assistant Concertmaster of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Nisbet also serves as the concertmaster of the Bella Carita Chamber Orchestra and as Principal Second violin of the Tucson Chamber Artists. As a chamber musician he currently performs as a founding member of the Kingfisher String Quartet. Previously, Mr. Nisbet was 2nd violin of the Sonora String Quartet, a group hailed as "Best New Classical Artist" by Tucson Weekly in 2006. He has recently performed on the acclaimed St. Andrew's Bach Society series.  He also gave a world premiere in collaboration with the University of Arizona School of Dance in May 2009. Mr. Nisbet now serves as Co-Musical Director for Artifact Dance Project, a Tucson based company that focuses on new choreography and new music.  He is also very active in music education in Tucson, teaching privately, in schools, and with local youth orchestras. Mr. Nisbet studied violin at the Oberlin Conservatory with Marilyn McDonald.  As of 2009, Mr. Nisbet plays on a violin crafted in 2007 by Zoran Stilin.

Diane Wuthrich began playing viola at the age of 12 in Morton, IL.  She has performed with symphonies in Peoria (IL), Dubuque (IA) and Akron and Canton (OH.)  During her college studies, Ms. Wuthrich won the Illinois Wesleyan Civic Orchestra’s concerto competition and performed the first movement of Bartok’s Concerto for Viola and Orchestra.  In addition, she was a winner of the Illinois division of the American String Teacher’s Association competition.  Diane has participated at the Birch Creek Summer Music Clinic as a teaching assistant, and in 2007 she participated in the Kent/Blossom Summer Music Festival.  Ms. Wuthrich graduated summa cum laude from Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bachelor of Music degree in 2005, and she completed her Master of Music degree at the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2007.  Her principal teachers have included Michael Hining, Jeffrey Irvine and Lynne Ramsey.  Diane currently holds a section position with the Tucson Symphony Orchestra. (Viola)

 

Anne Gratz, cellist received Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees and an Orchestral Studies Diploma from Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Alan Harris.  While at Eastman, Ms. Gratz was co-principal of the Eastman Philharmonia and a member of the cello section of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra through the Mellon Fellowship with Eastman’s Orchestral Studies program.  Prior to attending Eastman, she spent three years at Interlochen Arts Academy and graduated as valedictorian.  During three summers at the International Festival Institute at Round Top, Ms. Gratz pursued additional studies with Stephen Geber, Emilio Colon and Andre Emelianoff, was principal of the Texas Festival Orchestra, and performed frequently in faculty and honors chamber music concerts. Ms. Gratz relocated to Arizona after graduating from Eastman in 2005 to join the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.  Recently her performance schedule has included the Southern Arizona Aids Foundation benefit Dance in the RED, St. Phillips Bach Marathon, Tucson Pops Orchestra, and the St. Andrews Bach Society.  She joined the Kingfisher Quartet in 2009 and has performed recitals in Tucson and Green Valley. Ms. Gratz is also active as a teacher with a private studio in Tucson, and has been a faculty member at Chamber Music in the Mountains since 2006.  She coaches cello sectionals for Tucson Junior Strings and has presented educational programs and clinics in local schools with both the Tucson Symphony String Quintet and Piano Trio.