Pallavi Mahidhara
Summer Session 2023

Indian-American pianist Pallavi Mahidhara made her orchestral debut at the age of 10, performing at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. She is the Second Prize winner and Young Audience Award winner of the 69th Geneva International Piano Competition and of the VI International Prokofiev Competition in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
She has appeared in solo and orchestral concerts across five continents and has performed at important festivals such as the Gstaad Menuhin Festival, Marlboro Music, and Verbier Festival. The Klavier-Festival Ruhr in Essen released a live performance recording of her recital from October 2021, available on Spotify.
She received her Bachelor’s Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music and her Master’s Degree at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler. She studied for several years with Dimitri Bashkirov at the Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía.
Aside from her private studio, Pallavi is the Artistic Advisor and a Piano Professor for the Young Artists Program at the Reina Sofia School in Madrid, Spain, and is regularly invited to teach for Curtis’s Mentor Alumni Program. She is the Executive Producer, Writer, and Host of “The Conscious Artist”, a new podcast designed to promote Mental Health Awareness for musicians, artists, and all human beings.
Peter Barsony
Summer Session 2023

Péter Bársony is a renowned violist and professor at Kunstuniversitat Graz and Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest. He has performed as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician with notable artists such as Joshua Bell, Miklós Perényi, and Zoltán Kocsis. His collaborations with ensembles include the Brentano, Ying, Miró, Kodály, and Keller String Quartets.
Bársony has participated in prestigious international festivals, including Ravinia Festival and Mostly Mozart. As a contemporary music enthusiast, he has worked closely with composers such as György Kurtág, Péter Eötvös, and Steve Reich, and many have dedicated viola works to him.
He has served as a guest principal violist for various orchestras and is also a sought-after educator who conducts master classes globally. In recognition of his contribution to music, Bársony received the highest Hungarian government musical award, the Liszt Ferenc Prize, in 2012. Bársony's world premiere recordings are published by Hungaroton, and his latest CD includes György Ligeti's Solosonate for Viola. He made his solo debut at Carnegie Hall in 2013.
Yotam Baruch
Summer Session 2023

Yotam Baruch is an accomplished cellist who has played as a soloist and chamber musician in some of the most celebrated venues in America, Europe, and Israel. He received his early education at the Tel Aviv Conservatory of Music and Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts before studying with Michael Khomitser, Amit Peled, and Janos Starker.
He has served as principal cellist of the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern and associate principal of Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal and the Jerusalem Symphony. Baruch is also a member of the Ben-Haim Piano Trio and has played with the Israel Contemporary String Quartet. He has recorded for Meridian and Centaur labels and for radio channels in Israel and Indiana. Baruch has won awards, including the Hatfield Award and the Baltimore Music Club competition.
He is also a teacher, arranger, and conductor, having taught at various institutions and holding a minor in music theory. Baruch's doctoral thesis analyzed the development sections in Mozart's string quintets.
Ewelina Bielarczyk
Summer Session 2023

Violist Ewelina Bielarczyk was born in Rabka-Zdró, Poland in 1984.
Ewelina will join Aalborg Symphony Orchestra ( Denmark) as a principal violist. Previously she was a member of the Mozart Orchestra of Claudio Abbado and, in 2015, won a seat as a Viola Soloist Assistant in the Symphonic Orchestra of Madrid (Teatro Real.) In 2021 became a member of a Spanish National Orchestra. In addition, she has played alongside music directors like Zubin Mehta, Bernard Haitink, Diego Matheuz, Péter Eötvös and many more and took part in the Orchestra of Life created by Nigel Kennedy.
Ewelina was a member of the International Institute of Chamber Music of Madrid and Quartet Arriaga of the Bank of Spain, along with Professor Heime Müller. In addition, she is awarded by Her Majesty Queen Sofia the honour of Most Outstanding Chamber Group in the category of strings quartet for the academic year 2009/2010.
Jonathan Brown
Summer Session 2023

Violist Jonathan Brown joined the Cuarteto Casals, with whom he has regularly appeared in the most important concert halls and festivals worldwide. The quartet records exclusively for Harmonia Mundi, for whom they have recorded extensively, covering a wide range of repertoire from Boccherini to Kurtág.
Jonathan has also been a featured guest of other chamber music ensembles, including the Tokyo, Kuss, Miro, Quiroga and Zemlinsky Quartets and the Kandinsky Trio. A dedicated performer of new music, Jonathan is a founding member of Funktion and has often appeared as a soloist with BCN216, performing works of Morton Feldman and Luciano Berio. He is currently a professor of viola and chamber music at ESMUC in Barcelona and an assistant professor of viola at the Escuela Reina Sofía in Madrid. In addition, he is frequently invited to give masterclasses throughout Europe and America.
With Diemut Poppen, Sylvia Rosenberg and Donald Weilerstein and has been profoundly influenced by his lessons with Ferenc Rados and György Kurtág.
Guy Figer
Summer Session 2023

Guy Figer has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras in Israel and abroad and has been broadcast on Israeli radio, Vienna Radio, WFMT Chicago, and on WQXR New York. He often performs in Europe, North America and his native Israel. Guy is a member of the Figer-Khanina Duo, together with pianist Anna Khanina. The Duo’s debut CD was released under the label New Focus Recordings and is distributed by Naxos of America.
Currently, Figer is based in Israel. An avid pedagogue, he serves as a faculty member at the Buchman-Mehta School of Music Tel Aviv University, at the Israeli Conservatory Tel Aviv, and teaches regularly at the "Keshet Eilon" national violin seminars.
Guy is a member of Trio Ben-Haim and concertmaster of the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, with whom he also performs as a soloist.
Grigory Kalinovsky
Summer Session 2023

Hailed by critics as a “superior poet” (Vancouver Sun) and praised for his “heart and indomitable will” (Gramophone), Grigory Kalinovsky has performed at some of the world’s major venues, from all three stages of Carnegie Hall in New York to Musikhalle Grosser Saal in Hamburg.
A devoted educator, Prof. Kalinovsky is currently on the faculty of Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, after teaching for many years at his alma mater, the Manhattan School of Music.
He has presented numerous masterclasses word-wide and teaches regularly at summer festivals.
His book “ViolinMind” has been published by OvationPress in 2019.
Jaram Kim
Summer Session 2023

A laureate of the 2000 Yehudi Menuhin International Young Violinists Competition, Jaram Kim made her debut at the age of six in Gwangju Namdo Art Concerto Hall. She has been an active performer while participating in numerous festivals and tours in the United States of America, Canada, Europe, and South America. Jaram also has extensive teaching experience. She was an outside instructor at Columbia University and held a violin faculty position at Mahanaim in Huntington, NY.
In 2019, she received the Doctoral of Music Arts degree from Stony Brook University and currently, she holds a Violin Faculty position at the Bard College Conservatory of Music PreCollege in New York.
Jose Mor
Summer Session 2023

Jose Mor is a distinguished cellist and cello professor born in Godella, Spain. He holds the position of Principal Cello at the Orquesta Sinfónica de Barcelona y Nacional de Cataluña (O.B.C.) and is a Cello Professor at the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC). Mor's love for music began at an early age, and he studied at the Conservatorio de Música Joaquin Rodrigo in Valencia before attending advanced cello classes with Lluis Claret at the Escola de Música de Barcelona and Charles Tunnell in London. He also received masterclasses from renowned cellists such as Vicente Costa, Pedro Corostola, Martti Roussi, Bernard Greenhouse, and Frans Helmerson.
Jose Mor has won numerous awards throughout his career, including the First Prize in the VIII Edition "Claret Brothers" Contest in 1995, the First Prize for String instrument in the national Permanent Contest Concurso Permanente de Jóvenes Intérpretes de Juventudes Musicales of Spain in 1998, and the First Prize of the contest IV Concurso de Jóvenes Intérpretes "Ciudad de Xativa" in 2000. He is a founding member of the L.O.M. Piano Trio, which has received multiple accolades and recorded for Naxos, Columna Música, and La mà de guido. Mor has also performed as a soloist with several orchestras and played with other musical formations, including Trio Massià and Sandaran Cello Quartet.
Hagai Shaham
Summer Session 2023

Hagai Shaham is internationally recognized as one of the astonishing violinists who have emerged from Israel: first prize winner of the ARD Munich Competition in 1990 (Duo competition with Arnon Erez), Ilona Kornhouser competition, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority Young Artist competition, to name a few.
He has soloed with many of the world's major orchestras, including the English Chamber Orchestra, BBC Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, RTE Ireland, Belgian National, Taipei, Singapore and Shanghai Symphonies, Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under Zubin Mehta. Hagai Shaham is a professor at the Buchmann-Mehta School of Music at Tel Aviv University and an Artist in Residence at Stony Brook University, New York.
Gabor Szabo
Summer Session 2023

Artistic Director and Concert Master of the Madrid Soloists Chamber Orchestra
Since 2022 Mr Szabo has been a professor of violin at the Escuela Superior de Musika Forum Musikae.
Born in Budapest, Gabor Szabo has been awarded in numerous national and international violin competitions: First Prize at the Budapest National Violin Competition, First Prize at the Zathureczky National Violin Competition, First Prize at the International Chamber Music Competition in the string trio category (USA). In addition, he won the Second Prize and the Special Prize for his performance of Paganini’s Violin concerto, No.1, at the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition (Hungary) and Third Prize at the Hubay National Violin Competition.
Since 1993, Gabor Szabo has been a continuous soloist and recording artist for the Hungarian National Radio and has made more than 70 live recordings. In addition, his recitals are broadcast by European television and radio companies.
Gabor Szabo is known for his extensive repertoire, ranging from Vivaldi to more contemporary composers. As a recitalist, he has performed in more than twenty European countries, the United States, and South America.
Szabo frequently collaborates with orchestras as a concertmaster in many European countries.
Barbora Valiukeviciute
Summer Session 2023

Violinist, educator, and producer Barbora Valiukevičiūtė is praised internationally for her energetic, charismatic stage appearance, captivating interpretations, and magical sonorous tone. In 2021 she became a cultural ambassador for the Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022.
Barbora has gained recognition as a prospective teacher, and she has a growing class of her students. She has taught at the Barenboim-Said Foundation in Palestine and The Merit School of Music in Chicago. As a guest artist, she regularly teaches masterclasses at Accademia d’Archi Arrigoni in Italy and the University of the Visual and Performing Arts in Sri Lanka.
Kyril Zlotnikov
Summer Session 2023

Cellist Kyril Zlotnikov is a founding member recognised for his artistic creativity, one of the most dynamic and exciting quartets currently performing - The Jerusalem Quartet. The musicians have been giving multiple performances worldwide, becoming Israel's leading string quartet. From 2002 till 2020, the Jerusalem Quartet has recorded exclusively for Harmonia Mundi. From 2022 the Quartet records for BIS Records.
Along with his extensive chamber music appearances, Kyril Zlotnikov has performed and been broadcast as a soloist with internationally renowned orchestras, such as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, the Ludwigsburg Symphony Orchestra, The Gulbenkian Orchestra, West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Jerusalem Camerata and enjoys artistic collaboration with acclaimed conductors including Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, Lawrence Foster, Asher Fish, Simone Young. Kyril Zlotnikov is a regular guest at major chamber music festivals such as the Proms Festival, Verbier Festival, Vancouver, Gstaad, Salzburg, Rheingau, Ravinia, Schleswig-Holstein, the Jerusalem and the Schwetzingen Festivals, among others. Kyril Zlotnikov has served as a jury member for several international competitions, including the 2016 ARD International Music Competition in Munich, the 2018 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, and the 2022 Wigmore Hall International String Quartet Competition. Kyril Zlotnikov plays an Amati Brothers cello made in Cremona, circa 1610, on loan from a Charitable Trus.
Lecture & Workshops

Amaia Ruano
Personal and Executive Coach
Peak Performance and Emotional
Management
Amaia Ruano is a Personal and Executive Coach specializing in Peak Performance and Emotional Management. Amaia works with her clients on various areas such as stage fear, efficient practice, peak performance, career development, and emotional stability.
Apart from being a coach, Amaia is also a professional cellist who plays with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra, the Barcelona Modern Ensemble, and the Cello Quartet Les Mademoicelli. She is a cello teacher at the Barcelona Liceu Conservatory and the Granollers Conservatory. As a teacher trainer, Amaia has developed several courses that address the topics of emotional intelligence, stage fright, peak performance, and coaching applied to music education.
She speaks fluent Catalan, Spanish and English, and is proficient in French.

Ugne Peistaraite
Music Performance Psychologist
Music Performance Psychology
Ugne is a PhD candidate and graduate teaching assistant for Music Performance Psychology at the Centre for Performance Science, Royal College of Music (RCM). She is investigating the role of emotional intelligence for musicians under Dr Terry Clark, Dr Rosie Perkins and Prof Aaron Williamon. As well music psychology lecturer at Bath SPA University.
Ugne is an RCM Doctoral Bursary and Doctor Knobel Fund Award holder supported by Mr Samih Sawiris, SEMPRE, and the Lithuanian Council for Culture. In 2018, she graduated with a distinction from a Master of Science in Performance Science at the RCM (partly supported by Vilnius Perkunas Rotary Club). She investigated the relationship between emotion regulation processes and self-regulated learning in musicians. The research produced significant findings presented at the SEMPRE Graduate Conference at the University of Cambridge, the BFS/RMA Graduate Conference at the University of Sheffield, and the International Symposium for Performance Science 2019 in Melbourne. In addition, in 2019, Ugne was accepted and awarded a grant in a six-month MedTech SuperConnector project run by Imperial College London, which supports early-career academic researchers to develop and realise entrepreneurial ideas.

Sonja Moser
Theater Director
Stage Presence
Public Speaking
Sonja Moser is a theatre artist and educator who, as director, has staged work Off-Broadway and regionally throughout the United States in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and Maine, including five years with the company she founded Islesford Theatre Project. She has taught graduate and undergraduate students at Illinois State University, College of the Atlantic and Bowdoin College, where she chaired the department of Theatre and Dance. Believing that theatre has the most impact on the people who make it, she expanded her teaching to include work with children and marginalized populations across the city of Chicago, where she now lives, with organisations like Chicago Arts Partnerships in Education and Just Art. No matter her students' age or experience level, she thrives on bringing a new level of presence and confidence to their performance ability. Sonja holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, received her theatre training internationally at Ecole International de Theatre Jacques LeCoq (Paris), and from Columbia University (New York), where she earned her MFA in directing.